Don't forget that this song predates Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, all heavy metal. It was recorded in the summer of 1968. Nobody had heard anything so hard and loud until this song. Most music scholars cite this song as the birth of heavy metal. Also don't forget that this is the same band that made cute pop rock in the early 60s, folk rock and psychedelic/avant garde music in the mid-60s (and would go on to blues music in the late 60s). Their versatility is insane.
@@bartstarr100 Yeah, I know lot's of people who so "dislike" "The Beatles," because that's fashionable, that they've never listened to them.. How about you name "2 through 9" -- all of which, of course, were made possible by "The Beatles".
@@lancelot771 your question is related to me caring what the 2 through 9 groups are. I don’t have a list. The Beatles changed music. They are not so much superior that you have to consider my opinion absurd then demand some list that you choose. Your aren’t serious. There were better bands and they were better because the Beatles stopped touring. And became a studio band. George Martin made the Beatles sound good.
Paul McCartney was inspired to write "Helter Skelter" after reading an interview with the Who's Pete Townshend where he described their September 1967 single, "I Can See for Miles", as the loudest, rawest, dirtiest song the Who had ever recorded. McCartney wanted to top it
@@bartstarr100 Perhaps someday you'll actually know how to listen. "Led Zeppelin" was nothing new; blues rip-offs. Many of my generation ignored "Paul Butterfield Blues Band" -- actual Chicago blues -- because "Clapton is God" nonsense. Because, in fact, Butterfield had Blacks in his band.
@@bartstarr100 You mean "The Who" were just trying to be loud. They were measured as the loudest of rock bands. Unfortunately, "loud" is not a measure of anything but LOUDNESS. And a result was that Townsend self-destructively destroyed his own hearing. Which the intelligent don't call "smart".
I think it was Roger Daltry who said it best, "The Beatles were SO different" There was never a group that evolved as much and broke as much new ground as The Beatles. The GOAT
And for most of their career they recorded onto 4 track tape - including this track. They are the giants who's shoulders a lot of newer bands aspire to stand upon.
Beatles are not over rated. They are one of the most creative and versatile bands of all time! The way they developed and progressed in the short number of years they were together is very impressive. Helter Skelter to me is proto Metal and Punk! A brilliant song ahead of it's time.
The Beatles are if anything, underrated. You can’t overstate their influence and importance, whatever the musical innovation, The Beatles did it first.
the biggest thing you have to take into account when you listen to the Bettles is what year they did it. This song was 1968. Other bands did not pick up this sound for many years later.
Brilliant analysis--the Beatles did it all: ballads, funk-rock, gospel ballads, acoustic, French Jazz, folk, roadhouse rock, avant-garde, experimental, soul, raga, psychedelic, (Left-wing) political commentary, Woke rock, World-Music, Heavy Metal, drawing deeply upon African-American, South Asian, Celtic, Caribbean, Latin-American, Latin-Europe (French, Spanish, Italian) intellectual, cultural, musical, and spiritual traditions and movements. Breathtaking. Astonishing. Genius. Their influence is everywhere--bringing full circle to genius. For example, they drew deep influence from their genius peers Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and a very young Stevie Wonder (all of whom the Beatles knew personally as friends); in turn, the Beatles experimentation inspired Marvin, Smokey, and Stevie to push boundaries and mix genres, resulting in a number of the greatest, presciently political/cultural concept albums of the entire rock era -- What's Goin' On, Songs in the Key of Life/Inner Visions, Quiet Storm. And the wildly eclectic genius, his Royale Prince himself, shouts out to the Strawberry Fields boys in his "Raspberry Beret" and "Pop Life" and "Around the World in A Day," to name a few. But we need to give it up to Wilburn of the Reactions, too: I cannot think of a better, more on-point cut-to-the-quick summation than his "fun-house-mirror" analogy in evoking the eerie, trippy heaviness of Helter Skelter--and his hang-'em-high death sentence on the Grateful Dead, paraphrased: "Helter Skelter is what the Grateful Dead tried to reach but never grew up to achieve." PHUCKEN YUP!!! Only somebody growing up on Jazz (or playing it, as yours truly does) can know how RIGHTLY Judge Wilburn heard the evidence, considered the case, and ruled for the Beatles. JUST CAUSE, baybee. A+ for the band. A+ for the sharpness and clarity of analysis. A+ for the judicial review. THAT is the way yah dew yit!
Probably the heaviest song in the Beatles arsenal!! Classic heavy metal!! ✌😈 Also remember that this is 1968!! Jimi Hendrix was just starting to take off then, too
Great reaction. The Beatles are the best ever and that doesn’t mean you can’t love other bands...it is just that they are the foundation...even their mistakes were genius because they incorporated them into the music like the guitar feedback at the beginning of I Feel Fine...who was doing feedback like that? No one. Heater Skelter was the birth of Heavy Metal.
The Beatles aren't overrated, for sure. One only has to listen to the rest of the album this song came from to see that - The White Album has 30 songs on it. All of them different from the next, pretty much. In the 80s, long before the internet, I used to think it would be awesome if there was a Beatles-only radio station. I could listen to that all day at work and never tire of it. That doesn't mean I like every song they ever put out (Their very early stuff isn't nearly as appealing, to me, as is their later stuff). But, it does mean I put them above everybody else. If I want to put a smile on my day, The Beatles never fail to do that. There aren't really any other bands I could listen to anytime. Most bands I have to be in the mood for. The Beatles always put me in the mood to listen to them.
