EX BEATLES

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This was the intro to the Ex-Beatles, but since we already have several reviews, with the move to Wix I've decided to give each one their own space. However, I really liked this intro and it would be completely wasted without a place. That's why I made some adjustments and I'm leaving it here as an epilogue to The Beatles.

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To begin with the ex-Beatles, it's essential to return to The Beatles… The story of their breakup doesn't necessarily begin on April 10, 1970. We all know that Brian Epstein, the band's manager since 1962, capitalized on the different personalities of each member to exploit and maximize their image. Starting with the film A Hard Day's Night, he caricatured, so to speak, each member's personality to make them seem more human and relatable to their legions of screaming, swooning fans who identified with one or the other. John Lennon, the witty, avant-garde, and intellectual one, always making puns and later the one most involved in political, artistic (?) and social movements; Paul McCartney, the handsome and sensitive one of the band, more melodic in his lyrics, with an exceptional sense of melody, and later the one who would develop a more business-oriented or commercial vision, with a tremendous eye for business; George, the introvert, the most serious of the quartet, who would eventually focus more on the spiritual side, on inner exploration, on Eastern music and philosophies, and on supporting social causes. And Ringo… Well, the lighthearted, jokester, cheerful one, err… I don't want to say the clown of the group. Did I mention that? The one who held the group together. And from that legendary shot in A Hard Day's Night where he's walking along the river, he would be the one who attracted the most attention from film critics. The truth is, the scene turned out so well only because he was completely hungover after getting lost in a drunken binge the night before, but everyone was moved, and that's how his acting career began.

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These facets, somewhat exaggerated in the 1964 film, weren't random. Each member truly possessed a distinct personality that perfectly balanced the quartet. As the years with the band progressed, each member delved deeper into their personal characteristics. Lennon began with that whole thing about comparing Jesus's popularity to their own and his initial statements about Vietnam, and then, with Yoko, with all the political activism towards the end of the decade and the beginning of the 70s. Paul took on the role of manager after Epstein's death, contributing key ideas and concepts for the creation of the albums and films, the formation and management of Apple Corp., the label the band founded, and ultimately sowed discord when it came time to choose a manager, opting for his father-in-law and brother-in-law, while the other three wanted that predatory harpy named Allen Klein. To be honest and blunt, Paul was right. The Eastmans were visionary and capable lawyers, while Klein was a predator who had squeezed the Rolling Stones dry, leaving them penniless. Lennon clung to him only because Mick Jagger flattered him, hoping to get rid of him. Which, indeed, happened. The Beatles' breakup wasn't solely due to the fight over the manager, but also to Yoko's omnipresence by John's side, and Linda's, to a lesser extent, by Paul's. They no longer depended on each other; they each had their counterparts and muses, who, incidentally, couldn't stand each other. And finally, George, who would have gladly continued, was also fed up with being sidelined and given so little space on the albums when it was clear that he had recently reached (if not surpassed) the songwriting level of the Lennon/McCartney duo.

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On the other hand, the individual artistic work of the ex-Beatles didn't begin with the band's breakup. Paul McCartney was the first to pursue a solo project during their 1966 hiatus (during which they all grew mustaches). In this interim, he recorded the soundtrack for the film *The Family Way*, the first solo work by a Beatle, although the album was purely instrumental and didn't achieve much success. George followed, releasing a compilation of Indian music in 1968, featuring various artists, called *Wonderwall Music* (possibly the first World Music album in history), strange and exotic, but still enjoyable. A year later came the awful *Electronic Sound*, which is pure noise made with an electronic mixer. Lennon, along with Yoko, released two even more nauseating pseudo-avant-garde pieces of garbage: *Two Virgins* and *Life With Lions* in 1968, and the *Wedding Album* in 1969. Ringo, for his part, instead of making records, made films. In 1966 she briefly participated in Reflections of Love, in '68 she had a better role in Candy and a year later in The Magic Christian.

