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Post by Helmut83 on Oct 13, 2016 3:13:09 GMT
Well, many of us on this forum are Beatles' fans besides being ELO fans. Normally waters are very evenly divided among Beatles' fans as to who was best, Paul McCartney or John Lennon. However, among ELO fans I think I have noticed a general preference for Macca's work.
What do you say? Is it so? If so, is there a reason for it being so (like for example Jeff's compositions being more related to what Sir Paul wrote than to what John wrote)?
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 13, 2016 8:38:11 GMT
Think you know my answer it's Paul and that's not to say I don't like John's songs because I do but I just prefer Paul's tunes?
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Post by fernandoamado on Oct 13, 2016 14:09:03 GMT
I'm with Macca, always. Though I love Lennon's genious.
Regarding Jeff's compositions: most of his work since Eldorado is similar to Paul's (Can't Get it Out of My Head has the Let It Be's spirit, just like Eldorado has Golden Slumbers' and Mr. Blue Sky follows Good Day Sunshine, BUT his earlier ELO material is a hundred percent Lennon. Just hear Bluebird is Dead, Oh No Not Susan, Momma...
Yes, both ELO eras have some of each Beatle: Mr. Radio is so Paul's whereas Mister Kingdom and 21st Century Man are so John's. Now, it's clear that Jeff was following the Lennon path until Eldorado, when he shifted to Paul's poppier sound.
If we should talk about Jeff's preference, I'm sure he'd be the most democratic: he likes the four the same. But I bet he liked Lennon the most when he was younger. Lennon called ELO son of Beatles and Jeff made him a tribute for an entire tour. And Paul was the only living Beatle who didn't play on Zoom (although that may have a different explanation).
Long live Sir James Paul McCartney.
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 13, 2016 14:51:17 GMT
I bet Jeff would have loved to have worked with John he's fulfilled every Beatles fans dream of working with Paul, George and Ringo. I mean Paul was that impressed by Jeff's work with Real Love and Free As a Bird, he asked Jeff to produce some songs on Flaming Pie!
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Post by skyclad1904 on Oct 13, 2016 18:56:49 GMT
I'm a big Beatles fan and to answer the question, if I prefer Paul's or John's work, my answer is George...
I always had that order, when asked, which Beatles songs I enjoyed the most: George>Paul>John>Ringo (do his two songs count???)
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 13, 2016 20:27:16 GMT
As for Jeff's compositions, I think Jeff was influenced by all of The Beatles in some way and I've always thought the harmonies in ELO songs are very Beatles like.
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Post by Helmut83 on Oct 13, 2016 22:03:01 GMT
I think fernandoamado hit the nail right on the head there, his answer is very analytic and I totally agree with it. During the first 3 or 4 albums Jeff seemed to be more oriented towards John Lennon's songwriting, while from "Face the Music" to "Discovery" or "Time" there start to appear more clear McCartney influences. Most ELO fans consider that era to be the core of Jeff's work, so that may explain why many of us feel musically closer to Paul than to John. |
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 13, 2016 22:05:15 GMT
I think fernandoamado hit the nail right on the head there, his answer is very analytic and I totally agree with it. During the first 3 or 4 albums Jeff seemed to be more oriented towards John Lennon's songwriting, while from "Face the Music" to "Discovery" or "Time" there start to appear more clear McCartney influences. Most ELO fans consider that era to be the core of Jeff's work, so that may explain why many of us feel musically closer to Paul than to John. That's probably why I prefer ELO's later work then!  |
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Post by Helmut83 on Oct 13, 2016 22:10:11 GMT
...or the fact that you prefer ELO's later work has to do with you liking more Paul's than John's work...
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 13, 2016 22:11:42 GMT
...or the fact that you prefer ELO's later work has to do with you liking more Paul's than John's work... Yes good point, it's my mother's fault for me being into more Paul's work than John's, it's what happens when your mom is a massive fan girl when it comes to Paul McCartney  |
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Post by Helmut83 on Oct 13, 2016 22:38:56 GMT
skyclad1904 : when it comes to solo careers, George's is my favourite too (not so much about his work on the Beatles though). However, the question intended to be more aimed at -and probably wasn't clear enough, bad on me- why there seems to be a majority of ELO fans who feel closer to Paul than to John (the two who were, at least in terms of quantity, the Beatles two main songwriters).
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Post by Chippa on Oct 15, 2016 20:26:26 GMT
I think most ELO fans embrace melody, which is Macca's forte. Lennon had it, but he was more known for his acerbic lyrics than his melodic genius.