@@hilarymiseroy3251 I own all of the Iron Butterfly albums and they never approached this intensity. Paul’s vocal predates what Robert Plant made a career of by a year at least. Chod, the bass is played by John Lennon so Paul could play guitar. George plays the slide solos and blues leads. The reason for the fade out the first time is a way they could connect the beginning of the song and the end when Ringo yells I got blisters on my fingers. People wonder why he says that. The reason being is this was played live for 27 minutes but to fit on the album it was cut up. It’s well documented that only Paul owns the complete acetate because after it was done he took it home and their fans like me have never heard the whole song start to finish. The strange metallic effect in the second part is a guitar pick raking the strings below the bridge of an Epiphone Casino most likely by Paul. This is the birth of Heavy Metal. It’s my favorite song on The Beatles by The Beatles.
Canadian group Steppenwolf recorded Born To Be Wild about nine months before The Beatles album. It is acknowledged as the source for heavy metal, referring to the heavy metal thunder of a Harley Davidson. The song was unknown until 1969 when Easy Rider was released in the cinemas.
Paul McCartney, for all of his tendency to write soft, sweet love songs, had another side, as is demonstrated in this song. He could belt one out and scream with the best of them. The idea for this song came from a British amusement park ride. He once said, in reference to “Helter Skelter”, “I just like noise!”
The “hardest” Beatle song by far. You might not know this, but when Charlie Manson sent his “family members” to murder Sharon Tate, they called it Helter Skelter.....
Manson thought this song was foretelling an impending race war in the U.S. and that the murders would somehow hasten it's onset. How that would've been beneficial to Manson and his family was only apparent in his own warped mind.
@@rs-ye7kw you also know mansons therapist was one of the heads of that mk ultra shit, alot of weird shit went down in the 50’s and 60’s trying to control people
I wish you people would stop mentioning that. That nut Manson had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of this song! I’m sick and tired of people linking the two when there is no relationship at all.
The Beatles the Best!!! Please do more reactions on the Beatles. Come Together, Get Back, Oh Darling, Hey Jude, Strawberry Fields Forever, I am the Walrus, Revolution, Let it Be, Dear Prudence, and so many more!!!
The Beatles were always experimenting with new instruments and sounds. The White Album is two record set that show them playing all musical genres Country, Rock, Jazz, Big Band etc. It is one of the most creative albums every recorded.
From Rubber Soul on each album was different and new. People got excited when they heard that the Beatles were coming out with a new album. You never knew what they were going to do.
@@musicairplanes4884 There are comments about them using unusual instruments beginning with "Rubber Soul". Listen to "Beatles for Sale" -- it was noted at the time that they were using unusual instruments -- try, as example, kettle drums. They -- and George Martin -- were already revolutionizing recording beginning with "With The Beatles".
Thank you for NOT talking over the song. So many people who do this not only talk over it, but talk over it LOUDLY enough to drown out the music. It's kind of ridiculous to me.
'Falling apart in a great way', thats brilliant. Thats exactly what Paul wanted, his bass is so sloppily out of tune but it works, its got a real garage band vibe about it. Rhythm tracks that are recorded with the whole band playing separated by baffle boards are so much better, time is bearing this out, and these beatle tracks show it.
Also you are absolutely right. This song sounds like it's about to fall apart at any moment... it's hanging on by the skin of it's teeth... controlled chaos.
the beatles are the greatest rock band that has ever existed or will ever exist. period. there is no possible other answer. the thrones are theirs, forever. modern music owes more to these men than it would be possible to explain in a simple youtube comment.
Without the Beatles we wouldn't have has so many great 70's rock bands. Loads of guys were inspired by them and started their own bands in their garages. They saw the girls going crazy and wanted to be like them. Everyone had Beatles haircut. The whole world was crazy about them.
The Beatles have been popular for 56 years. For good reason. They are the GOAT. Anybody who doesn't like them is being a contrarian on purpose to try to get attention.
I've listened to this song a thousand times or more for the last 25 years and I gotta say, you've nailed it there when talking how this song seemingly falls apart but still holds together. I've never heard anyone put it as well as you did and that's saying a lot, because was deep into the Beatles for most of my life.
They could just do it. It’s brilliant, must have blown people’s minds back then! Shows just how good the Beatles were! Heavy metal and even slightly punk!
And the next song on the album is "Long, Long, Long", which may be the "quietist" track they recorded. It's like someone once said: Hearing the range they had as a group is like finding out the Beethoven, Gershwin, and Ozzy Osbourne were actually the same guy.
Love this song! Heaviest thing I ever heard when it first came out. Every time I hear that ending, it makes me wanr to hear the part they cut out with that fade. I wonder how long they jammed out.
This song was mostly a result of a couple of very lengthy jams. I guess one of them was about 27 minutes long. You have a very insightful perspective on this track that surprised me. It is essentially a song that's on the verge of falling apart...exactly! And John is playing the bass. He hates playing bass. He's murdering the instrument here. But it works. So, at the end when Ringo screams about his blisters, he wasn't kidding. He'd been playing so long and hard throughout the multiple takes. Personally, I don't fret too much about people who want to take the position that the Beatles are over-rated. History is entirely against them. Culture is entirely against them. The music industry is entirely against them. Music critics are entirely against them. The charts are entirely against them as are the fans. At the end of the day civilization has the means to measure what is the best we have to offer up. There's a reason such things like 'Romeo And Juliet' are considered a representation of the cream of literature, for example. The same applies to the Beatles, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Mozart, etc. Some people enjoy disparaging, being churlish. It would seem the weight of human historical evaluation is simply against them. It would seem that they are simply and very effectively wrong. Of course, they can always prove otherwise...or try to.
Preach it, brother!! 😂 But you’re right. Anything that’s hugely popular some people are going to call overrated. Just like there are tons of people who say something is great just because everyone else does.
