For essentially as long as I can remember, I’ve always gravitated towards the classic rock music of the ’60s and ’70s. I imagine it had a lot to do with my dad’s influence, listening to the local rock radio station when he was in the backyard or driving me to soccer practice. But as I got older, I found myself wanting to hear more from this era of rock and roll musicians than just their greatest hits. My journey with this very broad genre has been a long one, during which I’ve found myself tied to so many iconic artists of the past, but like many, for me, it all started with The Beatles.
Being my first true classic rock love, I’ve listened to a lot of their huge catalog, often spinning my dad’s old records of Meet the Beatles all the way to Let it Be. But despite how well I may have known their songs, my sense of who The Beatles were as a band and as individuals was limited to only a few pieces of popular knowledge. So, when I heard the news that a docuseries was being released, with 8 hours of The Beatles behind-the-scenes footage, my attention was certainly peaked. Once I started watching The Beatles: Get Back, it was hard for me to stop, other than shortly pausing to explain the significance of a particular moment to one of my (unfortunate) roommates.
It was a strange thing because although I really didn’t know too much about the members of The Beatles, they were exactly as I expected them to be. Paul, being the visionary, ever so casually created some of the most legendary songs of all time, like “Get Back” and “Let it Be”, out of thin air. Lennon, being the chaotic catalyst, cracking jokes and turning ideas into complete arrangements. George, being the often unappreciated genius, sitting on some legendary music of his own at that point, but rarely getting the final say. And Ringo, who was and still is just all peace and love. (See every one of Ringo’s tweets, ever.)
Watching the dynamic of The Beatles at any point in time would have been interesting to me, but especially in the context of 1969. Aside from their occasional commentary on the social and political events of the time, we get a unique look into the evolution of their relationships, like Paul with Linda and her adorable daughter Heather, and most notably, John and Yoko Ono. This particular duo was fascinating to watch because while Yoko never left John’s side basically the entire time, there certainly didn’t seem to be any tension caused specifically by her that would have led to the band’s subsequent breakup, even though this is infamously attributed to Yoko.
I know they say to never meet your idols, but this docuseries felt like I did, and I don’t regret watching it one bit. Even if you’re not super into The Beatles, I think it’s almost impossible to not find something to enjoy in this footage. Being a fan of musicians from the past can be really fun, because it sort of takes you back in time, away from the tribulations of the modern-day. However, it’s also harder to connect with the actual people behind the music without the tools we have today, like social media. Unexpectedly, this footage sort of healed me of that affliction, and left me feeling like I finally got to say hello, and goodbye, to what’s safe to say, one of the greatest bands of all time.