Stream The Beatles
December 21, 2015 9:30 AM   Subscribe

Billboard and other sources are reporting The Beatles will be available on streaming services, starting Christmas Eve (Dec 24th).

Which services haven't been called out.
posted by jeffamaphone (91 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Simply having a Wonderful Christmas time.

And now that horrible fucking song is in your head.

Merry Christmas.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:32 AM on December 21, 2015 [23 favorites]


Simply having a Wonderful Christmas time.

Flagged as literal noise.
posted by jedicus at 9:34 AM on December 21, 2015 [22 favorites]


(and yes I know that isn't strictly a Beatles song but don't suggest we would have ever heard it if not for the Beatles)

Back on track, this is great news for anybody who wants to take Coursera's "History of the Beatles" course which I highly recommend.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:34 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


Simply having a Wonderful Christmas time.

I'm really trying to not do any 'hating' this holiday season. You've made it harder.
posted by DigDoug at 9:38 AM on December 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


That song consistently comes up in the top ten of the worst Christmas songs of all time. Very strange.
posted by Melismata at 9:40 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best present!
posted by blurker at 9:41 AM on December 21, 2015


...consistently comes up in the top ten of the worst Christmas songs...

Yet radio stations keep playing it.

Many of the articles are indicating it may just be Hey Jude on the initial day, with the rest of the catalog to follow. I'm not a huge fan of Hey Jude either, but as long as the rest of the catalog follows, I'll take it.
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:42 AM on December 21, 2015


Simply having a Wonderful Christmas time.

That is the only song I know of in the entirety of Western musical history that guarantees the exact opposite of its title.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 9:44 AM on December 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


Yet radio stations keep playing it.

At the kid's holiday recital we were presented with a schoolkid-level arrangement of the song. It's not going anywhere anytime soon, sadly.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:47 AM on December 21, 2015


This is really excellent news both for people who are too lazy and boring to listen to anything made in the last, say, 30 years, and for those who are too lazy and boring to even take an interest in what they're listening to to begin with.
posted by 7segment at 9:47 AM on December 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


Impressively long-sighted by the Beatles.

They have held out from streaming for the simple reason that streaming will cost them net revenue, potentially in the millions of dollars a year, in the near term. (The number of people would have bought their tracks not being replaced by streaming fees from them plus those who wouldn't have bought their tracks.)

But in the long term, artists that don't stream simply don't exist for a large segment of the market. Even people who do own their downloads or their physical media (and hence the right to rip MP3s for personal use) spend most of their time listening to their streaming apps.

If they want to be monetizing their IP in 30 or 40 years, they can't allow the current younger generations not to come to know and love them.
posted by MattD at 9:49 AM on December 21, 2015 [6 favorites]


Mono or stereo?
posted by Thorzdad at 9:50 AM on December 21, 2015 [7 favorites]


Lazy and boring and very happy thank you.
posted by marxchivist at 9:50 AM on December 21, 2015 [7 favorites]


I just read the news today - oh boy!
posted by Going To Maine at 9:51 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


Tool should take notes.
posted by underflow at 9:51 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


Guitar groups are on the way out.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:52 AM on December 21, 2015 [5 favorites]


I have heard of the Beatles!
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 9:54 AM on December 21, 2015


Simply having a Wonderful Christmas time.

Baby baby baby baby [ching ching ching ching]
Baby baby baby baby [ching ching ching ching]
Baby baby baby baby [ching ching ching ching]
Baby baby,                       [ching ching ching ching]
Baby,
On Christmas . . .


This is really excellent news . . . for people who are . . . lazy and boring . . .

Well, I can't match the cynicism there, but I do wonder how this is a major development for anyone. The Fabs only put out twelve canonical albums, the last one over 45 years ago. It's difficult to imaging anyone who is interested in hearing them not already having all or most at their fingertips in some form or another.

Are people so wedded to music streaming "services" that they cannot "consume" music any other way?
 
posted by Herodios at 9:56 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Homer: Look at me, I'm Brian Epstein. Now I'm Michael Jackson. I own all your songs, losers. Hee hee hee.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:56 AM on December 21, 2015


It took hearing a folk version of "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" to make me appreciate the weirdness of the original. It sounds like it's being played on rubber-band instruments by a bunch of Fraggles in a cartoon swamp.
posted by Beardman at 9:57 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


hey i like wonderful christmastime. it's doofy and cute. it's not genius or even particularly smart — if you're looking for a genius song about a holiday from a Beatles-affiliated person, the song you're looking for is Yoko Ono's O'Oh — but it's sweet and silly and the world is better for its presence nevertheless.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 9:57 AM on December 21, 2015 [11 favorites]


I've been streaming the Beatles all morning from my plex server at home. Does this make me cool and futuristic or lame and regressive? And why is this onion hanging from my belt?
posted by djeo at 9:58 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Are people so wedded to music streaming "services" that they cannot "consume" music any other way?