Everybody's got something to hide (except for me and my monkey) from the same album deserves a listen as well... It is heavy as hell... AND has a prominent cowbell
There are a lot of jerks out there that will try to make your feel lacking in someway just because...Good for you for standing up to and confronting the bs the right way!
Some people consider that song one of the important precursors of heavy metal and all it's descendents... it's certainly by far one of the heaviest songs of the day.
Great reaction sir!!!.. You got it spot on! I've only heard it on FM radio years ago just ONE time ...bc of the Manson connection- this song is the shit!
There's a reason so many people consider them the greatest. I don't care how long it takes people to find The Beatles, I'm just glad when they do...even better when they like them.
Chod this is why you should return to doing reactions on your own, it's brilliant honest and brave stuff. Tell your wife to get her own channel. This is Beatles in beautiful chaos. GO BEATLES!!!
If you listen to the Beatles from A to Z you will become their biggest fan. Nothing they did was by accident They constantly tried to achieve and earn their accollades. They always gave us more.
😂😂 I think exactly the same as you. A few years ago I heard them on the radio, television, etc ... And I hated them. One day my music teacher told me "listen to the consecration of the spring" by Stravinsky and "Sergeant pepper", of the Beatles. I bought Sergeant peppers, went home, put on my headphones and... It literally changed my life. To me, they are aliens. I am a lover of jazz (Dolphy, Metheny, Ornette, Sun Ra, etc..) of contemporary classical music(Nono, penderecki, ligeti, xenakis, Messiaen, etc..) , but I recognize that for me, they are The band. It was instantaneous.
First metal music. The Beatles invented everything.... Not a big fan of this song but everything else is great...... Loved the Beatles Since I was 8 yrs. I'm just a crazy woman for them.
There Were The Beatles, Then There Was Everyone Else. Ask any of the bands coming out in the mid 60's or 70's. What was their influence ? THE BEATLES!!
The Beatles are the greatest group of all time. "Half a century after their breakup, The Beatles are still the biggest rock band of 2020, shifting 1.094 million album-equivalent units through the first six months of the year, 326,000 units ahead of the genre’s second-place finisher, Queen. The Fab Four also had the fifth-bestselling vinyl album of the year, selling 54,000 copies of their 1969 opus Abbey Road. They had good company in the vinyl category, including fellow classic rock icons Queen and Pink Floyd, pop supernova Billie Eilish and retro-rock heartthrob Harry Styles. The Beatles also perform exceptionally well on streaming services, with many songs racking up hundreds of millions of plays." -Forbes
According to google: “ Rather than layering individually overdubbed parts on a multi-track tape, many of the 'White Album' session takes were recorded to four-track and eight-track tape as group performances with a live lead vocal.” Always keep that in mind with the Beatles. They were more awesome than awesome. Putting all these instruments and sounds on to four to eight ANALOG tracks. Analog. The mixing and engineering was high art as well.
People that critique music in general has to keep in mind the technology of the times. Many early orchestras bands where breaking new ground in music and technology. The Beatles studio work was amazing at the time. They were doing things that no one had done on a commercially released LP. I Feel Fine" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in November 1964 as the A-side of their eighth single. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. The recording includes one of the earliest uses of guitar feedback in popular music.
Just another thought on the Beatles. What they as a group accomplished was to make a template for everybody that came after,from writing their own songs to their work in the studio to the overwhelming amount of their number 1hits and their impact world wide on society. From "Meet the Beatles" their first album to "Abbey Road" the last album their progression as a group in their music is astounding... You need to listen to "I want You" (She's So Heavy") great song....
Chuck Berry wrote his own songs. Bo Diddley wrote his own songs. Buddy Holly wrote many of his own songs. During and after Holly's death there were professional song writers (Carol King-Gerry Goffin* being one duo) whose songs were tailored for particular singers/groups. And that wasn't new, as it had been going on since at latest the 1930s. That "The Beatles" both wrote their own songs and played their music was noted at the time. _____ *When "The Beatles" hit the top in England, John, during an interview, said of he and Paul, "We want to be the Goffin-King of England." They covered at least one Goffin-King song, originally recorded by the Shirelles: "Boys".
It's funny you said it was like walking through those freaky mirrors at the fair. The song was written about the Helter Skelter...a ride at a fair. "Get to the top...go for a slide."
It’s funny how you mentioned a funhouse ride (the house of mirrors) because Helter Skelter is an amusement park ride (a giant slide that winds around a central structure).
I'm always just baffled by the question of where Paul came up with this crazy song. It's obviously experimental, but kind of the polar opposite of the other experimental things he was coming up with. I find it bizarre...and awesome. Good description and comparisons by the way. It does sound about half unraveled. And screw the Dead. Snore fest.
This song was about a giant slide at a fair called Helter Skelter, the giant slides that you sat on burlap that went down over a couple bumps before you got to the bottom. From this same album you should try “Back In The USSR” and “Birthday.”
Greatest band ever no question. No band influenced those after them like The Beatles did. No band will ever have the success these guys did over an 8 year span, not to mention all the successful solo careers after they broke up in 1970.
IN FACT, McCartney was voted #1, for YEARS, on best bass players in JAZZ polls. He isn't underrated -- but that which deserves NO rating is your defensive overselling of that which needs no hype: John Lennon characterized Paul's bass playing as INSPIRED. Anyone who was listening to them during that period readily heard Paul's bass as SUPERIOR to anyone else's out there.
Your description of this song is the very definition of Helter Skelter! You are saying they captured the definition musically, perfectly! Def: Helter-Skelter. adj. Involving disorderly haste and confusion
The End by the Beatles is my favourite Beatles song, it has the only drum solo by Ringo "I've got Blisters on my Fingers!" Starr and a literal guitar solo battle between John, George and Paul... its awesome...
