Musical Performer Assignment

Musical Performer

1. Choose a performer or band.

The Beatles

2. Biography Information

The Beatles are one of the most influential music artists of the later part of the 20th century. They have affected Britain and American cultures and the post war baby boomers generation. They have influenced more than the music but also the film industries. The band consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey). They originally came from Liverpool, England where they started out performing ‘skiffle’ then went to a Chuck Berry kind of music. They became the hottest bands in the Liverpool clubs. They went to Hamburg and performed nasty dives and they started to get into the punk vibe. They got a manager who transformed them from punks to suits, smiles, and ties, made them turn on the charm and he challenged them to get better and write their own music. So they did. They wrote the song ‘She Loves You’ and their lives changed. The press blew them up, they got lots of gigs and they decided they wanted America!

3. Why are they influential or important in music history? Explain & reasoning.

Bob Dylan then introduced them to pot. They got better and better because they wrote better and more creative music. They then got into studios therefore they quit touring and became a ‘Studio Band’ which was the start of today’s modern recording. They were the first guys to distort guitars. They influenced the start of many new genres mainly hippy music because of their albums Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Summer of Love. The Beatles died in the peak of their career so therefore they are awesome forever.

4. Analyze a song and/ or video if available. Review and discuss.

Title: Eleanor Rigby
Genre: Baroque pop
Instruments: Strings orchestra
Band History: Into Speed and Pot very influential
Riff: None
Layering: Strings on Strings- Violin and Chello
Mood: Upbeat
Age Group: Older group
Tempo: Fast
Lyrics: Repetitive almost sound religious

The intro is very catchy and it gets stuck in your head easily. The strings are a nice touch it seems like a fresh touch. They aren’t really singing but there is no need to. The instruments don’t over power the lyrics which I like because you can understand what they are trying to say. This kind of music is not aimed at my generation so it doesn’t really affect me and it is ‘out of the norm’ of what I usually listen to. The strings are out of the Beatles usual style which makes this song very different and catches people’s attention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxyJLxV0_-8

5. Analyze and evaluate the style, image, attitude, live show and so on for the band.

Style:

• Weird English skiffle folk
• Nasty dives
• Punk vibe
• Manager- suits, ties, smiles, charm
• Bob Dylan- Pot- hippy music

Image:

• English folk- starting off
• Punks- becoming bigger
• Suits ties- manager
• Hippies- Bob Dylan- Pot
  

Attitude:

• Mean and nasty
• Nice and charming
• Hippy- trippy- drug users
  

Live show:

• Girls screaming
  

6. Give your personal opinion

My personal opinion of the Beatles is that they sound like they are very influential. I have not personally listened too many (if any) of their songs so it is hard for me to give my own personal opinion.

7. Target Audience.

The target audience for the Beatles now a day’s are people that were teens in the time that they came out (1960’s). Today the target audience will be around about 60 years old. They would probably listen to other bands like The Temptations or Buddy Holly. They are all the same genre of music. They would probably go to their concerts and buy their records and have some fan items i.e. T-shirts, posters etc. For younger people that like older music they might have had tribute bands and just recently they have made a Rock band Beatles tribute game with all of their songs.