Complaint: Beatles Overload

Okay, okay, I get it. The Beatles version of Rock Band is coming out. It’s coming out and people are going to buy it. Rock stars are talking about it, non-rock stars are talking about it. It’s a regular British Invasion! Somebody hold me back.

Seriously, I know they were/are a big deal, but why is this such an “event”? I mean, it’s just not that important. It’s a lot more vexing that many people in this country think the President shouldn’t be allowed to talk to kids about staying in school. FFS, how about some perspective? (See yesterday’s post.)

Plus, if I may add vinegar to my sour grapes, have you seen Rock Band? It doesn’t teach you how to play, at least not the actual guitar. Pushing buttons in sequence is a skill, sure, and one kids today will need. But it’s just a big Game Boy, right? Boy howdy.

And I understand that playing Rock Band is in many ways a fabulous wish fulfillment for people of all ages and musical abilities. If I had it, I’d probably love it. I want to be a rock star.

But even if I had Rock Band, I wouldn’t be out looking for “She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah” or “Norwegian Wood.” That’s not rock music. Or maybe it is, and I’m just caught up in semantics. The Rolling Stones? Rock band. Led Zeppelin? Rock band. The Beatles? Very talented and over-hyped boy band. It’s pop people, like it or not.

Beep-beep beep-beep yeah indeed.