How about Ringo's drumming here (I know Wilburn mentioned it in passing)? Instead of trying to match the frenzy of the guitars and vocals, he heads the other way, and lays down a relaxed, bluesy beat, throws in a few fills - brilliant!
Wow--you've got me wanting a fun-house experience to this as the soundtrack now... Like, the next time I do go into a mirror maze, I'mma be kinda disappointed if this isn't playing. :) I feel like "Because" (original or the a cappella from Anthology III) would be another really crazy 'fun-house mirror' song experience. Or maybe "Happiness is a Warm Gun", if you really wanted to give yourself nightmares... Another genuine and thoughtful reaction, Chod--you have an awesome sense of wonder, and your 'warmth' comes through in your enthusiasm. Thanks for doing these, even with the risk of them being taken down... Your cheerful tenacity is infectious (in the good way!)! :)
Good luck hearing anything this heavy in 1968! The Beatles again pushing boundaries create new genres on the fly... In this case the metal genre! Did people do this style better after this? Absolutely! The key is AFTER this, because no one was doing this level of intensity style "metal" until this!
First time hearing the original version and it rocks! The Beatles are great. I've only heard the cover by Siouxsie & the Banshees until now (I don't think you'd like that one). Also, I think if you heard some other Kate Bush songs you may see her differently. The one you heard doesn't represent all of her work. "Running Up That Hill" would be the one most would recommend as it's years later and an 80's hit. That'd be a good choice. She also wrote one many people seem to know called 'This Woman's Work'. Personally I would recommend: "James and the Cold Gun" or "Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbreak". These all sound a LOT different than "Wuthering Heights". Kate is top tier for me personally but I remain subscribed to your channel because I like your reactions a lot and you're a pretty cool and down to earth kinda guy. : )
someone can say its is the first HM song, someone can say it is not....the fact is that was something new when came out and lot of HM bands recorded it. It is a fact and no one can deny it.
All kinds of groups could probably do something like this now, but the main point for me is that The Beatles did it first.
One must imagine the idea first.
Yes!! yes!!. It's not the ability to replicate something but who created the damn thing from scratch! Anyone can ape something ! big friggin deal!
Your right there followers and most bands today SUCK
And did it back in 1968!!! Now, that is amazing. Thanks for the kind words about The Beatles.
What do you mean "Other groups could do thisthus?!!? This is the F'n Beatles man! Fn Aaaaaay! WTF?!!!!!
The Beatles weren't a band - they were a miracle.
Don't forget that this song predates Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, all heavy metal. It was recorded in the summer of 1968. Nobody had heard anything so hard and loud until this song. Most music scholars cite this song as the birth of heavy metal.
Also don't forget that this is the same band that made cute pop rock in the early 60s, folk rock and psychedelic/avant garde music in the mid-60s (and would go on to blues music in the late 60s). Their versatility is insane.
MeanMisterWalrus 😂love the name
Don't miss Link Wray - I think his stuff may have come first.
Lou Reed nuff said
Iron Butterfly was before this so was Hendrix
Re listen to some early Who.
The Beatles are by far the Greatest band of all time
Name 2 through 9 and tell me why they were so much better
@@bartstarr100 Yeah, I know lot's of people who so "dislike" "The Beatles," because that's fashionable, that they've never listened to them..
How about you name "2 through 9" -- all of which, of course, were made possible by "The Beatles".
Without question!
@@bartstarr100 Name ”2 through 9" songs from the band, and tell me why you fucking despise them then. I’ll wait
@@lancelot771 your question is related to me caring what the 2 through 9 groups are. I don’t have a list. The Beatles changed music. They are not so much superior that you have to consider my opinion absurd then demand some list that you choose. Your aren’t serious. There were better bands and they were better because the Beatles stopped touring. And became a studio band. George Martin made the Beatles sound good.
Paul McCartney was inspired to write "Helter Skelter" after reading an interview with the Who's Pete Townshend where he described their September 1967 single, "I Can See for Miles", as the loudest, rawest, dirtiest song the Who had ever recorded. McCartney wanted to top it
Exactly. They were just trying to be loud.
@@bartstarr100 Not only. Not just.
@@bartstarr100 Perhaps someday you'll actually know how to listen.
"Led Zeppelin" was nothing new; blues rip-offs. Many of my generation ignored "Paul Butterfield Blues Band" -- actual Chicago blues -- because "Clapton is God" nonsense. Because, in fact, Butterfield had Blacks in his band.
@@bartstarr100 You mean "The Who" were just trying to be loud. They were measured as the loudest of rock bands. Unfortunately, "loud" is not a measure of anything but LOUDNESS.
And a result was that Townsend self-destructively destroyed his own hearing. Which the intelligent don't call "smart".
It's funny, because I Can See for Miles isn't even that raw or loud. Their performance of My Generation on Smothers Brothers was more raw and loud.
I think it was Roger Daltry who said it best, "The Beatles were SO different" There was never a group that evolved as much and broke as much new ground as The Beatles. The GOAT
he also said "I asked Bobby Dylan, I asked The Beatles, I asked Timothy Leary but they couldn't help me either"
@@joruva That's when "he" was looking outside himself instead of internally. The song isn't autobiography; it is fiction, and Daltrey didn't write it.
And for most of their career they recorded onto 4 track tape - including this track. They are the giants who's shoulders a lot of newer bands aspire to stand upon.
Beatles are not over rated. They are one of the most creative and versatile bands of all time! The way they developed and progressed in the short number of years they were together is very impressive. Helter Skelter to me is proto Metal and Punk! A brilliant song ahead of it's time.
