Solos are sections where a single instrument (occasionally two instruments) is spotlighted. They're quite common, appearing in 92 (43.6%) of the Beatles' 211 songs. The structural function of breaks are quite similar to that of solos (they're a 'break' for the singer, just like solos), but are far less common, appearing in just 13 (6.2%) of Beatles songs. Unlike solos, breaks feature no spotlighted instrument. Breaks can use either sections of instruments (as in 'Honey Pie' from 1:46-1:59), just the backing instruments (as in 'Wild Honey Pie' from 0:00-0:09, 0:14-0:24, and 0:29-0:38), or as an opportunity for crazy things (as in 'Only A Northern Song' from 1:12-1:33 and 2:12-2:29). * * * * * * * * * The simplest (and most clumsy) way to deal with a solo/break is to make it musically independent from the rest of the song. This can be found in 13 Beatles songs (6.2%): Independent solos:
independent breaks:
In such cases, the chord progressions heard during those solos/breaks are never found anywhere else in the song. And this is why independent solos/breaks can sound clumsy. Since they're unrelated to the rest of the music, they can have a "thrown together" quality * * * * * * * * * But independent solos/breaks are relatively rare. It is far more common to feature solos/breaks which are based on music found elsewhere in the same song. Of the 92 songs that use a solo, the overwhelming majority (74) use that solo during a verse iteration:
And 6 use a break based on a verse iteration:
Notice that many of these "verse solos/breaks" are "partial", meaning they do not take up the whole verse but only part of it. This is often because the verse's refrain returns at the end of the verse, reestablishing the vocalist instead of the solo instrument(s), such as on 'A Hard Day's Night'. But sometimes the "partial" status is the result of the opposite arrangement (the vocals start the verse while the solo finishes), such as on 'For No One'. * * * * * * * * * After solos based on verses, the next most common basis for solos are choruses:
Notice that 3 of these 9 songs ('I'm A Loser', 'Honey Don't', and 'I'm Down') feature solos during both the verse and chorus. Curiously, not one Beatles song uses a break based on the chorus. * * * * * * * * * On rare occasion, solos/breaks will be based on the bridge: Solo based on bridge:
break based on bridge:
* * * * * * * * * Sometimes the coda (ending) of a song will incorporate a solo:
This ending solo might be a reprise of a solo heard earlier (such as on 'Michelle' - it's heard from 1:26-1:38, and then again from 2:20-2:33 and 2:33-2:42), or it might be something heard only once at the end (such as the flutes on 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away', heard only from 1:48-2:09). * * * * * * * * * Lastly, 3 songs feature solos/breaks used in a way that is unique to that particular song: 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun' employs a 5-part mosaic structure. Each of those 5 parts is largely unrelated to the other 4. The third section begins with a guitar solo (0:44-0:59) that anticipates note-for-note the subsequently sung melody (0:59-1:13). After the initial chorus on 'Carry That Weight', a 4-measure brass break initiates the reprise of 'You Never Give Me Your Money', followed by a 4-measure guitar solo, and then the vocal reprise of 'Money'. And 'The End' features solos from all four band members: First a 2-measure drum break from Ringo from 0:08-0:11, which foreshadows the full drum solo from 0:19-0:35. Then Paul, George, and John (in that order) alternate 2-measure guitar solos from 0:54-1:29. Tomorrow is the second of three consecutive "Band of the Sixties":
Monday, 23 May 2016, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sun Prairie Public Library, 1350 Linnerud Dr, Sun Prairie, WI The Beatles: Band of the Sixties Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.
