Monday, August 24, 2009

The Beatles Make The Cover of Rolling Stone ... Again


I just finished reading the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine (issue 1086) which features The Beatles on the cover for an unprecedented 33rd time. The reason for their cover appearance is a new article by Mikal Gilmore that looks at the breakup of arguably the greatest band ever from a new angle.

Most people are quick to joke (or really believe) that Yoko Ono was the reason for the Beatles demise. And while it is well known that the other Beatles resented her presence in the studio and her input into the bands’ recordings (as if she were an actual member), she is not the reason that The Beatles called it a day. There was so much more going on behind the scenes that forced the end of this “little band” (to paraphrase John Lennon).

Gilmore takes an in depth look at these other outside forces that factored into the groups breakup and the end result is simply amazing. This is some of the best music journalism that I’ve read in quite some time. With a 13 page spread devoted to this cover story, Why the Beatles Broke Up reads more like a mini-novel than a Rolling Stone article. Packed with details, in sight, and emotional remembrances of these brilliant musicians, the cover story of the latest Rolling Stone is simply put, a masterpiece.

This is required reading for any fan of The Beatles or any fan of true rock and roll drama. When the story first released earlier this week, there were comments on Rolling Stone.com that it was time to put it to rest, it happened 40 years ago, no one cares, etc. I have to disagree with all of those statements. Gilmore’s article is brilliant, and with the entire Beatles catalog being released in remastered format on September 9th, the article is current and relevant to what is happening in the world of The Beatles today. We are blessed with an opportunity to look back at the end of their career while enjoying their entire body of work in an updated audio quality format. Not to mention that Rock Band: The Beatles video game comes out that same day. The Beatles are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago when they broke up, and if writers like Gilmore continue to churn out masterpieces about the band, their legacy will likely live on for another 40 years (or longer).

With excellent photos that accompany the time period being captured, and a nice sidebar discussing the upcoming remastered CD releases, Why the Beatles Broke Up, is a brilliant piece of writing sure to be enjoyed by any fan of the band. I was mesmerized from the opening paragraph, and I know that I will be spending some time later this week (and probably next week as well) re-reading this article and enjoying it with as much enthusiasm all over again.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

1 comment:

Ryo Vie said...
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