It’s like listening to Leonard Bernstein teaching and playing The Beatles. Just when you think you’ve heard every possible analysis, something like this pops up. Thanks for sharing.
It's appalling to me how so many people manage to convince themselves that Your Mother Should Know is bad. It is one of the Beatles' most musical songs. It succeeds in what is trying to do. If some people just *don't like* what is trying to do, just wanting to band their heads to I Love Rock and Roll, that is their loss. One thing I will note that I have not seen noted is that the melody has what I call "off-beat, over-flow: 4.5 - 1.5. As in "lift up your hearts and SING ME a song ...." and :"Though she was born a LONG LONG time ago". It is amazing how many pop hits have that. It occurs in everything from Alone Again Naturally to School's Out, both fantastic songs that most people would think are completely different. Or if it seems I am obsessing over the early 70s, how about Smells Like Teen Spirit and I Don't Wanna Wait"? Or Let It Be and Come Together? Or just about anything by Gerry Raffertty. Once we start listening for it, "off-beat, over-flow" is *everywhere*.
Just wonderful. I heard an interview with him on Fresh Air that was a long version of these conversations. I had never heard of him before. I'm smitten now.
Absolutely unbelievable! How he treats the Beatles tune for what it is, the same feel and yet adds Brad's special touch to this music. His solo is swinging so hard! I love how he took the time to talk about the swing feel in these songs The Beatles did and Supertramp - so interesting. He says so much when he plays and speaks thru his instrument.
So happy to hear his appreciation of Supertramp! I love classical, rock and jazz and it’s always fun to hear great musicians who cross genre boundaries.
True. But he’s able to do because ‘classical’ - whatever that actually is - is inherent to the music. That may or may not make any kind of sense to you but it makes sense to me 😅
I first fell in love with his playing with his version of Blackbird on one of his art of trio albums and so him making a full album of the beatles seems completely in keeping. Another CD definitely on the shopping list.
Open mind, imagination, artistry... Such a player, with broad range of inspiration, hence, unique blend of expressional tools, including improvisation as fresh as Corea or Jarrett. (in my humble opinion)
very, very rare to hear renditions of Beetles songs that do them justice but...Brad's work on this album is fantastic. Captures the songs with a wonderful take on them. Love it!
Just wonderful. Paris says hello ! @nonesuch when will this new recording be released in France ? A few of us got to hear it live but so looking forward to hearing it again…and again…and again.
Lovely to hear his thoughts on this and other songs. I was one of hundreds of musicians influenced by the Beatles appearance on their Sullivan show appearance in early 1964. My observation on the term " swing. " If you listen to Bill Haley's seminal song of 1954, " Rock around the Clock, " the drum pattern is borrowed from big band tunes, especially the hi-hat. ( In 4/4, 1st and third beat open, 2nd and 4th closed. ) Also, McCartney composed many songs that Lennon dubbed " granny music. " I think Paul's father exposed his son to many dance hall grooves which he later incorporated into his songwriting. ( Honey Pie, When I'm 64. ) regarding Joel and John, both of them were heavily influenced by the group but developed their own unique writing abilities. I love the improvisation he does at 6:40. Lastly, as a tribute to the melodic style of Paul, John and George being appreciated by musicians, check out Benson's " The Other Side of Abbey Road, " as well as Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, McCoy Tyner and Diana Krall.
I first heard Brad when started to record with saxophonist Joshua Redman, and recalled thinking "WHO IS THAT?". Then I heard him years later play with his trio at UC Berkeley and I swear he was hearing his ideas a full minute before he played them! He's pretty amazing, and always follows his heart . . . Personally, I'm most excited when he takes pop pieces farther away from the original setting (especially harmonically), like his version of "Blackbird".
