| Ron Howard’s new documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years begins with one word — “Ringo.” On the screen we see the legendary drummer’s Oyster Black Ludwig drum kit, stenciled with famous Beatles “drop-T” logo. “In the beginning it was so easy,” muses the drummer. We’re poised for a trip down memory lane or, if you were born after 1960, for a galvanizing lesson about one of the most formidable musical phenomena of the 20th century. Unlike any other Beatles documentary, this one succeeds in graphically presenting the hysteria of the few years when the band played live and toured the world. Testimonials also make clear the enormous cultural and musical significance of these early days. As African-American comedian Whoopi Goldberg attests: “We never thought of them as white guys, they were the Beatles. That I could do things the way I want to, I got from them.” Beyond rallying together an entire post-war generation, inspiring a Read more more !! |