So it really does exist. The 14-minute "Carnival of Light" track, long the stuff of Beatles legend, will finally see the light of day, according to Paul McCartney, who says he’s always been fond of the experimental noodling "because it’s the Beatles free, going off piste." The track is said to feature distorted electric guitars, discordant sound effects, a church organ, and gargling sounds, as well as McCartney and John Lennon screaming phrases like "Barcelona" and "Are you all right?"
McCartney says the Beatles didn’t release the track when they recorded it in 1967 because its avant-garde experimentation, described as inspired by musique concrète composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, was too adventurous for mainstream audiences at the time. It certainly sounds adventurous enough, but I have to wonder if the real reason is that it’s simply not that good, another failed attempt at translating a sublime acid trip to art. For one, the Beatles included "Revolution No. 9," another long experimental track inspired by Stockhausen, on the White Album just one year later, in 1968. And the Velvet Underground’s White Light White Heat was pretty out-there back in 1968. Then Lou Reed took his former band’s craziness a step further with 1975′s Metal Machine Music, which was so experimental people at the time thought it had to be a joke. Seems to me we were "ready" for Beatles’ experimentation long before now, and seeing as we’ve heard just about everything they’ve pressed to vinyl over the past 40-plus years, I worry that we’ll be disappointed with the release of the mythological "Carnival of Light." Of course, all that blather aside, I can’t wait to hear the damn thing. You?
I am overly sick of the Beatles. They are milking the public for all they can.
Let’s have a CD with just “Carnival of Light” and the entire 26-minute “Helter Skelter” and we’re all good.
Ringo and George were being silly. I mean they have done experimental stuff before, ie: “You Know My Name”. Y.K.M.N” was really just a bunch of recordings put together by George Martin for fun.
Let me hear it. I’m a grownup and I’ll decide if it’s too “avante garde” or not. Heck, that’s what they said about the entire Revolver album…
I wanna hear it. When will it be released for us? you suck Sally
Sally in Chicago, will you marry me?
it’ll suck as much as Revolution #9, just six more minutes so. Paul is hell bent on proving HE was first with weird stuff, not John. sorry, but that ain’t gonna erase a career built on bubblegum like She Loves You, Hello, Goodbye and Let ‘em In. Paul would do just as well to remind people that John wrote his share of sappy crap, too. You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, O Yoko and Woman are unbearable.
Don’t blame all of the Beatles for this–blame Paul McCartney. Hasn’t he always been the “money-grubbing” person of the band?
Who are the beetles?
The track is interesting only from a historical perspective. It’s not like this is some great lost pop song which will rocket to the top of the charts if released as a single.
Can’t fault Paul for releasing it, though I’m no big fan of his. Can fault the people for buying it. If there wasn’t a market for it it wouldn’t be put out. Obviously there are many out there who would listen to (and buy) the sound of a Beatle farting.
To Sally in Chicago: You’re sick of the Beatles for overexposure? God forbid they take the spotlight from Britney Spears, Beyonce, Kanye West, Nicklecrap and countless other sellout, over-merchandised, less talented hacks. Are you stating a fact or an opinion? A fact would include statistics and evidence to back it up. Your statement should read “I narrow-mindedly think that they are milking the public for all they can”.
I bored of people like you.
You cannot conflate the Beatles and Velvet Underground. Few knew of “Sister Ray” or their other “out-there” tracks,in 1968! Hell, even today the worse selling Beatles release has far out-sold the best VU album. The Beatles were, and remain, a rock-n-roll band and as such demurred from straying too far from the mainstream in 1967. Sgt. Peppers is radical, perhaps even aberrant, but hardly avant garde. Everyone fought John to keep Revolution 9 off The Beatles (the so-called White Album), but the group was so fractured that John’s tenacity won out.
Anywho- let them release the track. It cannot be worse than Free as a Bird!
Oh please. Stop bitching and be happy there’s another song.
It probably wasn’t released because its crap. Only six years after this was recorded, Mike Oldfield released Tubular Bells which remains one of the most experimental things out there. Tubular Bells continues to sell because its good music, its not a drug-fueled experiment.