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I mentioned in my blog about deceptive AABA songs that "The Beatles do not use the pre-chorus frequently." There are, in fact, only four Beatles songs which use a pre-chorus: 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds', 'All Together Now', 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)', and 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer'. The pre-chorus in 'Lucy in the Sky With Dimonds' is used in textbook fashion: It connects the verse to the chorus. This, however, is only true for the first two of the three compound level structures of the song. The third and final iteration proceeds directly from the verse to the chorus, omitting the pre-chorus. This was likely done to "tighten up" the song. It's relatively common in Beatles music to conclude a song with an abbreviated compound section (there are far too many to list them all, but 'Love Me Do', 'P. S. I Love You', 'I Saw Her Standing There' 'Hold Me Tight', 'It Won't Be Long', 'Little Child', 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', 'And I Love Her', 'Can't Buy Me Love' all feature partial reprises). In this case, that same "partial reprise" notion is implemented on 'Lucy' by skipping the pre-chorus from the third compound section. The improvisatory singalong nature of 'All Together Now' is reinforced by an unpredictable formal design. Much like 'Lucy in the Sky', it's first use of the pre-chorus (0:31-0:43) is textbook: It transitions the song from verse to chorus. Also like 'Lucy', the pre-chorus is omitted later on: Verse 3 (0:53-1:03) proceeds directly to the chorus (1:03-1:13). The pre-chorus IS heard a second time (1:23-1:34), but there it serves more as a contrast to the choruses - a way to space out the iterations of the choruses. Of the last six macro-scale sections of the song, five of them are choruses. No other Beatles song is so chorus-heavy at the end (though 'I've Just Seen a Face' comes close with four of the last five). In that sense, the pre-chorus functions more as a bridge. But having had the same section appear earlier in textbook fashion, I cannot justify labeling it anything else. The pre-choruses in 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' are used in a more traditional way than either 'Lucy' or 'Just Seen a Face' in that they all three follow a verse. But, only the second and third pre-choruses proceed to a chorus. As it's name implies, pre-choruses are supposed to anticipate the chorus. The first pre-chorus in 'I Want You', however, proceeds to another verse instead. This delaying of the chorus thwarts the pre-chorus' expected structural function and thus builds tension in the listener. Then, when the chorus is finally heard (nearly two minutes into the song), it's an even bigger arrival. In contrast to its three predecessors, 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' uses the pre-chorus entirely in textbook fashion: It's heard three times, all of which connect a verse to a chorus. After a string 8 consecutive speaking engagements delivering other programs, I return to my signature presentation tomorrow in Fox Lake, Wisconsin:
Saturday, 21 May 2016, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Fox Lake Public Library, 117 W State St, Fox Lake, WI The Beatles: Band of the Sixties Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members. May 18: "From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America" at the Plymouth Arts Center5/17/2016 When asked why he played so hard every game, Joe DiMaggio (Hall-of-Fame center fielder for the New York Yankees from 1936-51) replied, "Because there is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best." (Rosen and Bruton, p. 116). Though the average attendance at my programs hovers around 30-35 (while Yankees games might draw 30,000-35,000), the concept is the same: I never know who is attending my presentations. Most, I suspect, are watching me for the first time. And there's also a chance that today's event might be the only time they see one of my programs. If that's true, I want to make absolutely sure that it is the best it can possibly be. And since I have no way of knowing, it forces me to give my best every single time. Take, for example, last Saturday's program "The Beatles & The Rolling Stones" at the Brookfield, Illinois library. During the Q&A after the presentation, one man raised his hand. I recognized him instantly from the photos on the backs of his books and/or on his website as Robert Rodriguez, author of Revolver: How the Beatles Re-Imagined Rock 'n' Roll and co-host of the podcast "Something About The Beatles". We chatted for several minutes before departing the library, and he confirmed he'll be speaking at the Chicago Beatles Fest in August. I'm undecided if I'll go or not, but I am very interested in hearing one of his talks, so the fact that he'll be speaking there, coupled with the fact that he went out of his way to attend my own, pushes me towards attending Beatles Fest in August. WORKS CITED Rosen, Mark and Jim Bruton. Best Seat in the House: Mark Rosen's Sports Moments and Minnesota Memories. MVP Books, 2013. After "The Music of Star Wars" this evening, I return to the Beatles universe tomorrow at the Plymouth Arts Center:
Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Plymouth Arts Center, 520 E Mill St, Plymouth, WI From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America Many Beatles authors and scholars have cited John F. Kennedy's assassination on 22 November 1963 as a cause of the Beatles' sudden popularity in the United States in early 1964. Their logic: Kennedy's assassination made America sad, then the Beatles made America happy again. But this commonly accepted answer is overly simplistic. America has suffered numerous tragedies and rebounded each time, but the popularity and staying power of the Beatles remains unmatched in American history. The real answer is that Kennedy's life and death inadvertently primed the nation for the Beatles' arrival and success. This 60-minute program will explain how and why. May 16: "The Influence of American Rock 'n' Roll on the Beatles" at the Elmwood Park Library5/15/2016 The other day, I re-analyzed the form of 'She Loves You', mentioning that it was a "deceptive AABA" structure because the B section was a chorus instead of a bridge. And while 'She Loves You' was the first deceptive AABA the Beatles wrote and recorded, it is not the only one. There are 18 more:
Notice that the term "deceptive AABA" does NOT mean that the song is NOT in AABA form (sorry for the double negative, but in this case it's needed). Rather, deceptive AABAs are in AABA form, it's just that they use something other than the traditional bridge as the B section. Like 'She Loves You', most of these songs are deceptive because they use a chorus to replace the bridge. But a handful employ other sections. 'Run For Your Life' uses a solo. And while 'Eleanor Rigby' fits the traditional AABA model more closely than perhaps any other deceptive AABA, the final A section also features the chorus simultaneously, making it a quodlibet and an AABA in structure. 'Rigby', however, is not the only Beatles quodlibet. 'I've Got a Feeling' is one, too. The combination of the verse and chorus in 'Rigby' defines it as a quodlibet, but in 'Feeling' there are two different verses (A and B) which are combined at the end. The bridge in 'Feeling' functions in textbook fashion, thus, like 'Eleanor Rigby', 'I've Got a Feeling' is also both an AABA and a quodlibet. Lastly, the Beatles do not use pre-choruses frequently, but on 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' the pre-chorus functions as the B in its deceptive AABA structure. I have an off-day today, but the tour resumes tomorrow evening at the Elmwood Park library:
Monday, 16 May 2016, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Elmwood Park Public Library, 1 Conti Pkwy, Elmwood Park, IL The Influence of American Rock 'n' Roll on The Beatles Before the Beatles ever wrote their own songs or performed on stage, they were inspired to do so by American rock 'n' roll records. This 90-minute multimedia program will illustrate the influence of Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other American recording artists from the 1950's on the Beatles through side-by-side comparisons and musical analysis of Beatles covers and original recordings. I normally send my newsletters on the 20th of each month. The June 2016 newsletter, however, was sent off this morning, May 13, a full week early, for two reasons:
(1) The start time for tomorrow's program at the Brookfield, IL library was bumped up to 2pm (when the the May newsletter was sent on April 20, the start time was still 3pm - that was just changed a few days ago). Saturday, 14 May 2016, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ***NOTE THE CHANGE IN START TIME FROM 3PM TO 2PM*** Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd, Brookfield, IL The Beatles & The Rolling Stones Ask anybody to name two English rock bands from the 1960s and the response will likely be The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. But despite often being portrayed as rivals in the media, the two groups were actually quite friendly towards each other, both socially and musically. This 60-minute presentation will compare and contrast the two through musical examples and interviews with the band members to illustrate the relationship between The Beatles & The Rolling Stones. And (2) I might not have internet access on May 20. These newsletters are free and the best way to stay informed of my latest news and upcoming events. Anybody with an email address register on my website: http://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/newsletter-sign-up.html As added incentive, each newsletter features an adorable photo of my dog, Abbey (with an "e" - as in Road). Here's June's puppy picture: May 13: "From the Shadow of #JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America" at the Wood Dale Library5/12/2016 Between 1962-1970, the Beatles officially released 211 songs. Of those, 186 were originals while 25 were covers. Of those 186 originals... John Lennon was the primary author of 77 (41.4%):
Paul McCartney was the primary author of 72 (38.7%):
22 (11.8%) were written by George Harrison:
10 (5.4%) were true 50/50 Lennon/McCartney collaborations:
2 (1.1%) were credited to Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr):
2 (1.1%) were credited to Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey:
1 (0.5%) was credited to Lennon/McCartney/Starkey:
Friday the 13th sees me at the Wood Dale Public Library in Illinois:
