Breakthrough Evidence of the Beatle's Genius?


I have written other threads about my journey to discover and more fully appreciate the Beatles.

In a peculiar breakthrough for me, my first born, 7 month old son instantly stopped crying yesterday when I parked his stroller close to one of the monitors in my bedroom system and played Rocky Raccoon and others.

With every noise and voice in the mix, every different instrument, playfully sung wry lyrics, he seemed to turn his head and stare at the speaker, completely fascinated.

This was after a long day where nothing seemed to amuse him. Needless to say, I was very pleased and hope this bodes well for his future as an audiophile.

Has anyone else had success with the Beatles -- or any other particular artists or composers -- with fussy children? How do I keep this going?!?

Best wishes.
cwlondon
Hi Cwlondon,

I've sung "Goodnight" from the White Album to my daughter before bedtime ever since she was born.

Best,

Barry
I also, have had great success with The Beatles. I can't tell you about fussy children, but I still react the same way as your son when listening to Abbey Road. :>)
Curiously enough, when I read the title of this post, I expected an analysis of the musical structure of the Beatles' songs, which Leonard Berstein once said reminded him of Baroque music. However that might be, for me the definitive moment in the evolution of the Beatles' music was "Rubber Soul," and in particular "Norwegian Wood," whose tonality seemed to me to resemble a Lydian mode (I have never seen the score). In any case, the tonality of that song, immediately striking to all listeners, was unlike anything that preceded it in rock 'n' roll music, although it must be said that Brian Wilson's compositions for the Beach Boys were also often quite remarkable.