So interesting…. What the element of swing brings to me in music appreciation: it drives music forward; it’s kind of like the heartbeat in a way. It drives the music forward like a galloping horse, like something that falls onwards because of the shorter note being followed by the longer one. It always wants to ‘fall forward’, move onwards. Straight quavers have a different quality to me. You can also drive with syncopated or grouped quavers, but there’s a very different feel to that. To me, that ‘heartbeat’ quality (and in the end all music grouped in lots of threes) is a mysterious one, yet one which always makes me want to move or dance. We all listened to heartbeats when we’re still in the womb. Could there be a connection between that and the happiness and comfort I feel when playing to or listening to swung music? I wonder…. Thanks for this beautiful video, Brad 🙏
Great interpretation. This song was always a favorite of mine, despite so many people hating it. The recording is a bit sappy but the Beatles wrote some amazing tunes for others to re-interpret.
Of all the things I loved about this vid --- and there was a lot to love --- I appreciate his decidedly "improper" posture seated at the piano. I do something similar on the drums (partly because I have similarly long forearm proportions, and a skinny hypermobile frame in general), it never occurred to me to experiment with equally unorthodox setups on piano... but I will now, thanks Brad!
Pianists have to find a playing position to fit the piano. With drums and many other instruments you can vary their positions to suit yourself. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Brad, like Glenn Gould, has developed many aches and pains from that posture (although I hope not!). Keeping the shoulders loose and the elbows slightly above the keyboard is the safest way.
@@silentinaway7407 Maybe! Then again, countless pianists have experienced pain & injury with exactly the posture you suggest, and none of us have any real data or controlled studies so it's down to trust in anecdotes. My own experience with pain of all shapes and sizes is that it generally comes from some combo of sustained tension, repetitive impact, and unbalanced/uncoordinated muscle movements. When I stay loose and present I can get away with almost anything, when I'm tight and myopic all bets are off!
The more 'correct' term for what Brad refers to as 'frumpy' and 'swingy' is actually British (or English) Music Hall, which was a significant part of Paul McCartney's musical upbringing and development.
saw him in LA, 2008, with Larry G and Jeff B... they did a free thing towards the end of the set, and i witnessed him dribble a chord on the piano at a speed you can't imagine... the effect was similar to a virtuoso tenor letting out a primal scream... haven't seen this before or since
I started seeing him in 98 and 2008 was the most epic live stuff I've ever heard, period. Beyond words. They did "Countdown" as the encore a few times. 🤯✔️👏👏👏
Brad keeps reinventing stuff and renewing himself. Now that he’s done a Bach record and a Beatles record I could almost say that he’s reached the summit. Which I am sure he did not.
That "Frumpy Swinginess" is also a characteristic of mid-late ('80s) George Shearing, Paul's fellow Brit, who doubtless must have also been very familiar with the Music Hall style. At this time in his career, Shearing also became enamored with the genteel stride style of Boston pianist Dave McKenna
important to note beatles/beach boys didn't introduce piano to rock. piano was a foundational rock n roll instrument, both via players like fats domino and little richard, as well as jazz and boogie precursors.
you're masking the truth (like a true American) Little Richard was PLENTY popular. American/European racism wouldn't allow the capital investment in mass marketing African American artists. But when white musicians started playing the music then the investments and the marketing were activated. The truth is not pretty, but it's TRUE. End the BS, long live the Truth.
I’d like to amend my comments I made concerning piano being introduced to rock/pop music. It’s absolutely wrong to suggest that The Beatles did that first, and the comments here above mentioning those great artists attest to that. It was a mistake on my part, plain and simple. What I should have parsed more: What the Beatles did bring, along with other bands in that period like The Beach Boys and The Zombies, was different musical material for the piano, not as much related to rhythm and blues, but to other harmony and another way of playing the piano. Not just on this track, but on other tracks from Sgt. Pepper’s- the way the piano is used on “A Day in the Life,” for example.
Brad, actually you did say that they used the piano in a different way than it had been previously used. But, no problem with further clarification of your comment.
Ive always considered Dire Straits' "on Every Street" to be a sonic masterpiece, along with Sting's "Soul Cages", Joni's "Hejira", anything by 10CC, Beck's "Hyperspace", and of course, anything Pat Metheny's recorded, "If I Could" to name one.