I am.

I use Spotify and make heavy use of their playlist-sync and offline-playlist functionality. I can listen to the Beatles if I'm at home with my external drive that contains all the music I ripped from CDs that I bought in the 90s, but that doesn't follow my phone around into the car and other places the way all the other music does.

Not having the Beatles (and the playlist functionality) was my main reason for not adopting Apple Music.

So, yes, I maybe more excited about this development than most people, but I don't think I'll be alone.
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:59 AM on December 21, 2015 [7 favorites]


Are people so wedded to music streaming "services" that they cannot "consume" music any other way?


No, but sometimes you've only got your phone and you just suddenly really hear "Ticket to Ride" but you don't like the Beatles enough to keep the MP3s on your phone.

And I'm an Old. I can't even imagine what the kids today would respond.

Also, I hereby apologize to anybody who loves "Wonderful Christmastime" for starting that derail; as a defender of "All I Want for Christmas is You", I feel your pain.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:00 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


Back in my day, people used to own music instead of rent it.
(I am literally an old man yelling at a cloud ITT.)
posted by entropicamericana at 10:02 AM on December 21, 2015 [10 favorites]


Obligatory link to Peter Serafinowicz's Ringo Remembers Christmas 1979.

I actually like Wonderful Christmastime, but for folks who don't, having this other song in their brain may help them deal with it better.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:02 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Are people so wedded to music streaming "services" that they cannot "consume" music any other way?


I'm another almost exclusively listening to Spotify person. You can sync tracks from your computer to Spotify on your phone, but it's a bit of a hassle. Likewise, I could also swap over to my Google Play account, but again, getting things uploaded and synced takes awhile. So my Beatles listening happens at home, mostly, from my laptop or vinyl.
posted by damayanti at 10:04 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


That song consistently comes up in the top ten of the worst Christmas songs of all time.

You mean this song?
posted by kirkaracha at 10:04 AM on December 21, 2015


ringo is secret sith
secret no more
spread the word
keith moon died for this
bonham too
it cost blink 182 drummer his skin
def leopard his arm
ringo endures
ringo thrives
on dec 24
ringo spreads
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:04 AM on December 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


I've pretty much converted to Spotify for everything rather than listening to my personal collection. Even if I own an album and have it ripped, it's still easier to just find the album on Spotify and make a playlist of it. My own music is uploaded to Google Music, so I could stream The Beatles now if I wanted to but having it all together on one service would be much more preferable. And for albums I don't already own, they might as well not exist if they aren't on Spotify because I've stopped buying albums I haven't already listened through at least once.
posted by downtohisturtles at 10:05 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I've talked it over with a friend who used to work in radio (and so who spent months out of each year carefully honing a white-hot rage for Christmas songs) and he says that it's alright for people to like and defend any christmas song... except for Gayla Peevey's "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," which he characterizes as a crime against humanity.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 10:05 AM on December 21, 2015


I've been streaming the Beatles all morning from my plex server

I use Spotify and make heavy use of their playlist-sync and offline-playlist functionality.


I imagine if I knew what all that meant, I would be more impressed. If it works for you I think it's swell.

the music I ripped from CDs that I bought in the 90s . . . doesn't follow my phone around into the car and other places the way all the other music does.

Maybe I'm weird, but I am happy that my record collection doesn't follow me around.
 
posted by Herodios at 10:06 AM on December 21, 2015


And now that horrible fucking song is in your head.

I don't like the Beatles so THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO HURT ME
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:07 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I am happy that my record collection doesn't follow me around.

I'm of the opinion that if I can be listening to music, I will be listening to music.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:08 AM on December 21, 2015 [4 favorites]


Mono or stereo?

