What Makes This Solo Great? | Nowhere Man | Lennon & Harrison
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- Опубліковано 10 кві 2020
- What Makes This Solo Great? | Nowhere Man | Lennon & Harrison
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"Nowhere Man" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles released in December 1965 on their album Rubber Soul. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon-McCartney. In the US, the single peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the chart compiled by Record World magazine, as it did the RPM 100 chart in Canada.
Recorded on 21 and 22 October 1965, "Nowhere Man" is one of the first Beatles songs to be entirely unrelated to romance or love, and marks a notable example of Lennon's philosophically oriented songwriting. Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison sing the song in three-part harmony.
The lead guitar solo was performed in unison by Harrison and Lennon, and is a notable one. The pair played identical "sonic blue"-colored Fender Stratocasters on the track. I couldn’t determine who composed the entire solo, but Harrison played the final note - a high harmonic.
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For me, the harmonic at the end is a brilliant touch...
Its a punctuation mark...
it isn't a period but an exclamation mark
at the end of a musical sentence;
and that is what makes it so cool
they understood music as a second language!
it's why so many appreciated their music then
as well as now.
4 young lads in their early twenties. 50+ years later, grown men analyzing the lyrics and chords of each song. I'm no music expert per se but them boys had some talent.
Definitely.
Whats also really interesting is that the guitar solo happens EARLY in the song. Most songs have the solos happen later in the track. Pretty crazy how the Beatles played solo after 1st chorus. Incredible song!!
Very interesting! I hadn't thought of that, so thanks for pointing it out.
Yes absoluty! The solo comes unexpectly early, like a progressive avalanch, with that new and differrent sound.
That is Beatles magic on every record.
@@ejcoppini100%
I was explaining to my grandson who is ten years what John was meaning to say in this song.
Probably at that age he does not get the whole thing but he listened anyway.
Great song by a great group. When I told him John was killed I could hear my voice break a little.
Still saddens me this man did not get chance to live his life out...
That last note "timmm" was intuitive, was the touch of a genius!!! The spark of genius, REALLY!!! So touching to me!!! God bless George❤
What a gorgeous song. I am a lifelong Beatles fanatic and I am awestruck at the sheer volume of creative output they managed to generate. Nobody even comes close and it could be centuries before humanity is graced again like this.
What I always liked about this song is that it is about John feeling a little lost at that time.
Johns songs come from the heart and have such meaning in them.
Some say it was his attempt at Bob Dylan's style of music or song.
The song always touched me because we all feel this way from time to time.
John did say that. But I think it was secretly about his estranged father, who abandoned the family when John was seven and lived for a time as a vagrant. Examine the lyrics carefully.
@@williamoverly1617 Thought about it, but still think he wrote it for himself. Part of this song's beauty is that it could be about anyone. He could have wrote it about me but for the fact he never knew me.
Although Carly Simon wrote, ' You're so vain' and that was about me......
John said he was trying to write a song and getting nowhere, so he went to lay down and started thinking about him self as a nowhere man.
@@victorgoularte5792 No matter what the truth is or if we will ever know, it is a great song. And when the Beatles were on top of the world at that time for him to be thinking that is something else. The guy was just so down to earth in some ways. Hope you see what i am saying there.
@@JohnDoe-tw8es I agree but that’s what I read and John was like that, see Help he was talking about how he really felt at that time 👍✌️
This may be my favorite Beatles song. I always stop what I'm doing when I hear it to fully enjoy it. A stroke of genius.
You said it, Mark. That minor chord was brilliant.
George's poignant solo (with John's contribution) perfectly recapitulates the theme of the song over a melancholy chord progression. The magic moment is when an Am chord is substituted for an A in the key of E major. It jerks a tear. That flatted note is the "essence" of the entire vibe of this beautiful song. Guys like George Harrison, Brian May and Elton John were masters of this technique.
Yes, I think that's right, and I speak directly about that in the video. George's (and John's) solo *isn't* the melody, but it echoes the melody and keeps the mood one of control. This in turn echoes the words of the song; the humdrum life of the man who is going nowhere. And the minor/major substitution gives the listener the momentary feeling that things may changes - that the "nowhere man" might change. But no, the moment passes and we're back on the placid, subdued chords of the key. I have no doubt this was intentional.
I'm glad you mentioned Elton John, who did this over and over in his music. Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy has a great example of the major/minor change.
