Someone Died in England Too...

Last week marked 4,000 dead in Iraq, and we celebrated with the usual noise makers (CNN, MSBNC, etc...), the usual firecrackers (a recent attack killing over fifty people in one evening), and gifts (Bush's promise that we will not draw down troops anytime in the foreseeable future). It's how all parties should be celebrated, and despite the Americans' reputation for not knowing how to party, we did it in fine fashion.

There's nothing to say about this without gettin' all political. It's a political war, started for political reasons, and currently being used by all sides of the ideological spectrum for political gain. This isn't to say no one feels for the troops any less than I do. I'm sure they all feel horrible, but there's nothing anyone can say that will truly make things better. So I'll just say that 4,000 deaths in any context is a tragedy, and we are vastly under-reacting to this horrid news. Why would anyone with the freedom to do something allow this to happen?

So, I would like to move on to a recent death in a different part of the world that holds no
political consequence, but is sad nonetheless. If you haven't heard of Neil Aspinall, but are a fan of the Beatles and are alive today, you have a lot to thank him for. It was Aspinall who brought us the Beatles Anthology series after over twenty years in the making. As a person who was introduced to the Beatles through this documentary, I am eternally grateful. For those of us who grew up watching "Yellow Submarine," we have Aspinall to thank for remastering both the movie, and the soundtrack, making the colorful visualization of an acid trip seem that much more lucid and sound that much better. For those die hard fans still angry at Phil Specter for fucking up "Let it Be," thank Aspinall for overseeing the project that released the album in the spirit in which it was meant to be, without the orchestrations, cute little interludes, and unnecessary backing vocals.

These are only the tangible contributions Aspinall made to the band during his tenure as Beatles road manager, and later as president of Apple Corps. To anyone who has an appreciation for the guy behind the guy, Aspinall is your man. If you are a man who admires Cheney's ability to pull Bush's strings whenever he wants something, you've found another comrade. It was Aspinall who took care of the Beatles whenever they needed anything, freeing them up to do what they did best. If it meant hiding drugs from the Philippine government, or finding them girls after each show, Aspinall was there for their every desire. Many people credit George Martin, the Beatles producer as being the fifth band member in the studio. If this is true, then surely Aspinall must have been their fifth member on tour. Even George Harrison said so.

Aspinall shared one of his first cigarettes with Harrison while they were in school in Liverpool. After Harrison joined the Beatles and they started to grow in popularity, Aspinall quit his apprenticeship to be their driver, sometimes driving them to three gigs in a day. As their popularity grew and they needed more than one person to oversee their transportation, Aspinall found Mal Evans to do some of the heavier lifting. As the band became the biggest group in the world, they would come to rely on these two men more than anyone else. And Aspinall never let them down.

But it wasn't his loyalty that made him such a great contributor. He shared a mutual respect for the music the band was making with the other four Beatles. As the band started to crumble, and friendships between the band members deteriorated, Aspinall stayed around to ensure the Beatles' fortunes and legacy weren't raped while they weren't looking. He became president of Apple Corps. on the condition that his position was temporary, ending as soon as they found a suitable replacement. That didn't happen.

There's a reason that the Beatles catalog wasn't used on American Idol until after Aspinall retired. There's also a reason you don't see Beatles songs whored out to every advertiser in the world. If you wonder why no one rolls their eyes when they hear the Beatles come on the radio, and yet Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Eagles are played ad-nauseum on classic rock stations (don't believe me? Go to your local classic rock station and you will either be listening to one of these groups, or you will hear one within ten minutes. I guarantee it.), it's the result of a bigger push by those who truly loved the band and the music and were willing to devote their professional lives to preserving that memory. There were many and they were led by Aspinall (don't get me wrong, I'm sure it payed well too). The Beatles aren't played on the radio as much because it costs more to air their songs. You don't see their music on iTunes because of the price Apple computers has to pay to do so. You get what you pay for, and if you want the Beatles, you're going to have to pay.

Is this greedy? It might be. Paul McCartney is no philanthropist, and I doubt that Ringo, Yoko and Mrs. Harrison would be willing to give all their money to charity if asked. But there is something to be said for the preservation of that which is holy. I'd like to think that Beatle money is what you pay to get something truly special. Something truly unique a term that tends to be cheapened by QVC whener they try to sell porcelain thimbles. Something that is truly once in a lifetime. And the high prices have kept the Beatles classy, and accessible at just the right amount. It's not like their CDs cost more than any other albums . Their music is for everyone, remainding true to their spirit and nothing will change that. The story is just different for those who wish to profit off them.

Some of you may disagree with my theory. After all, I just thought of it. But I would ask you to reserve your cynicism, and ask yourself whether the Beatles have ever done anything on the cheap, or with little thought (saving Magical Mystery Tour)? This is the band who refused to issue Sgt. Pepper originally because the cardboard covers of the LPs were thin and bent easily. This is the band who spent days rehearsing the harmonies to Octopus's Garden just to make sure it was done right. Octopus's Garden for Chrissake!

If ever there was a man with enough integrity to preserve the group's image, it was Neil Aspinall. So please raise a drink to him tonight, and listen to your favorite Beatles album.
I like to think of Aspinall sitting in his office at Apple, the band falling apart around him, and he making the decision to do whatever it takes to preserve their good name. That's who I want to be when I decide to grow up. I want to be the guy who the guy can count on. I admire the man who sees greatness in others and wants nothing more than to nurture that greatness. We're talking about dealing with four very disagreeable people who don't want to talk to each other for over thirty years. How impressive is that?


Disclaimer: Facts used in this obituary are not necessarily facts.