Beatles Capitol Box review in Rolling Stone

I was just reading the review of The Beatles Capitol box in Rolling Stone magazine (from December) and ran across the following:


“The mono mixes far better convey the bad-food English truth of Beatles music. But the stereo mixes communicate the widespread American story of the Beatles as nice cushy lads that the more outré Rolling Stones were not.”



What in the heck does this mean? Discuss…..

 

Means this guy/gal wants us to know they went to journalism school and they're darn bitchin!

 

Someone trying to be a good writer I suspect.

 

I think the reviewer is trying to say the mono mixes are grittier and better present the 4 working class scruffs who cut their teeth in the clubs of Hamburg as opposed to the stereo mixes which seem smoother and portray the 4 cheeky mop-tops who charmed their way into America's hearts.

Or something like that.

 

"nice, cushy lads"...?????


try working class stiffs that had to bust their butts to get to where they were!

 

What Dave said.

 

It means "Look at me, I'm a rock critic!"

 

FZ

 

Heck...all we want to know is if the sound and the music are a good marriage together, and if the discs cook and merit us to go and shell out our hard earned cash on tunes we've been buying over and over and over for over 40 years.


Best wishes,

Zal

Is that what the DC5 were singing about on "Over & Over" again?

 

I always thought this was a strange quote from someone whose audience consisted primarily of would-be rock journalists.

 

It is pretentiously contrived quotes like that Beatles one that lead me to realize that RS is not even good enough to line my bird cage.


Dan

 

Hi Vinnie,

What YOU said. And YOU should write for R.S. - At least I understood what the heck
you were talkin' about.

Tom Kennedy

 

Not to put too fine a point on it, but despite Lennon's later ode to the working class, he was anything but.

The Beatles' respective economic positions growing up pretty much follow the classic John, Paul, George and Ringo order -- with only George and Ringo truly qualifying for the "working class" category.

Having said this, I fully agree with the "bust their butts" part of your statement. When you look at their day-by-day schedules from the time they first started playing regularly through August 1966, it's a wonder they had the stamina to make it through everything without collapsing in a heap.

 

And you think Frank cared about offending them?

 

I'm fairly well versed in rock criticism (I even speak fluent Robert Christgau-ese) but this quote did leave me scratching my head...not a great bit of writing.

FWIW, I think Vinnie's interpretation is probably correct.

No, no, would-be rock journalists only accounted for about a third of Zappa's audience. Another third or so consisted of people whose sense of humor hadn't evolved since fifth grade ("Hee Hee! Did ya hear the song about the peeing huskies?"). The other third I don't have a good handle on but probably includes the many Zappa fans in this forum.

 

It means : "stop reading Rolling Stone for your own mental health"

 

"Rolling Stone" I think they used to to be a British group !!

Seriously I stopped reading the magazine in the 70s when it stopped meaning anything to me, I ' m surprised it still exists.

Which category of readers are they catering for now?

 

It's Rolling Stone. It means nothing. Or else it means turn the page and look at the next glossy decadent airbrushed lifestyle ad.

 

Rolling Stone and I parted company around '76-'77. I was in high school and could tell difference when someone was writing about music or creating their own piece of art. This quote about the Beatles box is oh so familiar, some 20+ years later.

Straight from the heart and just shy of, a piece of art.

Brian

 

When I subscribed to Rolling Stone for 2 years, only 1 article I remember is of an artist I do like the music of, Steve Earle. It is good waiting room and car material just for wasting time, but I don't care for the magazine overall.

 

The other third thought "Cool, he's quoting from Holst's 'The Planets'", or "Dig that twelve-tone bassline (from "Centerville")!" Like it or not, the dude had musical chops to spare.