I hope we'll get both, plus the anthologies and all the bootlegs and outtakes and Shea raw audio etc as well... but I doubt it. There is so much good stuff hidden away and yet we get nonsense like 'Love' or CD reissues of the US albums that Capitol ruined with echo...
posted by colie at 10:09 AM on December 21, 2015


It's important to remember that one of the make ways people consume streaming music is through algorithmic playlists - what an "old" might think of as "radio". In many ways, getting on streaming is the equivalent of getting onto the radio and - as noted earlier - back into the consciousness as something vital, not something from an ancient past.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:09 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Gayla Peevey , "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"
posted by kirkaracha at 10:09 AM on December 21, 2015 [4 favorites]


There is no better understanding of the basic differences than hearing Paul's christmas song up against John's. So. This is Christmas.
posted by valkane at 10:11 AM on December 21, 2015 [4 favorites]


What about those who are too lazy and boring to seek out interesting music from 90 years ago, rather than the homogeneous workout music or bland pop country of the past three? Or too lazy or "busy" to look up information on the Mellotron, after hearing "Strawberry Fields Forever" and looking into its history a bit, whereupon they come across this gem on YouTube? Well, I was procrastinating when I came upon that, so never mind.
posted by raysmj at 10:12 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Though, If I were gonna give Paul a vote for Christmas song, I'd nominate Mull of Kintyre. Pipebags and all. I love that song.
posted by valkane at 10:17 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


Wonderful Christmastime is a terrible mindless song.
It also is not a Beatles song.
posted by eye of newt at 10:18 AM on December 21, 2015


if I can be listening to music, I will be listening to music.

Yeah, I mostly listen to the music in my head.

I'm super excited for this because, since the Beatles haven't been on streaming services (and I refuse to download mp3 tracks of music I own on CD and/or vinyl, and many laptops don't have CD drives anymore) I haven't listened to a Beatles album in a really, really long time.

For Beatles music, I mostly listen to the mp3s a friend recorded off his LP collection in the 1990s. He didn't even separate the tracks.

On the other hand, I have a nephew in his twenties who will be getting a bunch of classic rock LPs -- including Beatles albums -- for Christmas because that's what he likes. There's apparently a whole new market for phonograph records "180 gram vinyl!" amongst some segment of young hipsters that I'd totally missed until just recently.
 
posted by Herodios at 10:19 AM on December 21, 2015


I honestly don't know which I hate more: Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time, or Happy Xmas (War is Over as long as you imagineer it!)
posted by duffell at 10:19 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I blame Wonderful Christmastime on Paul jacking around in his home studio (which was a rarity in that age) that resulted in the same kinda tripe as Temporary Secretary. These are the bruises true fans have to suffer and heal.
posted by valkane at 10:23 AM on December 21, 2015


(I am literally an old man yelling at a cloud ITT.)

Well, sure you are. That's where the music is streaming from.
posted by Mayor West at 10:24 AM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


you can always tell an idiot because they hate on Wings and Steely Dan
posted by thelonius at 10:25 AM on December 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


I love Wings! I bought them on vinyl!
posted by valkane at 10:26 AM on December 21, 2015


Paul's xmas song is way better than John's. Paul's has a meticulous sound design and a quest for accessible originality typical of its composer in the 70s, and now it completely owns the supermarket speakers at this time of year... the structure is also quite relaxed and about half way through it threatens to turn into 'Eleanor Rigby' rewritten by Kang and Kodos.

John's is totally slapdash, mawkish, he's phoning in the singing (like he did on everything post-Plastic Ono Band), no structure, and Yoko can be heard frequently throughout, and she's an awful singer. (Although I concede that the first line does cut through your brain simply because you think 'shit, that's JOHN LENNON and nobody else sounds like that.')
posted by colie at 10:27 AM on December 21, 2015 [4 favorites]


you can always tell an idiot because they hate on Wings and Steely Dan

Guilty as charged!

This is good news because it will be more convenient for my guided close listen of Pet Sounds and Revolver. Friends can play along with my nit picking from the safety of their own home.

Also, I prefer John's Christmas song. I am also on record as really loathing Paul's musical output. Though I will give him and Linda credit for owning a Pop Rivets record.
posted by kendrak at 10:28 AM on December 21, 2015


Paul's is pop. John's is not. How's that?
posted by valkane at 10:29 AM on December 21, 2015


WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL BEATLES

(Also, Actual Beatles is the name of my Plastic Ono Band cover band)
posted by jscalzi at 10:29 AM on December 21, 2015 [12 favorites]


What about those who are . . . too lazy or "busy" to look up information on the Mellotron

Here you go:
Mellotron History
Mellotron Models

Ok, not lazy, but probably still pretty boring.
 
posted by Herodios at 10:30 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I love the Beatles. They were the first band that I really enjoyed as I started "getting into music" when I was 12-13, and I still remember listening to Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, and Magical Mystery Tour over and over as a kid, and then a few years later, listening to them all again, cruising around in my friend's old Volkswagen.

