Evaluation_on_the_Beatles

Evaluation Paper Many people believe that The Beatles, a well known rock band from England, has influenced other bands and impacted generations of people over the past decades. They had more hits on the charts through their rather short career together and defined how pop music evolved in the 1960’s. Now that it has been forty years since the legendary breakup of the group, studio companies E.M.I. and Apple Corps are releasing The Beatles albums. They have been digitally remastered. EA Games, along with the other two studio companies have released a new Rock Band game dedicated to the music and career of The Beatles. Since I am a huge fan, I had a difficult time waiting to find out if it was as good as I expected. On the ninth of September, The Beatles: Rock Band along with the remastered albums was finally released to fans that breathe, live, and love Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney. I remember coming home that afternoon eagerly wanting to drive to the closest Best Buy store to play the demo. When my dad walked through the door, I was excited to see that he was holding it in his hand. The opening screen was intriguing. It was then that I discovered George Harrison’s son was one of the creators and designers of the game. The Beatles: Rock Band starts off in an English pub called “The Cavern” in 1962. This was where The Beatles first played together as a band. The game continues to follow The Beatles and their career to the Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium, Budokan, and Abby Road Studio. I was astonished to see how well this game was put together. Each location that the game showed appeared realistic and authentic. One part of the game that was the most enjoyable for me was the Shea Stadium Concert. This segment was set in the 60’s when The Beatles were climbing the charts and this was the height of the British invasion. From the mop top haircuts in the early 60’s to the long hair and bearded Beatles in the late 60’s, the developers made you feel that you are a member of the band. True to the game’s title, John, Paul, George, and Ringo looked, moved, and sounded like themselves. As their popularity grew throughout the years, the developers changed their appearance to look a few years older. By know you are probably wondering, “If this is a music based game, how do the tracks sound'” To answer that question, the soundtrack is astonishing and well put together. The game includes forty-five tracks that span across twelve of The Beatles albums from 1962 to 1969. For the younger generation who likes the band, but may not know a lot of the music that they played, everyone will find several songs that they have heard at some time or another. Having the original versions of The Beatles albums, I was uncertain if I would like the remastered versions. In the end, I was not disappointed. One of the best parts about the game was the studio segments. The creators and developers discovered old tapes and soundtracks of The Beatles playing and talking during their studio sessions as they recorded their songs. During one track of the song “Helter Skelter”, you can hear Ringo’s voice in the background saying, “Roll the tape again”.