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Following the band's bitter breakup in 1970, the various members began releasing much more serious projects, each once again highlighting their personal characteristics—in my opinion, the best work of the three main ex-Beatles. It's worth noting that, in one way or another, all their projects were initially linked, unable to separate, whether through mutual barbs or collaborations on each other's albums. For a time, it seemed the Beatles remained deeply interconnected and working hand in hand. Paul released the McCartney album on April 17, 1970, one day before the planned release of Let It Be, the last Beatles album released as a group, thus forcing its postponement until May, a fact that infuriated Lennon. This debut is minimalist in sound, with all the instruments recorded by Paul himself on his farm in Scotland (a subtle jab: “I can record a whole album by myself”). George would release the masterful All Things Must Pass in November, a triple album in which he released all the material he had been forced to keep hidden due to his bandmates' monopoly. It not only resulted in the first triple album in history, but it is perhaps the best album by an ex-Beatle, possessing a moving spiritual beauty, without being preachy, and featuring many, many songs of the highest caliber, in which he showed a certain resignation with the title track (a subtle jab: not only can I make one good album, I can make THREE great albums without the Lennon/McCartney blockade). In December of '70, just before Paul sued the Beatles to legally dissolve the partnership, John released his Plastic Ono Band, an introspective and minimalist gem in which Lennon bares his soul and sings with heartbreaking honesty. in which he also delivers a more direct blow in the song “God” (a Beatles album with “My Sweet Lord” on one side and “God” on the other would have been very strange, wouldn't it?). This marked the beginning of collaborations with Ringo, who contributed drums on a couple of tracks. Ringo's solo debut was considerably more lamentable, as expected. He had to bring forward the release of his solo debut, Sentimental Journey, to March of '70 to avoid overlapping with McCartney's Let It Be. He subsequently released Beacoup of Blues in September, equally poor. Following Paul's lawsuit in December, Lennon launched a war of words. Paul dedicated “Too Many People” from his album Ram, released in May of '71, to him. On his album Imagine, released in September of '71, another gem, Lennon responds with “Crippled Inside” and “How Do You Sleep,” featuring George on guitar and Ringo on drums as a united front against Paul. He also parodies him. the front cover of Ram, since on the back cover John appears holding a pig by the ears.

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The Beatles' last album, strictly speaking, isn't Let It Be. No, it's not Abbey Road either. It's Ringo, from 1973, by far the best album of Starr's entire career. On most of the tracks, John Lennon, George Harrison, and even Paul McCartney appear as co-writers and co-performers, although supposedly the four weren't in the studio together. But the Beatles' aura and the genius of all four are palpable in the songs. You can hear George, John, and Paul in the backing vocals, and at times it creates the sonic illusion of listening to another Beatles album. The album sparked one of the many waves of reunion rumors, which became impossible after John's murder on December 8, 1980. Well, except for the Anthology series in the mid-90s, where the three remaining members reworked a couple of tracks Lennon had left behind and unearthed previously unreleased Beatles recordings, mostly very informal tracks from their early years or alternate takes from their studio albums. But this particular package brought to light "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," the last singles the Beatles released as a quartet, revived by technology and nostalgia.

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Well, the point is that the enduring power of the Beatles name and everything associated with them during the first half of the 70s kept them in the spotlight, with the world watching their feuds, their every move, a possible reconciliation… oh! And their albums! Haha. The ex-Beatles remained highly influential figures in the music world, John with his reactionary and political music, with universal anthems like “Imagine” and “Working Class Hero,” until he ran into trouble with the Nixon administration, which didn't want him to continue living in New York because of his activism. He still released some good and mediocre albums, but none on the scale of his first two. When his son Sean was born in 1975, he withdrew from public life until 1980, when he began preparing his comeback with a joint album with Yoko, Double Fantasy, in which each contributed half of the songs. At least half of John's albums are top-notch, and Yoko's aren't as unbearable as some of her other records. On December 8th, as everyone knows, Mark Chapman, a schizophrenic fan (who some say was sent by the CIA), shot him dead outside the Dakota, just as he was returning from finishing his new album. Now, the dream was truly over. With Lennon's murder, the 60s and everything they represented—the revolution, the activism, the power of music—died for good. Soon after, other figures would die, definitively burying the most important era of rock.

