It was 50 years ago today....

"No group put out so much material in such a short period of time as did they..."

Unfortunately, many great, and more prolific, artists do not get their share of worldwide glory because of the language. They thrive in much smaller markets but are often far from being second class.

Except from inevitable short-lived 10-year-old-kid affection for Beatles songs that came and went, I was not a great fan and did not consider their music that great. However, I have recently bought, little by little, their mono records (from 2014). Now, I think I can understand why some people think they were great. I am still not the biggest fan, but have a new-found appreciation for their music. Comparing to stereo CDs, CDs just do not have it. Even Sgt. Pepper's is not that much overrated anymore.

Back when Rubber Soul and Revolver came out it was far more important culturally than simply a new pop album. In the context of that era there was absolutely nobody as hip and interesting as these guys in the popular music world, and you'd sit in front of the stereo (or mono) and be blown away by the whole thing...just musically miles ahead of everybody else on every level. At 15 I was headed home from some shopping mall in Hawaii in my mother's car when the new release of "I'm Looking Through You" came on the little Toyota Corona's radio before I left the parking lot...I sat there stunned for the entire song. That didn't happen with me often, maybe another time with Aretha's "Respect"...still...maybe you had to be there, but whew...

That rooftop concert, believe it or not, I was standing in the street below. I just happened to be walking by, my Dad had is office about 300 yards away.

wolf-garcia, that's how I felt when I heard Traffic.