The band Dave Mustaine likened to The Beatles: “One of the most incredibly talented songwriters”
During The Beatles’ reign, many bands fell behind because they couldn’t keep up with the extremely high innovative standards set by the foursome. Even today, many bands are still compared to the Liverpudlian outfit, which showcases the expanse of influence they had – and continue to hold – over the industry. For Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, however, there’s one band that performs above the rest when it comes to reimagining the Fab Four’s appeal.
As an integral part of Metallica’s early days and the leader of the metal band Megadeth, Mustaine has become a name inextricable from the thrash metal genre. His contributions to the movement have been undeniably significant despite the many controversies he has planted along the way. In fact, Mustaine’s historical remarks on topics like politics and gay rights have earned him a reputation as one of the most polarising figures in the space.
When he’s not commenting on societal issues, Mustaine likes to converse about his many influences, which range from acts like AC/DC to Kiss and Led Zeppelin. On the subject of the ultimate conduit for post-The Beatles revolutionary music, however, Mustaine can’t help but view Crowded House as the forerunner. “Crowded House sounds so much heavily influenced by The Beatles,” he once said.
Although some may view influence so heady as a bad thing, Mustaine maintains that this is actually a compliment of the highest order. “I can only think that if it was me and somebody was saying ‘you sound like you’re influenced by one of the greatest pop in the world ever, ever, ever’. I would say: ‘ Thank you’,” the musician said.
Much like how many admired The Beatles, Mustaine appreciates Crowded House due to their seamless ability to merge various musical sensibilities and genres. In his view, this demonstrates musical excellence like no other. Discussing the band in 2016, he said he admires musicians who “do some really weird, exotic chords that I like”, adding that Crowded House “have some really interesting poppy kind of weird jazzy chords underneath the music”.
He also praised the band on social media, sending a direct message to Crowded House’s Neil Finn, telling him, “You are one of the most incredibly talented songwriters I’ve ever heard”, an opinion he will hold proudly “to his dying day”. Although the band’s most well-known hit is ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, a lot of their discography borrows tropes from 1960s jangly pop and new wave, taking some of the most timeless aspects of bands like The Beatles and giving them a modern twist.
Alluding to their formation and the development of their namesake, Crowded House could have fallen victim to the shrinking parameters of musical commercialism, where there are more bands than opportunities. However, standing on the shoulders of The Beatles became a worthy catalyst to success, allowing audiences to enjoy the resurgence of a beloved sound while tuning in to something more contemporary and fresh.