Friday, 13 May 2016, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Wood Dale Public Library, 520 N Wood Dale Rd, Wood Dale, IL From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America Many Beatles authors and scholars have cited John F. Kennedy's assassination on 22 November 1963 as a cause of the Beatles' sudden popularity in the United States in early 1964. Their logic: Kennedy's assassination made America sad, then the Beatles made America happy again. But this commonly accepted answer is overly simplistic. America has suffered numerous tragedies and rebounded each time, but the popularity and staying power of the Beatles remains unmatched in American history. The real answer is that Kennedy's life and death inadvertently primed the nation for the Beatles' arrival and success. This 60-minute program will explain how and why. May 12: "From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America" at the Oak Park Library5/11/2016 On 10 December 2012, I blogged about the formal structure of 'She Loves You', analyzing it as follows: Chorus 0:00-0:13 Verse 1 0:13-0:25 Bridge 0:25-0:38 Verse 2 0:38-0:51 Bridge 0:51-1:04 Chorus 1:04-1:16 Verse 3 1:16-1:29 Bridge 1:29-1:42 Chorus 1:42-2:06 Coda (chorus) 2:06-2:21 But now this analysis strikes me as mistaken because the structural landmarks from verse to bridge (0:25, 0:51, 1:29) seem less important than the landmarks following each of these bridges (0:38, 1:04, 1:42). In other words, I can't justify the same macro-scale structural distinction and labeling for these landmarks when one is so much more structurally significant than the other. I need to illustrate these landmarks in my analysis in such a way that articulates both macro- and micro-scale echelons, thus a secondary level of analysis is needed to reflect this multi-tiered hierarchy of structural significance. I indicate this in my revised analysis below through indentation: (B') Introductory Chorus 1 0:00-0:13 (a) statement (2) (a') revision (2) (a'') revision (2) (b) conclusion (2) (A) Verse 1 + Refrain 0:13-0:38 (c) statement (4) (c) restatement (4) (d) Refrain: statement (4) (d') Refrain: revision (4) (A) Verse 2 + Refrain 0:38-1:04 (B) Chorus 2 1:04-1:16 (a) statement (2) (a') revision (2) (e) conclusion (4) (A) Verse 3 + Refrain 1:16-1:42 (B'') Concluding Chorus 3 1:42-2:21 (a) statement (2) (a') revision (2) (e) conclusion (4) (e) conclusion (4) (e') conclusion (4) (a) statement (2) (a') revision (2) (b') conclusion (1) This revised analysis illustrates the macro-scale formal design (in this case what I've come to call a "deceptive AABA" because the B isn't a bridge bu a chorus), while simultaneously articulating the micro-scale structure of each section. For that reason, it's a more nuanced and accurate analysis than what I had done earlier. 'She Loves You' is one of the songs I will play as part of tomorrow's presentation in Oak Park, Illinois:
Thursday, 12 May 2016, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America Many Beatles authors and scholars have cited John F. Kennedy's assassination on 22 November 1963 as a cause of the Beatles' sudden popularity in the United States in early 1964. Their logic: Kennedy's assassination made America sad, then the Beatles made America happy again. But this commonly accepted answer is overly simplistic. America has suffered numerous tragedies and rebounded each time, but the popularity and staying power of the Beatles remains unmatched in American history. The real answer is that Kennedy's life and death inadvertently primed the nation for the Beatles' arrival and success. This 60-minute program will explain how and why. May 11: "The Influence of American Rock 'n' Roll on the Beatles" at the Itasca Community Library5/10/2016 Tomorrow I'll be delivering one of my favorite presentations at the Itasca Community Library in Illinois:
Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Itasca Community Library, 500 West Irving Park Road, Itasca, IL The Influence of American Rock 'n' Roll on the Beatles Before the Beatles ever wrote their own songs or performed on stage, they were inspired to do so by American rock 'n' roll records. This 90-minute multimedia program will illustrate the influence of Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other American recording artists from the 1950's on the Beatles through side-by-side comparisons and musical analysis of Beatles covers and original recordings. The ultimate conclusion of this program is that 1950s American Rock 'n' Roll and 1960s British Rock were both revolutionary genres (meaning both genres defined change), but they realized those revolutions in very different ways. The primary innovations of 1950s American Rock 'n' Roll were social rather than musical. Rock 'n' Roll brought together the two great cultures that define America: White America provided Country and Western, Black America provided rhythm and blues, and it's the fusion of those two cultures that births Rock 'n' Roll. Furthermore, Rock 'n' Roll brings these two cultures together not as adversaries - with one race asserting its dominance over the other, as had been the case for a long time throughout America history - but as equals, with White and Black America contributing equally to the birth of this new musical genre. In that sense, Rock 'n' Roll anticipated the Civil Rights Movement of the subsequent decade. But where Rock 'n' Roll helped break down racial barriers, it helped build up generational barriers. At a time when Youth Culture was on the rise, Rock 'n' Roll provided a platform which supported young people's rebellious attitude. Older generations consistently found it difficult to understand, enjoy, or even appreciate the appeal of this youth-centric music. In that sense, Rock 'n' Roll reinforced generational divides. Both of these social relationships - the collapsing of racial barriers, and the reinforcing of generational barriers - are far more important to Rock 'n' Roll than any specifically musical relationships, which tend to extremely simple. One common criticism of Rock 'n' Roll is that it only has three chords and a beat. That's not far from the truth because Rock 'n' Roll doesn't need anything more musically sophisticated. 