Interesting Bits|

COMBO’s former VP Andy Ard performing at a Holiday Party a couple of years ago!

Recently, I was persuaded by verbiage that scratched my musical itch to download a free sampler from a new up-and-coming band. The review quote that was chosen to go along with the description of the band blatantly stated that they, in so many words, sounded like the Beatles. I’m a sucker for any comparison to the Beatles, even though I know that nine times out of ten, the artist does not compare at all to the Beatles in the ways that matter. And this was one of those cases.

I downloaded the sampler and could detect some small Abbey Road-influenced instrumental parts and maybe some vocal harmonies. However, the majority of the sampler sounded like Blues Brothers-type soul with horns. And the songs didn’t stand out. How can you compare a band to the Beatles if the songs aren’t there? I’m not saying that these songs are bad necessarily, just bad pop songs in the traditional sense. Pop songs need a strong hook to be good. I want to remember the song after my first listen.

That’s the reason most bands/artists don’t compare to the Beatles: their songs aren’t anywhere near the structural quality as the Fab Four’s output. Sure, production genius, the late George Martin had a significant impact on the overall quality, but the Beatles knew how to write timeless pop songs; you can’t fake good songs. It wasn’t so much Martin’s production or the Beatles’s inventiveness as musicians, it was the songs themselves. Think about all the different ways in which Beatles songs have been covered and re-recorded; the melodies and strength of the songs remain. You can take a Beatles song and re-record it or perform it in any musical style and it will intrinsically stand on its own merit. (That’s not to say that the Beatles didn’t have songs that weren’t up to par; they certainly did. No artist has perfect output and working with Phil Spector was a mistake.)

So here’s my suggestion: if you want to compare a band to the Beatles, at the very least explain why they sound like the Beatles. Is it the production? Is it the way the guitar player makes his guitar gently weep? Is it a vintage drum sound like Ringo is known for? Is it a bass line that is so melodic and ingenious that McCartney could have written it? Is it the vocal harmonies? Or is it the catchiness of the song(s) or maybe a combination of the other things I listed?
. . . . . . . . . .
There are some artists that do write material that closely emulates the Fab Four. Here’s a list of artists that I strongly feel have earned Beatlesque pop accolades. There are certainly others.
. . . . . . . . . .
● Andy Ard (Check out How Easy It Is. Andy is a pop pro and can write and play alongside the big boys.)
● Joshua Novak (Joshua, like Andy Ard, is a Denver-based singer/songwriter and knows what he’s doing when it comes to writing pop songs. That’s probably why he seems to have been largely overlooked. With all the artists “making it” from Denver, why hasn’t he and why hasn’t Andy? It’s a shame. Check out Jason here:
https://joshuanovak.bandcamp.com/)

[This is only a part of the well-written article. Read the rest – and a list of the other artists at the link below.]

Thanks for reading and please comment.

By Chris Callaway

*** Please check out my book Reel to Real by Reel if you are so inclined. It’s full of interviews with musicians, along with my own commentary. And please follow this blog and check out my past posts. Thank you for your support.

https://rockmusicopinions.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/please-don’t-compare-artists-to-the-beatles/

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