Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Beatles Rock Band


No other band in the history of rock and roll has had more influence on music and popular culture than The Beatles.  From their early days of performing in small 'dungeon' clubs throughout Europe to their final days as a studio band with Apple Records, The Beatles Rock Band for PS3 from EA and Harmonix delivers The Fab Four to Beatles fans worldwide.
Jam with the band or sing along with up to three singers-no matter which your choose, you'll  live, breath and perform as only The Beatles could. 
I grew up watching The Beatles.  I remember seeing them when they first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show as mop top teenyboppers during the early 1960’s.  I watched as they progressed to Nehru jackets, experimented with drugs, embraced Eastern religion, joined Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, walked on Abbey Road, split up and went their own creative ways. 

I remember when John Lennon was murdered and George Harrison died of cancer.  Thank God we still have Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

The Beatles: Rock Band has captured the sheer exuberance and joy of watching the band perform.  Clever animation and background sequences emulate the periods when the performed their hits.  I got a real kick out of watching the psychedelic sequences and the Abbey Road studio period.
The video game starts off with a clever sequential animated short that takes viewers through the entire experience of The Beatles, from teeny bopper to longhair to socially conscious commentators.
Hidden jewels let you see actual footage of The Beatles at play, in public and at work.  They really give you a connection to the band members-not as iconic trendsetters, but as real human beings caught up in a cultural phenomenon.  The Beatles changed the face of society, from the way dressed to their very public opinions, use of drugs and free spirits.
The Beatles: Rock Band allows players to experience what it must have been like performing as a Beatle-both in front of live audiences and in the studio.
Unlike other Rock Band games, The Beatles game lets you play selected greatest hits as they were performed.  No additional band members can be added-although you can add some extra vocals and there are no audiences except when The Beatles performed live.
All-in-all The Beatles: Rock Band is a killer video game with great graphics, and  an entertaining and well-executed format (I love the historical accuracy) and lots of fun to play or sing along with.

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