The Beatles

The best music group of all time, and my absolute favorite, is the Beatles, but when asked what my favorite group is, I say it’s Led Zeppelin because I think it is a given that the Beatles would be a person’s favorite music group, or at least one of the tops. If someone is a human and can appreciate music, that person has to like the Beatles. The Beatles crafted perfect songs. Perfect. Perfect melody. Perfect lyrics. Perfect harmonies. How could anyone not love the Beatles? How could the Beatles not be anyone’s favorite band, or at least one of the favorites? Therefore, as it is expected that the Beatles are and should be everyone’s favorite band, I don’t name them my favorite. A favorite band should differentiate yourself from others. The Beatles are so essential to popular music that asking someone if they like the Beatles is like asking if they like music. Not everyone may like Led Zeppelin (and, to my great sadness, many people don’t), but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t like the Beatles. And I really would question the human-ness of someone who doesn’t like the Beatles. I don’t think it’s possible to not like them, unless you consciously try to not like them so as to not be like everyone else, to try to assert your independence, but this is a foolish and quite stupid position to take.

When people say they don’t like the Beatles or they don’t think the Beatles contributed to popular music or made great music, I feel it is analogous to people saying they don’t believe in God. When I’ve read interviews where popular musicians or songwriters say they don’t owe anything to the Beatles, or they don’t think the Beatles were that meaningful, it is similar to someone saying God did not create us, did not create this world and give us talents. It is not giving proper credit. It is a very conceited and hubristic position in either case, whether to deny that there is a greater power than us (and I also take issue with the fact that some people will not say they believe in God but they will say they believe in a higher power as if it is somehow safer, not as much of a commitment, or supposedly less primitive, to think of a higher power rather than divinity, than God, when it is merely the easy way out) or to deny that the Beatles had any influence on popular music. Anyone who has made popular music after the Beatles first appeared on the world stage has been affected and influenced by their music. Their influence was too pervading to be denied. You cannot logically argue that any popular music since 1964 has not been somehow affected by the Beatles. Likewise, anyone who can recognize the miracle of the human body and mind and how they work, how life grows on this Earth, how planets revolve around stars, how there are billions of stars and how perfectly our planet was calibrated to be conducive to human life must acknowledge that some sort of a creator, a being greater than us, produced this. It is entirely folly to suggest that this all happened by accident. (I don’t dispute the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe, it may or may not be true, but if it happened that way, it was planned, and I think it is our duty as humans to try to find out as much as we can about our planet, our galaxy, the universe, life forms on this earth, prehistoric and current, life on other planets, and to grow in science and understand our world and our bodies and our origins. The art of questioning does not negate the idea of a divine designer but actually corroborates it, for God gave us brains. We should use them.) The beauty of science only reinforces that this universe was planned. It is up to us to find out how that was done.

As far as the members of the Beatles, my favorite used to be George, because I always like the person who seems the most humble of any band. Humility is my favorite quality in a person because humility recognizes that talents are a gift and something to be grateful for, something you have developed, yes, but nevertheless something you were given. As I’ve already noted, lack of humility corresponds to those who deny the Beatles’ influence and gifted talent and of course to those who deny God. So I always love people who are talented but humble, and George certainly is. And I love “Long, Long, Long” as a melodic prayer and “Piggies” as a tuneful and clever indictment, and I absolutely am entranced with “Love You To.” However, once I started hearing people say John was the true genius of the Beatles and not Paul, Paul became my favorite because I saw him as the underdog. How could anyone deny Paul’s songwriting genius? Because his melodies are so accessible people think they can denigrate him? Or just because John was murdered, and entertainers become more mythical and legendary at death? Now, if Paul had died (for real, of course, not in the rumors back in the day) and John was then seen as the lesser of the two in terms of songwriting, John would be my favorite. That’s how my logic goes. But it must be noted that when I first heard Paul’s “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” I thought it was a Beatles song I’d somehow missed. None of John’s solo songs ever sounded like Beatles songs to me. This shows the huge contribution Paul made to the Beatles, and his effect on improving John’s songwriting, for, without Paul to push him on or to compete with him, John grew (I think) somewhat lazy in his solo work. Still, I value them both highly and equally.