Widely considered the first "Heavy Metal" song... Just another notch in this band's musical history and influence....Greatest ever.....
Only by those who believe in marketing labels. That label didn't exist at the time.
The Beatles are if anything, underrated. You can’t overstate their influence and importance, whatever the musical innovation, The Beatles did it first.
Now I’ve heard everything. Underrated? Absurd
@@bartstarr100 You underrate them. When will you be naming "2 through 9"?
the biggest thing you have to take into account when you listen to the Bettles is what year they did it. This song was 1968. Other bands did not pick up this sound for many years later.
Brilliant analysis--the Beatles did it all: ballads, funk-rock, gospel ballads, acoustic, French Jazz, folk, roadhouse rock, avant-garde, experimental, soul, raga, psychedelic, (Left-wing) political commentary, Woke rock, World-Music, Heavy Metal, drawing deeply upon African-American, South Asian, Celtic, Caribbean, Latin-American, Latin-Europe (French, Spanish, Italian) intellectual, cultural, musical, and spiritual traditions and movements. Breathtaking. Astonishing. Genius. Their influence is everywhere--bringing full circle to genius. For example, they drew deep influence from their genius peers Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and a very young Stevie Wonder (all of whom the Beatles knew personally as friends); in turn, the Beatles experimentation inspired Marvin, Smokey, and Stevie to push boundaries and mix genres, resulting in a number of the greatest, presciently political/cultural concept albums of the entire rock era -- What's Goin' On, Songs in the Key of Life/Inner Visions, Quiet Storm. And the wildly eclectic genius, his Royale Prince himself, shouts out to the Strawberry Fields boys in his "Raspberry Beret" and "Pop Life" and "Around the World in A Day," to name a few.
But we need to give it up to Wilburn of the Reactions, too: I cannot think of a better, more on-point cut-to-the-quick summation than his "fun-house-mirror" analogy in evoking the eerie, trippy heaviness of Helter Skelter--and his hang-'em-high death sentence on the Grateful Dead, paraphrased: "Helter Skelter is what the Grateful Dead tried to reach but never grew up to achieve." PHUCKEN YUP!!! Only somebody growing up on Jazz (or playing it, as yours truly does) can know how RIGHTLY Judge Wilburn heard the evidence, considered the case, and ruled for the Beatles. JUST CAUSE, baybee.
A+ for the band. A+ for the sharpness and clarity of analysis. A+ for the judicial review. THAT is the way yah dew yit!
"The Beatles" were folk musicians.
@@jnagarya519 What? Does this sound like a folk song to you? As mentioned above, they tackled a lot of musical genres.
@@jnagarya519 You can listen to Helter Skelter for quite literally one second & hear that it’s not folk music.
@@korfrag6865 Folk music is a broad category. It includes, as example, electric blues.
Probably the heaviest song in the Beatles arsenal!! Classic heavy metal!! ✌😈 Also remember that this is 1968!! Jimi Hendrix was just starting to take off then, too
Stop with the bogus marketing labels.
Great reaction. The Beatles are the best ever and that doesn’t mean you can’t love other bands...it is just that they are the foundation...even their mistakes were genius because they incorporated them into the music like the guitar feedback at the beginning of I Feel Fine...who was doing feedback like that? No one. Heater Skelter was the birth of Heavy Metal.
The Beatles aren't overrated, for sure. One only has to listen to the rest of the album this song came from to see that - The White Album has 30 songs on it. All of them different from the next, pretty much. In the 80s, long before the internet, I used to think it would be awesome if there was a Beatles-only radio station. I could listen to that all day at work and never tire of it. That doesn't mean I like every song they ever put out (Their very early stuff isn't nearly as appealing, to me, as is their later stuff). But, it does mean I put them above everybody else. If I want to put a smile on my day, The Beatles never fail to do that. There aren't really any other bands I could listen to anytime. Most bands I have to be in the mood for. The Beatles always put me in the mood to listen to them.
No artist will ever please everyone. You happen to be in a minority thinking they are overrated.
@@FuturologyTheMusical He said they AREN’T overrated, not that they are.
Music historians point to this song as the beginning of Heavy Metal. Their claim has merit. Awesome song!
Certainly earlier than anything else in the UK but Iron Butterfly were going down similar lines earlier in 1968.
Name one
@@hilarymiseroy3251 I own all of the Iron Butterfly albums and they never approached this intensity. Paul’s vocal predates what Robert Plant made a career of by a year at least. Chod, the bass is played by John Lennon so Paul could play guitar. George plays the slide solos and blues leads. The reason for the fade out the first time is a way they could connect the beginning of the song and the end when Ringo yells I got blisters on my fingers. People wonder why he says that. The reason being is this was played live for 27 minutes but to fit on the album it was cut up. It’s well documented that only Paul owns the complete acetate because after it was done he took it home and their fans like me have never heard the whole song start to finish. The strange metallic effect in the second part is a guitar pick raking the strings below the bridge of an Epiphone Casino most likely by Paul. This is the birth of Heavy Metal. It’s my favorite song on The Beatles by The Beatles.
Cream was just as heavy as this and before this ,check out Cream live from Grand Ballroom in Detroit from Oct 15 ,1967 it's on youtube
Canadian group Steppenwolf recorded Born To Be Wild about nine months before The Beatles album.
It is acknowledged as the source for heavy metal, referring to the heavy metal thunder of a Harley Davidson.
The song was unknown until 1969 when Easy Rider was released in the cinemas.
