Phil posited, "Whenever anyone under 37 tells me their favorite band is The Beatles, I
always ask the same two questions: 1) Are your parents huge Beatles fans
and 2) Do you go to a lot of concerts. I almost invariably get the
same two answers: yes and no. That tells me they just aren’t a big fan
of music in general and they’re purely tapping into nostalgia. They
choose the Beatles b/c it’s a fairly inoffensive answer and they don’t
have much more to draw on. I got bad news for you: The Beatles have
been iterated on. If you asked an alien to listen to the Beatles and
Oasis and asked the alien who the better band is, it would pick Oasis..."
Most of you know I am a huge fan of The Beatles and
will often defend them when people attempt to trash them or their fans. When Phil claimed Beatles fans are not well educated in music, I immediately became interested. Here my answers to your questions. 1) No 2) No. My dad is not a huge fan but was like everyone else growing up in America throughout the 1960s - typically enjoying The Beatles. My mom is a big Patsy Cline and Elvis fan. She appreciates The Beatles but not exactly a big fan. I turned on to them when I was teenager because I would rather listen to Rubber Soul (one of their better albums) than any rap or the pop shit on the mainstream radio during the mid to late 90s. When I heard the White Album, Revolver, and Abbey Road, I was sold.
Why do I not go to concerts? I don't like the atmosphere. I saw O.A.R. live and it was fun but I could easily enjoy "Crazy Game of Poker," "City on Down," and "This Town" through my home stereo system and/or phone. I saw Lifehouse and Dot Dot Dot at the Bluebird when I lived in Bloomington and the both put on great shows but I hated feeling trapped. I have no interest in being around a mosh pit or a lot of weed so concerts aren't my scene.
Yes, Phil is correct that The Beatles were iterated but way sooner than Oasis. The Beatles kicked off the British Invasion during the mid 1960s and were successful. From their success, we heard from other noun based bands prefaced by an article such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Zombies, The Hollies, The Animals, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, The Troggs, and The Yardbirds. So yes, Phil, The Beatles were iterated but they also iterated other bands, One song that gets mistakenly credited to them is "Twist and Shout." That song belongs to the Isley Brothers, it's just that The Beatles did it better. They also covered Buddy Holly's "Words of Love," and it sounds better than the original. The Beatles get mimicked when bands don't even know they are doing it.
Now, Phil specifically mentioned Oasis as iterating The Beatles. The Beatles were a four member band with each member playing an instrument and singing. Oasis had (have?) five members and more or less resemble The Rolling Stones. Why compare them to The Beatles? Because they're British? Well, so are the Stones and have the same amount of members, so why not the Stones? Would Phil think the same way if someone said The Stones were his/her favorite band? The Who? Zeppelin? Aerosmith? Hahaha - Aerosmith...anyway. I think it comes down to the fact Phil doesn't like The Beatles or that they are consistently ranked as the top band by Rolling Stone Magazine. I sense some jealousy.
Finally, Phil stated that "if you asked an alien to listen to the Beatles and
Oasis and asked the alien who the better band is, it would pick Oasis." That has to be one of the dumbest things I read and sometimes I read an editorial from Fox News. I can think of three big hits from Oasis: "Wonderwall," "Champagne Supernova," and "Don't Look Back in Anger." I can think of twenty - seven number one hits from the Beatles so let's contrast. "Get Back" or "Wonderwall"...."Hey Jude" or "Wonderwall" "All You Need is Love" or "Wonderwall"..."Eleanor Rigby" or "Wonderwall"...."Help!" or "Wonderwall"....yeah, an alien would not pick Oasis. I think Phil just enjoyed this SNL skit too much and believed what the Will Ferrell character said
So Phil, I understand I am not like all Beatles' fans you encountered. After all, I worked as a DJ/Producer in college (big whoop) and had to keep up with new music every week. To dismiss all fans of one band is way too simplistic. C'mon, us Beatles' fans are not Yankees fans. When someone asks me what is my favorite band, I have a tough time answering it because I love Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Boston, Journey, Florence + The Machine, The Shins, Mellencamp, and many many others. I then ask the questioner, "of all time?" If that's the case, it is The Beatles...without hesitation or equivocation.
