WordMan, that sounds like a great plan to me! I suppose I’m biased because I happen to have been exposed deeply to Revolver when I was just 3-4 years old, and then gradually got to know all the other stuff. Perhaps it’s a question of “when do you amaze him with how the same people made both With the Beatles and Abbey Road?” – but he’s presumably already aware of their wide range, so might as well solidify this with concrete examples pretty early on, as you suggest.
A bit off-topic, but a funny related thing: the Red Album is actually titled “1962-66,” while the Blue Album is “1967-70.” I played these over and over when I was 8-9 years old, so the break between these two periods became a very real thing for me – to the point where, on some deep level, I found it difficult to imagine how English folks could go to sleep on Dec. 31, 1966 and wake up just hours later, to a transformed world.
It’s hard to describe what I mean, exactly, but it still manifests itself in funny ways. For example, when I eventually found out that Strawberry and Penny were written and partly recorded in late 1966, it bothered me as a fundamental violation (whereas I wasn’t too perturbed when I learned that the two entire last albums were recorded “out of order” – because at lest they were both safely within the Blue period).
I would go with Nowhere Man and/or I Feel Fine to start off with.
Those are all good but I would also add “Day Tripper”. It’s sophisticated modern sounding pop with one of the most famous guitar riffs in rock history.
Oh yeah, they’ll get that off the Red album.
Plenty of quality on that compilation. It has its own identity, clearly. The Beatles are so good on a song to song basis. But “getting” The Beatles in your own way is one of those “Luke I am your Father” moments, and “getting” one or more of their albums is a part of it, since they were a (well, in some ways, The) album band.
Since the thread has kinda become “How would you curate someone’s intro to The Beatles?” I would try to go for British albums if possible. I would go mono, if possible and the kid is some form of audio geek. No trying to be precious or corksniffer; any intro is a good intro. But if the kid has fancy headphones, or has some vinyl and knows the names of currently-hip producers, then beaming mono UK Rubber Soul straight into their earholes might be fun to watch.
I introduced my own kids with “1”. It spans the entire career and shows the progression in style and complexity. Of course, the Red and Blue albums add even more songs to the introduction.
I suspect that the 15 year old in question is familiar with many of the songs even if he/she doesn’t know they were done by The Beatles. Once hooked, listening to individual albums adds context and depth to the singles. I think A Hard Days Night and Help are perhaps the best two albums to use as an introduction.
Kid’s only 15. Blast I Saw Her Standing There at him and he’ll take it from there.
My Dad loathed the Beatles, so I discovered them by digging into the record collections of the people for whom I babysat. Most of them were born during the mid to late 1950s (so were pretty much teens during the Beatles days. ). One cousin had Abbey Road and the White Album, another had Help, and Meet the Beatles, and a few other early albums. At age 14 or 15 I looked up the discography order in a book and then via relatives and friends and inter-library loans, I managed to listen to all the albums, in order.
Thinking about this, this was a project that took up most of my summer between Grade 9 and 10. So many trips to the library, and using the card catalogue. It seems ridiculous that the information could be obtained with a few key strokes on a computer and the music all downloaded very quickly. (yah, yah I’m old, it happens)
The first Beatles album I bought was “Beatles 65”. I just looked it up, it’s pretty much just a short version of the UK “Beatles For Sale”. I didn’t think it was a bad intro.
I’ve heard/seen several covers of “I Saw Her Standing There” on YouTube. I think it makes an absolute kickass Rockabilly song. I’ve got Jerry Lee’s cover. I’d love to hear what Carl Perkins would have done with it. Carl was Harrison’s guitar idol.
Tell him not to waste his time and listen the The Kinks instead.
Everything the Beatle’s pretended to have and much much more.
Perhaps you missed this thread: Kinks a s good as the beatles?
(And also What bands could seriously be considered in the same ballpark as The Beatles?)
[hjijack]Hey man, the Beatles were the BackStreet Boys of their day. They made a bunch of cringey pop and then they mutated to a “serious” band and weren’t any better - just different - than their “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” days. They were manufactured crap to begin with then they became self-indulgent (and over-indulged) crap when they “matured”[/hijack]
Wow. Threadshit much? Reported.
Just read about this: an Australian animator got the rights to use celebrity covers of Beatles songs in a kids’ show on Netflix called Beat Bugs. 11 minute episodes, featuring five main characters who learn about things, illustrated by the music and visuals inspired by The Beatles, and, seemingly, a bit of Pixar’s A Bug’s Life.
Here Aloe Blacc (sang “Wake Me Up” with Aviicii) singing Rain. Not bad - not a reinterpretation - he sings it as the psych-pop it is and they stick with the languid, layered harmonies that are essential to the chorus.
I have no POV on the literal interpretation in the cartoon - yes, the bugs are dodging raindrops on a rainy day - but the simple, strong melody of the song really suits a kid focus.