Beatlemania Strikes Again

September 16, 2009  
Filed under A&E

Even now, almost 50 years after they got together, the Beatles are still impacting the world through their unique, peace-loving music.

The Beatles: Rock Band came out September 9, causing a stir among music and video game fans. This version of Rock Band is parallel to the others, but instead of a collage of popular music, the game includes only Beatles songs.

In the game you can play by yourself or with friends, using the instruments to play the guitar, bass, drums, or sing vocals. You can choose from 45 different tracks, ranging from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to “Octopus’s Garden.” There are also 31 downloadable songs that will be released throughout the rest of the year.

As you play, sequences of Beatles performances appear in the background. Although rather cartoonish, the art is impressive. The backgrounds coincide with the song you choose to perform. Any fan of the Fab Four would appreciate the “dreamscape” songs where Paul, John, George and Ringo are transported out of their small studio to psychedelic lands.

Along with the new game, recently remastered CDs of the band’s 12 original albums were released. The CDs are available as individuals and in a box set, which is a dream come true for diehard fans.

So, if you’ve had a “hard day’s night” you can sit down with that plastic guitar and jam out to “I Me Mine”, or you can slip Abbey Road into your computer and sing with Lennon and McCartney on “Mean Mr. Mustard.” Either way, you know that Beatlemania has hit America again, and it’s hit hard.

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