Diverging Beatles

It was on this day back in 1971 that all four members of The Beatles had solo singles in the UK charts. The band had seen the signs of splintering since the late 60's, but the boys hung on as long as they could. Infighting was only a portion of the problem; the lads from Liverpool had matured musically and very individually, so that they each had their own vision of their musical goals and ambitions. So it was logical that the Beatles would create their own music away from each other. 

Peace out, yo...

McCartney's single at the time was Another Day, bearing his signature light rock sound with his unique pop sensibility. It's a fun little ditty, but like a lot of Macca's music, it's forgettable... at least for me. But the song did see great success on the charts worldwide. 

Mr. Lennon, on the other hand, continued with his politically-driven agenda, laying down a more rocking track, Power to the People. Definitely relevant at that time of great social change, when the hippies and others who questioned and defied authority, the song has some kickin' saxophone, a thumping bassline, and a chorus chant written just perfectly for activist rallies. Right on!

Harrison, dubbed "the quiet one" of the band, charted with one of my favourite post-Beatles songs by any Beatle, My Sweet Lord. George, oft bossed around early on within the confines of the mop-tops, stretched out further and further as the band progressed and experimented. His openness to new philosophies and music led to the use of the sitar and other Indian instruments in his later Beatle compositions. Of course, it was George who wrote some of my favourite Beatle tunes: Taxman, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, and Here Comes the Sun. 

On My Sweet Lord, Harrison sings of ethereal love and peace, God, and his new buddy Hari Krishna. You'd think that might be a bit much for most of us in the western world, but the wonderfully layered vocals, mid-tempo acoustic strumming, and melodic slide guitar gave the song commercial appeal for radio DJs and the general public. And the song's message seemed to resonate with listeners. A winner!

Who's the hipster on the kit?

And last but not least, lovable ol' Ringo popped out a successful ditty called It Don't Come Easy. I've never paid Starr much credit for his non-drumming contributions to the Beatles since the songs he sang seemed aimed at the Sesame Street crowd.... you know, silly boppy singalongs like Yellow Submarine and Octopus's Garden (which he wrote as well). So I never bothered following his post-Beatle career. Old buddy George Harrison helped Ringo pen It Don't Come Easy, and I must admit that it's a fine song. Sort of an extension of the Beatles sound but with a little something extra, updating to the 70's vibe. 

The Fab Four seemed to remain relatively fab even after they went off on their separate ways. A few of Lennon's songs caught my ear during the 70's, and I did really enjoy some of McCartney's pop and rock, especially the material he did with the Wings (like Live and Let Die, Jet, Band on the Run, Silly Love Songs, and Let 'Em In). I think I heard more of George's post-Beatles music after the 70's, with his 1987 hit album Cloud Nine, and his Traveling Wilburys collaborations.