Similarly, it was hard for me to escape that nagging feeling about what if Morrison had done something else. However, it does mean that there’s an adjustment period of sorts moving in the comic. That’s ultimately a good thing - it makes the book a great addition to the canon. It’s also driving home grander messages (’60s drug culture, the band’s dynamic, etc.) that were more understated in the film. Which is to say, this construct that’s perhaps gone away from the original’s charming aesthetic (drawn by a child on orange soda and LSD) for something more accessible. It’s cleaner and more cerebral, a version of The Beatles that feels more commercial – like the idealized 1 compilation. The comic, meanwhile, perhaps doesn’t have the same impact. It’s psychedelia drawn with fingerpaint, and while it’s not as objectively good as, say, Revolver, YS is an album that sticks with you like campfire stories or your very first kiss. Like many people, I grew up with YS the album, and have always felt like it was made for kids and for those seeking to escape into some grand fantasy dimension.
How things make you feel generates all sorts of opinions, and unlike other critical or journalistic forms, you need that molten core to cultivate the most meaning or insight. If there’s one thing that’s indispensable to meaningful music criticism, it’s the value of emotion.
Creating some kind of sonic effect, no matter how abstract, is important to A) honoring the scope of YS as a whole while B) providing some new element to grab readers, maintain the silly vibes, and contextualize the title’s tie-dyed heart. The music’s elsewhere, too, from the endless sound effects to even how the aforementioned lack of squares/boundaries creates a specific flow like a sweet pop tune. It also doesn’t hurt that you may end up reading with a (very bad, in my case) Ringo or Lennon accent. It’s in the dialogue for sure, whether in phrases or messages pulled from or influenced by the original text - silly puns, saccharine mantras, metaphysical ramblings, all of them written in a way that blasts a certain cherry rhythm directly into your brain. That doesn’t mean, however, that there isn’t a certain musicality to this groovy comic.
Short of playing the album as you read (or embedding a greeting card music chip), sound and art are forever on opposing shores. Morrison also gives room to ideas and images the books never did, shining a light on certain concepts, providing a layer of nuance to the aesthetic, and generally hashing out the story in a way that plays up the silliness and the innocence. At the same time, Morrison spins in other inspirations and ideas (Saturday morning cartoons, his own work with titles like The Simpsons, and ’60s-inspired minimalism) to provide a uniqueness that’s essential to this book’s standing as a genuine artifact and not just another money grab.Įven something simple - eschewing traditional comic layouts for a collage approach - provides the book with a pacing and general construction that’s both a ’60s throwback and something resembling an actual visual movie, where lines and structure crumble in the face of trippy vibes and oodles of heart. A perfect fit with the surreal, kaleidoscopic style of the album and film. Bright and beautiful, like something ripped from a great peyote trip, Morrison’s art is both familiar and yet foreign. One of the most effective ways he does just that is the art. Still, for his part, Morrison was fully aware of the limitations, keenly understanding that his translation had to provide something new lest it be absorbed into the project’s shared consciousness. (Something like A Hard Day’s Night also deftly balances the music and the silliness.)
#Talking submarine cartoon movie
In this ex-critic’s humble opinion, there are great songs - “Sea of Time” and “All You Need Is Love” rock in perpetuity - but the goofy concept and silly nature of the songs and movie are outshined by the band’s other perfect endeavors. And while it’s not a bad album, YS is consistently ranked fairly low in the Beatles’ canon (see here, here, and here). Not exactly Jean-Luc Godard, but YS is interesting nonetheless.įor one, it debuted mere months before the White Album, which eternally overshadows the project. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) use the power of love and harmony to win back the undersea island and show the Meanies the error of their ways. Recruited by the Captain of the Yellow Submarine, the Fab Four (as Sgt. In case you’ve lived under a rock since 1968, Yellow Submarine is about the musically-averse Blue Meanies taking over the idyllic Pepperland. Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!
0 kommentar(er)
