After what seems like a long and winding road, Apple iTunes now has downloadable copies of all tracks and albums from the Beatles. It's been years of struggles between Apple and the surviving band members due to issues of branding between the Beatles record label and the computer giant. It's finally been resolved and at last The Fab Four are on iTunes.
Are the Beatles the greatest band ever? To many they perhaps are. Certainly to me they are (closely followed by the Rolling Stones). Their music transcends the decades and has inspired many bands who followed them. Not only were Lennon and McCartney superb and prolific songwriters, they as well as George Harrison and Ringo Starr were pretty good musicians to boot.
Technically, my first ever concert I attended was for the Beatles. My mum (who was heavily pregnant with me) and dad went to see them at Opera House in Blackpool in the 60's. According to my mum, I was kicking away for England during the concert although she also said that the Beatles couldn't be heard too well above the screams of the thousands of girls in the audience. As I was growing up, there always seemed to be Beatles records on our family record player and I remember singing along to all the words. John was always my favourite Beatle. He had that rebellious and 'naughtiness' about him which was always appealing. He kind of lost the plot though when he hooked up with Yoko and began sitting in hotel bedrooms looking gormless. I remember the day he died really well as I was in my last year at high school and our teachers being old hippies themselves suspended all lessons and instead in all classes we were treated to listening to non-stop Beatles / Lennon records as a tribute.
And like the true groupie I am, each year I trundle off to nearby Liverpool for some shopping and a trip to the Beatles museum and Cavern Club. Well worth a visit.
Best band ever? Yeah I think so....
