The Beatles

HUH?! Does anybody really still try to ride this hobby horse?? Beethoven is Beethoven, the towering genius of the classical age, the Beatles are what they are, a great pop group. Beethoven and the Beatles co-exist happily in my music collection, along with Bach and Steely Dan, Barber and the Clash, Mozart and the Beach Boys, Schubert and Talking Heads, Monteverdi and the Who, Purcell and the Pogues, Strauss and David Bowie, Bartok and Peter Gabriel, Vaugh-Williams and XTC, Faure and Aretha, Debussy and the Duke, Corigliano and Sam & Dave, etc. etc. etc. There is so much good music of all stripes out there to enjoy...we are all damn lucky to be yacking on our computers, comfortable and safe and warm and well fed, splitting hairs over musical taste and what to play on our high end audio gear! Peace on earth good will towards our fellow audiophiles - happy holidays!

PS: Especially for those of us of a "certain age", the Beatles were magic. Wonderful songwriters with something new and marvelous always up their collective recording sleeves. Joyous music makers, hip and witty commentators, they were the makers of the soundtrack of our lives. Like all great groups, they were greater than the sum of their individual parts, though they proved to be merely human in the end. If you are immune to the magic, fine. The Beatles really did change the world, if only the world of pop music. It's not required that one like them, but for anyone paying the slightest attention to popular culture, their importance should be self evident. I'm going to get off my soapbox now. Thank you. :-) Peace.

PPS: Tube groover, I'm *way* with you on Bruckner! Although I enjoyed singing the Te Deum, my classical collection goes from Brahms and Britten to Busoni, Buttersworth, Buxtehude, Byrd, Campra, et al. To each his own.

Bravo, Tom.

Welcome back Schubertmaniac. We will never agree on the Beatles ('n that's alright), but I'm with ya on other 60's/Brit/garage bands you mentioned. What I remember best about 1966 (I was a freshman in high school) was how cool it was to be glued to the radio, any radio. Almost every song dancing through the airwaves sounded great - hooks, riffs, harmonies and teenage love/angst/joy. I love the "Nuggets" compilations and still have the original LP compiled by Lenny Kaye. Have a happy new year.

PS: Those singles by Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels are some of greatest records ever...heard "Devil In A Blue Dress" comin' at me over the airwaves while driving down I75 on New Years, almost got a speeding ticket...so yeah, I still care. "Hey Little Girl" was always a favorite - yeah, loved those snotty garage bands. It was amazing time for music on the radio, only time I can remember when high art, low art, rock'n roll, pop, soul and r&b were all going strong - all this great music of different types and quality (but all FUN)and it all got played all the time on all radio stations.