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Well... Ok. I've only said it like 30-40 times: Brad needs to arrange his version of Young's masterpiece Country Girl. How that hasn't happened already is a mystery to me. Maybe he knows Young's studio version off Deja Vu is already too perfect and he simply doesn't wanna mess with it? That'd be understandable.
Your Mother Should Know - echoes of frumpy Earl Hines e.g. Body and Soul piano solo. Would love to hear Brad really explore keyboard centered rock tunes, maybe a series, like KJs standards trio. Bravo, Take the Long Way Home. Hope A Day in the Life is on the new recording. Brad's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover is hands down some of his best playing.
I like McCartney's "old timey" Beatles songs, including Maxwell, which seems to be a song lots of people dislike. Looking forward to hearing Brad's take on it and the rest of this record!
I wasn't optimistic going into this, but Brad teases out the genius in a song I never really respected. Would Brad not say that Beethoven's Opus 111 really "swings" in the second movement?
Tony Banks founder of Genesis was the tape boy at Abbey Road during the the Let it Be recording (I think) The songs you've picked are nostalgic, throwback cliches of the War Years along with When I'm 64 and Octopuse's Garden. Quaint as these are, imo the truly forward looking torch bearers of the innovative Beatles were the prog rockers Genesis, Yes, et.al.
It’s like listening to Leonard Bernstein teaching and playing The Beatles. Just when you think you’ve heard every possible analysis, something like this pops up. Thanks for sharing.
So much respect for him and his playing!
I'm so glad he recorded this. I've always thought that "Your Mother Should Know" was a gem, and I have never seen it anything but derided.
Also kind of nice to see someone praising that particular thread of of Paul's music in general, which John just called "granny s*** "
@@bravetherainbow , amen!
It's appalling to me how so many people manage to convince themselves that Your Mother Should Know is bad. It is one of the Beatles' most musical songs. It succeeds in what is trying to do. If some people just *don't like* what is trying to do, just wanting to band their heads to I Love Rock and Roll, that is their loss.
One thing I will note that I have not seen noted is that the melody has what I call "off-beat, over-flow: 4.5 - 1.5. As in "lift up your hearts and SING ME a song ...." and :"Though she was born a LONG LONG time ago". It is amazing how many pop hits have that. It occurs in everything from Alone Again Naturally to School's Out, both fantastic songs that most people would think are completely different. Or if it seems I am obsessing over the early 70s, how about Smells Like Teen Spirit and I Don't Wanna Wait"? Or Let It Be and Come Together? Or just about anything by Gerry Raffertty. Once we start listening for it, "off-beat, over-flow" is *everywhere*.
Agree .! And Maxwell 's Silver Hammer. !!
@@davidwhite8220What do you mean by 4.5 - 1.5 ??
7:52 🤯 never heard Brad doing something so Monkian. Amazing 👏
Yeah!
Hell yeah!
Have you heard 10 years solo live?
@@Zach_Routhier Monk's Mood! Thanks!
There's this mysterious. continuous thread of beauty and intensity to Brad Mehldau's solos .
Truly exceptional cover rendition, and the discussion is open and knowledgeable.
One of our greatest pianists.
Can we have more of this please? Have Brat talking and playing few pieces of music from each album. I'd love to watch them like a Netflix series.
Wonderful; I could listen to Mehldau all day and night long!
Just wonderful. I heard an interview with him on Fresh Air that was a long version of these conversations. I had never heard of him before. I'm smitten now.
“I’m a piano player” That’s something of an understatement! Superb insight. Thank you, Brad
7:55 love this!
Monk
I was just about to make a comment about that exact lick. Unreal.
Brad is the absolute man
Absolutely unbelievable! How he treats the Beatles tune for what it is, the same feel and yet adds Brad's special touch to this music. His solo is swinging so hard! I love how he took the time to talk about the swing feel in these songs The Beatles did and Supertramp - so interesting. He says so much when he plays and speaks thru his instrument.
thank you for this amazing inside!
wonderful! suuuper inspiring!
This is so brilliant. Makes me so happy. Brad, you’re a master!
