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This week I’ve decided to mix it
up a little bit, just to keep my readers on their toes. As presented with a bit
of a cultural reflection challenge to add to the mix of finding good covers, I
figured what artist reflects culture more than The Beatles? Nobody on
Earth compares in the slightest to the iconic English 60’s rock band whose
music changed the world. John
Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr combined, form quite
spectacularly one of the greatest combinations of psychedelia and beat of all
time. Alongside their ballads and masterpieces, The Beatles are so deeply
engrained in the DNA of rock music that even their flaws are considered
perfection.
Complex and wide-ranging, glorious
and fascinating, The Beatles consistently provided not only catchy and popular
music, but music with meaning. Their songs constantly reflected the time and
situation that the band felt and lived at the time, with passion and fervor.
The songwriting done is intimate; you always feel as though Paul McCartney is your best friend belting his heart out into your ear. The raw and honest musical geniuses incorporate this personal
relationship with fans to expound upon important influences of the time.
Politically, morally, socially, while sonically and lyrically, the music speaks
for itself and speaks for the world around them. Whether sending a message with
explicit references to the 60’s hippie outrage of the Vietnam War and expansive
drug use, exposing differences between Eastern and Western culture, or
promoting peace and “propaganda” to change the world through peace and love;
The Beatles said it all.
Now, I’ll now talk
about what I’m doing this week. I took a compilation of what I believe to be
the most outspoken Beatles’ songs of their time, and put together my own little
playlist of mentionable covers. To reiterate what I said earlier and firmly
believe, nobody in the entire universe compares to The Beatles and comes close to what the
band represented. Over fifty years after the original release of most
of these songs, in 2015 they still manage to pretty much hit the nail on
the head when providing an expose on popular culture and political
advancements. The covers I chose highlight that modern aspect as well, by giving the originals a bit of a twist to the song's meaning and bringing it into centennial light. I don’t usually do track-by-track reviews, so I'm about to break my own rules. Please don’t sue
me, because in this case, it’s totally necessary to get the individual point that
each song has across.
In no particular order:
In no particular order:
Revolution is known as the very
first overly politically influenced Beatles song, written as a direct response to the
Vietnam War. The explicit connection to Chairman Mao (a Chinese communist revolutionary) clearly calls the man out, and
goes on to say that supporting him is wrong and it’ll land you in the gutter.
Lennon wrote the song as an emotional reaction to how he felt that “everything is gonna be alright” as quoted and repeated multiple times in the song. The Beatles were
totally against the idea of war, and although they called for “revolution”, the
revolution was only one for peace rather than physical and violent rebellion. In 21st century, we can take a lot out of the intention that the Beatles clearly had. Change can happen without being forced by guns and military, and it simply is "evolution" as McCartney sang. Change is natural, and we as a people should adapt peacefully.
While still being relevant, the
covers important because it’s also pretty fantastically reworked. Acoustically,
the riffs are spot on and the vocals are silky yet grainy, the perfect combination
that Lennon originally incorporated as well. The chords strike as though on cue, and the hymnal
Imagine Dragons soothe the crowd while simultaneously lighting a spark in the
air. Coming from songs like “Radioactive”, which was pretty mainstream try-hard pop for quite a bit of 2014; one would never know that this is the same
band. The energy in the air is alive and calm and quaint, perfect. The
lead singer, Dan Reynolds, does the best follow up of a Beatles classic that
anybody possibly could, even Yoko’s shown bopping her head in the crowd.
I’m
going start this by noting how awesome it is that this track includes such Grade-A
legends all together. Tom Petty the rock god, Prince is PRINCE
for Christ’s sake, and Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynne bring in the band with
retro rock in their blood. Even low-key Dhani Harrison, who is GEORGE HARRISON’S
SON is in this rendition. I'm getting the chills just watching it on YouTube, I
can only imagine what the live vibes feel like. Confidence oozes out of Petty, because he knows that he can redo a Beatles song and
pull it off. It’s hypnotizing to listen to, and may I even say, comes close to
the original. I must be losing my mind, because I’m
almost forgetting what the original “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” even sounded
like.