Thanks for watching!
Michael Monfils - excellent comment n great points.
Nowhere Man is definitely one of my favourites.. I think they were around 23 years old, mega stars.. John definitely didn’t sit down to write a hit song, whether the song was about him or someone else, it show’s incredible depth & maturity, normally not in a 23 year old. Elenor Rigby is very similar vein by Paul, both deep boarding on depressive.. so was the genius of the Beatles.
Your analysis of this song does justice to what is possibly one of the best songs ever written
Thank you!
One of my favorites, and a good breakdown of the solo. This song also has, for me, one of the most iconic McCartney bass lines in the Beatles' catalog. Its complexity contrasts very nicely with the simplicity of the rest of the song. A masterpiece all around.
Thanks! That's quite insightful. I agree it's a masterpiece.
Yeah, but aren't they all?!
Amen..the articulate and lyrical bass line does it for me. Plus it's got that George Martin bass prominence, never hidden in the mix. The vocals are almost barbershop they're so clear.
One of my fav too, beautiful!!!
Love everything about this song. So many little touches. Check out Ringo's almost military sounding snare rolls into the bridge sections -- first one is around :28 mark. In some ways I think Rubber Soul is a high-water mark for John's writing - Nowhere Man, Norwegian Wood, Girl and In My Life on one LP! That would be enough for a Hall of Fame CAREER!!
John had a number of high water marks, all somewhat different, throughout his career, but Rubber Soul is truly one of them. Well put.
I'm always down to hear someone talk about why Nowhere Man is a great song.
Yes, it sure is! Thanks for watching!
I really enjoyed the video, I can't play a musical instrument but I love watching someone else and a running commentary as each chord is played ....and one of my favourite songs of all time
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
Might I add that this song has not lost its relevance since it first was written. If anything, it's even more relevant today. Thanks again.
Thanks. Excellent point!
I've always loved this song--simple construction, and THAT lead solo, with POWER in it, capped by a simple harmonic. Less can be so much more...
Totally agree. Its simplicity is its strength!
Hey Mark,...The four were IMMERSED in the mechanics of recording their own music with Sir Geo. Martin looking~on and listening~in. There was no `digital' synthesizer then, only straight, electrical instrumentality. They were as finely tuned as young men can be. and inspired, Thank~God.
Hey Bill! Thanks for watching and adding your comments. Much appreciated.
only my all time favorite song musically and lyrically perfect
Great analysis of the solo! I’m a massive Beatles fan and this solo is one of my favourites. Very well thought through.. especially pointing out the C note. I think that is the most important note in the solo. Thank you for a very enjoyable and informative video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Now I see what you meant, Mark ;)
Thanks for this.
The Beatles live at the Budokan clip is a good place to see them play this.
George later painted his sonic blue Strat, making it into 'Rocky' (currently available in a Limited Edition from the Fender Custom Shop, at CDN $32,500 , if anyone wants to buy me one).
As with all Beatles' solos, and fills, and as Jeff Beck said about George Harrison's solos, the 'Nowhere Man' solo is a whole piece unto itself, self-contained.
You make a good point about the song being contemplative.
Hope you enjoyed. Glad Beck agrees with me, but I wonder who wrote this solo - John or George? I had always assumed it was George, but I couldn't find anything to back it up (other than that the last note was his). Lennon clearly wrote the song, probably almost in its entirety. So did he write the instrumental interlude too? I don't know. Not that it matters in the analysis ... or to either of them as they've both passed on.
Clear and crisp. Simple, yet perfect for the song. George was most excellent at coming up with simple but perfect lead breaks, especially prior to the white album.
What I love is the fact that the guitar solo, which usually comes at the halfway point or 3/4 point of a recording, this solo comes in at the 1 minute mark of song.
Great lesson Mark. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the most complex .
I agree. It's hard to pin down exactly, because music is a wordless language so deeply embedded in us. But IMHO, the song really is a work of art.
According to John's biographer, he was trying to come up with a new song for an album, but wasn't having any luck. He decided to go lie down for a while in another room, and said that the song came to him as he was lying there, and he wrote down the words and started rehearsing it the next day.
Thank you so much for this great video One of my favorites of all time.. Beautiful song
Glad you enjoyed it
Love the video Beatles and the discussion!
That's great Pete! I love The Beatles too. It's shocking to see how many "Beatle haters" there are.
