Forum - Marxist or Lennonist?

Posts: 21
From:Bella Coola, BC, Canada
Registered: May 00

I've noticed a weird connection between the Marx Brothers and the "other" Fab Four(namely John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, of course). Now, I've seen that stamp with the pictures of Groucho and John superimposed on each other as well as the record album cover that passes the same two off as politcal icons, but it wasn't until I read John's above remark in The Beatles Anthology book that I decided to do a bit of surface scratching on the subject(I mean, if people were comparing the two groups back then, well then, there must be something to it, right?); what turned up was kinda interesting...

Of course, there were four of them on each side:
-Groucho("I'm the guy who talks too much") corresponded to the "witty one", John; they were both the respective leaders of their groups, both were ahead of their time in their way of thinking(anti-establishment, anti-war, etc.), they were both the intellectual ones out of their groups, and hey! During John's psychedelic era, he even almost LOOKED like Groucho, with the round eyeglasses and "big black-a mustache"! They both also ended up being the "icons" of their respective groups, I mean, who's going to argue that John Lennon and Groucho Marx will forever be emblems of The Beatles and The Marx Brothers?

-Chico got his name from always chasing girls, or "chicks"(with the "k" dropped), and Paul was something of a "town bull" until he married Linda. Chico and Paul were also both the piano players(I know Harpo, Groucho and John could all play, but Chico and Paul-although he was technically the bass player-still did way more on the piano than they did.) They were also major reasons why their respective groups kept together, Chico needing the money and coercing his brothers into the studio for another film(or "turkey", as Groucho called it), and Paul, being a "workaholic", phoning up the band and telling them, "It's time for another album and I've got a bunch of songs to record", both of which didn't please Groucho OR John very much.

-The mute Harpo's silent, ethereal quality corresponded to the "silent Beatle", George's newfound eastern spirituality; and both eloquently let their instruments do the talking for them.

-While Zeppo and Ringo were both regarded as "fifth wheels" by people outside their respective groups(they were also the last members of their respective groups to join-the only thing is that Zeppo was the baby of the family, while Ringo was actually the oldest Beatle).

-But there's more! There was also a "Fifth Marx Brother" as well as a "Fifth Beatle"! Gummo was replaced by Zeppo before the Brothers Marx achieved stardom, and Ringo similarly replaced Pete Best in the Beatles.

-The Marx Brothers were primarily a comedy group that happened to play music, while the Beatles were a band that dabbled in light comedy("How did you find America?" "We turned left at Greenland.").

-There were thirteen Marx Brothers films, and thirteen Beatle albums(if you don't count "Yellow Submarine", which was kind of a half-album), with their last("Love Happy" and "Let It Be") being released AFTER the groups had officially broken up.

-Their most famous works("A Night At The Opera" and "Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band") were both precipitated by long periods of absence from their respective fields. Also, in public opinion, these two works will probably always overshadow what came immediately before them, namely "Duck Soup" and "Revolver", both of which I personally consider to be their best offerings.

It's all just a big coincidence, I know, but that doesn't mean it isn't cool. And, hey! Does anybody remember the big "Paul Is Dead" thing, where you played the music backwards to receive hidden messages like "Turn me on, dead man" and stuff? I wonder what would happen if we played "Duck Soup" backwards? Hmmm...

[This message has been edited by srtallio (edited 22 June 2001).]

Posts: 10
From:Upper Cwmbran, Wales, U.K.
Registered: Apr 00

Now play Paul McCartney singing "Let 'em in" whilst watching the stateroom scene in "A Night at the Opera".

Posts: 10
From:Upper Cwmbran, Wales, U.K.
Registered: Apr 00

Now play Paul McCartney singing "Let 'em in" whilst watching the stateroom scene in "A Night at the Opera".