The Wishing, the Having, the Wasting, the Lasting. Which kind of tells a story right there.
In this particular narrative it turns out the Wishing is probably the most inspiring part. Also the most revealing. I just loved the scruffy Hamburg days, the days when it was all about the playing, the honing of a sound, the trials and tribulations of a working band.
The Having is the story most of us know; at the heart of it is the bizarre Beatlemania phase. Totally inexplicable. The frenzy, the madness, the celebrity culture swirling around like an out of control carousel. Turns out Beatlemania was an ordeal for the band. On the one hand, amazing love and adulation, on the other, the music drowned out by screams. The Fab Four turned into performing monkeys.
The Wasting kind of kicks off when Brian Epstein kicks off. The Beatles are still making amazing, compelling music, in fact they create music that is just overwhelmingly great, (where did it all come from?) but the band concept begins to crack and fragment. The Beatles form Apple and then start to play businessmen. It's clear they were better musicians than merchants.
And then, well, you know...
And finally when all is said and done, we have the tracks. And there is a dazzling exuburance that these four people laid down that just can not be explained away. You must enjoy it! And we do!
