Hmm, ich hab die Better Beatles unter Punk eingeordnet, man könnte aber auch New Wave oder Post-Punk dazu sagen, was solls. Die Better Beatles haben die Beatles verbessert, yeah. Die Band hat sich 1981 in Omaha, Nebraska zusammengefunden und anscheinend im gleichen Jahr auch wieder aufgelöst. Die Musiker*innen waren Jean pSmith (Vocals), Dave Nordin (Synthesizer), Kurt Magnuson (Bass) und Jay Rosen (Drums, Vocals). Die Band nahm 1981 ein Album mit Beatlessongs auf, aber es erschien damals nur die Single "I’m Down / Penny Lane" bei Woodgrain Records. Das ganze Album erschien dann erst 2007 unter dem Titel "Mercy Beat" bei Hook Or Crook Records. Die darauf befindlichen Beatlessongs sind "Penny Lane", "I’m Down", "Can’t Buy Me Love", "Lady Madonna", "Paperback Writer", "Hello Goodbye", "Baby You’re A Rich Man", "Eleanor Rigby", "With A Little Help From My Friends" und "Get Back". Wow, das Album ist der absolute Wahnsinn. Weiterhin als Musiker tätig war anscheinend nur Drummer und Sänger Jay Rosen. Er gründete mit Tom Freeman (Vocals, Tambourine, Percussion, Guitar) die Band The Muskrats, die 1984 bei Woodgrain Records die EP "Eat From The Pie Of Life" veröffentlichte. Jay Rosen sang und spielte Gitarre und Banjo. Zuletzt erschien von den Muskrats beim Label Sweatbox Studio 1999 das Album "Hootie’s Hootenanny". Jay Rosen und Tom Freeman werden auf diesem Album von den Musikern Ed Ivey (Bass, Vocals) und Tim Vaughn (Drums) tatkräftig unterstützt. Im Jahr 2012 tauchte Jay Rosen als Gitarrist der Band Gravys Drop wieder auf, die bei Burger Records die Single "Buddhist Guru / Happy Birthday" 2012 veröffentlichte. Zur Band gehörten noch Billy Grave (Vocals, Guitar), David Fox (Guitar), Andrew Luttrell (Bass) und Atom Bomb (Drums). Außerdem war Jay Rosen Gitarrist in der Band The Altamont Boys, die den Legendary Stardust Cowboys alias Norman Carl Odam musikalisch begleitete und aus Jay Rosen, Klaus Flouride alias Geoffrey Lyall (Bass) und Joey Myers (Drums) bestand. Bei Cracked Pistols Recordings erschien 2002 das Album "Tokyo" von The Legendary Stardust Cowboy & The Altamont Boys. Jay Hinman interviewte die Better Beatles, nachdem 2007 ihr Album doch noch erschien. Jay Hinman: How important were the Beatles to you at the time of the recordings? Did you feel at the time like your deconstructions of their songs were more of a punk-era 'insult' or a celebration? Dave Nordin: The Beatles were an oppressive influence. Kurt Magnuson: I feel that at the time that we recorded, the Beatles had already achieved a place more in the realm of folk music. People that didn't grow up with them, and many that did, could hum or sing along almost absentmindedly without really knowing or caring who the Beatles were. I didn't really think of the band as either an insult or celebration - my emotions about the band were not that strong. I just thought it was funny. Jay Rosen: I like the Beatles. I did not really think of the Better Beatles as a celebration or an insult. That would depend more upon the listener or audience member. When I am in a band, I think there is a chance that people will like the music. It is really hard to plan a negative reaction. When you get a negative reaction, well, it can be a good experience in its own way. Like seeing a rainbow. Jean pSmith: I knew people that were riding Big Wheels when the Beatles broke up who still worshiped them like gods. Omaha has always been slow to change, being insulated by the rest of America's conservative bulk. I felt that the adoration of the Beatles had gone on quite long enough. Better Beatles stripped the songs of their sacred status, like saying 'we're not afraid of your gods!', actually we had no material, and this is just what we pulled out of our asses. The important thing to us was to be doing something . We started on the first practice with nothing . Jay had Lennon & McCartney songbooks. I just read the lyrics while the guys plinked around. We ended up liking the formula - so it stuck! The Better Beatles waren eine tolle Band, es gibt zwar in der Popwelt unzählige Versionen von Beatlessongs, gute und weniger gute, aber die Better Beatles machten es einfach TOLL! Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01.01.2021