1960s British Rock, by contrast, WAS a musical revolution. Sixties rockers in general and the Beatles specifically imbued their music with a degree of musical sophistication distinctly absent from their counterparts from the prior decade. 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', for example, modulates to the subdominant in the bridges - a technique never used by any Rock 'n' Roll song I can think of off the top of my head. Similarly, 'She Loves You', 'P. S. I Love You', and 'Please Please Me' all employs nondiatonic chord progressions rarely heard in Rock 'n' Roll. Furthermore, the Beatles incorporated classical instrumentation to supplement the standard guitars, bass, drums, and vocals: on "Yesterday", a string quartet; on "Every Little Thing", orchestral timpani; on "Norwegian Wood", an Indian sitar. This helped provide Rock with a degree of respectability that Rock 'n' Roll neither had nor wanted. Rock picked up where Rock 'n' Roll left off, but took the music in a different direction - one LESS focused on SOCIAL relationships, and one MORE focused on MUSICAL relationships. Moreover, it seems unlikely that this change in direction was a conscious choice. When asked in a 1963 interview how the Beatles' music differed from Rock 'n' Roll, George Harrison insisted, "It doesn't really." "It's just a way of classifying it," confirmed Paul, "but I don't think the music is very different." (Spizer, page 61) Indeed, I can't imagine the band sitting down during a rehearsal or recording session and saying, "Elvis never employed a subdominant modulation in his songs. Why don't we add one to this song to give it a greater degree of musical sophistication?" Of course it didn't happen like that! The Beatles were just trying to write the best songs they could. Only in hindsight do we come to realize these subconscious differences between genres and why those differences are significant. Unlike the largely subconscious compositional sophistication, the experimental and innovative recording techniques employed on albums like Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), and Sgt. Pepper (1967) WERE conscious, and thus illustrates the band's deliberate attempts to innovate. In that sense, the Beatles didn't just reimagine Rock 'n' Roll, as one book's subtitle suggests (which implies a conscious thought process, which is true for the recording techniques but misses the compositional sophistication of their output), as they did reinvent Rock 'n' Roll - a change in direction which was partly conscious and partly subconscious. I just received a phone call from the Bookfield Library in Illinois (where I will be speaking on Saturday afternoon) asking to bump up the start time from 3pm to 2pm due to a typo on the flyers advertising the program. This will prevent the majority of the audience (who will have learned of the program through the flyers) from arriving an hour early, but might cause problems for anybody who learned of the program through my website or newsletters. I have changed my website calendar to the new start time, but my May newsletter was sent three weeks ago and so can't be revised. Anybody planning to attend who is confused over the start time should call the library for clarification at (708) 485-6917. In the meantime, the tour continues tomorrow in Waukesha, Wisconsin:
Tuesday, 10 May 2016, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Waukesha Public Library, 321 Wisconsin Ave. Waukesha, WI The Beatles' Alter Ego, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Since its release in 1967, the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has often been regarded as the single greatest rock album ever made, and one of the first rock concept albums. This 90-minute multimedia presentation will observe and discuss the landmark album track by track, citing musical and historical precedents, and illustrating the development of the songs through excerpts from interviews with the band members and clips of discarded takes. My presentation Friday night at the Rockford Public Library was followed by a performance by the tribute band Meet the Beatles, albeit by just John and George (Paul and Ringo couldn't make it for whatever reason). To be perfectly honest, their set started off slowly. Granted, of course, they were missing half their band! But eventually things clicked and they put on a really good show, delivering especially inspired renditions of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"and "I Am The Walrus". They closed with "Twist and Shout", blending it seamlessly with "La Bamba", which incorporates the same chords. Overall, it was a good show - one of the best tribute bands I've seen. I look forward to seeing them again at Abbey Road on the River later this month. Today being Mothers' Day, is an off day for me, but the tour will pick up where it left off tomorrow in West Allis, Wisconsin:
Monday, 9 May 2016, 7:00-8:00 p.m. West Allis Public Library, 7421 W National Ave, Milwaukee, WI The Beatles: Band of the Sixties Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members. |
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