But that was in the 90's, when their music was already somewhat old-fashioned. Now, I'm sort of nostalgic for it, but it's a weird, second-wave nostalgia. I genuinely wonder if, e.g., the freshman that I teach know or care who the Beatles are.
posted by clockzero at 10:37 AM on December 21, 2015


I was like twelve in 1977. Star wars was just out. The first record I ever paid money for was The Beach Boys (because there was this girl in class who liked them, and they were catchy on the radio). And then, I think Kiss (because, 12). I had two uncles, both of whom played music, and they were so affronted by my taste, that they gifted me their original apple label vinyl albums. And so, I'm a serious Beatles fan. I plead indoctrination.

If you can seriously stand up in here and say the beatles are boring, then, well, that's like saying Casablanca is shit because of everything that came after it. You can say it. But That Don't Make It True.
posted by valkane at 10:37 AM on December 21, 2015 [4 favorites]


I think I most look forward to having The White Album to stream. Though I'll make frequent use of Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, mostly the 2nd half of Abbey Road. Most of the Beatles Songs I like to play (as a bass player) are on Past Masters Vol II and Let It Be... it's going to be great revisiting all these old friends.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:37 AM on December 21, 2015


WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL BEATLES

OK! Let's talk about the Beatles!!!

I do kind of hope this streaming will open up the whole catalog (though isn't it all in the subconscious of most people?) and help people see them in their total. I am a huge fan of 60s pop music, particularly British beat groups, and I am beyond tired of people keeping the Beatles on a pedestal out of laziness and ignorance. I fully admit some of my annoyance is the ubiquity of the Beatles, my tendency for being contrarian, and my parents' brainwashing of me as a child to believe the Kinks were the bigger band.

Anyhow... I have been listening to the Beatles again recently because I've been going on obsessive deep listens of Pet Sounds (buying a vinyl copy does that to you), ranking all the Kinks songs year by year, and trying to figure out my favourite hit singles from 1965. Doing all these pointless exercises without the Beatles context was hugely limiting, but something I was inadvertently doing because they weren't on Spotify. It's amazing how limited access really alters perception...

And now I can admit the Beatles had some good bits, but I still think they overshadow a lot of wonderful music that I prefer to listen to.
posted by kendrak at 10:39 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


> Gayla Peevey , "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"
posted by kirkaracha at 10:09 AM on December 21 [3 favorites +] [!]


DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK SAVE YOURSELVES WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

I think the reason why we're not talking about the actual Beatles is that most people pirated all the Beatles they wanted back in like the Napster era, so whether or not they're available on streaming is for many purposes meaningless.

well okay also I thought I might win an award from the Contrarian Association of America by simultaneously talking up Yoko Ono and Wonderful Christmastime. though knowing the CAA they'll probably deny me the award just to spite me.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 10:39 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I still think they overshadow a lot of wonderful music that I prefer to listen to.

Oh yeah, for sure. When The Kinks back catalog became available on Spotify I was overjoyed.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:47 AM on December 21, 2015


Man, it's like everyone is overlooking the millions of dollars garnered by 1.
posted by valkane at 10:47 AM on December 21, 2015


Ah the Napster era - back when today's 22 year-olds were six.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:52 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


According to Wikipedia, regarding Wonderful Christmastime:

Including royalties from cover versions, it is estimated that McCartney makes $400,000 a year from this song, which puts its cumulative earnings at near $15 million.

Wait, what?
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 10:54 AM on December 21, 2015 [5 favorites]


Wait, what?

There is ridiculous money in Christmas songs.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:56 AM on December 21, 2015


> Ah the Napster era - back when today's 22 year-olds were six.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:52 AM on December 21 [1 favorite −] Favorite added! [!]


I mean I'm a little confused by contemporary 22 year olds who are super into the Beatles. They're great musicians and all, but so was Frank Sinatra, and when I was in my early 20s I wasn't listening to Frank Sinatra.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 10:59 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Jeez, and what's with all these people listening to Bach? What are they, 400 years old?
posted by Daily Alice at 11:04 AM on December 21, 2015 [10 favorites]


Oh yeah, for sure. When The Kinks back catalog became available on Spotify I was overjoyed.

