The Essentials: Number 3

beatles

The Beatles - My parents grew up in the '50s and had no use for them. Fortunately, I had a friend whose parents had every album, on vinyl, but would not let out of the house. Yet, like passing on a sacred text to a seeker of truth, they graciously recorded each album onto cassette for me. This is how I was albe to "meet the Beatles". Thus began the musical journey that took me from the origins of pop music to the influence that would change music as the world would know it. But, the journey wasn't just musical; it was into the souls of Paul, John, George and Ringo. From the simplicity and innocence of "Love Me Do" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand", you follow the mystical searching, acid dropping and internal jealousy as it produces the most landmark albums of our time. Towards the end, the personalities of Paul, as a songwriter of a populist, and John, as a introspective revolutionary, are revealed while the underappreciated genius of George rises to the surface. For me, The Beatles are the reason I became a true music fan. Let's just say that without this rite of passage, I would not be writing this blog...