The much belated birthday entry. Another year has passed, or at least another year did pass, about a week and a half ago. And of course, there were small, but important gifts. Anyone interested in that as a list should wait for another entry, one that I may become too distracted to write. Anyone interested for a rant on the recycled culture of todays society, it is for you whom I write this entry, that you and I might learn from the sins of the past, and apparently the present as well, for among those precious things for which it's the thought that truly counts I found, a "new" beatles album. It's listed below. Yes, the album, as described to me was of remastered versions of songs most of which I had come to love, or at least admire. Here were all those songs, but with better sound quality, and a DVD extra, surely this was to be praised.
That evening, on my birthday, as I began a small journey, and tried out my newfound beatles cd, I found something unexpected: Remixes. Imangine if you will, a spacecraft which is powered by hooks from beatles songs, and perhaps hindered by their accompanying melodies, imagine a series of hooks and rifts played in sequence and over each other until the cacophony serves only to remind you of the better and more importantly separate songs which you could be listening to instead. It is as if, someone has attempted to quantify the hook in each beatles song and add them together in the hopes of creating something more awesome. Sadly, the math does not work out.
I am reminded, of all things, of starwars and southpark. Southpark having parodied the events of remastering and rereleasing old but critically acclaimed movies which had be cheesed up by bigger and better graphics and the retooled intentions of a diector, producer, studio or whoever happened to have the time money and copyrights handy at the moment. Here it was, the very same thing, someone somewhere had decided that there was money to be made, remixing lennon just like tupac, and had set to work. Not surprisingly toward that ends they would be a success. After all, how many die hard beatles fans would willingly expand their collections, and even if there were those who didn't, how many had relatives who can remember, if nothing else, that they know a beatlemaniac who would "LOVE THAT NEW BEATLES CD!."
I will admit, for a second I considered burning it (literally, not in order to make a copy), better to scorch this travesty from my mind, and my cd player, but allow me to reconsider. This cd, already pressed into existence and pressed into our hands had already left a mark. It could not be undone, and that is the reason why it should never have been done in the first place. Beatles songs are unique, they may not be for all seasons, but there is elegance in simplicity, even in those flaws that you never stop hearing (one of their voices cracks in the chorus of "if I fell") and are assured by the familiarity.
Music and books and movies and all art share that simple property, once they are done, they cannot be undone, and by this simple virtue, once it leaves the hands of the artists, it is not theirs anymore, it belongs to the people who love it. It is this quality of music and art and cinema, which should, in my hopeful dreams, dissuade any who would seek to revise without giving anything new to the arguement. Any of you who have heard me rant about music, know how much I hate remakes which do nothing more but add a island rythem (thank you 50 first dates) or the like to a song. It's just a reason to turn a dollar or add your name to a list, secure your place in history without the effort or genius of those who did it of their own skill.
That is why I cannot bring myself to burn it, and in fact have made several efforts (of varying success) to listen to it. It is here, and it must be accepted for what it is, love it or hate it, if it matters at all you will not forget it. Since having listened to parts of it at least, I do have these few small concessions to make. The stoner tracks (eg.- iam the walrus, being for the benefit of mr. kite, strawberry fields forever) are easier to listen to, perhaps because whoever was mixing them realized they were complex enough as is, and did not need much retooling. Also, track 22. "while my guitar gently weeps" is an accoustic with symphonic backing version of the original which is great, as most depressive songs merit at least one accoustic version, if only to enhance their moodiness.
That's not my two cents, that's a buck-fifty. Keep the change.
Oh, and for those of you wondering, the DVD is an audio DVD, with exactly the same tracks as the CD, except in DVD format to ensure that you can never play them anywhere without the convenience of a DVD player, for those of you interested in listening to the DVD quality sound (you'll never know the difference) in your cars may I suggest pimping your ride. That's right, two discs, exactly the same material on both. It's a walmart shopper's dream.