When was the last time you really listened to The Beatles? I’m not talking about a song on a comp or radio. I’m not talking about background listening, I’m talking about entire songs or albums all the way through, doing nothing but listening. It had been a long time since I had actually listened to The Beatles catalog…I mean really listened. Sure, I play select cuts or pop on Abbey Road or Sgt. Pepper’s once in awhile but always while doing other things or when preparing for my power pop show/podcast.
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So, on my last few long distance trips (Austin, Nashville and most recently Atlanta) I’ve been going through the Fab Four’s catalog. I was inspired by the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s and the release of a new Paul McCartney album. I started with the first four releases…enjoyable and familiar and not a lot of surprises. Then, while waiting for my delayed flight to Hotlanta, I decided to go against conventional wisdom and my marriage vows and purchase a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 3 on-ear headphones. You know, the ridiculously expensive “noise canceling” headphones that when on make it impossible to hear the plane engine outside your window exploding into flames, or better yet, make it impossible to hear the flight crew making the announcement that the plane is going down and all electronic devices must be shut off.
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As it turns out, my headphones-with-a-payment-plan purchase combined with my desire to really dig into The Beatles catalog proved revolutionary.
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First of all, the on-ear headphones, unlike the complete over the ear (too big and goofy) and the in-ear (can’t find one that will actually stay in my left ear), the Bose on-ears are comfortable and not too big. They sound absolutely amazing. I’m not trying to plug Bose or sell anything here, but my iPod has never sounded better and I’ve used some good headphones in the past (Senhieser, Bose, Sony, etc). So now I’m on the plane with these bad boys on my head, everything tuned out (the crying babies, the guy next to me trying to talk to me about the weather) and I start with Sgt. Pepper’s and then move onto Magical Mystery Tour and then I skim both the Red and Blue compilations. I have never heard some of these sounds before. I’m listening to the vocal tracks, the drums, the strings, the weird clicks and handclaps and the production is just coming alive! Listening to Sgt. Pepper’s and Magical Mystery Tour back to back with headphones and no interruptions was a near spiritual experience.
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We all know how powerful music is and how it can move us, but if you are like me and listen to a lot of music, and aren’t just discovering it for the first time, that same magic isn’t always there. Hearing these albums like this has re-awakened that sleeping musical beast inside. From “Fool on a Hill” to “Your Mother Should Know,” I am amazed at the sound and production, not to mention the powerful hooks and melodies. I can actually hear the breath before the vocal line, and can almost hear the quirks in arrangements influencing almost every album that’s come out since then. I am amazed at the things I hear that make me think of my other favorite artists and albums…from 10cc and Cheap Trick to Daniel Amos, Jellyfish and Fountains of Wayne.
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Sure, we all know how amazing and influential The Beatles are and were, but when is the last time you actually listened to the influence and thought about it? I had gotten to the point where I was tired of hearing the same Beatles songs over and over and preferred listening to the more modern bands they influenced. I had forgotten just how powerful these albums were. So go into debt, mortgage the house (again) or sell your roommates stuff and go get yourself some of these Bose 3 headphones and fire up The Beatles. I’m betting you hear things you’ve never heard before.
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