You say you want a revolution
After half a century, Beatles Love still holds strong
JAMES MALONEY
The heavy revelation I came to late at night, stoned in my washroom, is that our generation will perpetually be a group of trend followers. Never again will there be a group as inspirational as the Beatles, or a band as hell-bent on sex and drugs as the Doors.
When our generation finds something that works, we stick with it. As such, we never stray very far from the norm, the predictable. There will never again be a band that is so far outside the rigid boundaries of the mainstream that it can stand as a new genre in and of itself.
Though if there were to be such a band, the ideal formula would be a group of innocent kids who have no idea of the known “rock ’n’ roll lifestyle.” Bands like the Beatles came from small towns in England, and had no idea what was in store for them. They had no knowledge of drugs, and they had not even tried marijuana (until later on when Mr. Zimmerman introduced them to it). These lads from England were the ideal rock band. There were no thoughts of money and fame clouding their heads — just the sound of music.
Bands in the new millennium are supposed to be rich, famous, and drunk, judging by what we learn from television. Not a single band is thriving on the sole purpose of making music; they are all fixated on the idea of making money. The musicians who acted as inspirations to the Beatles were neither rich nor famous. In fact, most of them were widely unknown, most of them poor drunks, just trying to make a dime. The idea of music and music alone was their drive. No pictures of money or fame, just the desire to create a sound that would get stuck in your head, or maybe make a few girls dance.
Though by mere chance, instead of sticking a song in someone’s head, the Beatles got stuck on the radio, and a few girls turned into thousands. This was, no doubt, destined to happen. There is no doubt in my mind that there was a greater power acting when Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Star were brought together. These four young Brits rocked the world and with no doubt still rock the world, with the newest Beatles release, Love, having sold millions of copies around the world. The Beatles have become more like immortal legends than mere rock ’n’ roll stars. I can just picture John Lennon rolling in his grave over the war in Iraq, and Harrison having a conversation with Hendrix on the other side of the fence.
The Beatles were part of an amazing time, and they might have been one of the larger sparks that ignited the uncontrollable fire that was the ’60s. Never again will a band like the Beatles rise up from earth, unless there comes a band that is totally oblivious to the rock ’n’ roll image fabricated by the media.
The sole reason why the Beatles were such a revelation in music is because in their minds they valued music first above all, with fame trailing behind as a distant second. The next band that even compares to the Beatles will be a band that has no goals other than to make music. One that has no visions of wealth or fame; just the goal to make people dance.