Thanks Mark! Well Done! One the my fav Beatles songs! He uses the minor 4 chord in Happiness is a warm Gun to go to the vocal crescendo. Brilliant!
Thank you! And yes, that chord in "Happiness" is perfect too!
Simplicity, melodic, compliments the song, and it’s a hook.
In my opinion there is no other such a great song than this one. It is my favorite and it is simply from another planet.
Good one Mark! The solo is so simple yet satisfying.
Glad you liked it! I agree. It just feels right.
Fantastic explanation. Loved it.
Glad you liked it!
Precise “hitting the nail on the head” guitar solos are a feature of Beatles recordings, as indeed were drumming flourishes. Their melodies were so strong that they didn’t need more than that. Incidentally I believe that long after people stop talking about their advanced recording production they will still speak about their melodies.
Totally agree. I heard a compilation of Sgt. Pepper's by Andy Timmons. He played them as guitar instrumentals with heavy drums and bass, not something I usually like. You know what? The songs still were fresh, because their melodies carried them, especially Lucy and She's Leaving Home.
He also did a version of "Strawberry Fields/I am the Walrus" that was mind-blowing. The reason? He just played the melodies.
great discussion, thanks for this
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a wonderful breakdown of that song! You're in danger of teaching me something!
LOL!! Thank you Glenn!
Brilliant analysis! Many thanks.
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. The secret to Lennon and McCartney was that they were Lennon and McCartney. But you're right about the lyrical content v the music. One surprising note is all any of us can manage to play our entire lives. And then with a little "ping" it's over.
I was depressed enough sitting inside all the time.
Thanks Ken! Yes, Lennon and McCartney ... definitely worked well together, though for this one I think it's pretty close to 100% John. Still, take away Lennon and you get ... Paul McCartney and the Wings. I don't mind The Wings, but I wouldn't compare it to The Beatles. They needed each other.
About the "existential problem", yeah, I get it but there's plenty to be positive about too. I won't get into that, but it's a testament to much great art that it grapples with it and still produces something that greatly enriches the human condition. Woody Allen spoke about the "every 100 years" challenge for the artist. That is, every 100 years humankind has a reset. Everyone is dead; from the President to the field hand and dishwasher. And yet we still find value in life and in the continuity of passing it to others.
We're sentenced to this sort of thing, you know? As humans who contemplate all sorts of things, including our existence. Sure, a tree frog is free from the anxiety of wondering whether he has been a "good" tree frog. But is that really a better life? Would we wish it on ourselves? No way!
Hey, thanks for stirring the musings in me!
Thank you for breaking down one of the greatest songs of all time!
You're welcome. Thanks for listening.
Great Breakdown Of The Solo On "Nowhere Man",One Of My Top 5 All Time Beatle Songs!
Thanks! And thanks for watching too!
Nice video....thank you for breaking down and analyzing one of the most tasteful solos of all time.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds great.. nice lesson Mark.
Thanks man!!
nice work. thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Hey Mark, great video. Nowhere Man is one of my favorite Beatles songs. Can you cover the solo in Let It Be next in why it’s so great?
Thanks! Great suggestion!
My favourite solo - great analysis !
Thanks!!
Great solo, for a great song, to me it sounds like it is the work of George . It seems to
be in his style. I think with what life was like for all four of them at this time , they all
related to this song.
Great song all around. I always thought it was George too.
Lennon had done I'm a Loser and then Help! before, so he was continuing self examination by this time. Great song!
True, thanks.
I enjoyed this video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The fact that the solo goes in the opposite direction from the song melody was absolutely deliberate. I think I read that in George Martin's excellent memoir "All You Need Is Ears" but it may just have been in one of his interviews.
That's an good point that "Nowhere Man" may be the first Lennon song which wasn't about boy-girl relationships.
I would suggest that "Help!" possibly precedes it. Although many listeners may assume that he's longing for a woman's love, I think the lyric explicitly states that he's desperate for someone to help him deal with his insecurity. It could just as easily be a parent figure, a shrink or a guru that he's calling out to.
yes, when I tell people that this is my favorite solo they just look at me...thanks for confirming what I knew was true!
Sure thing. Music isn't all about "deedle-dee-dee". Hard to find a solo that both echoes and enhances the song more.
Really great insights. Learn a lot each time! The tab link directs to 'ZZ Top' ... which isn't a bad thing but probably not intended.
