I would like to watch the entire 57 hours of film plus listen to the 150 hours of audio, not haphazardly but with context. Peter has done a fine job of Part 1 which I throughly enjoyed last night and I'm looking forward to enjoying Parts 2 and Parts 3, currently available but I want to savor every minute, every moment because when the credits roll, as they eventually will at the conclusion of Part 3, I will NOT be happy nor content. I love everything about THE BEATLES! Their shenanigans, their mischievous charm and actions, their laughter. It's good to be young. I know it well. How? You ask; Well for starters I too was young and mischievous and laughed and was vibrant and joyful in my endeavors. I had friends that I loved dearly and loved me back. Still do. I was attractive and my friends were attractive, as was our crowd. We were childlike in our behavior and didn't judge ourselves or our clique or our peers as to the childlike things we were turned on to. We're we immature, maybe each had some level of immaturity and we tolerated and accepted that we were on different levels in our growing up and that was cool with all of us. We were also mature and offered to elevate our group in non-preachy ways. We weren't Beatle Famous or Beatle Rich. But we were known within our circle and everyone in our circle was a celebrity to each of us. We ourselves didn't have all the accessories that the Beatles had. Paul's Austin-Martin was tre-cool. But our bunch had Firebirds and Corvette Sting Rays. Porsche were not abundant, nor were Mercedes Benz. Plenty of functional transportation was in the mix and were appreciated by one and all. I mean as fine looking as the Datsun 280z was, it had two bucket seats and could fit one more squished sideways in the 'seats' behind the front two. Our crowd was like a village. Different acquaintances and friends of friends, brothers or sisters of friends and acquaintances were there for you when the need arrived. That village was filled with great people who were accommodating because they were good hearted and with their entrepreneurial spirit and their enterprising nature made them choose to share the access they enjoyed and took for granted with others in similar predicaments. When the owing of solids (favors) accumulated, other means of barter were employed ie; introducing smitten guys or gals to the ones that was the cause of their smittenness ( is that a real word?) Introductions is easier to write, so I did. We all did NOT attend the same school (high or junior high) and solids (favors) were what allowed the intermingling between boys and girls, musicians with other musicians, athletes with their counterparts and nerds with other smarter nerds. Money wasn't abundant, but as we grew from JHS to High School, an economy emerged. The point wasn't to get rich off your buddies, but a transaction (legal of course ) here and a transaction there could earn one enough coin to score a couple of better than decent seats to see a music show at Radio City Music Hall or Madison Square Garden. It'd be unusual for the girl you fancied to turn that down, especially when the families were familiar to one another and she saw you at a cool party on her home turf and a proper (not necessarily formal) introduction was made by a mutual friend or friend of a friend, you were "In Like Flynn". Parents tried and usually succeeded in not spoiling their offspring, but clothing, nice clothing was necessary for holidays and social affairs. Weddings, Bar-Mitzvahs, Engagement Parties, Sweet Sixteen, what have you. We were a socially active community and a wardrobe was a necessity, not just a luxury. Moms were generous with their daughters. Dads got their sons summer jobs and supplemented that commitment with a nice allowance. If the richest were giving their fifteen year old sons a summer allowance of $20 to $25 a week, half that during school months, even a low earner dad could handle that as long as he had just one or two sons in that age group. We weren't BEATLES, but we were younger and our needs much less. Guys the BEATLES age had cars, we had bikes -we had access to cars when absolutely necessary. They spent a decent amount of cash on liquor. Besides a beer snuck into a party or under the boardwalk, we drank soda pop. Drugs, both legal and illegal were not on our radar and wouldn't be for a long while after. The 'Sugar High' of a glass of Coca~Cola, or a drag of tabacco on a Marlboro Cigarette wasn't as harmless as we had thought, but the cost was literally pennies. A small candy store Coke was originally 5¢, the large a dime. It rose to 7¢ and 12¢ respectively in 1961. Egg-Creams were delicious and were only offered in the larger glass; 12¢ - Cigarettes were 2 packs for a quarter before I smoked, but was constantly sent on errands to buy them for the adults and young adults. When I was stupid enough to try and look cool by lighting up and sticking that poison stick in me mouth, the price was up to 25¢ for just ONE pack. Next I recall it shot up to 32¢ and that was the State of New York's highest allowable price. Ergo, when you purchased a pack in a vending machine, which were popular in pool halls that I used to frequent frequently, you drop a dime and a quarter in the machine and selected your wrapped in cigarette paper poisonous chemical stick with or without a filter in a cellophane wrapped hard-top cardboard box or what was called the soft pack. So you inserted 35¢ for a 32¢ pack of ligs (our creative groups nickname for cigarettes) and you made the selection by pulling a plunger out, towards you and releasing the package to drop into the bin. The three penny change was inserted between the cellophane and packaging material. A pack of matches dropped simultaneously from a different slot. Just in case that slot mal-functioned as it often did, there was a box of matches atop the vending miracle. All that extra teenage cash was spent on pizza, felafel, hamburgers and french fries, soft drinks, pinball machines, bowling, sweets, ice cream, the penny arcade and baseball cards. And, of course on records. Singles 45RPM had a notation of sorts distinguishing one of it's side as The "A" SIDE the supposed and usually better song, the one that got the bulk of the radio play. The reverse was The "B" SIDE and it wasn't usually very good, a throwaway, I guess you'd call it. So it was with great delight that THE BEATLES were aware of giving good value on their records, and provided top notch songs on both "A" and "B" SIDES, even going as far as releasing 45's whose both sides (different songs, of course) BOTH LISTED AS "A" SIDES - Before THE BEATLES, most youngsters and younger teens exclusively bought 45's - because LP's a/k/a 33rpm LONG PLAYING ALBUMS were expensive $4.99 vs just 69¢ for a 45. But, on a 45 you knew what you were getting. A song you had heard on your radio's AM Dial and obviously you liked it enough to buy it.