Just Lovely and Delightful! God Bless this great man)
Fantastic musicality. Thanks! 🎹🏅🍷
Amazing version! Beatles 4-ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
such a wonderful pianist and musician!
I've always loved this song! And now this great artist bring this rendition, plenty of beauties!
So happy to hear his appreciation of Supertramp! I love classical, rock and jazz and it’s always fun to hear great musicians who cross genre boundaries.
My friend sent me this link. So glad he did. Now I have another CD to buy. Love this!
I love how he played the bridge. Like a classical piece. Absolutely beautiful.
True. But he’s able to do because ‘classical’ - whatever that actually is - is inherent to the music.
That may or may not make any kind of sense to you but it makes sense to me 😅
@@torgenxblazterzoid I think I get ya. Like the song lends itself to classical nicely?
@@dcool2u2 pretty much :)
Absolutely loving this! Thanks!
This is what an open mind, a generous sprit and fantastic musicianship looks like...
I first fell in love with his playing with his version of Blackbird on one of his art of trio albums and so him making a full album of the beatles seems completely in keeping. Another CD definitely on the shopping list.
Open mind, imagination, artistry... Such a player, with broad range of inspiration, hence, unique blend of expressional tools, including improvisation as fresh as Corea or Jarrett. (in my humble opinion)
Would you say that Paul McCartney second musical instrument is the piano?
The Maestro.
Really heartfelt and insightful - also brings to mind John's typically ascerbic decription (which I'm sure he didnt mean) - "Paul's Granny music..."
very, very rare to hear renditions of Beetles songs that do them justice but...Brad's work on this album is fantastic. Captures the songs with a wonderful take on them. Love it!
Just wonderful. Paris says hello ! @nonesuch when will this new recording be released in France ? A few of us got to hear it live but so looking forward to hearing it again…and again…and again.
Really thoughtful, intelligent and insightful. Not to mention a superb player. Great segment.
My introduction to the artist - will definitely explore his catalog
'Finding Gabriel' was my introduction - highly recommended!
Great to see him talking about this stuff (and playing of course)
OMG, this brings a tear to my eye.
brad is the pianist that moves and excites me the most. The same happens to me
Lovely to hear his thoughts on this and other songs. I was one of hundreds of musicians influenced by the Beatles appearance on their Sullivan show appearance in early 1964. My observation on the term " swing. " If you listen to Bill Haley's seminal song of 1954, " Rock around the Clock, " the drum pattern is borrowed from big band tunes, especially the hi-hat. ( In 4/4, 1st and third beat open, 2nd and 4th closed. ) Also, McCartney composed many songs that Lennon dubbed " granny music. " I think Paul's father exposed his son to many dance hall grooves which he later incorporated into his songwriting. ( Honey Pie, When I'm 64. ) regarding Joel and John, both of them were heavily influenced by the group but developed their own unique writing abilities. I love the improvisation he does at 6:40. Lastly, as a tribute to the melodic style of Paul, John and George being appreciated by musicians, check out Benson's " The Other Side of Abbey Road, " as well as Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, McCoy Tyner and Diana Krall.
This was great. I grew up with Beatles. And Then keyboard players like Keith Emerson, Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz etc
Listening to Brad Mehldau speaking and sharing his thoughts is almost as enthralling as listening to him play!
Keep on keepin on Maestro 🙏💗🎶
i love it!! -
I first heard Brad when started to record with saxophonist Joshua Redman, and recalled thinking "WHO IS THAT?". Then I heard him years later play with his trio at UC Berkeley and I swear he was hearing his ideas a full minute before he played them! He's pretty amazing, and always follows his heart . . . Personally, I'm most excited when he takes pop pieces farther away from the original setting (especially harmonically), like his version of "Blackbird".
Thanks for validating my musical tastes
Would would love to hear Brad Mehldau Trio playing Free Jazz.
Wonderful Brad Mehldau !
So interesting….
