What's the oldest modern rock song by The Beatles?

June 22, 2004 7:46 AM

What's the oldest modern rock song by The Beatles? Something in the vein of "The End". "Glass Onion", "Come Together", or "I Want You So Heavy". I don't know why I think it's Sgt. Pepper's. I'm trying to figure out the first song by them that features contemporary rock styling.
posted by riffola to media & arts (9 comments total)

"Tomorrow Never Knows," off Revolver?
posted by mragreeable at 7:51 AM on June 22, 2004

Definitely from Revolver. If not "Tomorrow...", then "She Said, She Said".
posted by jpoulos at 8:01 AM on June 22, 2004

As an aside, the first song to use feedback was 'I Feel Fine' recorded in October 1964.
posted by the fire you left me at 8:02 AM on June 22, 2004

Ah thanks for the input guys!
posted by riffola at 9:10 AM on June 22, 2004

fire, is that the first use of feedback on ANY recoriding, or just by the Beatles?
posted by signal at 10:09 AM on June 22, 2004

For the song "I Feel Fine", the Beatles intentionally used guitar feedback for the opening of the song.  Took a bass guitar, placed it next to the mike AND an amp - so that when guitar was strummed, the sound reverberated between the microphone and the amplifier, getting louder and louder.

While not the first use of feedback, (Chuck Berry did use the technique in the 50's), this was quite unusual for 1964, and very influential.
posted by languagehat at 12:11 PM on June 22, 2004

languagehat, Berkeley gives the coolest classes!
posted by billsaysthis at 9:26 PM on June 22, 2004

John Lennon claimed that "Ticket to Ride" was "one of the earliest heavy metal records." (It was released on 45 in 1965, and then later included on Help, two albums before Revolver.) I don't know if you'd consider its sound "modern" in the sense you mean.

Some kind of credit for something also goes to the lyrics to "There's a Place," from their very first album.
posted by macrone at 10:05 PM on June 22, 2004

All depends what your definition of 'modern' rock is. For my money, it'd be Taxman on Revolver, as that's the first Beatles song to have any real balls, IMO.
posted by influx at 3:29 AM on June 23, 2004