A few years ago I barely listened to any music at all. I would occasionally flip on the car radio and look around, trying to find a good song, but I had lost my interest for listening to music. However, about a year ago I started regularly listening to the radio, and began listening to music again. I don't know why I lost interest, but I think it was because all the music I had was just shallow, meaningless noise. It was fun to listen to, but it just lost its flare. For about a two year period I hadn't listened to a single CD. Now, I'm rediscovering my love for music. After listening to a whole bunch of radio stations, I finally went into a nearby music store and bought a few CDs. One CD which I stumbled upon, was The Beatles (By The Beatles, obviously), often known as The White Album. This CD absolutely blew me away, and since I have been discovering the true magnificence of The Beatles.
When I was younger I always thought of The Beatles as some lame pop band with Yellow Submarine, and Octopuses Garden (believe it or not, the only two Beatles songs I'd heard). I was a faithful listener to such groups as Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, etc. I was all about my hard rock, and dismissed all else as garbage. As I matured I branched out, but music kind of lost me, hence my two-year music drought. Now, however, my music-listening career has begun anew, this time as a faithful listener to The Beatles, or at least music with meaning. Not only are the Beatles fantastic instrumentally and lyrically, but they also send out a message. They believed in a peace, a brighter tomorrow and they had ideals which they expressed through their art. Some of their songs are just great to listen to, like Glass Onion, but so many of their songs send a message, speak to someone, or at least have some purpose, not a mindless blur of swears, and deafening guitar.
The early Beatles were a bit pop-ish. In fact, they were even considered a pop group back in the early sixties, and most of their songs were kind of boring, typical, shallow love songs. However, at about the release of Help, the Beatles finally broke through into more meaningful music. There were biographical cries for help (Help, Nowhere Man), cries for love lost (Julia, Yesterday), songs for togetherness and unity (Come Together, Let It Be) songs of personal pain (Yer Blues, You've Got To Hid Your Love Away), cries for not biographical help, but the aiding of others (Hey Jude, Dear Prudence), songs of disgust (Sexy Sadie, Revolution) and many incredible songs in between (Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am The Walrus, Across The Universe) which have some deep meaning that nobody but John, Paul, George and Ringo know. For this, and the fact that nearly every Beatles song is remarkable, the original "Fab Four" are now easily my favourite artists, that's right, artists! Their work is phenomenal, and unforgettable. While a few songs are very poor (Revolution 9, Wild Honey Pie) there are just too many fantastic, meaningful songs that stand out too much to be left out.
There are other artists which capture the imagination, and try to promote a good message, but The Beatles were genuinely fantastic people, and their music is amazing. If anybody has yet to hear them, I highly recommend you purchase a Beatles CD; that is if you like rock, or pop music. They are the reason why I once again listen to music, and I just wish their career wasn't so short lived.
On a side note, I just finished my review on Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Feel free to read it, as always.