Rant #82: Beatles All You Need Is Wii

Well, today being 09/09/09, it would figure that a lot of strange stuff would be happening today, both real and manufactured.

One of the manufactured events today is the release of the video game, The Beatles Rock Band. It features the usual elements of the popular Rock Band franchise, with one notable difference: this game is completely dedicated to the most popular rock act of all time, the Beatles.

I am not much into video games, but this game--which has a release coinciding with the release of the remastered Beatles LP catalog--could start something of a revolution of its own.

I am all for bringing my music--the music of the 1960s--to the largest possible audience. Even Beatles music gets insignificantly classified as "oldies," and a lot of kids won't listen to it. They don't realize that without this music, and this band, the music they listen to would be dramatically different.

Anyway, while I am not clamoring for a Monkees Rock Band (although that would be interesting, wouldn't it?), I think anything that brings this wonderful period of music to a new audience can't be all bad.

The set is pricey--if you want the whole thing, it will cost you at least $200, and that includes the game, the guitars and the drums--but it might be worth it.

My son is really into Rock Band and Guitar Hero, and I reluctantly bought the Beatles set for him, but he will get it for Hanukkah (I could give it to him for Christmas, but we are Jewish). Anyway, I know he will love this. He is well-versed on the music of the period--my wife and I have seen to that pretty well--and he loves to sit there and play the instruments to the music. He gets a real kick out of it, and as a holiday present, it is something that he knows he is getting, and he is looking forward to it.

I can foresee somewhere down the line a U2 Rock Band set, but with the state of music today, I don't think there are any acts who will have the "legs" to have their music made into a Rock Band or Guitar Hero set. I would say maybe Coldplay, but who would actually buy a set of their music?

But what do I know? The last time I looked, 50 Cent was two quarters, five dimes, 10 nickels or 50 pennies.

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