Beatles Influence On American Music Essay

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“The psychic shiver the Sgt Peppers sent through the world was nothing less than a cinematic dissolve from one zeitgeist to another”. MacDonald, I. (1994) Revolution in the head Fourth estate P220.
The Beatles appeal to all generations young and old. They are unique in so many ways and had the amazing ability to listen to what was happening around them in popular music and respond to it. By creating the alter ego that is Sgt pepper’s lonely hearts club band, the Beatles, never became unfashionable or ‘dated’. It was there way of acknowledging the psychedelic era. Proving their dexterity and pushing the boundaries in the recording studio yet again. McCartney was influenced by psychedelic rock posters of American bands while on the last Beatles
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The use of imagery is outstanding and ignites the imagination. The vague artsy lyrics suggest a hallucinogenic experience. “Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain, where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pie “The warm bass notes compliment the tranquil weightless feel of the verse, which is obtained by the sitar and tambura. Everything feels a lot more grounded when the bass starts playing straight quavers as a short build up to the explosive chorus. Songs are made up of music and lyrics. In this song the opening lyric mirrors the floating feeling of the music, “Picture yourself in a boat on a …show more content…
When ‘A Day in the Life’ was banned from BBC radio people naturally wanted to get their hands on it to find out what they were missing. The recreational drug use and casual sex became associated with the counter-culture in this period of the 60’s. This was a time of social rebellion, led by the young. Music was the catalyst in the development of the social and Cultural Revolution. The music the youth were listening to became popular at the same time the drugs marijuana and LSD were becoming more popular. Because of this we can see how the link was made to associate drugs and music together. The Beatles adapted a decadent lifestyle indulging in drugs. The Beatles admitted to using these drugs, and because they did, the youth of the time automatically thought that it be acceptable for them to also experiment with drugs. The event of the American Civil rights movement was detrimental in the up surging of the counter-culture. The Civil rights movement was a nonviolent movement so as they would be sure to have accomplished equal rights under the U.S constitution, which would apply to all citizens. Some states denied many of these rights to African Americans, of which was successfully addressed in the 60’s in many major civil rights movements. There were many violent protests, the movement of anti-war and civil rights began to weaken, as the changes which they seemed to be hopelessly fighting for were not

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