Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Anthology at 25

One interesting thing that's happened in 2020 is the 25th anniversary of The Beatles incredible Anthology miniseries has come and gone without any fanfare (that I have seen, at least.) 

I can remember breathlessly watching the three nights they originally ran this back in 1995, and thinking "who the fuck on the planet ISN'T watching this?" As the respective albums were released I'd buy them at Sounds at the mall in Oxford, running to the mall shitter to read the liner notes cause I couldn't wait til I got home.

One great thing about the series was it reminded everybody that not only were the Beatles the BEST band ever, they were also the FUNNIEST - not "madcap" like in A Hard Day's Night, but they could walk into any room at any time and have it howling with laughter. The Anthology was 10 hours long, and there's not a single minute that's not wonderful. Damn if I didn't wear the fuck outta those videotapes back in the day.

It was a helluva time to be a Beatles fan - besides the Anthology, PBS ran A Hard Day's Night, Help! and The Making of A Hard Day's Night ad nauseum. I was in heaven. And of course today being today, we hafta struggle with the realization that when the miniseries came out, John Lennon had only been dead 15 years and not the seeming eternity if feels like now.

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