The Beatles. The Beatles. What is there to say that hasn't already been said? Nearly everyone they've ever known has gone on record telling every detail of each Beatle encounter. We've heard numerous tales of what it's like to be married to a Beatle, to sleep with a Beatle, to simply lust over a Beatle, to produce the Beatles, to be an engineer for the Beatles, et cetera. The Beatles have become more than a band, they're a brand. They're bankable, and anyone who can bank in does so. Today is 9/9/09, the day of the release of the highly anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band and the release of their entirely remastered catalog. The fact that I've chosen to highlight my intense passion for the Beatles now is merely coincidental... Kind of. Various cable networks (specifically VH1) have been going mad over what one called "Beatlemania 2009". While I personally wouldn't go so far, their music is undoubtedly in the air, and I've been basking in it's sweet splendor. So as I did with Led Zeppelin, I will attempt to illustrate the Beatles massive role in my life, because what hasn't been documented are my feelings for and about them.
While my first dose of infatuation with Led Zeppelin was an encompassing obsession, when the Beatles first hit me -- a bit like they had on The Ed Sullivan Show in '64 -- it was a lifestyle. I had obviously heard countless Beatles songs, even going through a self-proclaimed "Beatles phase". Then my family went on a road trip in an RV from LA to San Francisco. My cousin, living a pre-iPod existence, brought along all of her CDs and a Walkman, adorned with little Hello Kitty stickers. She had many CDs with her, but the only ones that I can definitely recall traveling with us are Abbey Road, Love, and The Doors Greatest Hits. I fell for Abbey Road, but really didn't like Love, as I didn't know the songs well enough to distinguish one from the other. (Though I'm thankful that it introduced me to songs like "What You're Doing" which I may not have discovered until much later.) As soon as I returned from the Bay Area, I downloaded every song featured on Love, in it's original form. My cousin had not really discovered the Beatles catalog beyond those CDs, and together, we ventured into their bewitching realm. We became completely obsessed fanatics. I'm pretty sure the first Beatles album I had in it's entirety was indeed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, because frankly, there is no better place to start. I keeled over with deep obsession for each and every track, and just kept downloading and purchasing. I finally understood what the Beatles were what they were. I got it. I knew why the Beatles were THE Beatles, a holy entity, and why they weren't just a passing fad. Because ordinarily, to have a stunning LP, each song must be an adventure. Each track has to unlike the others, and must be absolutely bold and risky. It must take you places nothing ever has before. What makes the Beatles THE Beatles is that every single damn song they ever recorded is just that. It goes beyond good musicianship. There are so many better musicians than the Beatles, it's ridiculous. But they were more inventive and revolutionary than all of those musicians put together. They set the tone and the pace for musicians at the time, and between the four of them, what didn't they do? They've influenced every generation, and they are continuously discovered by the next. The Beatles and I, we've got nothing in common. They came into their own in the 1960s, my stride comes with a 20__ in front of it. But still, I feel like their mine. Two have passed on, but still, their music will out live all of us, and our children, and our children's children. When we're gone and dead, far down our family tree, people will still be discovering the Beatles. I have every damn song they ever recorded, and I could sing every one of them for you. From my girlish swooning over their films (which are still fucking delicious), to scarfing down every little tale about them, and happily discovering every album, and if only for that month or so, deeming it my favorite album ever! I would think, "Oh! It just can't get any better than this!" But it always did! The Beatles were the best at one-upping themselves. They were leagues ahead of everyone, and (in comparison) chumps like Brian Wilson tried mercilessly to catch up. Their was a magic between the four of them that will never again be matched, duplicated, or ever forgotten. They are simply the highest breed of musical genius, and even when there is no one left to gossip about them, they will be remembered as such. Today I told my brother, "If there's a heaven, it smells like bed foam." You know, that spongy cushioning that goes on top of the mattress? Yeah, ever since I was a little thing, I've been mad about it's clean aroma. Well, if that's what it smells like, then it sounds like the Beatles. And if the Beatles sense of spirituality (and sensuality) have taught me anything, it's that I should just fucking accept it and look forward to it. They epitomize sheer brilliance, and that will never fail to have an effect on me. I love you, xo.
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