They showed up on Google Play recently too and I've been playing the hell out of their back catalog since. I know that I probably should be keeping up with contemporary music but there's still so much old stuff that I haven't heard yet or at least haven't heard in thirty years.
posted by octothorpe at 11:05 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


when I was in my early 20s I wasn't listening to Frank Sinatra.

I was. But I've been listening to pre-1960s music since I was a kid rummaging through my parent's old jazz and folk records.
posted by octothorpe at 11:07 AM on December 21, 2015


I feel that same way about young people that only listen to The Beatles/Classic Rock/stuff their parents would have listened to. I was listening to The Beatles (and Sinatra and so on) at that age, but it wasn't the only thing I listened to. Working for a music company who hires a lot of new grads, I meet some kids just out of college who are stuck in an older era of music that's not their own. And it's not like I expect them all to be listening to Drake and Katy Perry, but when their tastes stop at 1975 and they were born in 1995 it's a little weird.
posted by downtohisturtles at 11:07 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Let's face it: that "so this is Christmas" thing is not substantially better than Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime. Christmas music is just a bad idea. Which dovetails nicely with the thread next door about picking an idea for humanity to just forget...
posted by Sing Or Swim at 11:09 AM on December 21, 2015


Christmas music is just a bad idea.

For about ten years in the UK now, the most-loved and played xmas song is probably The Pogues' 'Fairytale of New York.' The whole storytelling booze-gloom fuck it anyway attitude of the song seems to just get better and better with age.
posted by colie at 11:14 AM on December 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


It's not the late 70s anymore, people. Punk happened. Being anti-Beatles isn't necessary for your Cool Card now.

You can like or not like the Beatles, but some of the posturing in this thread is comical. You're regurgitating stale wannabe-cynicism from decades ago. Today the Beatles are just a band among the many available to people. Drop the weird ancient cultural baggage you're carrying about the band. Stop trying to refight battles from 30+ years ago. The only people I ever see going on anti-Beatles rants are old people.

Talk about lazy and boring.
posted by Sangermaine at 11:24 AM on December 21, 2015 [11 favorites]


Hopefully this will bring them the exposure they sorely need.

Jokes aside, I'm guessing pay rates will go down across the board as a result. I'm pretty sure they won't be paid on a per-listen basis, and the increase in paying listeners won't be covering what I'm guessing will be a substancial budget-eater.

I mean I'm a little confused by contemporary 22 year olds who are super into the Beatles. They're great musicians and all, but so was Frank Sinatra, and when I was in my early 20s I wasn't listening to Frank Sinatra.
Modern music sites aimed at young adults (#millennialmales) aren't waxing off poetically about Sinatra, where every time a modern band does something a bit more psychedelic, they can't wait to namedrop the Beatles.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:28 AM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


When The Kinks back catalog became available on Spotify I was overjoyed.

Wat

*Checks to see if Kinks albums are available on Google Music as well*

Fuck yeah!
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 12:10 PM on December 21, 2015


Something that surprised me when I decided to really get into the Beatles and listen to all their albums instead of just the most popular songs that I'd heard because everybody has heard them, was that you can buy all their studio albums and still be missing dozens of their most famous songs.

I guess when the Beatles were releasing records it was considered cheating to release a song as a single and also put it on an album. The Past Masters albums aren't, as I thought, a redundant "best of" collection, but rather a pretty essential compilation of all the singles that were never released on an album
posted by straight at 12:15 PM on December 21, 2015


Yeah - Hey Jude is surely one of the best odds-n-sods compilations ever.
posted by Going To Maine at 12:19 PM on December 21, 2015


I mean I'm a little confused by contemporary 22 year olds who are super into the Beatles. They're great musicians and all, but so was Frank Sinatra, and when I was in my early 20s I wasn't listening to Frank Sinatra.

