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The Beatles vs. The Who
Stipulating that there’s no accounting for taste, what sane person would say The Who are/were a better band than The Beatles? This guy:
I believe rock and roll is a sometimes ephemerally subtle, sometimes gruesome and grotesque she/he-animal capable of transcendence. I believe that rock and roll should reach for the Golden Ring, hot, sexy, lissome and coy, even if it falls in the attempt. I believe that the ability to hear rock and roll is a gift that deserves not just moments of grace, but moments where the fusion of volume, energy, and meaning appear to have the power to split the atom. That’s why I prefer the Who to the Beatles.
…
The Who’s formula of power + ambition + the despair of searching for perfection unachievable and beauty unobtainable leads to human achievements, volcanic and amoebic, that humble any effort by the Beatles to perfect the marriage of rock and pop.
I know the stakes are high. Emotions run hot. On Facebook, a good friend whose opinion I respect said, “The Beatles canon is incredible, but The Who left a legacy of tunes unequalled in their sonic fervour.”
So here’s what we’ll do:
- Take the 25 best Beatles songs and put them up against the 25 best by The Who (if you can name that many). Heck, put them up against the 10 best by The Who.
- Take the 5 best Beatles albums and put them up against the 5 best by The Who.
- Imagine asking 50 random people on the street their opinion.
- Toss in some other criteria: overall record sales and box office, cultural influence, musical variety, production value, transformative style, continuing relevance, number of imitators spawned.
I could do this all night.
Personally, I give The Who an edge on just three criteria: live exuberance, longevity, and the individual musicianship of its members.
Which is not to say that The Who aren’t a great band, just that they ain’t The Beatles.
But there’s no accounting for taste.
Published in Entertainment
The Beach Boys get overlooked because the oldies stations only play their early surf music. Even so, I’d argue that early Beach Boys compares favorably to early Beatles: I’ll take California Girls, I Get Around, and Help Me Rhonda over Love Me Do, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and P.S. I Love You.
Work on Smile was abandoned before the album was released, but Wilson eventually finished and released it as a solo album a few years back, and then the original sessions were remastered and released as well. Both are brilliant and hold their own against any Beatles album.
Also despite his mental breakdown Brian continued to write songs for the Beach Boys, and they produced a remarkable, nearly forgotten body of work in the 70’s. I’d highly recommend Greatest Hits Vol. 3: Best of the Brother Years 1970-1986 to anyone unfamiliar with this era of the band.
I have Wilson’s remake of Smile, which I do greatly enjoy. Someday I’ll buy the original sessions recording. I also really enjoy Wilson’s Gershwin album.
Wilson’s version sounds more polished, and I like the songs he finished/added. But overall I prefer listening to the original sessions because it has the signature Beach Boys vocal harmonies — and because Brian’s voice hasn’t aged so well.
I was going to say when I saw #57 that if you haven’t seen 20 Feet from Stardom, do so.
One of the most terrific documentaries. I was intrigued all the way through. I started listening for the back up singers in almost every song after I saw it.
The Beach Boys get overlooked because the oldies stations only play their early surf music. Even so, I’d argue that early Beach Boys compares favorably to early Beatles: I’ll take California Girls, I Get Around, and Help Me Rhonda over Love Me Do, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and P.S. I Love You.
I can see why you would say that, but She Loves You blows it all out of the water.
I think I bought Wilson’s remake of Smile just a year or two before the Smile Sessions was released. If I’d known the original recordings were going to be released I might have passed on Wilson’s newer version and just waited to buy the original version. There’s something magical about the original Beach Boy’s harmonies that Wilson and his new backing band can’t quite recreate.
@Joseph Stanko:
I spent many dollars getting good seats at BB concerts in high school. Pet Sounds was a revolutionary album and partially inspired by the fact that Brian Wilson’s competitive nature positively ‘flipped out’ at the creative genius of Sgt. Pepper.
Yes. Goosebumps every time.
As for Sympathy for the Devil, any band that casually throws a reference to the 100 Years’ War into a great rock song has my undying respect and admiration.
I think you have the chronology reversed: Pet Sounds came out in 1966. McCartney has said it inspired Sgt. Pepper.
Brian was working on Smile when Pepper came out. You’re certainly right about his competitive nature, when he heard Pepper he felt tremendous pressure for Smile to top it and that (plus too much LSD) contributed to his breakdown.
Yeah, that’s how I understood it. I recall also hearing the story that when he heard “Strawberry Fields Forever” he broke down and cried.
Wait. Joseph, are you saying there may have been drugs involved in the development of some of these songs?
When people say things like this, you can rack it up to the fact that musical tastes generally are set in ones youth, and so as popular music styles change so does one’s opinion on it. I am sure the Beyonce fans of today will be complaining about the lack of quality music thirty years from now.
