i once had the pleasure of interviewing their studio engineer from Abbey Rd, there were some great stories about them being really wasted but sobering up real fast when yoko turned up

I know the Beatles stole form other acts.
I'm not saying that bands like Chemical Brothers are shit because they ripp off other bands, I love bands like the Chemical Brothers.
But I love the Beatles music, they manipulated a sound of something else to they way they played and the way they were.
That's how I write my music, as well, there's only so much you can make original that hasn't been done before.

Then again I suppose, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, A Day in the Life, I'm So Tired, Helter Skelter, Help and so on were ripped off aswell.

Haven't really heard any Captain Beefheart, what would you recommend as a starting point?

Just discovered the biggest rip ever. I've been copying all my cd's back into Sonicstage, and randomly played a Mudhoney track called Pump It Up. The backing music is almost note for note a recent song by the Aussie band, Rogue Traders. Can't remember which song though. Thieving Aussies!

Purchase 'Trout Mask Replica' and you'll find the most original album ever recorded. It's not my favourite album by the Captain, and if your love of music is moulded on the Beatles you may find the Captain hard to listen to. Oh, and Lennon was a fan of the Safe As Milk album, but it wasn't recipricated - the Captain hated the Beatles. Check out the picture below - Safe As Milk being the Captain's first album.





They are not exactly original, no.

Cool, I'll check it. Just because I like the Beatles and it's kinda the way I work, doesn't mean I can't appreciate any other music.
Do you think anything they did was original then? Or in your eyes was all rip offs (which I don't mind if bands rip off as long as it fit's whatever music they are trying to periceve).

Were they truly original ? They were the first ever 'pop' band and broke music in that respect. Their albums, certainly everything up to Revolver were nothing original for me, with numerous 'standards' and own compositions performed in a similar style to their contemporaries. Of course from that album onwards they evolved, but I've always held the belief that it was George Martin who was the 'studio' genius (especially more, since reading Tony Visconti's autobiography). Like history, the winners write it and in the 60's the Beatles were the 'winners'. There were other bands who were making and experimenting in similar fields, such as Velvet Underground, CAN and Beefheart who for me deserve greater widespread recognition. I just feel that the Beatles have been over-emphasised in their contribution to music.



Oh yes I'm sure you will. But even Beefheart has gone on record stating that his music is the antithesis to the music produced by the likes of the Beatles.

The Enemy - Away From Here (acoustic)

Fair enough, and I know what you mean.
By the way, I'm not trying to sway anybody into listening to the Beatles, or accepting my view on them.
I will give Beefheart a go though. People have constantly thrown bands like that in my face for ages, but you're only ready to listen to something when you're ready. I think that time maybe coming.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did one of the guitarists from Beefheart, can't remember his name, help Jeff Buckley get a foot in the door as it were?

Sorry I have to disagree with you there BB.
There are always experimental bands around but only if it works successfully do they influence people and change music so to speak. Which the Beatles clearly did.

I think George Martin is an amazing producer and certainly was a massive part of the group (bigger than Ringo anway). But it was Lennons writing that changed the music landscape more than how the songs were produced in my opinion.
Although it certainly was some very original production.

By simply looking at the type and structure of chords pre and post beatles you can easily identify how much impact they have had.

When I was young (ooohhh say about over 20 years ago !) I had ll the Beatles albums including all of the solo albums, a friend was a massive fan. He was also a massive Purple fan. Purple stuck, the Beatles didn't.



Top man, I look forward to your reaction. You will be suprised.



Yes Gary Lucas, he was at the end of Beefheart's career.

Deep Purple is a band I'm gradually getting into aswell at the momet, any recommendations there?

I ask for recommendations because I hate "Best of" albums.

Especially in the Purple stakes. They are rip-offs !



Well, the obvious starting points are 'Machine Head' and 'In Rock'. Those two contain the 'classic' line up and all the hits (Speed King/Child In Time from 'In Rock' and Lazy/Space Truckin/Highway Star/Smoke On The Water from 'Machine Head').

Also worth getting is 'Pefect Strangers', the 'classic' line-up comback album from 1984 and 'Perpendicular' the first album with Steve Morse replacing Blackmore from 1996. I would also get 'Burn' where Coverdale replaced Gillan as vocalist.

The ones to avoid are the first three, before the arival of Gillan and Glover, which contain 'Beatles' covers.... ...really !

Oh and I should add that I saw them in concert last night in Cardiff along with Thin Lizzy and Styx

Cheers BB. Vin's gonna be spending money this weekend that he doesn't have.



So what you are saying is I SHOULD get the first 3 albums.

Actually the version of 'Help!' is quite...errr...original. It might be worth you checking it out. At this point I recommend a compilation album called 'The Early Years' which covers thehighlights of the first 3 albums (except 'Help!'.)

Can someone tell me what the big fascination with Arctic Monkeys is?

Now, whilst my tastes lay more in Heavy Metal / Hard Rock, I do like some more mainstream stuff (e.g. first 3 Oasis albums, Muse, R.EM., Nirvana). I listened to their first album again the other day and I can not fathom how the hell they go this fastest selling album thing wothout some kind of outrageous promotion.

I mean its not even a touch on 'Definately Maybe' by Oasis which I would consider a very good album yet alone comparing it to truly great rock albums (things like Led Zeppellin's Volume II, Nirvana's Nevermind etc).

A very average band in my opinion, as are a lot of these brilliant bands (e.g. Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight etc).