Friday, December 13, 2013

The Best Band on Earth, 1963

With this band it's wasn't a matter of if, but rather when, so of course...  The Beatles.


I still refuse to take sides on the early vs. later Beatles argument, but what is unarguable is the fact that 1963 was the year the Beatles rose to the top of the world where they still are.  They could not have done that without their unrelenting schedule of killer live shows - already in top form from their years in Hamburg.  Footage from this era shows a band that delivered anything anyone could want from a rock show.  Brian Epstein also made sure they were extra charming and looked great, even if the suits were a bit weird.

Though they were still playing a lot of covers at this point that is what many fans loved most and groups like the Cyril Jordan era Flamin' Groovies owe their whole persona to this era and their re-workings of original classics like "Misery" and "Please Please Me" have been kept alive.  These songs showed that Lennon and McCartney had even greater skill than the guys they were covering with tunes as diverse as the sweet love of "All My Loving" to the determined punk fury of "I Wanna Be Your Man."

These performances were effortless to this unmatchable quartet and for those lucky enough to experience these times they remain the fondest of all Beatles' memories.  Of course, the music only got better, but we've all heard enough about the Beatles.  There is no need for me to further ellaborate why they were the best band in the world in 1963.

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