http://www.dailyfreepress.com/musicologist-traces-history-of-the-beatles-1.2194469
By Erin Thibeau
March 17, 2010
The innovative music of the Beatles captured the love of millions and
became one of the most influential music groups of all time, a
musicologist told students Wednesday.
The band's strikingly complex and meaningful lyrics simultaneously
attracted scores of fans while pushing the boundaries of pop music,
said musicologist and Boston University professor Jeremy Yudkin.
About 20 students and faculty gathered in Mugar Memorial Library's
Richards-Roosevelt room to learn more about the Beatles' illustrious career.
The Beatles had 20 number one hit songs in the United States alone,
while creating a fan base that spanned generations and countries, Yudkin said.
"The immense talent, perfect timing, hard work and captivating music
of the Beatles made them an unstoppable force in the 1960s and
beyond," he said.
Yudkin argued that the Beatles were unique in the musical world,
being one of the first pop groups to write their own music and enrich
their compositions with new complexity and intensity.
"'Rubber Soul' introduced themes of death and bitterness not present
in their music before," Yudkin said. "Songs like 'Girl,' written by
John Lennon, set the album apart with lyrical sophistication and maturity."
Listeners everywhere appreciate the quality of Beatles music, without
needing to understand the unusual harmonic shifts and backbeats, Yudkin said.
"The reason a performance grabs you is because the performer really
means it," he said. "The Beatles also became popular due to their
endearing qualities of camaraderie and cheekiness."
Yudkin said nearly every song on "Please, Please Me" was recorded in
one day, live and extraordinarily raw in comparison to today's
standards of production. The group soon stretched the sound of pop
music with new techniques in production from their long-time producer
George Martin and introduced new instrumentation, like the sitar.
He said the richness of the music scene increased in 1965, with
artists such as the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, who
influenced and were influenced by the Beatles.
The infamous relationship between Lennon and McCartney generated both
intense rivalry and friendship, he said. McCartney's musical style of
optimism and buoyancy contrasted sharply with Lennon's sardonic
lyricism and more complex arrangements.
"As songwriters, the creative synergy between them was so
productive," Yudkin said. "But this kind of fame is deadly."
The band members went their separate ways at the conclusion of the
'60s, freeing themselves from group fame but not the lure of music.
"It's only really highly creative people who can only look forward
and not back," he said.
BU music librarian Holly Mockovak was one of many lecture attendees
to reflect on the cultural phenomenon of their childhood.
"The Beatles were one of the few popular music experiences I sought
out, and I loved them," she said.
Exhibitions coordinator Perry Barton said he thought the discussion
was a great tribute.
"The very first album I ever bought was 'Meet the Beatles'," he said.
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