Regardless
of the legendary artists featured, the cover kills it. The guitar solo towards the end
is beautifully executed with sonic fire soaring through the air, and the crowd
goes rightfully wild. Although there’s still a bit of a chill vibe throughout
the vocals, the mixture of hot and cold is comparably the yin and yang that makes the song work. It forces the audience into feeling every bit of the band’s exuberated passion. My only problem with the cover is that the lyrics go quite a bit unnoticed, and the lyrical perspective is what brought this song on my playlist to
begin with.
The
story behind this song begins in 1968, while songwriter and vocalist for The
Beatles, George Harrison, sat at his mother’s house thinking of the “Chinese I
Ching”. Basically, it's an Eastern concept that whatever happens is all
meant to be, there’s no such thing as coincidence. At the time, not only were
there Cold War tensions in America, but also Vietnam War tensions alongside.
This ideal was unfamiliar to the highly-stressed American population, and The
Beatle’s subtlety introduced and promoted the idea to the hippie crowd, with soft vocals and Eric Clapton on the guitar.
The modern retelling of the original made it on this list not only because of how it makes my heart literally overflow with joy, but also because the lyrical quality only enhances over time and the cover reflects so. In America, I hear frequently today that "everything happens for a reason", which is the similar concept with a Western twist. The saying explains the unexplainable, whether good or bad. It gives comfort to those without any. Conceptually, the saying is changing but remaining true to it's original intent.
The modern retelling of the original made it on this list not only because of how it makes my heart literally overflow with joy, but also because the lyrical quality only enhances over time and the cover reflects so. In America, I hear frequently today that "everything happens for a reason", which is the similar concept with a Western twist. The saying explains the unexplainable, whether good or bad. It gives comfort to those without any. Conceptually, the saying is changing but remaining true to it's original intent.
I love Neil Young, his “Heart of Gold”
will always remain on the top #10 most played on my iPod, and more importantly it’s
forever #1 in my heart. BUT, this cover is not my favorite on the list. Maybe “Imagine”
is just overplayed and over-covered in my opinion, but this one feels dry. I can’t feel the classic Neil
Young folky heart and passion that I always do. The cover is skin-deep, and I know
Neil could have done better. Maybe it’s because "Imagine" is THE Lennon song, the
absolute classic that everybody associates John Lennon with. But, it just feels sacrilegious
to not listen to the original, as though I’m sinning against the music gods. Nothing
comes close to the sonic magic that Lennon sparks, and the original always hits everyone with a
soul in the feels. Regardless, the song made my list because everyone else seems to rave about it. Young's a legend, Lennon's a legend; the combination makes the cover a musical prodigy.
The strong political message is
sugarcoated in the pretty melody; it’s a softer approach to the audience.
The message is to imagine a world without division, without things such as
religion and war that separate the masses. The world would be a better place
without the constant argumentation and clash of classes, and Lennon encourages us to
literally “imagine” it.
Is this concept even possible today, with constant trouble wherever one looks? Somebody's always wrong and somebody's always right, whether within our own tiny lives or on a larger scale. On the news there is a constant headline filled with turmoil, and internally we all fight our own battles. Although Lennon's imagination hasn't quite come true yet, the peaceful notion gives comfort in a world with little. The majority wishes to see a day with ease, and the heavenly thought keeps us all in a nice little safety blanket.
Is this concept even possible today, with constant trouble wherever one looks? Somebody's always wrong and somebody's always right, whether within our own tiny lives or on a larger scale. On the news there is a constant headline filled with turmoil, and internally we all fight our own battles. Although Lennon's imagination hasn't quite come true yet, the peaceful notion gives comfort in a world with little. The majority wishes to see a day with ease, and the heavenly thought keeps us all in a nice little safety blanket.
There’s
something romantic about Elvis Costello’s sultry cover of “All You Need is Love”.
