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Sep. 20th, 2009
Over on my Facebook page, there’s been a lot of hubbub over the remastered Beatles catalog (now on sale – ask yr local record shop proprietor or Wal-mart greeter for details), with lots of people gushing over which CD they’re going to buy. And I confess I spent some time in CD Warehouse this weekend making a few Beatles-related purchases myself.
So I thought I should say something.
Like a lot of people my age, I was a Beatles fan before I knew I was a Beatles fan. I heard their songs on the radio, but as DJs didn’t do a lot of backselling in those days, I didn’t always know who did them. The first Beatles song I remember hearing and knowing who it was is “Come Together”.
Anyway, by high school I pretty much had it figured out and I was a big fan. By my senior year, I was convinced – as I am to this day – that the so-called White Album was their greatest achievement.
However, all of this was determined via other people’s record collections. I only owned one Beatles album – Rarities, which I stole from the church basement (true). It was basically a collection of 45-single versions, B-sides and EP tracks that never made their albums. Which I loved to death not only because it was an eclectic mix of songs, many of which never got radio airplay (not even after John Lennon was murdered), but also because it contained one of the best songs they ever recorded: “Rain”.
Even better, it had possibly their most demented track outside of Revolution 9:
Anyway, that’s how I ended up buying the Past Masters CD (which is an extended version of Rarities).
Oh, and I also bought A Hard Day’s Night, Rubber Soul, Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour. Because they were there, and they’re the only Beatles albums I don’t have – except for With The Beatles, which I didn’t get because I’ve already got The Beatles Live At The BBC, which covers that period thoroughly enough that it seemed redundant. Also, let’s admit it – the Beatles broke ground as a pop group, but it was only around Rubber Soul and Revolver that they started getting really interesting.
Oh, and if yr wondering about the remaster sound quality – I suggest you ask an audiophile. I’ve been listening to them, and yes, they sound great – but all my unremastered Beatles discs also sound just fine to me, too. For CDs, I mean.
BONUS MATERIAL: If you really want to challenge yr Beatles appreciation, I suggest buying a copy of Love, which is ostensibly a soundtrack to a Cirque du Soleil show featuring 130 Beatles songs mashed up by George and Giles Martin into 26 tracks. If you like mashups – and yr not precious about Martin mucking about with Beatles tunes – it’s rather good.
Yeah yeah yeah,
This is dF
So I thought I should say something.
Like a lot of people my age, I was a Beatles fan before I knew I was a Beatles fan. I heard their songs on the radio, but as DJs didn’t do a lot of backselling in those days, I didn’t always know who did them. The first Beatles song I remember hearing and knowing who it was is “Come Together”.
Anyway, by high school I pretty much had it figured out and I was a big fan. By my senior year, I was convinced – as I am to this day – that the so-called White Album was their greatest achievement.
However, all of this was determined via other people’s record collections. I only owned one Beatles album – Rarities, which I stole from the church basement (true). It was basically a collection of 45-single versions, B-sides and EP tracks that never made their albums. Which I loved to death not only because it was an eclectic mix of songs, many of which never got radio airplay (not even after John Lennon was murdered), but also because it contained one of the best songs they ever recorded: “Rain”.
Even better, it had possibly their most demented track outside of Revolution 9:
Anyway, that’s how I ended up buying the Past Masters CD (which is an extended version of Rarities).
Oh, and I also bought A Hard Day’s Night, Rubber Soul, Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour. Because they were there, and they’re the only Beatles albums I don’t have – except for With The Beatles, which I didn’t get because I’ve already got The Beatles Live At The BBC, which covers that period thoroughly enough that it seemed redundant. Also, let’s admit it – the Beatles broke ground as a pop group, but it was only around Rubber Soul and Revolver that they started getting really interesting.
Oh, and if yr wondering about the remaster sound quality – I suggest you ask an audiophile. I’ve been listening to them, and yes, they sound great – but all my unremastered Beatles discs also sound just fine to me, too. For CDs, I mean.
BONUS MATERIAL: If you really want to challenge yr Beatles appreciation, I suggest buying a copy of Love, which is ostensibly a soundtrack to a Cirque du Soleil show featuring 130 Beatles songs mashed up by George and Giles Martin into 26 tracks. If you like mashups – and yr not precious about Martin mucking about with Beatles tunes – it’s rather good.
Yeah yeah yeah,
This is dF
Speaking of the Beatles, yr probably aware that they were something of an influence in popular music (which is why we have Electric Light Orchestra and Oasis, for example). They also arguably invented the tribute band.
The first was probably Beatlemania, a Broadway musical that essentially featured four Beatles impersonators who played and sounded exactly like the originals.
Since then, plenty of musicians have made a living pretending to be a Beatle. Which means standing out from the crowd is a chore.
There are a number of ways to pull that off. Like pretending to be the Beatles and Metallica at the same time.
Which brings me to Beatallica.
Oddly, Lars Ulrich is a fan.
Anyway, it’s amusing (though a familiarity Metallica helps), but definitely gimmicky.
And anyway, the problem with doing a Beatles tribute band that’s more spoof than straight covers is that The Rutles are a hard act to beat.
FUN FACT: I once saw a Beatles tribute band in Tokyo at the Cavern Club in Roppongi. They were dressed like Ed Sullivan-era Beatles, but played the whole catalog (and took requests). They sounded great and (apart from being Japanese) looked the part. That was a fun night.
A hard day’s night,
This is dF
The first was probably Beatlemania, a Broadway musical that essentially featured four Beatles impersonators who played and sounded exactly like the originals.
Since then, plenty of musicians have made a living pretending to be a Beatle. Which means standing out from the crowd is a chore.
There are a number of ways to pull that off. Like pretending to be the Beatles and Metallica at the same time.
Which brings me to Beatallica.
Oddly, Lars Ulrich is a fan.
Anyway, it’s amusing (though a familiarity Metallica helps), but definitely gimmicky.
And anyway, the problem with doing a Beatles tribute band that’s more spoof than straight covers is that The Rutles are a hard act to beat.
FUN FACT: I once saw a Beatles tribute band in Tokyo at the Cavern Club in Roppongi. They were dressed like Ed Sullivan-era Beatles, but played the whole catalog (and took requests). They sounded great and (apart from being Japanese) looked the part. That was a fun night.
A hard day’s night,
This is dF