I have a very fuzzy, vague memory of The Beatles when they happened. I wasn't even four years old when Ed Sullivan presented them to America in 1964. I do remember some of their later songs at the time of their initial release.

When I was 15, I discovered them for all intents and purposes for the first time. It began with a stack of dusty albums from my aunt Mary's attic. Even though the Beatles had split up just five years earlier, and the Sullivan debut was merely a decade gone by, it seemed as though I had found a treasure that was as ancient as King Tut's Tomb.

This sparked in me an obsession that lasted well into my 20's, and even though the fanaticism has waned somewhat, in many ways continues to this very day.

I discovered the fab four for a second time in the early 90's when their music was finally released on CD. The clarity of the sound coming out of the CD player, compared to the scratchy noise from well worn vinyl made it seem like I was listening to their music for the first time.

The other day, I finally joined the 21st Century and got all of their albums downladed onto the ipod my kids got me for Christmas. I had unearthed the Holy Grail for the third time in my life.

And for the third time, I have come to the same conclusion -- The Beatles were pretty good. Actually more than just pretty good. In my opinion, the only one that really counts, they are better at what they did than anybody else in history was at whatever it was they did. Get it?

The distance between The Beatles and the #2 musical act, who ever that might be (as if it really matters) is greater than that between, say, the best baseball player and #2 in that sport. Or between Albert Einstein and the #2 physicist, ect, etc, ad infinitum.

When it comes to music, The Beatles have lapped the fields so many times, it's not even a contest anymore.

And that, my friend, is pretty good.

'til next time


PHAT FAT FACT: Consuming more calories than you burn leads to being overweight and, eventually, obesity. The body stores unused calories as fat. Obesity can be the result of:

- Eating more food than the body can use

- Drinking too much alcohol

- Not getting enough exercise

PHATTER FAT FACT: Phil and Denny aren't taking any chances. They do all three, just to be safe.