In terms of actual songs, I like slightly more Beatles songs that were written by John -- “Baby, You’re a Rich Man,” “Run for Your Life,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “Think for Yourself,” “Norwegian Wood,” “Hide Your Love Away,” “I’m Only Sleeping,” “She Said She Said,” “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” “Bungalow Bill,” “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” “Because” -- than by Paul. I’ve certainly never been a fan of “Yesterday” -- though I can recognize its simple brilliance, it just doesn’t appeal to me. But Paul wrote some of the most beautiful and touching songs, like “Eleanor Rigby” (how could such a young man write something so compassionate and feeling without it sounding sappy?), “For No One,” and “Things We Said Today.” The most touching for me, though, is “She’s Leaving Home,” for I felt like that song was written for me. I know he wrote it based on an incident that really happened, and I am still to this day amazed that he had such a grasp on both sides of the story, of my own story, at such a young age. Also, although Paul’s forte was melody (“Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face”), he could write songs in many styles. I love the three parts of “You Never Give Me Your Money,” for instance, and the bouncy rock of “The Night Before,” and Paul wrote by far the hardest Beatles rocker – “Helter Skelter.” At any rate, both John and Paul were songwriting geniuses, and, as most people agree, their genius worked best when they were together in the Beatles. Not even writing songs together, though when they did, it was pure magic (the early songs, of course and of the later works – “Two of Us” and “I’ve Got a Feeling,” and the likable “Cry Baby Cry” sounds even better with Paul’s unrelated coda at the end), but having that competitive bent between each brought out their best. Both of them were essential to the Beatles.

My favorite Beatles song is “A Day in the Life” but I used to hate it. I thought it was pretentious, trying too hard to be deep and simple at the same time with its “ I read the news today, oh boy,” etc., but the more I listened to it, the more I loved it, and what made me love it was the middle eight section of “Aaah” after Paul’s “Woke up” sequence. I don’t know if that “Aaah” section is all Paul or George Martin or all the Beatles, but that section alone is what made me love the song and appreciate the rest of it. The entire production of the song owes great debt to George Martin, who was a genius at producing and integral to the Beatles. The same goes for the song “In My Life.” I used to be annoyed by that song, but grew to love it due to the middle eight section with the sped-up harpsichord, arranged by, yes, George Martin. His contributions to Beatles’ songs cannot be stressed enough.

Some people may be only a John fan or a Paul fan, but that’s pointless. The Beatles were a group of four individuals who came together perfectly and a producer who perfectly brought out the best in them. But in acknowledging the contribution of everyone connected with the Beatles, we cannot overemphasize (though it may appear that I have, I assure you, I have not) that the songwriting of John and Paul is the engine which drove the Beatles, the nucleus, inseparable from what made the Beatles the Beatles. Their songwriting is miraculous, genius, a gift, a gift John and Paul each had separately but could only fully realize together, a gift they shared with us. We are all very lucky for the Beatles. The Beatles saved my life, and I know I’m not alone.

Led Zeppelin

My favorite music group is Led Zeppelin. (As I previously noted, the Beatles are the best music group ever, and should be everyone’s favorite, so it is moot to list them as my favorite). Led Zeppelin differs from the Beatles in that their strong suit was not songwriting, as in the case of the Beatles, but instead in arrangement and execution of the material. No other individual group members ever came together in such a perfect mixture as in Led Zeppelin, where each member was indispensable to the group, and each member was a genius at his own instrument. [Even the Beatles did not have this characteristic, at least musically, for Ringo, although a great drummer, was not essential musically to the Beatles. Obviously John and Paul were indispensable, and the Beatles would not have been the Beatles with just one of them; both John and Paul were needed. And George provided an important ballast to John and Paul, though his contributions were not as high of quality and he did not provide as much weight, but his stellar guitar work and Indian-influenced music and spirituality were significant in rounding out the Beatles. Ringo was essential to the Beatles as a personality (had he left the Beatles they would have had to break up, for each person was an indelible component of the Beatles as a pop culture phenomenon), but not musically. Any good drummer could have stepped in. You certainly can’t compare Ringo as a drummer to Keith Moon, for the Who were not quite the same without Moon (though I hate to disparage poor Kenny Jones), or especially to John Bonham, whose death (rightly) brought about the dissolution of Led Zeppelin. The drumming of both Bonham and Moon is instantly identifiable, each with its own signature and style. But I think any good drummer could have played a Beatles song, and we know that Paul sometimes did step in and drum.]

But each member of Led Zeppelin was irreplaceable, and, as I said, genius at his instrument. I used to think that Robert Plant’s voice, though certainly unique and easily identifiable, was the least crucial of all the instruments used in Led Zeppelin until I heard covers of Led Zeppelin’s songs. It was then that I realized how necessary was Plant’s voice and that his voice is an astonishing instrument in itself. I finally appreciated the travels his voice took in each song and at last understood how only he could sing those songs in a way that made them Led Zeppelin. I had always valued Bonham’s drumming, especially in the dazzling “Achilles’ Last Stand” (the drumming in Metallica’s “One” echoes the drumming here), and the commanding “When the Levee Breaks,” and of course I always loved Page’s guitar work, especially in the magnificent “The Rover” and yes, “Achilles’ Last Stand.” John Paul Jones I was always thunderstruck by, as he was not only a superb bass player but excelled on the organ as well, especially in “Your Time Is Gonna Come,” which is my all-time favorite Zeppelin song, and “Thank You,” which is exquisitely beautiful, certainly not because of Plant’s weak (though admittedly heart-felt) lyrics but largely due to the organ played by JPJ, and (and I will get more to JPJ in a moment). So I never quite appreciated Plant’s voice. I do now, though, and I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t at first. Plant’s voice is amazing! “Communication Breakdown” especially is a tour de force of his voice and I am astounded every time I listen to it.

