Schoultz’s Lo-Fi Motel

Surprise, surprise, The Beatles are hot commodity once again.  The release of the box set has been setting records all over the globe.  It’s like their two coolest members never died.  It’s like they never freaking broke up.  Of course, direct your radio to the closest Top 40 station, endure close to 20 minutes of what they spew, and you will understand the reaction to a high-profile re-release of some quality tunes.

In my misspent youth, I was truly Stones over Beatles.  The Stones were still trying to shock and instigate well into the 1980’s while the Beatle’s wrote “pop” songs and gave up in 1970.  I never really gave the Beatles their due until about seven years ago, I started to listen to their catalogue.  Truths:  The Beatles are not a mere “pop” band.  They rocked hard when they felt the need.  ”She’s So Heavy” is the heaviest song of the ’60’s.  Tony Iommi says so.  Are you gonna argue with Tony Iommi?  Didn’t think so.  Also listen to “Helter Skelter”, “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, “So Tired” and “Revolution.”  The Beatles tore the shite up when they felt like it.

But let’s not ignore their waxed wings getting too high to the sun.  I’m talking about the horrid cinematic experience that is The Magical Mystery Tour. 

The Beatles were and are a culture-changing collective.  Separately, well, not so.  Study Paul’s output, George’s output, John’s self-absorbed out-put.  Damn, Ringo comes out looking like the genius of the bunch!  Maybe he was.

And then you have the Magical Mystery Tour.  A vanity project on the heels of the overrated, pretentious Sgt. Pepper album.  Yep, I said it.  The Sgt. Pepper album sucks.  I’ve always hated it.  Except for ”A Day in the Life.”  That is a saving grace.  Can’t love that song enough.  Anyways, enough about that release.  MMT (the album) was actually a musical improvement, but the movie was a painful piece of hurt.  Mind you, the song clips were fun and weird, but there was no plot, no form, no nothing.  It was like a home movie of John and Paul being bored, taking a horse’s share of LSD and trying to capture a moment.  I’m not a cruel man.  I will allow you to watch the movie and all it’s horrid bits on your own time.  In good will, I will offer whatever sweet highlights I can conjure off our good buddy YouTube.

Actually one of my fave Beatle’s tunes.  Who wouldn’t want to be a Beatle at this point?  No screamed out concerts, no getting mauled by 16 year-olds, just being able to create and be a weirdo.

 And of course, there were the rare moments of musical/visual bliss, such as this clip.  The Beatles and Hula Girls.  Nice touch.

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