1.
2.
is close by Fort Campbell, home base of the 101st
Airborne Division which was among units deployed
to Vietnam. By the mid-1960s more than 500,000
US troops were fighting in the jungles, swamps and
paddyfields of Vietnam – all draftees.
Casualties were mounting and the angst of young
men forced to leave home and loved ones to fight –
and possibly die – in some god-forsaken foreign field
was captured heartrendingly in the song.
By this time, the original mop-haired four from
Merseyside had already re-written the rules of popular
music in their unfolding catalogue of songs that defied
all expectations.
And celebrating this 50th anniversary year offers
a chance to reprise, a chance to reflect and compare
a year of pop music triumph with the current musical
climate.
And one such comparison has to be the role of
one man in the Beatles revolution, George Martin,
who died earlier this year. He was instrumental in the
success of the Beatles, and was often referred to as the
fifth member of the Fab Four.
Tributes poured in from all over the world to
mourn the passing of Sir George Martin, at the age of
90, on 9th March 2016. Martin signed the Beatles and
produced more than 700 records with the band, playing an integral back-room role in shaping the musical
genius of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
At a time when substance is all-too often trumped
by style and music earns its rewards too easily, Martin’s legacy stands as shining testament to the value of
rewarding musicians who did the same. Nowadays, in
terms of pop music at least, the line has been blurred
between the two.
Chart music in 2016 has, for the most part, fallen
into disrepute for its money-driven, fickle and fragile
artists who do not have the guidance of producers like
George Martin. Instead, we see record labels seeking
to cash in on formulaic, quick-fix novelty instead of
harnessing the creative quality necessary to produce
songs and albums that could stand the test of time.
This quick-fix obsession has become a kind of
global mental illness. “Generation envy” is a term that
3.
can be applied to those music fans who cry out that
they were born into the wrong cultural era.
They complain that a mistake has been made, that
the powers-that-be have placed musical puritans into
a time for musical morons, or so they believe.
These people feel more at home in round,
red-tinted sunglasses, a tie-dye t-shirt and flared jeans,
throwing up peace signs at Woodstock, or queuing up
at the local record store for Dylan’s latest 7-inch press
of Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat.
Those infected may have good intentions, and
may even secretly yearn for a mass music culture that
speaks the language of togetherness, experimentation
and that promotes distinctiveness between one artist
and the next. Years like 1966 captured this essence of
positive mass appeal, it bred bands and artists who
spoke of revolution, innovation, politics and love,
inspiring audiences to do the same.
Perhaps, this is pop’s downfall today. That it
ignores the culture created by The Beatles, Dylan, The
Doors and Hendrix - along with many others - one
that held freedom and liberty in its sights, and sought
more than just topping the album charts, but also
aimed to put that platform to good use.
Now however, current ideology has fallen into
counter-culture and filtered its way throughout punk,
hardcore, hip-hop and indie, for example. Modern
methods of music production make friends with replication and a derivative nature. Pop, without doubt,
will eat itself. The dying began as 1966 faded.
No longer is pop music the place to look for the
voice of the masses or a voice for the masses, as well as
a sound representative of its time. Instead, it’s merely
chasing a time reminiscent of what is known to have
worked for the past 20 or 30 years at least.
However, perhaps it is just a matter of time.
Once the dust has settled we may come to appreciate
the popular music of the 1960s, see its everlasting
power and applaud its fearless willingness to bend the
rules and accommodate rock and roll in all its forms.
In 50 years time, we may be looking back on Justin
Bieber’s Purpose and to the debt we owe to its, by then,
long dead genius. Maybe. n
1. Art Garfunkel and
Paul Simon begin
their Sounds of
Silence ’66 tour.
2. Psychedelic pioneers
The 13th Floor
Elevators were also
well known for their
vivid art style.
3. The Beach Boys...
co