Again, the genius of Led Zeppelin is the four members’ arrangement and playing of the material, not the songwriting. No one else could play their songs and make them sound as incredible. Whereas in the Beatles, because the songwriting is the genius and is what matters, their songs can travel to other singers and musicians and still sound great (as long as there are not too many liberties taken), though certainly not as wonderful as the original Beatles song. Beatles songs are portable and translatable. Led Zeppelin’s songs are not. Led Zeppelin songs on paper, lyrically and melodically, are actually quite ordinary, like a flat dialogue that only comes to life when truly gifted actors lift the material to a new and higher level. Yes, in Zeppelin songs where the melody is strong, other people can sing and play their songs, as in “Tangerine,” the lovely instrumental “Bron-Y-Aur,” and especially the heart-wrenching (and one of my favorites) “That’s the Way,” but melody is not their constant gift, as it was for the Beatles. Led Zeppelin’s gift is the four members themselves and their instruments. In the more melodic songs, certainly the songwriting itself carries more weight, but in most of their songs, it is all four members and their contributions that elevate the songs, reaching a majestic level. Their arrangements of existing songs like “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Dazed and Confused,” and “When the Levee Breaks” are completely Led Zeppelinized. No one else could make them sound the way they do. Most Led Zeppelin songs, especially their original compositions, are stunningly powerful as performed by Led Zeppelin. Without Led Zeppelin, the songs are impotent. No other group of four people could craft and carry out songs that are more than mere songs but true listening experiences -- “Achilles’ Last Stand,” “Carouselambra,” “How Many More Times,” “Battle of Evermore,” “Good Times, Bad Times,” “Trampled Underfoot,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “What Is and What Should Never Be,” “Communication Breakdown,” “Over the Hills and Far Away” “The Rover,” “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” “Immigrant Song,” “Hot Dog,” “Night Flight,” “Boogie with Stu,” “Sick Again,” and “Down By the Seaside” (such an amazing song, and the middle section reminds me of the middle section in the equally wonderful “Welcome” from the Who’s Tommy) -- like Led Zeppelin.

Led Zeppelin is famous for their “light and shade,” their ability to be extremely heavy yet also beautifully tender and even, yes, melodic. Led Zeppelin’s greatness is not the songwriting; it’s putting each facet together. All four together created works of genius even with material that in basic bare-bones form would not be considered very close to genius. A bare-bones Beatles song, just in its lyric sheet, is genius. It is very hard to ruin a Beatles song, even with a mediocre singer. In contrast, Zeppelin songs really can’t be performed by anyone unless they have talent. Though Page and Plant composed most of the songs, the actual songs themselves, when you just look at the lyrics and melody, are not nearly as strong as those of Lennon/McCartney. But what each member of Led Zeppelin did in executing the songs, in performing them, is bring his own particular genius to the song. Like the Beatles, the sum of the parts was infinitely greater than what each part could accomplish on his own, but even moreso with Led Zeppelin. In Led Zeppelin the individual parts create a whole that is larger and more splendid than anything the individuals could have done on their own, and yet inconceivable without those four individual parts coming together.

My favorite member of Led Zeppelin is John Paul Jones, for he definitely seems to be the most humble one in the band. I read an interview with him where he stated that Page and Plant told him he should come out to the front of the stage more often, but he realized that the sound was better when he played in the background,. He did not care about getting the attention and adulation; all he cared about was providing the best performance for their audience. I love that! I am dismayed that JPJ does not get more attention, and that Page and Plant didn’t include him in their tour, for he is truly a musical genius, an awe-inspiring multi-instrumentalist. Also, I love that he is still married to his wife, who he was married to before he ever joined Led Zeppelin (and this speaks volumes about his wife for putting up with everything). I know there are all kinds of decadent stories involving Led Zeppelin in their hey-day, and JPJ was most likely involved in those (and the infamous “Royal Orleans” song immortalizes one such event), but it doesn’t make him a bad or un-decent person, nor anyone who participates in such activity. We don’t know what it’s like to be in those situations. But at any rate, JPJ just seems like such a decent, nice person, and very humble about his talents and abilities. I really love him. Of all the rock stars, he and David Gilmour and Kirk Hammet are the ones I most admire for their decency and humility and unbelievable talent and are the ones that I would most like to meet.