To be fair, Quincy Jones does have a point. Sort of.
No, he's not right that The Beatles were "the worst musicians in the world." That's nonsense. But most Beatles fans would (and should) concede that John, Paul, George, and Ringo weren't necessarily THE most accomplished virtuosi on their respective tools of trade. It's like the gunslingers in Westerns: there's always somebody out there who's better, faster, deadlier. There are jazz and classical musicians a-plenty who could outplay the Fab Four on any given hard day's night. Even within the less demanding parameters of rock 'n' roll, there are better individual players. Hell, a day doesn't go by without me seeing some clueless joker quip that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles. And it's also true that producer George Martin helped our lads shape their sound in the studio, facilitating the development of the act you've known for all these years.
So, if Mr. Jones' point is that scores of other players could have performed with more technical prowess and precision than these four young men from Liverpool who called themselves The Beatles, well, it's tough to refute that point. But if it is his point, it completely misses the real point anyway.
Rock 'n' roll is not jazz. You can dig one, both, or neither, but they are separate and distinct creatures. I've known many jazz fans and jazz musicians who also appreciated rock and pop music, and I've known jazz snobs who..well, who are snobs. They believe jazz players have an intrinsic ability to play rock 'n' roll better than rock 'n' rollers. In some cases, that might be true; but it's not a given. I have a hard time imagining, say, Pat Metheny pulling off a version of "You Really Got Me" or "Johnny B. Goode" that comes close to matching the primal appeal of Dave Davies and Chuck Berry. I can't see Quincy Jones playing the music of Little Richard or the early Isley Brothers or--God knows!--The Ramones without betraying the fact that he's slumming.
I don't want to champion Philistines, to shrug off high art and elevate low art beyond its station. But rock 'n' roll, pop music, soul music...these have always appealed to me directly, viscerally. There is no way you could convince me that Stanley Clarke could have played a more appropriate bass line than Paul McCartney did on any Beatles recording. In rock and pop music, feel is at least as important as technique, and really more important than technique. I'm not talking about studio tricks and artificial gloss, and I'm certainly not dismissing the need for musicians who can actually play; I'm talking about a band playing music together, and creating something transcendent. No band was ever as transcendent as The Beatles. No band could ever be as transcendent as The Beatles.
Was Quincy Jones right about The Beatles?
No. Don't be an idiot.
Following last week's 909th episode, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is proud to present The One After 909. New music from Terry Draper and Magpie, assorted fave raves from across the decades, and a tune or several from the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time, The Beatles.
You know that can't be bad, no matter what Mr. Jones says. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl, Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse on The Spark WSPJ-LP 103.3 and 93.7, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/
Spark Syracuse is supported by listeners like you. Tax-deductible donations are welcome at http://sparksyracuse.org/support/
You can follow Carl's daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) at
https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/
Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes, Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here.
TIRnRR # 910: 2/11/18
THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (Rhino, End Of The Century)
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POP CO-OP: The Show After 909 (unreleased)
THE BEATLES: One After 909 (Apple, Anthology 1)
RAY PAUL: Pretty Flamingo (Permanent Press, Whimsicality)
THE SPONGETONES: Anyway You Want It (Air Mail, Where-Ever-Land)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: That Lady (Parts 1 & 2) (Epic, The Essential Isley Brothers)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Got To Have You Back (Motown, Greatest Hits And Rare Classics)
RINGO STARR: Photograph (Parlophone, Blast From Your Past)
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JAMIE HOOVER: Questions (Loaded Goat, Coupons, Questions And Comments)
THE STONE PONEYS: Different Drum (Asylum, LINDA RONSTADT: Greatest Hits)
THE MONKEES: Birth Of An Accidental Hipster (Rhino, Good Times!)
THE MUFFS: Saying Goodbye (Warner Brothers, The Muffs)
KISS: Shout It Out Loud (Mercury, Destroyer)
RICHARD HELL & THE VOIDOIDS: Love Comes In Spurts (Sire, Blank Generation)
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MAGPIE: She Knows Where I Live (Kool Kat Musik, Picasso On A Log)
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS: Refugee (MCA, Greatest Hits)
THE O'JAYS: Love Train (Epic, Love Train)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze (Epic, The Essential Isley Brothers)
P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest (Immediate, The First Cut)
PAUL McCARTNEY: Maybe I'm Amazed (Apple, McCartney)
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THE SHIVVERS: Please Stand By (Hyped To Death, Lost Hits From Milwaukee's First Family Of Powerpop)
BIG HELLO: Today Will Be Yesterday Tomorrow (Parasol, Apple Album)
TERRY DRAPER: Back In Acapulco (Klaatunes, Once Upon A Memory)
MATTHEW SWEET: Girlfriend (Sony, Playlist)
BADFINGER: No Matter What (Apple, No Dice)
THE NERVES: Walking Out On Love (Alive, One Way Ticket)
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LESLEY GORE: She's A Fool (Mercury, It's My Party)
THE CURE: In Between Days (Elektra, Greatest Hits)
QUINCY: Turn The Other Way Around (Columbia, Quincy)
ORBIS MAX: What's It All About (single)
THE BEATLES: Rock And Roll Music (Capitol, Beatles '65)
JONNY MAGUS & THE BURSTING BUBBLES: Melody Delight (single)
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THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies (Big Beat, Having A Rave Up)
THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do! (Play-Tone, VA: That Thing You Do! OST)
THE KINKS: Till The End Of The Day (Essential, The Kink Kontroversy)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Move Over And Let Me Dance (Epic, The Essential Isley Brothers)
SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: Stand! (Epic, Greatest Hits)
EDDIE FLOYD & MAVIS STAPLES: Piece Of My Heart (Stax, VA: Boy Meets Girl)
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THE FLASHCUBES: You Got My Promise (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
MR. ENCRYPTO & THE CYPHERS: Home On The Radio (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE RAMONES: Don't Come Close (Rhino, Road To Ruin)
THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Castle, Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Rubinoos)
THE BEATLES: I Want To Hold Your Hand (Capitol, Meet The Beatles)
THE ROMANTICS: What I Like About You (Nemperor, The Romantics)
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THE BEATLES: Hey Bulldog (Apple, Yellow Submarine Songtrack)
THE BEATLES: I'm Happy Just To Dance With You (Capitol, Something New)
THE BEATLES: Thank You, Girl (Capitol, The Beatles' Second Album)
THE BEATLES: I Should Have Known Better (Apple, A Hard Day's Night)
THE BEATLES: Words Of Love (Capitol, Beatles VI)
THE BEATLES: I've Just Seen A Face (Capitol, Rubber Soul)
THE BEATLES: The Night Before (Capitol, Help!)
THE BEATLES: Two Of Us (Apple, Let It Be...Naked)
THE BEATLES: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Apple, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
THE BEATLES: I Feel Fine (Capitol, Beatles '65)
THE BEATLES: Rain (Capitol, single)
THE BEATLES: One After 909 (Apple, Let It Be...Naked)
THE BEATLES: I Feel Fine [Take 6] (unreleased)
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