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After his first two solo albums, Paul formed Wings with his wife Linda, and would go on to become one of the best-selling artists of the 70s, with high-quality albums like Venus and Mars and Band on the Run, featuring catchy songs in his signature style that perfectly suited the Arena Rock of the era. In the 80s, he returned to a solo career, though his output declined somewhat. His apparent indifference to John's murder drew attention, and the press criticized him harshly for his reaction in front of the cameras and for being the only one who didn't attend the funeral. However, he later admitted that he spent the entire day crying and trembling with anger and helplessness.

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Months later, the three surviving Beatles reunited for Ringo's wedding to Barbara Bach. Paul would make his comeback with high-quality music with 1993's Of the Ground and his colossal Paul Is Live tour. After the death of his inseparable Linda, he fell into a depression, but music kept him afloat. He continued composing and releasing albums (including an opera) and also began experimenting with electronic music under the pseudonym The Fireman, which I haven't heard, frankly. Although he hasn't quite reached his peak in rock, he remains one of the most important, influential, beloved, and respected figures in the music world.

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George continued releasing albums throughout the 1970s, though never on the scale of All Things Must Pass. His friend Eric Clapton stole his wife, Patti Boyd, for whom he wrote the hit song "Layla." George's spirituality allowed him not only to move on but also to forgive Clapton and maintain their friendship. He continued collaborating with Ringo Starr sporadically and organized the famous Concert for Bangladesh, a landmark event and the first benefit concert in history. George was innovative in this regard, and many benefit concerts in the 1980s would adopt the same format. Furthermore, he laid the groundwork for what would become World Music through his interest in, promotion of, and experimentation with Indian music. In the late 1970s, he married Mexican Olivia Arias, with whom he would spend the rest of his life. In the 1980s, he brought together Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty for a jam session at his house, and the supergroup project ended up releasing a couple of albums under the name The Traveling Wildburys. In 1987, he released another great album that marked his return to the spotlight as a solo artist, Cloud Nine, although he generally preferred to stay out of the limelight and continue cultivating his spirituality and his passion for car racing. In 1999, a crazed fan almost repeated Lennon's assassination. This time, a man attacked George in his own home, but the former Beatle and his wife managed to fend off the attack and escape with their lives. This led Harrison to further limit his public appearances. On December 29, 2001, "The Quiet Beatle," as he was known in the 1960s, lost his battle with throat cancer and achieved his longed-for Nirvana.

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And Ringo? We love Ringo! Hahaha. The truth is, apart from his self-titled album and maybe Goodnight Vienna, the rest leave much to be desired. Some might have a few interesting moments, but their sentimental value outweighs their musical merit. Perhaps his live albums are more noteworthy, featuring collaborations with other musicians (Nicky Hopkins, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Billy Preston, David Gilmopur, McCartney himself…) and revisiting his solo hits and the handful of songs he sang with the Beatles. Interestingly, over time his stature as a drummer has grown, and drummers like Dave Grohl and Phil Collins acknowledge his great influence as the first to break away from standard rock rhythms to create his own recognizable drum patterns… in other words, Ringo was the first to make the song still recognizable even if you remove all the other instruments. Currently, the media is pressuring for his career to be recognized by making him a Knight of the British Empire, to which he jokes that he's not interested, preferring to be a Prince or King. Don't they love him?

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In short, the ex-Beatles, as solo artists, remained deeply connected to their roots as a quartet. "What ifs" are meaningless, and dwelling on what might have been if the Beatles had recorded more albums is just wishful thinking. It's better to enjoy what they accomplished by following their own path of encounters and disagreements. Great albums, figures who continued to be influential, and who left us a tremendous piece of musical history, both with their respective bands and as solo artists.

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After all, there are only four people in the world who know what it means to be a Beatle. I can't help but smile thinking that John and George are now waiting for Paul and Ringo for one last concert, up there on the highest rooftop…

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By Corvan

Oct/25/2011

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