The Who without a doubt. I was always partial to the intro on Magic Bus
My rock and roll braggadocio moment is that my wife and I would sit next to Ron Wood at the outdoor bar at the Hotel Bora Bora when we honeymooned there in 1985. Mr. Wood always appeared to be in another world, as were we.
St. Peter: “Before you pass through these pearly gates, there is one thing you should know… ”
Me “Well, it’s a relief that I made it here… you know… where it’s cooler”.
SP: “Yeah, well, it was a close vote.”
Me: “You know I’m Jewish right?…”
SP: “Like I said… it was close. So anyways. You can only take with you 1 bands catalog of music. That’s it”.
Me: “Only one? Wait… I thought this was Heaven”.
SP: “It is, but God doesn’t want to hear Chumbawamba or Tori Amos. This way, he’s happy, you’re happy… it’s all good”.
Me: “Only one band for eternity? Wow… that’s tough. I mean, there’s Zeppelin, The Who, Beatles, Stones, Sinatra, Johnny Cash… this is tough!”
SP: “Yup… but you have 15 seconds to decide”.
Me: “Heaven 17?”
SP: “Do I look amused?”
Me: “Sorry… so, wow… this is a hard choice.”
SP: “10 seconds”.
Me: “It would have to be the Beatles. Their transformation over their life, from Love Me Do to Tomorrow Never Knows is like bringing multiple bands with me. The Beatles.”
SP: “Beatles. Done. OK, in you go… Oh and don’t blast Yellow Submarine”.
I think there is some truth to this, but even though I grew up in the 90s/00s I do feel like the 60s and 70s big name rockers and pop artists put out better stuff than most of the popular artists today. In my opinion, though, Adele and John Mayer compare favorably to the 60s and 70s artists.
I stand corrected. Pet Sounds came out in 1966 and Pepper in 67.
Well, I was born in 1970; and also I’m an Iowan, so culturally I’m about 5-10 years behind everyone else. For me those bands are history, and fodder for remakes. I’m more inclined towards The Who, personally. I never ‘got’ the Beatles.
Ok, I actually RENEWED at the Thatcher level tonight because of this thread, although I have been tempted to renew so many times. I was a limited participant for a year, then let my membership lapse. For Pete’s sake (no pun intended) it is because of this discussion that I came back. I love the Beatles, don’t get me wrong. In fact, in mere weeks, we are on a cruise that calls at Liverpool and have signed up for the “In the Steps of the Beatles” excursion and look forward to every Penny Lane, Strawberry Field and Mersey River stop (oops, that’s Gerry and the Pacemakers). However, the Who rule forever in my heart, and I have a classical music/opera/jazz heart almost in full. When I was a quite a young one, my only Christmas gift request was for “Quadrophenia”, which my poor, bewildered Mom purchased at the local J.C. Penney department store music section and I listened to until they were quite sick of it. I have seen them in person only three times, with the first “farewell” tour in 1982, the Quadrophenia tour many years later (with the nefarious Gary Glitter and Billy Idol) and finally, we saw a depleted Who with no Entwhistle (Moon long gone) on yet another tour a few years ago, yet it was so amazing! I agree with an earlier poster, who said that “Baba O’Riley” can cause serious phantom instrument playing. The Who are it, as far as I’m concerned.
Quadrophenia is better than anything the Beatles ever did. It’s not even a contest. C.f. Pete Townsend’s acid comments about the Beatles musicianship in “The Kids are Alright.” The Who by a knock-out.
Led Zeppelin / Beatles magnificent mash-up: Whole Lotta Helter Skelter,
@#82: Wow. And thanks for those visuals!
Loved that mash-up.
Very similar point though. Just watched a brief doc on Pet Sounds and it was listening to Revolver that blew Brian Wilson away. He wanted to top that, then the The Beatles created Sgt. Pepper to top Pet Sounds. Brian’s Smile project was his attempt to top Sgt. Pepper.
It was a very friendly rivalry. Both sets of artists would share how they created certain sounds and heaped respect upon each other.
#55 Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas, Alan Parsons Project—all used orchestras to great effect in their music, and wrote music using classical themes. Anyone who can write music utilizing the talents of that many musicians has got some serious ‘chops’, in my book. There are other groups that did the same, but it’s late, so I’m off to bed. Be back later!
Hands down, The Who, because of their energy. I haven’t listened to the Beatles in years.
The only people who think The Who are better than The Beatles are people who buy into the myth that rock and roll is supposed to be “dangerous.” When the guy who wrote “Something,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Here Comes the Sun” is still only the third best creative force in the band, there’s just no comparison to any other act.
Also: To the ones calling the Beatles a “pop” band, put yourselves in the mind of typical listener of the time. To an early 60’s audience, even something as tame (to our ears) as “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was shockingly heavy, and that’s not even getting into downright creepy album tracks like “No Reply.”
When I was growing up in the 80’s people had the same complaint. Now people routinely list groups like Duran Duran and Bon Jovi in their, “Why isn’t there any good music like…” whines.