Real Love
As one of the millions whose lives changed hearing the Beatles for the first time, I’m not surprised that their music has not only lived on, but continues to sound fresh after all these years. Many of us who were glued to the Zenith console in anticipation of their first Ed Sullivan appearance will now be pacing by our big screens, counting down to 12:01 am on November 25th, when the 6-hour streaming documentary, “Get Back,” begins its run. Dipping into fifty-plus hours of unedited “Let it Be” footage, the new configuration purportedly shows inter-band relations to be far more nuanced than the “fussing and fighting” highlighted in the original film. There are conflicts, to be sure, but at the same time, a mutual respect for each other’s talents, and the outright fun of sharing what brought them together in the first place - making music. The director, Peter Jackson, is of the belief that seeing fresh footage of joyful Beatles will bring us joy – a salve for some of the dread we’ve experienced during the pandemic.
I think he’s onto something. If we’re crunching the numbers, the Beatles didn’t wind up being bigger than Jesus, but they still have their fair share of worshipers. And the flock seems to keep growing. Truth be told, how many performers do you see dressing up like the son of God and reciting his early and late-period sermons with pitch-perfect inflection? With all due respect, where are the Messiah tribute acts? The Beatles may pale in follower-count, but in terms of living, breathing simulations, there are thousands of bands worldwide, dedicated to replicating the original’s level of artistry.
I’m fascinated by Beatles tribute bands. There’s a ton of good ones, and quite a few that can be called stellar. I, personally, don’t feel the need to see wigs and outfits, but it seems to enhance the experience for some people. How could audiences buy into something that seems so blatantly fake? I recently got the answer from the great Beatles book “One, Two, Three, Four” by Craig Brown. Brown posits that watching the mimicry provides a useful illusion. “…For as long as they play, we are fifty years younger, gazing in wonder at the Beatles in their prime.”
I look forward to gazing in wonder at the real thing on November 25th.
