The Beatles as Musicians

The Beatles were not showy players. It was a time of singers, not of guitarists or drummers. Only in jazz was the quality of instrumentalists highlighted. While in live performance most rock and roll bands would include instrumental breaks it was more to give the rest of the band and the vocalist a chance to rest then to highlight the playing. The age of the guitar hero waited for Hendricks and Clapton. At the time, only George was actually recognized for his musicianship (frequently among the top ten “jazz guitarists” in the listings) and while as time has gone by both Paul and Ringo’s high reputation with fellow bassists and drummers has become generally known and appreciated. John is, understandably, still seen as the weakest player. In some ways he was but he did perform some notable guitar leads and the high quality of his work as rhythm guitarist seems never to have been adequately acknowledged.

George’s goal seems to have been perfection in the actual playing which he quite frequently achieved. It’s downplayed, indeed barely mentioned, that he was not quick to find licks for a new song and the others, including George Martin, worked with him pretty often. His later conflicts with Paul (which did have a deeper source) evidenced in him resenting any suggestions Paul might make in this regard. Paul obviously didn’t understand why George had become so hostile (exchange in Anthology during Get Back sessions) though from what Paul said you can certainly suppose he was attempting to be diplomatic. Creativity simply doesn’t come easily, or at all, to some people; creativity at the level of John and Paul is extremely rare and sets a standard impossible for others. It certainly isn’t a personal fault to lack somehow the brain connections that support creativity and in fact most humans, including me, do lack it.

Ringo is one off the most modest drummers in a world in which so many are wild extroverts – who are drummers because they want to make the most noise. Ringo saw his job in terms of what he song needed and some of his best work is so soft as to be almost inaudible (Day in The Life). I’m most impressed with the odd, sort of broken beat he uses particularly in a couple of John’s stranger compositions. I strongly suspect he could have come up with something appropriate for Yesterday if it had been necessary.

Paul, of course, took rock and roll bass from the instrument more or less played by the leader’s best friend or the fat wannabe rocker to an important role in the music generally. Taking inspiration from jazz bassists such as Keeter Betts and the piano bass lines of earlier rock and rollers (Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard) he both supported the rhythm and provided a contrast to the lead guitar that has since influenced all sorts of popular music.

Another point showing the level of the Beatles musicianship is the fact that they all played many instruments in addition to their primary. Although Ringo and George were very focused on their primary instrument, they both played piano and other instruments. Paul was the most versatile but all possessed the talent and interest to experiment with many others. The Abbey Road Studios certainly was an advantage there with many instruments available for experimentation. The Beatles level of musicianship may not have been the most important ingredient in their mystique but certainly it would have been difficult to support that mystique without skilled players.

Ringo Again

It seems to me that Ringo is underestimated and overlooked not only by fans but by the Beatles and their support people as well. I’m sure it began because Ringo had missed so much school and he certainly hadn’t been as much exposed to literature and ideas as even what George may have absorbed by being in a classroom. More important, Ringo simply isn’t the competitor the others are. While he clearly was as fast with a quip as the others, between being the newcomer and not needing to be in the spotlight he seems to have participated a lot less in their discussions. Then, too, I wouldn’t want to discuss philosophy, literature or things of that sort with John. I’ve known a number of quite intelligent people who just never needed to ask the sorts of questions philosophy doesn’t answer and I suspect that Ringo is simply one of them without being in the least simple.

Ringo seems to be and have been rather well in touch with himself and to be very intuitive. Reading Lewishon’s accounts of the first years recording sessions, I’m wondering if Ringo didn’t somehow have a lot to do with the ability to almost ‘read each others’ minds’ that they developed. When you listen to his drumming, just between his first session and the sessions for Meet The Beatles, the changes in the band as a whole seem to me to be inexplicable in terms of practice – besides the only practice they really got was on stage or just before recording! Whatever did it, the band was getting to that phenomenal point where they didn’t seem to be able to do anything wrong.

Ringo is the author of a number of lines upon which songs later hung. John was pleased to call them “Ringo’s malapropisms”. (“A Long Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” etc.) I’m not at all sure about that. They are too apt, too deep – I think he had a visceral understanding of the world we live in now where such statements might be made by Stephen Hawking. Do you suppose that he knew exactly what he was saying? I noted particularly his comment “you can’t try to be married, you just have to be married” as probably the best comment on an attempt at reconciliation I’ve ever heard. Not only are his news conference witticisms very apt, they also don’t put anyone down.

Ringo Star 1

The first thing I want to be absolutely clear about, Ringo was not the dumb Beatle. Uneducated when we first met him because of missing so much school (we had home-bound teachers who went to wherever the sick kid was at that time in this country but obviously they didn’t in England) he obviously has done a great deal of reading an other forms of learning since. Not that he’d ever push our nose in it, “laid-back” can easily be defined as ‘like Ringo”. It’s a good thing Ringo IS so laid-back, there he was on a fragile looking little stool 3 to 6 feet above the stage on a platform hardly large enough to hold all his drums and I’ve never heard that he managed to fall off the damn thing! One spontaneous move and “woopsie!”

Ringo was always my favorite. Born three weeks after I was, we each in our own way ushered in WWII, Paris fell the day I was born and the first Nazi U-boat reached England the day Ringo was born. Although Ringo’s very easy-going personality saw him relegated to one of the “little brothers” of the Beatles, anyone who underestimates either his musical contributions to the group or his place in their popularity probably has the Lennon fetish. If nothing else, looking at him in the back, slouched relaxed at his drums, he is an important antidote from the frenetic activity of the others. Not that he didn’t have his own fire. Many drummers sit very still and may even seem a bit detached from what’s going on. Ringo moves, shakes his hair and from time to time and you can see him take off from time to time really into “hitting things”. Having fun is Ringo’s special place in life and he has the ability to bring everyone else with him.

Ringo had always wanted to play with the best and he was enthusiastic about joining The Beatles for that reason. Ringo never tired of touring though I suspect he was the most conscious that the screaming noise that became the ambience of their concerts was ruining them as musicians.

Ringo is the author of a number of lines upon which songs later hung. John was pleased to call them “Ringo’s malapropisms”. (“A Long Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” etc.) I’m not at all sure about that. They are too apt, too deep – I think he had a visceral understanding of the world we live in now, where such statements might be made by Stephen Hawking. Do you suppose that he knew exactly what he was saying? I noted particularly his comment “you can’t try to be married, you just have to be married” as probably the best comment on an attempt at reconciliation I’ve ever heard. Not only are his news conference witticisms very apt, they also don’t put anyone down.

All us troubled souls should be thankful that there are a few people who are happy with what they get. He seems to be one of those very rare individuals who aren’t always focused on self. Not to imply he’s a couch potatoes who is too lazy to think at all. He simply isn’t obsessed with how he’s seen or if he’s getting proper credit for what he is doing. So long as he has a few true and loyal friends, a good band and good music, he has little need to be the great star. He’s also endlessly forgiving – an important trait in anyone who needed to be around John and/or Paul.
Ringo was/is ambitious but not aggressive and appears to me to be content to rise to whatever point his talent made for him. I suspect no party lucky enough to have him present has been a flop. If his enjoyment led him close to alcoholism or any other addiction, he recognized it and cleaned up his act. I’d certainly invite him to any party of mine! In fact, if he’d come, I’d put together a party. His capacity to enjoy the particular minute he is living now is one that most of us could well afford to cultivate.