Paul McCartney, for all of his tendency to write soft, sweet love songs, had another side, as is demonstrated in this song. He could belt one out and scream with the best of them. The idea for this song came from a British amusement park ride. He once said, in reference to “Helter Skelter”, “I just like noise!”
The “hardest” Beatle song by far. You might not know this, but when Charlie Manson sent his “family members” to murder Sharon Tate, they called it Helter Skelter.....
Manson thought this song was foretelling an impending race war in the U.S. and that the murders would somehow hasten it's onset. How that would've been beneficial to Manson and his family was only apparent in his own warped mind.
@@rs-ye7kw you also know mansons therapist was one of the heads of that mk ultra shit, alot of weird shit went down in the 50’s and 60’s trying to control people
ruclips.net/video/ibBJLudrD8E/видео.html
Quite possibly the hardest, yes, but I Want You (She's So Heavy) would like a word with the "by far", lol.
I wish you people would stop mentioning that. That nut Manson had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of this song! I’m sick and tired of people linking the two when there is no relationship at all.
The Beatles the Best!!! Please do more reactions on the Beatles. Come Together, Get Back, Oh Darling, Hey Jude, Strawberry Fields Forever, I am the Walrus, Revolution, Let it Be, Dear Prudence, and so many more!!!
The Beatles were always experimenting with new instruments and sounds. The White Album is two record set that show them playing all musical genres Country, Rock, Jazz, Big Band etc. It is one of the most creative albums every recorded.
From Rubber Soul on each album was different and new. People got excited when they heard that the Beatles were coming out with a new album. You never knew what they were going to do.
From the first album each album was different. You might actually listen to those first 5 LPs before leaving them out.
@@jnagarya519 Believe me I did listen to all of their music. I just think that Rubber Soul was the first big change. Just my opinion.
@@musicairplanes4884 There are comments about them using unusual instruments beginning with "Rubber Soul". Listen to "Beatles for Sale" -- it was noted at the time that they were using unusual instruments -- try, as example, kettle drums.
They -- and George Martin -- were already revolutionizing recording beginning with "With The Beatles".
Thank you for NOT talking over the song. So many people who do this not only talk over it, but talk over it LOUDLY enough to drown out the music. It's kind of ridiculous to me.
That the same guy who did this also did "Let It Be" is simply mindblowing.
'Falling apart in a great way', thats brilliant. Thats exactly what Paul wanted, his bass is so sloppily out of tune but it works, its got a real garage band vibe about it. Rhythm tracks that are recorded with the whole band playing separated by baffle boards are so much better, time is bearing this out, and these beatle tracks show it.
Actually, John played a 6 string bass on this song. These rifts are John’s.
You know what really saves this song and turns it into a masterpiece? Paul's sense of humor. His vocals are just too damn fun to listen to.
Also you are absolutely right. This song sounds like it's about to fall apart at any moment... it's hanging on by the skin of it's teeth... controlled chaos.
the beatles are the greatest rock band that has ever existed or will ever exist. period. there is no possible other answer. the thrones are theirs, forever. modern music owes more to these men than it would be possible to explain in a simple youtube comment.
Without the Beatles we wouldn't have has so many great 70's rock bands. Loads of guys were inspired by them and started their own bands in their garages. They saw the girls going crazy and wanted to be like them. Everyone had Beatles haircut. The whole world was crazy about them.
The Beatles have been popular for 56 years. For good reason. They are the GOAT. Anybody who doesn't like them is being a contrarian on purpose to try to get attention.
The Beatles can’t be overrated because they set the standard. Anybody...I put them up against anybody. Do lovely Rita for the kiddies will ya?
White album!!! Most popular Beetles album. Should listen to the whole thing! It’s Beetles 101.
*_beetles_*
No!! Beatles 101 is Knowing How to Spell BEATLES!!😂🤣
Spell check. It's BEATLES! ✌✌
I could see if it was a typo or autocorrect but it was done twice. So who knows about the Beatles?
Oops! I DIDNT DO IT MOM!!!!
The Beatles released this album in 1968 before Led Zeppelin released their first album. "Helter Scelter" is the first heavy metal in history
I've listened to this song a thousand times or more for the last 25 years and I gotta say, you've nailed it there when talking how this song seemingly falls apart but still holds together. I've never heard anyone put it as well as you did and that's saying a lot, because was deep into the Beatles for most of my life.
They could just do it. It’s brilliant, must have blown people’s minds back then! Shows just how good the Beatles were! Heavy metal and even slightly punk!
And the next song on the album is "Long, Long, Long", which may be the "quietist" track they recorded.
It's like someone once said: Hearing the range they had as a group is like finding out the Beethoven, Gershwin, and Ozzy Osbourne were actually the same guy.
@@almostfm thanks a great reply. Thanks
This song rips you apart and puts you back together, I felt it the first time I heard it when it smashed into us way back when.
There's a bootleg version that's twice as long and goes off in whole new directions!
The illusion of 'helter skelter'. They nailed it.
"Helter Skelter" was the Britishism for child's "slide".
Here they come again! “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!”
The Beatles are simply the best.
Every sound the Beatles had, it was the first time that sound was anywhere. Every other band is a copy.
This song should remind their fans and haters, "YES, they were a GREAT rock n roll band!!"
Helter Skelter is about a roller coaster. Charles Manson thought differently. Many bands like to cover this song.
I think it was actually about a slide, but either way this song is just a banger, literally
Not a roller coaster, but a playground slide in England that goes around like a spiral.
The Beatles were more than a band, they were a state of mind.
A Helter Skelter IS a fairground ride, hence the hall of mirrors, crazy merryground feel! Unbelievable for 1968 man!
Helter Skelter is constantly the first Heavy Metal song EVER!!