What the element of swing brings to me in music appreciation: it drives music forward; it’s kind of like the heartbeat in a way. It drives the music forward like a galloping horse, like something that falls onwards because of the shorter note being followed by the longer one. It always wants to ‘fall forward’, move onwards. Straight quavers have a different quality to me. You can also drive with syncopated or grouped quavers, but there’s a very different feel to that.
To me, that ‘heartbeat’ quality (and in the end all music grouped in lots of threes) is a mysterious one, yet one which always makes me want to move or dance.
We all listened to heartbeats when we’re still in the womb. Could there be a connection between that and the happiness and comfort I feel when playing to or listening to swung music? I wonder….
Thanks for this beautiful video, Brad 🙏
Great interpretation. This song was always a favorite of mine, despite so many people hating it. The recording is a bit sappy but the Beatles wrote some amazing tunes for others to re-interpret.
There's an alternate version (from the Anthology collection) that opens with accordion and snare drum. Worth a listen
Thank you, brad! 🥲❤
Pure Gold!
Stunning. Brad has such respect for a tune and the ability to take it somewhere else and still keep its essence. Genius.
Amazing playing from this master.
He makes it look very easy, I guess is only because he master the sound and technique
The swing is within Mr. Mehldau. 🖤
Of all the things I loved about this vid --- and there was a lot to love --- I appreciate his decidedly "improper" posture seated at the piano. I do something similar on the drums (partly because I have similarly long forearm proportions, and a skinny hypermobile frame in general), it never occurred to me to experiment with equally unorthodox setups on piano... but I will now, thanks Brad!
Pianists have to find a playing position to fit the piano. With drums and many other instruments you can vary their positions to suit yourself. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Brad, like Glenn Gould, has developed many aches and pains from that posture (although I hope not!). Keeping the shoulders loose and the elbows slightly above the keyboard is the safest way.
@@silentinaway7407 Maybe! Then again, countless pianists have experienced pain & injury with exactly the posture you suggest, and none of us have any real data or controlled studies so it's down to trust in anecdotes. My own experience with pain of all shapes and sizes is that it generally comes from some combo of sustained tension, repetitive impact, and unbalanced/uncoordinated muscle movements. When I stay loose and present I can get away with almost anything, when I'm tight and myopic all bets are off!
Bravo, Brad, Bravo!
Thanks 🎉
Just magical
Love you Brad.
Love ya Brad
When I grow up, I want to play like Brad Mehldau.
So beautiful
The more 'correct' term for what Brad refers to as 'frumpy' and 'swingy' is actually British (or English) Music Hall, which was a significant part of Paul McCartney's musical upbringing and development.
Lennon called it “grandma music”
@@thefonzkiss"Granny music"
Lovely!
thanks for sharing brad's insight..who did the lighting on these vid's? did brad sign off on back lighing his ears?
6:24 Brad, can you do an album of Schubert next..?
The tease. Now I need a 15 minute meditation of Mehldau playing “take the long way home.”
Wow!!!! ❤
I like that improv towards the end, kind of a salute to Monk.
At least since I heard his solo on « River man » (Live), I’m « captured « by Brad’s playing..💁🏻♂️😊
If I have to choose the moment it would be the same Drake's masterpiece.
Magnifico.👋👋👋👋👋👋
I felt that.
Man that snippet of Supertramp sounded so good
Fantastic💯🎶🎹🕺🏼
saw him in LA, 2008, with Larry G and Jeff B... they did a free thing towards the end of the set, and i witnessed him dribble a chord on the piano at a speed you can't imagine... the effect was similar to a virtuoso tenor letting out a primal scream... haven't seen this before or since
I started seeing him in 98 and 2008 was the most epic live stuff I've ever heard, period. Beyond words. They did "Countdown" as the encore a few times. 🤯✔️👏👏👏
Brad keeps reinventing stuff and renewing himself. Now that he’s done a Bach record and a Beatles record I could almost say that he’s reached the summit. Which I am sure he did not.
