H85.1195 History & Criticism 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Allan Kozinn
The Beatles' public career lasted less than a decade and yielded an official discography that includes just over 10 hours of music. Yet in remarkably short order, they transformed themselves from a northern English dance band that produced simple, blues-based songs like "Love Me Do" (1962) into the intensely creative, experimental composers of pieces as complex as "Strawberry Fields Forever" (1966). Using their official discography, as well as radio recordings, concert performances (on both audio and video) and studio outtakes, we will examine the techniques the Beatles used to create their extraordinary catalogue. Along the way, we will consider the ways the revolutionized everything from recording techniques and concerts to conceptions of the social role and responsibility of popular musicians.