Thanks! (And thanks for pointing out the tab link. I use that as a template and forgot to remove ... it's gone now, thanks!)
'a touch of brilliance " more like a touch of genius
Okay ... 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another.
Hi Mark, I agree with your comments about the song and the solo. Regarding technical considerations do not forget to include compression, it is an important component for sound sustain specially for the solo end.
Thanks for sharing this video
Good point!
1). Melodic sequencing and 2) Harmonic sequencing. Melodies that utilize those concepts are technically strong. 3). Utilization of diatonic 6ths. 4) Singability. Those tools are the read and butter in most any successful and memorable melody.
You are correct in that this song addresses some of life's difficulty and futility WITHOUT making any moral judgment or laying blame. The lyrics observe that this IS the human condition for all sometimes. But i daresay, it describes politicians EXPERTLY and PERFECTLY.
The way the solo here is in a different key is cool too.The Beatles did a lot of songs that you couldn't play your own lead to the rhythm like most other songs.The song had to have that exact lead or it wouldn't sound right. It's like the leads are part of the whole music. A perfect example is 'Something' I can't figure out why there can't be any other lead on that one. You can't even change a note.What is it with that? I play some guitar and I don't really know about music theory in general. But I've been getting Beatle records ever since I was a little kid in the early 60s. frankny66yroldwhitekid rockfan
Trips me out how often its the simple compositions in music/song that shine the most brilliant.....suppose its....at least for myself.....trying to improve perhaps too much......adding this and that flourish......trying to make it different....epic.....kinda getting carried away from where it began......the heart/soul......damn it......now I gotta go back and review EVERYTHING I've done???!!!!????AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Simple is usually best, at least when it comes to notes and most listeners. Django could (and Santana can) make a single note into a whole line just by varying the articulation and rhythm a bit. Too many of us (myself included) play for guitarists. Few people care about that. But I find it much tougher to create something interesting with mostly space. Something to aspire to maybe. Thanks for watching!
great Solo
You know it!
It‘s a very elegant solo
It sure is.
The reason the C is the perfect note in the descending ending is because that’s what Paul is doing!!!!!!!!!!!
To answer you question at 8:43, you can bet that this is intentional. The technique is called Counterpoint and has been around for a long time. By the time the Beatles wrote "Nowhere Man", they were already experts at it, and I suspect that if they didn't pick it up earlier from some old Blues legends, it was George Martin who educated them about it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint
Thanks for your comment! I usually think of the use of counterpoint as being in a singular time in piece of music. Like in much Renaissance music or as in the opening of Stairway to Heaven (the top voice ascends, the lower voice descends at the same time). Here, the solo is separate from John's vocal. Yes, it's a contrapuntal, but I'm not convinced it was intentional. The melody and its layout on guitar is quite natural, so it could easily be coincidentally contrapuntal with respect to the vocal melody. After all, melodies do tend to ascend and then descend or vice versa.
Personally, I'm not sure what I would rather think - that Harrison had a knack for powerful, simple melody or that it's inventive, mechanical song craft.
Thanks again for your comment!
@@MarkZabel You're welcome. My best guess is the two factors aren't mutually exclusive (neither is some sort of dissonance), they probably both played a role and they just experimented with their respective musical toolboxes until it sounded in a way that seemed interesting and "better-than-the-sum-of-its-parts" (which seem technically/mechanically simple on their own as you mention in the video and in your comment).
@@50sKingJet I think that makes sense. By then The Beatles didn't have to bang out ideas quickly.
I was thinking about this the other day with respect to "All Things Must Pass". Specifically, what that song sounded like when Harrison started with it compared to how it ended up.
So fun to think about these things as you listen to great music!
@@MarkZabel Yes!
You correctly noted that the first portion of the solo goes down where the vocal line goes up and vice-versa. You omitted the name for this; it’s an inversion.
Paul McCartney once said they wanted the most trebly sound they could get on the guitars: 'isnt' that the most trebbly sound you've ever heard?'! 😀🎸🎸
Yep!
Great vid mark now at the other extreme is the tax man solo. That solo is so primitive it’s tough to do but man it’s great. Wail on sir
Thanks! Yes, I like the Tax Man solo too. Very different. It's primitive maybe, but has eastern rhythm and melody to it.
I never liked playing this in E so I use a capo at II and play in D with dropped D tuning. Sounds and feels better to me.