When you grew up, there were much brighter lines between brand new music, recent music, and old music. When kids today receive a link to a song someone shared with them, they don't necessarily know or care whether it was recorded 50 years ago or last year.
posted by straight at 12:26 PM on December 21, 2015 [6 favorites]


Also, it's kind of silly to drag out "Why isn't X as famous and enduring as the Beatles?" when it's been obvious for decades that the Beatles discography simply is one of the most enduring and influential works of pop music since people started making records. You may not think it should be, but the judgment of history has pretty much been made by now.
posted by straight at 12:31 PM on December 21, 2015 [6 favorites]


I don't particularly care for the beatles, but this will hopefully diversify the nostalgia music kick my family always go on during holidays, so I'm okay with this.
posted by lownote at 1:19 PM on December 21, 2015


the opening chord...
posted by pjenks at 3:51 PM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


I had never heard the hippopotamus Christmas song before, and think it's great! Much better than "This Christmas", or even worse, the myriad versions of "Santa Baby" that keep appearing. I also like "Wonderful Christmastime" but not nearly as much as "Happy Xmas (War is Over)", with its sly nod to the liturgical calendar. Also, what would the WAR ON CHRISTMAS folks do if you wished them "Happy Xmas"? Those are just my opinions, but they are the correct ones. If you disagree with them you are being wrong on the Internet and I will stay up all night arguing with you. (Only true for values of "all night" not exceeding the next 30 minutes.)
posted by TedW at 7:24 PM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


A lot of high schoolers very fondly remember the Beatles from the Rock Band video game a few years back when they were kids... youtube
posted by newton at 10:01 AM on December 22, 2015


More press confirming services and albums.
posted by jeffamaphone at 8:35 AM on December 23, 2015


Up now on Spotify New Zealand. This is great. I wouldn't go out and buy most of these albums, but it's nice being able to dip into them when I want, have them with me for running etc.

It's the UK versions, 2009 remasters.

Also quite amusing to see the playcounts for all their songs are still <1000 (the lowest measure that Spotify has).
posted by Pink Frost at 1:33 PM on December 23, 2015


It's happening! No mono (boo!). The new (again!) remasters for the recently reissued 1 album sound pretty nice. Right now I'm streaming the Abbey Road medley. Happy holidays, folks!
posted by Jansku at 3:24 PM on December 23, 2015


Huzzah.
posted by jeffamaphone at 4:39 PM on December 23, 2015


The Kinks' "Father Christmas" kicks the shit out of any of the solo Beatles Christmas songs.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:06 PM on December 23, 2015 [2 favorites]


Streaming away on Spotify with the Christmas family now... beautiful.

Still hope we can have more, since there's no marketing or packaging cost or anything.

e.g. The Beatles' 'Live at the Hollywood Bowl' LP (an official release in the 70s but deleted years ago) is one of the greatest live albums of all time.
posted by colie at 8:49 AM on December 24, 2015 [1 favorite]


It's strange that Apple Music doesn't seem to be pushing the Beatles at all. As far as I can tell, there's been no announcement from Apple, and no banners within Apple Music itself.
posted by thursdaystoo at 12:11 PM on December 24, 2015


It'd be nice if someone took a crack at removing the screaming from Live at the Hollywood Bowl. It's kind of unlistenable, for me, because all I hear is the audience.
posted by jeffamaphone at 12:01 PM on December 25, 2015


I am so enjoying having this music available to me again, it feels like coming home.

Thoughts:
* I could just listen to Ringo drum without any other instruments playing. Listen to the left side of "I feel fine" and tell me that he wasn't a great drummer.
* Damn they could harmonize
* Is there a better rock song than "A Hard Day's Night"?
* The production still sounds so clean and somehow complicated without sounding cluttered.
* Paul's lyrics could be kinda insipid
* Listening to the "Red Album" and it's astounding how fast they evolved. It was less than two years from "Please, please me" to "Day Tripper".
posted by octothorpe at 8:47 AM on December 30, 2015


It was less than two years from "Please, please me" to "Day Tripper".

They're similar songs in some ways:

- 'Tumbling strain' descending verse vocals, identical repeats
- Pre-chorus which circles around several chords before landing safely on a statement
- Opening motif is a catchy riff played with a distinctive timbre
- Very unusual and original outro of PPM is a preview of the wandering chords in the second half of the DT pre-chorus
posted by colie at 12:20 PM on December 30, 2015


I can't believe Help! and Rubber Soul came out in the same year. And sure, some of Pauls lyrics may not be the best, but damn, he was 23 when he wrote Yesterday? Its about the sentiment the lyrics + the music convey. I still couldn't write something that beautiful.

The earlier work has great songs on albums full of stuff I find completely skippable. But everything that came after Rubber Soul is still mind blowing for me to listen to. Well, except for Revolver. For some reason I can't really stand most of Revolver. And Yellow Submarine. But everything else... just damn. Genius. Over and over.
posted by jeffamaphone at 7:16 PM on December 30, 2015


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