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Post by unomusette on Oct 15, 2016 21:13:06 GMT
I think after the Beatles split up it was Macca's creations which sounded most similar to the sort of output you'd have expected if no split had happened. So if you like ELO, who declared they were trying to continue from I Am The Walrus, it would make sense to be a Paul fan. Personally I prefer George's stuff though, so that's my theory shot down  |
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 15, 2016 22:13:13 GMT
Nothing wrong with preferring George's stuff Uno, sadly I feel he was incredibly underrated in The Beatles and I've only recently begun to appreciate George's talent beyond The Beatles (through listening to The Traveling Wilburys) though the songs I love by George in The Beatles are brilliant, especially off the albums Help!, Rubber Soul and Revolver!
I've been very much exposed to Paul's work since I was very young (my mother's fault who would probably marry Paul if she and him weren't already married) but yeah Jeff's work is very much based on a good melody and the heart of most ELO songs is a good melody, something that's memorable, the lyrics are just the icing on the cake.
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Post by queenofthehours on Oct 24, 2016 19:13:41 GMT
I'm with Macca, always. Though I love Lennon's genious. Regarding Jeff's compositions: most of his work since Eldorado is similar to Paul's (Can't Get it Out of My Head has the Let It Be's spirit, just like Eldorado has Golden Slumbers' and Mr. Blue Sky follows Good Day Sunshine, BUT his earlier ELO material is a hundred percent Lennon. Just hear Bluebird is Dead, Oh No Not Susan, Momma... Yes, both ELO eras have some of each Beatle: Mr. Radio is so Paul's whereas Mister Kingdom and 21st Century Man are so John's. Now, it's clear that Jeff was following the Lennon path until Eldorado, when he shifted to Paul's poppier sound. If we should talk about Jeff's preference, I'm sure he'd be the most democratic: he likes the four the same. But I bet he liked Lennon the most when he was younger. Lennon called ELO son of Beatles and Jeff made him a tribute for an entire tour. And Paul was the only living Beatle who didn't play on Zoom (although that may have a different explanation). Long live Sir James Paul McCartney. I agree with all of this totally. Well said, fernandoamado .
I’m a George fan first and foremost but I have to say that it was the Wilbury connection that made me a fully paid up member of the Harrison camp. I liked him a lot before because he was quietest and because of the stories I’d heard about how kind and nice he was. But until I found ELO I never really had an opinion of the Beatles either as a band or of any individual member, it had been always hard for me to pick. Every time I'd try to choose a best Beatle I'd keep going back to Paul. George and John were quiet and edgy respectively but they played guitar. Paul played the coolest instrument - the bass. Ringo was overlooked being the drummer (I always love drummers) yet he wasn't a genius like Paul. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself of the appeal of other members I kept coming back to Macca. Is not the Frog Song a work of genius??? It wasn't that the others were lesser than Paul, it was that Paul had so much more to recommend him.
I think that my love for ELO comes from that early love of Macca. It can't have come from my adoration of George because I knew nothing of him until I discovered Jeff. George was the only Beatle that I didn't have any solo knowledge on - and to be honest, I thought he was quite dull, all that religion and Indian stuff. But, thankfully, I know different now thanks to Jeff "introducing me". When I first watched Concert for George it was for Jeff and I hadn't even heard of any of the songs aside from a few including 'Here Comes the Sun' which I thought had been a solo single!
So I think ELO is a very Macca-ish band. They have that irresistible upbeat pop sound, a slight cheesiness, natural genius and a sense of fun. Most importantly I think Paul and ELO both share that slightly laboured creation method. You just know Jeff and Macca have sweated hard to make their music and have put so much effort into making their music seem effortless. Yes, I think you can hear the labour as well. Remember, Jeff said he hated writing lyrics and had to force himself and Paul struggled for days to get the words for 'Yesteday' to sound less about eggs. A more natural musical is Lennon. He never seemed to have to force anything. I'd say very early ELO was closer to Lennon in sound but the more successful tracks and ideas were the ones that sounded more McCartney. Lennon didn't need to try but Jeff did which is why he fits better with Paul's sound. What made ELO ELO for me was not the Lennon influences. They were there and they did work but not as well as the Macca influences.
If it hadn't been for my childhood love of Paul I don't think I'd love ELO now so, in ELO terms, I'm on Paul's side (though, to be clear, my heart is all George's now!!) Actually, I think that George may have been influenced BY Jeff rather than the other way around as he was by Paul and John. I wonder if Jeff would admit to being influenced by Paul? I expect he'd readily admit to Lennon's influence. I love each Beatle but it's definitely Sir Paul who is the ELO Beatle. |
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, but we're OK. 