2019's Danny Boyle rom-cam featuring a Beatles subtext has
inspired a lot of discussion among fans this year, given the
pretext of a struggling English musician apparently being the only
person on Earth who can remember existence of the group. Most of
the chatter was about the film itself, but I thought there
were even richer discussions to be had, using the film's core idea
as a springboard. The idea for this show was prompted
by an
article by my guest, Noah Berlatsky (I would encourage
listeners to check it out). He forwarded the notion that buying
into the film's premise required universal agreement that 1) The
Beatles were the greatest rock band ever and 2) that their music
was so great that its inherent genius would be universally
recognized no matter who was performing it, and when. We shall
see....
There has never been a musically more diverse episode of SATB
than this one: in addition to The Fabs, you will be hearing from
artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Moon Mullican to R.D. Burman
and Rhianna; Dee Dee Sharp and Elvis to Mobley and Nick Drake. Yet it all
fits together: what it means to be a successful artist and what are
the factors that result in our bestowing the term "genius" upon
them.
About the Podcast
Hosted by award-winning author Robert Rodriguez, Something About The Beatles is an intelligent but entertaining examination of The Beatles' music and career. Smart, funny and surprising - just like the Fab Four.