"I'm a Loser."

Perhaps I'm crazy but the Beatles box set just doesn't seem worth it. It seems, however, a fair chunk of the industrialized world have already lined up for their copies and the critics are weighing in (oh thank God!) but I just can't join in the Liverpudlian orgy.

Is this even necessary? The Onion's A.V. Club Talk's most recent podcast (see here) would lead one to believe that the box set is just this side of indispensable. Can this be? I'm certainly not an expert or audiophile to any degree but I feel the original CD releases I have hold up quite well. I own every album except the first two (please don't judge me harshly) and I'm happy dammit!

And then there's the release of the box set being coupled with the Beatles Rock Band video game. I haven't any issues with the game really but the whole coordinated release thing grates on my artistic sensibilities. I'm actually left wondering if John and George would have been on-board for all this tomfoolery (let's not speculate a la Dave Grohl and Chris Novoselic http://bit.ly/cfhLk.)

It'll be pretty damned hard to revere the Beatles any more that I do already. I don't think Paul's more prominent bass lines or Ringo's more distinct drumming will change my long-held opinions of this band's talent or place in history. I don't think I'll buy the box set or the hype.