Well, in the early sixties, The Beatles` "moptop" haircuts really offended the previous generation, many of whom had experienced military discipline during the war years. But as attitudes softened in the mid-sixties, and the scandal-free Beatles produced a string of innocuous, top-quality pop songs, they were cautiously accepted by the older generation. The mainstream media wrote condescending but affectionate reports about the Liverpool lads; they were photographed with the Prime Minister and headlined a show attended by the Queen.
But then it seemed as if, Lennon especially, was determined to blow that acceptance out of the water; the weird clothes, the "ugly" moustaches, the strange sounds and the lyrics of "Walrus" really affronted people. Instead of an agreeable pop song, my parents, as an example, had to listen to a song that made no sense, included words like "knickers" and the infamous "yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog`s eye" before it finally descended into gibberish with "Goo Goo Ka Joob".
This song, along with the prime-time screening of Magical Mystery Tour (at a time when homes only received two tv channels), caused a big shift in perception about the Beatles. Perhaps expecting another movie like Help there was generally a sense of betrayal and the press branded the movie "a flop." The honeymoon was over; Lennon was no longer a lovable but cheeky chappie, and the Beatles once again became a subject of generational controversy; young people liked them, old people didn`t, just as it had been years before when the Beatles first broke out of the Cavern Club.
Anyway, that`s how it seemed to me at the time, Janzsoon !
__________________
"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953
|