"You may be a lover but you ain't no...... dancer", one of the best R&R lines ever.
Carry On!!
The funny thing is......THE BEATLES never needed any hype.
Love this song! Heaviest thing I ever heard when it first came out. Every time I hear that ending, it makes me wanr to hear the part they cut out with that fade. I wonder how long they jammed out.
20 minutes or so. I think we should be thankful for the edit, really.
This song was mostly a result of a couple of very lengthy jams. I guess one of them was about 27 minutes long. You have a very insightful perspective on this track that surprised me. It is essentially a song that's on the verge of falling apart...exactly! And John is playing the bass. He hates playing bass. He's murdering the instrument here. But it works. So, at the end when Ringo screams about his blisters, he wasn't kidding. He'd been playing so long and hard throughout the multiple takes.
Personally, I don't fret too much about people who want to take the position that the Beatles are over-rated. History is entirely against them. Culture is entirely against them. The music industry is entirely against them. Music critics are entirely against them. The charts are entirely against them as are the fans. At the end of the day civilization has the means to measure what is the best we have to offer up. There's a reason such things like 'Romeo And Juliet' are considered a representation of the cream of literature, for example. The same applies to the Beatles, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Mozart, etc. Some people enjoy disparaging, being churlish. It would seem the weight of human historical evaluation is simply against them. It would seem that they are simply and very effectively wrong. Of course, they can always prove otherwise...or try to.
"Led Zeppelin": blues rip-off. "Pink Floyd": neuroticism.
So very well said Hungfao.You clearly know your music, and also history. Cheers!
I believe when they recorded this it ent on for 27 minutes, and it was cut down. That's why Ringo yells he's got blisters on his fingers.
Preach it, brother!! 😂 But you’re right. Anything that’s hugely popular some people are going to call overrated. Just like there are tons of people who say something is great just because everyone else does.
The Beatles are Great and you have good taste. Enjoy
Everybody's got something to hide (except for me and my monkey) from the same album deserves a listen as well... It is heavy as hell... AND has a prominent cowbell
The Beatles have the best, and most eclectic melodies of any band.
There are a lot of jerks out there that will try to make your feel lacking in someway just because...Good for you for standing up to and confronting the bs the right way!
Some people consider that song one of the important precursors of heavy metal and all it's descendents... it's certainly by far one of the heaviest songs of the day.
Great reaction sir!!!..
You got it spot on! I've only heard it on FM radio years ago just ONE time ...bc of the Manson connection- this song is the shit!
The Beatles are #1.
"Falling apart in a great way". Perfect. My theme, as well.
There's a reason so many people consider them the greatest. I don't care how long it takes people to find The Beatles, I'm just glad when they do...even better when they like them.
Chod this is why you should return to doing reactions on your own, it's brilliant honest and brave stuff. Tell your wife to get her own channel. This is Beatles in beautiful chaos. GO BEATLES!!!
If you listen to the Beatles from A to Z you will become their biggest fan. Nothing they did was by accident
They constantly tried to achieve and earn their accollades. They always gave us more.
😂😂 I think exactly the same as you. A few years ago I heard them on the radio, television, etc ... And I hated them. One day my music teacher told me "listen to the consecration of the spring" by Stravinsky and "Sergeant pepper", of the Beatles.
I bought Sergeant peppers, went home, put on my headphones and... It literally changed my life.
To me, they are aliens.
I am a lover of jazz (Dolphy, Metheny, Ornette, Sun Ra, etc..) of contemporary classical music(Nono, penderecki, ligeti, xenakis, Messiaen, etc..) , but I recognize that for me, they are The band.
It was instantaneous.
This is the very first heavy metal song ever recorded. The Beatles created the genre. Period.
First metal music. The Beatles invented everything.... Not a big fan of this song but everything else is great...... Loved the Beatles Since I was 8 yrs. I'm just a crazy woman for them.
There Were The Beatles, Then There Was Everyone Else. Ask any of the bands coming out in the mid 60's or 70's. What was their influence ? THE BEATLES!!
If the Beatles hadn't been there this other stuff couldn't have happened
The Beatles are the greatest group of all time. "Half a century after their breakup, The Beatles are still the biggest rock band of 2020, shifting 1.094 million album-equivalent units through the first six months of the year, 326,000 units ahead of the genre’s second-place finisher, Queen. The Fab Four also had the fifth-bestselling vinyl album of the year, selling 54,000 copies of their 1969 opus Abbey Road. They had good company in the vinyl category, including fellow classic rock icons Queen and Pink Floyd, pop supernova Billie Eilish and retro-rock heartthrob Harry Styles. The Beatles also perform exceptionally well on streaming services, with many songs racking up hundreds of millions of plays." -Forbes
First heavy metal song, IMO. You have great musical taste, my friend!
According to google: “ Rather than layering individually overdubbed parts on a multi-track tape, many of the 'White Album' session takes were recorded to four-track and eight-track tape as group performances with a live lead vocal.”
Always keep that in mind with the Beatles. They were more awesome than awesome. Putting all these instruments and sounds on to four to eight ANALOG tracks. Analog. The mixing and engineering was high art as well.
That they were analog instead of digital is irrelevant.
"Helter Skelter" has often been called "the first heavy metal song".
People that critique music in general has to keep in mind the technology of the times. Many early orchestras bands where breaking new ground in music and technology. The Beatles studio work was amazing at the time. They were doing things that no one had done on a commercially released LP.
I Feel Fine" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in November 1964 as the A-side of their eighth single. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. The recording includes one of the earliest uses of guitar feedback in popular music.
