Abba vs. Beatles

[Keith Weston <jkweston@email.unc.edu>]

>>Does anyone know what Glenn Gould thought of the Beatles?

There's a notorious article circa 1965 or 6 by Gould highly touting the
splendor of "Downtown" by Pet. Clarke while at the same time dismissing
the Beatles.  Frankly, I can't tell for sure if he wasn't joking, or
pulling the wool - but, it is a fascinating read - and adds dimension to
that scene in "32 Short Films" where he drives to a truck stop while
listening to "Downtown" on the car radio. 

I suspect his admiration lay somewhere between Wilfrid Mellers'
embarrassing and laughable "Twilight of the Gods: The Music of the
Beatles" and the Beatle Burning Baptists of the American South following
John's Jesus observation.

Best,

Keith Weston
WUNC Radio
Chapel Hill, NC
91.5 FM
http://wunc.citysearch.com