Granny Music
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This post may very well deserve to be in the Beatles section, however it talks about his individual music style, so I will post it in here. We love John Lennon. Most of us also love songs like When I'm 64, Obla do- Obla da, Got to Get You Into My Life. Timeless hits. Ballroom Dancing was a good song right? But when asked about that Paul quirk that has sometimes compelled him to write music under influence of his father's type of music, John Lennon dismissed it as, "Granny music s***." The Jazz band in GTGYIML, clarinet in 64, granny music. Now I don't know about everyone, but I enjoy that granny music. I feel it represents Paul's all encompassing writing style that has influences from every genre imaginable. How do you feel about this type of music from Paul, Beatles and solo career?
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Yep, good thread! I agree with you. Honey Pie is great fun
Martha, My Dear, love that one. You gave Me The Answer, or English Tea, all of them wonderful tunes. Not to listen to all the time, but when I'm hearing one of them, they always bring me in a good mood! By the way, I don't mind the name 'granny music' or 'granny songs'. It's what they are, so... -
I never had a problem with those types of songs. I think John was talking about things like Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Honey Pie. Got To Get You Into My Life was more Stax or Motown, I doubt John had a problem with that. As far as Ob La Di, John complained about how many times they had to do it to get it "perfect." John would have hated You Gave Me The Answer but would have loved Call Me Back Again.
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I think the varying musical themes are what made The Beatles so great! (Martha My Dear is such a great song, by the way!) -Rubber Soul13
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I don't think Got to Get You Into My Life is at all what John was referring to as "granny music." Nothing about that song harks back to pre-rock 'n' roll days like "When I'm 64," etc.
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Bruce M.:
I don't think Got to Get You Into My Life is at all what John was referring to as "granny music." Nothing about that song harks back to pre-rock 'n' roll days like "When I'm 64," etc.
Hello! GTGYIML was about pot ffs! -
RMartinez:
Got To Get You Into My Life was more Stax or Motown, I doubt John had a problem with that.
It was actually quoted as one of his favourites, because he liked the hidden meaning. I think it was in the 1980 Playboy interview.
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jgm0228:
This post may very well deserve to be in the Beatles section, however it talks about his individual music style, so I will post it in here. We love John Lennon. Most of us also love songs like When I'm 64, Obla do- Obla da, Got to Get You Into My Life. Timeless hits. Ballroom Dancing was a good song right? But when asked about that Paul quirk that has sometimes compelled him to write music under influence of his father's type of music, John Lennon dismissed it as, "Granny music s***." The Jazz band in GTGYIML, clarinet in 64, granny music. Now I don't know about everyone, but I enjoy that granny music. I feel it represents Paul's all encompassing writing style that has influences from every genre imaginable. How do you feel about this type of music from Paul, Beatles and solo career?
_______________________________________________________ I really don't think that John actually hated this type of music that he referenced as Granny Music. John and Paul grew up together in the same area. Paul said that John also liked a lot of the music from that generation. It is quite possible that John referred to it as 'granny' music because it was so different than rock and roll. We all know that John was very witty and sarcastic. He had a sarcastic word or phrase for practically everything. That was one reason the reporters of the day loved him . He quite possibly could have found some of Paul's grann;y songs quite endearing. Not that the song Michelle is granny music, but John loved that song and encouraged Paul to record it (even helping him). This is not the case for many of the music critics of the day particularly the rock critics. They took John's "granny" term literally and continued for many years criticizing any song of Paul's that had a tinge of "old style". Just a theory of mine, but one of the reasons that the younger critics are very favorable to Paul is that they appreciate the huge diversity in Paul's music, This diversity is one of the primary reasons that I fell in love with Macca's music. A perfect example is one song on Venus And Mars....You Gave Me the Answer. This song harkens back to his father's time. V&M has such diversity and it is what I love about so many of Paul's albums. On top of the great rock and roll on V&M, you have songs like Love in Song, Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People and the aforementioned You Gave Me the Answer. Now that is diversity. Can't wait for the remaster to come out.
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Granny music? Funny the closest song I can think of that sounds like Granny music is When Im Sixty Four
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John's Granny music comment was in reference to Maxwell's Silver Hammer. I think what he meant was the Beatles music would appeal to all demographics, including "grannies", if they wrote songs like Maxwell. Which is very ironic since Paul's lyrics in the song are very demented - a student killing his instructors and peers with a hammer. The lyrics contrast nicely with the melodic music & the great early use of synthesizer. In other words, a very innovative song but John trashed it because it didnt fit the minimalist rock music phase he was going through at the time.
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Their diversity, which was engineered and driven mostly by Paul, was what made them such a brilliant band. One "granny song" on those Beatle albums is what made those albums so great, and punctuated the rock or pop or standard or ballad sandwiched in between. I wouldn't listen to 12 Maxwell's Silver Hammers' or Honey Pies' on an album, but geez, in the album mix, they are genius... similarly, I don't want to listen to a dozen songs like "I Want You" - which was nowhere near anything resembling their best material - but fits so very well on Abbey Road. Breaks it up, punctuates the brilliance of other songs, and adds a delicious flavour to the album. Diversity was one of their greatest strengths.
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toris:
Their diversity, which was engineered and driven mostly by Paul, was what made them such a brilliant band. One "granny song" on those Beatle albums is what made those albums so great, and punctuated the rock or pop or standard or ballad sandwiched in between. I wouldn't listen to 12 Maxwell's Silver Hammers' or Honey Pies' on an album, but geez, in the album mix, they are genius... similarly, I don't want to listen to a dozen songs like "I Want You" - which was nowhere near anything resembling their best material - but fits so very well on Abbey Road. Breaks it up, punctuates the brilliance of other songs, and adds a delicious flavour to the album. Diversity was one of their greatest strengths.
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These granny songs could equally have been called children songs. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer'" musically is typical McCartney that I loved as a kid, so fresh and fun. It was only later that I found out what it's about, a dualistic song, lighthearted about something dark.
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Hendrix Ibsen:
These granny songs could equally have been called children songs. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer'" musically is typical McCartney that I loved as a kid, so fresh and fun. It was only later that I found out what it's about, a dualistic song, lighthearted about something dark.
The idea of murdering people by smashing them on the head with a hammer never struck you as dark?
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I'd include 'Rocky Racoon' as a granny song according to John. In the context of side 2 of the White Album, its brilliant. I love Side 2! Great minimalistic Beatle songs that work together as a suite. Although Dont Pass Me By is for me the worst song on the album.
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Bruce M.:
Hendrix Ibsen:
These granny songs could equally have been called children songs. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer'" musically is typical McCartney that I loved as a kid, so fresh and fun. It was only later that I found out what it's about, a dualistic song, lighthearted about something dark.
The idea of murdering people by smashing them on the head with a hammer never struck you as dark?
like I said; lighthearted about something dark. The music is light and fun, it's a parody, cabaret. The judge also gets the hammer, at the end of the song. It's too silly to be heard as a serious song about murder.
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To today's teenagers, The Beatles are granny music.
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Well, today's teenagers have no The Beatles. It was the 60s generation. All of us who come after must lend their band.
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The Beatles are eternal.
Hendrix Ibsen:
All of us who come after must lend their band.
I don't know what this means.
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This means that The Beatles are still the best. I remember in my youth as people came with Abba and Kiss. Fair enough, I said, but The Beatles.. They thought it was granny music.