I’d love to hear your take on the Eagles guitar solo in hotel California Don Felder and Joe Walsh are pure genius
Sounds like a plan!
There was another strong Lennon's song before that wasn't about simple relationships, that was "There's a place", it shows how powerful was the John self instrospective, but "Nowhere man" was actually the most well-known in that direction. Course, this is my own opinion.
Okay, thanks.
Vic Flick hit that harmonic didn't he. Sometimes simple is best
Always finish with the lick once again at the end!!!!!!! Jesus!
The lick? This is a discussion about a solo to a song. And let's not bring religion into it! LOL!
This is just about my favorite song. And what about the long and winding road on the let it be album?
Yes, he's ABSOLUTELY great - and not just as a guitar player, but as a musician and composer. Probably one of the best 2 or 3 guitarists to learn from early on. Easy to play, great sound, great clear ideas in his playing.
Can be any beatles song this series, fantastic theory Mark❤️❤️ home from your work nowadays?
So glad you enjoyed it and welcome back to the channel. Please stop by any time! I actually work from home most of the time, so I'm busier now than before COVID-19. Working some fairly long hours, as I'm in healthcare (not in the front lines though). Thanks again for watching!
I don't know if this was mentioned, but the solo uses every guitar string and uses tones from the absolute lowest note to the absolute highest. Don't know if it was planned that way, but it's clever anyway.
Interesting. I doubt it was designed that way specifically. Many solos that outline chords span 5 or 6 strings. But it *IS* really cool, and I never noticed it before. The effect of those lower-pitched strings with so "trebley" a tone really stands out.
It's not 100% factual with respect to the highest note though. The highest note fret-wise, on a Strat would be the 22nd fret of the 1st string (thinnest E-string), and a higher-pitched harmonic can be heard at the 17th fret of the 1st string ... and even higher-pitched tones can be played above the fretboard closer to the bridge. In the usual guitar range of the day, that harmonic on the 5th fret 1st string is higher than usual certainly!
@@MarkZabel but both are the exact same notes. 👌 ie two octaves higher than the open e string as they both divide the string in four separate harmonic vibrating parts.🤔👍
Mark how about Just What I needed by the Cars? :)
Hi! Yeah, totally great solo from Elliot Easton on that song!! Haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back! I did that one a long time ago, but it probably makes sense to do a new version. And to have a discussion on why it's great too!
Here's the old one I did. ua-cam.com/video/TGajMCMJEC8/v-deo.html
pretty tricky with the dual cam angles !!
You like that, eh? A like Phil Spector overdubbing too ... well, maybe not quite "wall of sound". LOL!
@@MarkZabel Em parallel scale, i.e. a "borrowed chord"
you know I like this topic
@@embreesmith7613 Ah yes. I remember that discussion!
Hey Buldog solo, please!
Great suggetion!
Also the solo has a lot of open strings to give a resonance sound
Can you please play ON GP by Death Grips.
Your da best Man keep it Up bro man dude.
Thanks! I think I'm going to have to pass on the Death Grips though. Not really my style. Sorry.
The only bit of criticism I have is that you used the wrong pickup selection on the guitars. When you listen to the original, you can very clearly hear that one of them had the Bridge and middle pickup together. While the other had the bridge pickup selected.
I agree . . .there is too much of that Strat "quack" in the tone, plus it was probably compressed a ton in post production. A great solo.
Like 234
Thanks!
When I go to the tab for the solo, it’s a different song
Oh, sorry ... no tab for this one. Must have left that in there. I'll get it out.
nothing but tune smiths at work..
I guess I see this song as a bit more than that, and I think it shows in the solo, which is a very memorable one - one that people like Jeff Beck and John Harrington have commented on as great. And it was a big leap for Lennon to do a non-relationship song.
But yes, the Beatles were the quintessential tune smiths for sure!
There’s no F#m chord in the printed music-it’s just A Am E🤔👌 The occasional F# note in the melody can be thought as making it a A6 chord if you insist -depending on what the bass is playing…🙄
.
😳
Beatles --Brilliant and prolific who writes hundreds of original songs.today your hot if you write 3 songs and record them ---4 guys in a room no computers 🖥 top that 🤔
The Beatles were like no other rock/pop act.
It would be better if there aren't too much ado ron ron..
Anything overblown would have ruined the song for sure! 😀🎸🎸
Definitely so.
Don't play just talk
Mmmhh the Nowhere man ...this is serious stuff 🤔