The Beatles were an extremely popular band in the 60’s whose legacy encompasses more than the 12 studio albums, 13 extended plays, and 22 singles that were conceived from their genius. Innovative in their approaches to style, technique, and experimentation, The Beatles were always ready to push the envelope further than most bands of the time. Even in the band’s earlier stages, they enhanced their artistic experiences by means of musical experimentation. Throughout their journey with said experimentation, they forwent their cultural background in favor of the eastern introspection. This was seen in their music, if only for a moment. As they broadened their horizons, they broadened their audience and most everyone could find some aspect of their
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It can be heard on the track “Love You To”, and it is the first Beatles track that is composed with sitar rather than guitar. The cultural crossover was “modeled after North Indian classical music, and the recording features Indian musicians playing the tanpura (plucked string instrument) and tabla (percussion instrument), with Harrison on the sitar and lead vocals” (Guerrero 34). This theme grooved well not only with Harrison, but with the rest of the band. After entering this different sound, they decided to explore it with more open minds, and 1966’s “Tomorrow Never Knows” was recorded afterward. In this song, Harrison shows that he is a creative force to be reckoned with by means of the inclusion of Indian instrumentalists and a Western string ensemble that serves as a call and response system. It is noted by critic Jerry Farrell that “‘within the space of five minutes Harrison refers to an assortment of Indian musical genres: khyal…bhajan… [and] filmi”’, which is quite a feat to compose as flawlessly as he did (Guerrero 34-35). A year later, the group would go on to meet with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, and the rest is history. The Beatles would go on to write more songs that subtly encompassed aspects of Indian music, such as “Strawberry Fields Forever,” but they would move on to other experimentation to quench their thirst for something different, something
It can be heard on the track “Love You To”, and it is the first Beatles track that is composed with sitar rather than guitar. The cultural crossover was “modeled after North Indian classical music, and the recording features Indian musicians playing the tanpura (plucked string instrument) and tabla (percussion instrument), with Harrison on the sitar and lead vocals” (Guerrero 34). This theme grooved well not only with Harrison, but with the rest of the band. After entering this different sound, they decided to explore it with more open minds, and 1966’s “Tomorrow Never Knows” was recorded afterward. In this song, Harrison shows that he is a creative force to be reckoned with by means of the inclusion of Indian instrumentalists and a Western string ensemble that serves as a call and response system. It is noted by critic Jerry Farrell that “‘within the space of five minutes Harrison refers to an assortment of Indian musical genres: khyal…bhajan… [and] filmi”’, which is quite a feat to compose as flawlessly as he did (Guerrero 34-35). A year later, the group would go on to meet with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, and the rest is history. The Beatles would go on to write more songs that subtly encompassed aspects of Indian music, such as “Strawberry Fields Forever,” but they would move on to other experimentation to quench their thirst for something different, something