Resolved: The Beatles are underrated.
Yes, this is a serious statement. And yes, the same resolution will be applied to subsequent subjects of the “Let Us Now Praise…” series (Charlie Chaplin, Buddy Rich, Babe Ruth, etc).
Now, before you nose-spit your beverage and ruin your shirt or make a mess of your screen or embarrass yourself in public, a promise: this will not be a random fan’s hagiogushing. Let Us Now Praise will be based on a gigantic chorus of musicians, artists and world figures who will return the Beatles to the context that made them the joyous, radical force they were — and, at the same time, make (close?) the case for their sheer musical supremacy, not only as songwriters but as recording artists and ensemble musicians. Whatever your stripe — a casual listener, an industry professional, even a dedicated Beatlemaniac — you are sure to gain new appreciation for the Fab Four (even beyond the “enough-already” ubiquity of Boomer nostalgia). And if you can be moved to hear Beatles music with fresh ears. . . well, surely there isn’t a soul with a functioning human heart who wouldn’t sign up for that.
About Me
Musician…competitive intelligence consultant…corporate stints at Morgan Stanley, SpaceX and Gartner, Inc…poker player…occasional actor and voice-over artist…junkie for baseball, music, politics, history and old film…and passionate evangelist of Beatles, Buddy, Beethoven, Babe and Baplin (er, Chaplin).
I’ve always been fascinated by geniuses whose greatness seems somehow ordained by the gods. As if they were unwitting vehicles for their talent, chosen by whatever higher power exists to represent the greatest human expression of their particular skill or art form. I also believe the most persuasive case that these giants are almost supernatural is made not by fans, pundits, critics or experts. . . but by the collective testimony of other great practitioners in their fields. I hope that collecting and presenting such testimony can help contextualize the supremacy of these icons — and counter the revisionism that sometimes threatens to obscure it.
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