However, an Album had 12 songs, most of which, if not at all, you hadn't had heard any of what you were getting for your $5. Up until the BEATLES, most LP's had a song, maybe two, and rarely -usually by accident or whatever-three songs that were listenable over and over for a decent period of time. That was unusual, to say the least. The BEATLES broke that mold. EVERY SONG was a gem. Teen's disposable income (their pocket money) headed directly to the record stores cash register as BEATLES ALBUMS sold in the millions and multi-millions. The BEATLES were fair, no song released as a 45RPM single appeared on one of their albums. They believed that their fans shouldn't have to buy the same song twice. Early on, there was just one exception, with "I Saw Her Standing There" appearing on their 1st Album "PLEASE PLEASE ME" and on as an "A" SIDE of their 45 single; The "B" SIDE was "Matchbox" (Worth the money on it own, I'd say) So, in conclusion, we didn't have the international success of THE BEATLES, but we were successful within our own smaller world & we the celebrities within that smaller world. The success and celebrity that allowed THE BEATLES to transverse into other worlds, was different than our own success. We too enjoyed celebrity and success as well, on a very micro scale. No comparison, but it was sufficient for own needs, our own desires and our own growth. They had the privilege of unlimited access. We didn't require such unlimited access, but we had enough access to the things that interested us. They were happy. We were happy. Still am, as the remaining Beatles are I hope. They enjoyed the productivity of their days at work. I cannot speak for all of us, but I like to think we too enjoyed and enjoy our productive selves. They uplifted those around them in the working arena. I think that true of us as a community, as well. It's in our DNA. Or so I hope so. I know it's always been in mine. It's confusing as to who got the better of the deal. They got to create BEATLES MUSIC. We've had the distinct honor of listening to it. Johnny Carson once asked FRANK SINATRA who he (SINATRA) listens to when he cuddles with a girl (For those unfamiliar, FRANK SINATRA was the most listened to singer back then in those romantic situations) SO I ASK THE SAME QUESTION OF THE BEATLES (When they were all alive and a loving ensemble, which they were the majority of their time together as a group) I think we the fans got the better of the deal. Plop down your $4.99 and enjoy the benefits of their talents and hard work! It's not all fame a glamour, being a BEATLE! Paul McCartney was told to not ride the bus. THE CONDUCTOR informed Sir Paul, in no uncertain terms that It's for the working class citizens, of which he was no longer a part of. Worse even, was having to dodge jellybean thrown at them with great strength and accuracy, turning the innocent candy into dangerous projectiles, all whilst they did their best performing an on stage concert in London, screams louder than ever.
Review:PART 1 of 2.
However, an Album had 12 songs, most of which, if not at all, you hadn't had heard any of what you were getting for your $5. Up until the BEATLES, most LP's had a song, maybe two, and rarely -usually by accident or whatever-three songs that were listenable over and over for a decent period of time. That was unusual, to say the least. The BEATLES broke that mold. EVERY SONG was a gem. Teen's disposable income (their pocket money) headed directly to the record stores cash register as BEATLES ALBUMS sold in the millions and multi-millions. The BEATLES were fair, no song released as a 45RPM single appeared on one of their albums. They believed that their fans shouldn't have to buy the same song twice. Early on, there was just one exception, with "I Saw Her Standing There" appearing on their 1st Album "PLEASE PLEASE ME" and on as an "A" SIDE of their 45 single; The "B" SIDE was "Matchbox" (Worth the money on it own, I'd say) So, in conclusion, we didn't have the international success of THE BEATLES, but we were successful within our own smaller world & we the celebrities within that smaller world. The success and celebrity that allowed THE BEATLES to transverse into other worlds, was different than our own success. We too enjoyed celebrity and success as well, on a very micro scale. No comparison, but it was sufficient for own needs, our own desires and our own growth. They had the privilege of unlimited access. We didn't require such unlimited access, but we had enough access to the things that interested us. They were happy. We were happy. Still am, as the remaining Beatles are I hope. They enjoyed the productivity of their days at work. I cannot speak for all of us, but I like to think we too enjoyed and enjoy our productive selves. They uplifted those around them in the working arena. I think that true of us as a community, as well. It's in our DNA. Or so I hope so. I know it's always been in mine. It's confusing as to who got the better of the deal. They got to create BEATLES MUSIC. We've had the distinct honor of listening to it. Johnny Carson once asked FRANK SINATRA who he (SINATRA) listens to when he cuddles with a girl (For those unfamiliar, FRANK SINATRA was the most listened to singer back then in those romantic situations) SO I ASK THE SAME QUESTION OF THE BEATLES (When they were all alive and a loving ensemble, which they were the majority of their time together as a group) I think we the fans got the better of the deal. Plop down your $4.99 and enjoy the benefits of their talents and hard work! It's not all fame a glamour, being a BEATLE! Paul McCartney was told to not ride the bus. THE CONDUCTOR informed Sir Paul, in no uncertain terms that It's for the working class citizens, of which he was no longer a part of. Worse even, was having to dodge jellybean thrown at them with great strength and accuracy, turning the innocent candy into dangerous projectiles, all whilst they did their best performing an on stage concert in London, screams louder than ever.
Review:PART 1 of 2.