Just another thought on the Beatles. What they as a group accomplished was to make a template for everybody that came after,from writing their own songs to their work in the studio to the overwhelming amount of their number 1hits and their impact world wide on society. From "Meet the Beatles" their first album to "Abbey Road" the last album their progression as a group in their music is astounding... You need to listen to "I want You" (She's So Heavy") great song....
Chuck Berry wrote his own songs. Bo Diddley wrote his own songs. Buddy Holly wrote many of his own songs. During and after Holly's death there were professional song writers (Carol King-Gerry Goffin* being one duo) whose songs were tailored for particular singers/groups. And that wasn't new, as it had been going on since at latest the 1930s. That "The Beatles" both wrote their own songs and played their music was noted at the time.
_____
*When "The Beatles" hit the top in England, John, during an interview, said of he and Paul, "We want to be the Goffin-King of England." They covered at least one Goffin-King song, originally recorded by the Shirelles: "Boys".
It's funny you said it was like walking through those freaky mirrors at the fair. The song was written about the Helter Skelter...a ride at a fair. "Get to the top...go for a slide."
Great take on this song. "Falling apart in a good way " that base line at the end was years ahead of its time imo.
Hands down the best band ever Pioneers in every musical way
Love your reaction welcome to the fan base for the greatest band ever
It’s funny how you mentioned a funhouse ride (the house of mirrors) because Helter Skelter is an amusement park ride (a giant slide that winds around a central structure).
I'm always just baffled by the question of where Paul came up with this crazy song. It's obviously experimental, but kind of the polar opposite of the other experimental things he was coming up with. I find it bizarre...and awesome.
Good description and comparisons by the way. It does sound about half unraveled.
And screw the Dead. Snore fest.
Apparently Pete Townshend made some comment about The Who being the hardest rocking band, so Paul said, "Hold my beer..."
The fade out and in was because they played for 27 minutes straight and that’s why Ringo practically screamed he was bleeding because he was
This song was about a giant slide at a fair called Helter Skelter, the giant slides that you sat on burlap that went down over a couple bumps before you got to the bottom. From this same album you should try “Back In The USSR” and “Birthday.”
It is and always has been, specifically, a spiral slide.
Greatest band ever no question. No band influenced those after them like The Beatles did. No band will ever have the success these guys did over an 8 year span, not to mention all the successful solo careers after they broke up in 1970.
That is exactly what it does to people! Paul is massively underrated as a bass guitar player!
IN FACT, McCartney was voted #1, for YEARS, on best bass players in JAZZ polls.
He isn't underrated -- but that which deserves NO rating is your defensive overselling of that which needs no hype: John Lennon characterized Paul's bass playing as INSPIRED. Anyone who was listening to them during that period readily heard Paul's bass as SUPERIOR to anyone else's out there.
Maybe back then though most people have forgotten how good he was !😖
Your description of this song is the very definition of Helter Skelter! You are saying they captured the definition musically, perfectly! Def: Helter-Skelter. adj. Involving disorderly haste and confusion
The End by the Beatles is my favourite Beatles song, it has the only drum solo by Ringo "I've got Blisters on my Fingers!" Starr and a literal guitar solo battle between John, George and Paul... its awesome...
How about Ringo's drumming here (I know Wilburn mentioned it in passing)? Instead of trying to match the frenzy of the guitars and vocals, he heads the other way, and lays down a relaxed, bluesy beat, throws in a few fills - brilliant!
Love your reaction to Helter Skelter!
Wow--you've got me wanting a fun-house experience to this as the soundtrack now... Like, the next time I do go into a mirror maze, I'mma be kinda disappointed if this isn't playing. :)
I feel like "Because" (original or the a cappella from Anthology III) would be another really crazy 'fun-house mirror' song experience.
Or maybe "Happiness is a Warm Gun", if you really wanted to give yourself nightmares...
Another genuine and thoughtful reaction, Chod--you have an awesome sense of wonder, and your 'warmth' comes through in your enthusiasm. Thanks for doing these, even with the risk of them being taken down... Your cheerful tenacity is infectious (in the good way!)! :)
You got it man, and big big big kudos to you, spread the word to your contemporaries...
Good luck hearing anything this heavy in 1968! The Beatles again pushing boundaries create new genres on the fly... In this case the metal genre! Did people do this style better after this? Absolutely! The key is AFTER this, because no one was doing this level of intensity style "metal" until this!
"The Beatles" made possible everything that followed.
My Fave off The BEATLES is Happiness is a Warm Gun. Good Rokker.☺
First time hearing the original version and it rocks! The Beatles are great. I've only heard the cover by Siouxsie & the Banshees until now (I don't think you'd like that one). Also, I think if you heard some other Kate Bush songs you may see her differently. The one you heard doesn't represent all of her work. "Running Up That Hill" would be the one most would recommend as it's years later and an 80's hit. That'd be a good choice. She also wrote one many people seem to know called 'This Woman's Work'. Personally I would recommend: "James and the Cold Gun" or "Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbreak". These all sound a LOT different than "Wuthering Heights". Kate is top tier for me personally but I remain subscribed to your channel because I like your reactions a lot and you're a pretty cool and down to earth kinda guy. : )
someone can say its is the first HM song, someone can say it is not....the fact is that was something new when came out and lot of HM bands recorded it. It is a fact and no one can deny it.
But they were the first...in mostly everything..great reaction
For the first time since this song came out in'68, your explanation got me to understand the title, Helter Skelter
*Fun Fact: It was John Lennon who played bass on Helter Skelter!*
The Beatles are great! Period!
The Blisters on My Fingers was Ringo after a 27min studio jam of this song.
Cool that you connected the experience of this song with a carnival funhouse mirror. Helter Skelter is a ride at an english fairgrounds.