That "Frumpy Swinginess" is also a characteristic of mid-late ('80s) George Shearing, Paul's fellow Brit, who doubtless must have also been very familiar with the Music Hall style. At this time in his career, Shearing also became enamored with the genteel stride style of Boston pianist Dave McKenna
As soon as he mentioned Supertramp, I knew he would play “The long way home”
God thank you
Beautiful as always! I really want to buy this album on iTunes but it is not available in my region. Will this be available in Australia?
Golden
Lovely.
Sounds fantastic. You should record a version on Tac Piano. So ragtime.
important to note beatles/beach boys didn't introduce piano to rock. piano was a foundational rock n roll instrument, both via players like fats domino and little richard, as well as jazz and boogie precursors.
You’re right. I think he’s talking about pop more than rock music.
It's more mass popularization that in effect introduces to a broader audience
you're masking the truth (like a true American) Little Richard was PLENTY popular. American/European racism wouldn't allow the capital investment in mass marketing African American artists. But when white musicians started playing the music then the investments and the marketing were activated. The truth is not pretty, but it's TRUE. End the BS, long live the Truth.
I’d like to amend my comments I made concerning piano being introduced to rock/pop music. It’s absolutely wrong to suggest that The Beatles did that first, and the comments here above mentioning those great artists attest to that. It was a mistake on my part, plain and simple. What I should have parsed more: What the Beatles did bring, along with other bands in that period like The Beach Boys and The Zombies, was different musical material for the piano, not as much related to rhythm and blues, but to other harmony and another way of playing the piano. Not just on this track, but on other tracks from Sgt. Pepper’s- the way the piano is used on “A Day in the Life,” for example.
Brad, actually you did say that they used the piano in a different way than it had been previously used. But, no problem with further clarification of your comment.
Good to see a nod to Supertramp.
I love the fact that he can’t help but reharmonize everything he plays!
Ive always considered Dire Straits' "on Every Street" to be a sonic masterpiece, along with Sting's "Soul Cages", Joni's "Hejira", anything by 10CC, Beck's "Hyperspace", and of course, anything Pat Metheny's recorded, "If I Could" to name one.
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Well... Ok. I've only said it like 30-40 times: Brad needs to arrange his version of Young's masterpiece Country Girl. How that hasn't happened already is a mystery to me. Maybe he knows Young's studio version off Deja Vu is already too perfect and he simply doesn't wanna mess with it? That'd be understandable.
Este señor es un geniecillo
I play classical piano but am so jealous of Meldau's technique!
He's the man
double plus good
Your Mother Should Know - echoes of frumpy Earl Hines e.g. Body and Soul piano solo. Would love to hear Brad really explore keyboard centered rock tunes, maybe a series, like KJs standards trio. Bravo, Take the Long Way Home. Hope A Day in the Life is on the new recording. Brad's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover is hands down some of his best playing.
Don’t forget Honey Pie - another frumpy tune from Macca.
Wonderful rendition of a lesser heard classic song … 👏
I like McCartney's "old timey" Beatles songs, including Maxwell, which seems to be a song lots of people dislike. Looking forward to hearing Brad's take on it and the rest of this record!
I dont get the hate for maxwell at all. It feels more like people disslike the genre and there for ignore the acctual quality of the tune.
I wasn't optimistic going into this, but Brad teases out the genius in a song I never really respected.
Would Brad not say that Beethoven's Opus 111 really "swings" in the second movement?
sure Bach does swing! Anybody listen to the "Brandenburg Concertos", swings like hell!
Basie swings (in the well known use of the term). Bach utilizes momentum. Basie SWINGS! lol Try dancing and you'll get what I mean.
The miles davis of our era. Mehldau is God.
If Glenn Gould had lived longer.❤
Lennon referred to this type of material as “Paul’s granny music” but I think he was a bit jealous..
Tony Banks founder of Genesis was the tape boy at Abbey Road during the the Let it Be recording (I think) The songs you've picked are nostalgic, throwback cliches of the War Years along with When I'm 64 and Octopuse's Garden. Quaint as these are, imo the truly forward looking torch bearers of the innovative Beatles were the prog rockers Genesis, Yes, et.al.
Pretty sure you're thinking of Alan Parsons.