I always had this set ideal that this timeless Beatles tune is upbeat and
happy; I picture it as the color yellow. Costello’s live cover taints this
yellow and turns it into a deep red, and with his ever-grainy voice, he turns the
teeny bopper anthem into a bedroom whisper. I love how he completely redesigns
the original into his own work, and I love even more how much of a risk it was to
take. This being said, it still doesn’t compare to McCartney’s belt of the absolute
classic. The original song was evolutionary and embodied the hippie movement of the time. To emphasize how overpowering the original is over any cover, even as I listen to Costello's version, I still hear Paul McCartney singing in the back of my head.
The Beatles brought this song to life very simplistically. “All You
Need Is Love” was a popular saying in the ‘60’s anti-war movement, and the song
was released in the middle of the 1967’s Summer of Love. If that isn’t a direct
allusion, I don’t know what is. The lyrical concept began by wanting to produce
a song that would be understood by all nations. The song was gimmicky and
catchy, so the words were easy to remember and the song was always in your
head. Promotions of peace and love intertwined every word sung, and it totally
encompasses the youth of the time period.
Now, our time period's youth is a little different. Social media has taken over the universe, and so has the idea that you need a little bit more than love nowadays. In rap music, you don't even need love to be successful; you need money and girls with big butts. True love is held on an unrealistic pedestal and loving each other platonically isn't really a thing. We'd all be better off if the world retained this endearment towards their neighbors and peers, and I have hope that this ideal will return.
Now, our time period's youth is a little different. Social media has taken over the universe, and so has the idea that you need a little bit more than love nowadays. In rap music, you don't even need love to be successful; you need money and girls with big butts. True love is held on an unrealistic pedestal and loving each other platonically isn't really a thing. We'd all be better off if the world retained this endearment towards their neighbors and peers, and I have hope that this ideal will return.
I saved the most interesting cover for
last. The Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus combine their creative minds, and the
obvious allusion to LSD, to redesign an iconic Beatles druggie hymn. The only
word I have to describe the cover is... trippy. Disclaimer: I have no past history
with psychedelic drug use, but I totally feel like I’m tripping acid while audibly
interpreting this cover. Cyrus’ voice rings through your skull like a light in
the dark, and the Flaming Lips channeling their electronic-psychedelic-rock
side is kaleidoscopic and mind-blowing. I love this cover, it’s experimental
and a total conscious experience.
This cover would be Beatles approved,
1000%. Lennon continually experimented with the drug, and hit a usage peak in
1967, when the song was released. The main inspiration claimed to be taken from
Alice in Wonderland, the dreamlike imagery and verses are gentle and inducing.
Drug use in the 60’s was obliterating the hippie culture, everyone was tripping
off their asses and experimenting with the many sides of their personalities.
It was a total fad, that embodied every music scene, club scene, and took over the hippie scene.
Drug use these days is still just as idolized and popular, in any genre of music you turn to. A$AP Rocky just recently released, "L$D". "Stay High" by Tove Lo was on the top charts for weeks. Even Miley Cyrus, featured on this cover and previously known as Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana", releases whole entire albums based on sex and drugs. It's totally still relevant, and the cover exuberates the relevancy that drugs still hold over modern-day music culture.
Overall, The Beatles incorporated important explicit and implicit messages within their songs to reflect on the current affairs at hand. They were total hippies that wanted peace, love, and drugs to make the world a better place. Similarly, all of the covers pretty much reflect the 21st century and modernize the original intent to make it brand new and relevant. The enhancement of messages, the quality of music, and the incorporation of the Beatles' intent, are what make these covers on my very exclusive playlist.
Drug use these days is still just as idolized and popular, in any genre of music you turn to. A$AP Rocky just recently released, "L$D". "Stay High" by Tove Lo was on the top charts for weeks. Even Miley Cyrus, featured on this cover and previously known as Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana", releases whole entire albums based on sex and drugs. It's totally still relevant, and the cover exuberates the relevancy that drugs still hold over modern-day music culture.
Overall, The Beatles incorporated important explicit and implicit messages within their songs to reflect on the current affairs at hand. They were total hippies that wanted peace, love, and drugs to make the world a better place. Similarly, all of the covers pretty much reflect the 21st century and modernize the original intent to make it brand new and relevant. The enhancement of messages, the quality of music, and the incorporation of the Beatles' intent, are what make these covers on my very exclusive playlist.
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