Beatles online course!

[T.A.R.]

University of Rochester has a free online course through Coursera, Music of the Beatles it is excellent so far. Here's a link
https://class.coursera.org/beatles-001

[soundmasterg]

You have to sign up with an account there apparently to even see the course info. Any chance you can post info on the course here so people can see it without having to sign up?

Greg

[JakeK]

This MIGHT have something to do with it...
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=410942

[T.A.R.]

Here's a little bit of info.

[brammy]

I signed up and sat through the first two sessions. BOOOOOOORRRRRIIINNNGGGG (and also somewhat inaccurate). Various YouTube videos are much better.

[T.A.R.]

Interesting, what inaccuracies did you find? I'm curious.

[brammy]

Can anyone explain this outfit? Sort of looks like a cross between a nehru jacket and a priest's outfit.

[brammy]

Interesting, what inaccuracies did you find? I'm curious.

I couldn't get past the first week.... mainly because it was so frustrating to just watch the instructor droning away with hardly any supporting images or audio or video. I've sampled later weeks but came away feeling the same.

For starters he said repeatedly that Stu and Astrid had gotten married. I posted a correction to him and he acknowledged it. Another example is that of omission.... he completely skipped over Brian Epstein's homosexuality (of the "rough trade" variety as it's been called) which certainly was part of his original attraction to the Beatles' scene (and to Lennon in particular). I also don't think there was even a mention of Bob Wooler.

Put it this way..... if someone came from another planet and wanted to learn about The Beatles, I surely wouldn't steer them to this online course. Simply surfing YouTube videos would be more instructional and FAR more entertaining.

[T.A.R.]

All valid points Kent. I don't think the course was intended to be an in depth study for musicians. He apologized for not being able to use the music and images due to copyright issues. I enjoyed it just for listening with a different perspective, and discussing it with a few friends that also took it, in that respect it was fun.