Beatles Nostalgia Promoters Want To Hold Your Attention

Meet the Beatles.

There’s a whole generation out there that wasn’t alive during the Beatles’ reign. There’s another generation that was but never heard music like this.

The Beatlemania you’re going to see over the next few months will obviously be nothing compared with 1964’s. But get ready for the biggest wave of nostalgia that many of you have ever seen in your lifetimes.

Twenty-five years after their demise, the Beatles are No. 3 in the world in terms of entertainers’ gross incomes, earning $130 million in ‘94 and ‘95.

Look for them to be No. 1 next year. This is an odd mix: nostalgia and new music.

The hype is going to build until Nov. 19, when the six-hour, multipart “The Beatles Anthology” kicks off on ABC, ending on Thanksgiving. In the middle of it, Capitol will release “The Beatles Anthology Vol. 1,” with 40-plus songs recorded in 1958-64. The only ones previously released are “Ain’t She Sweet” and “My Bonnie.” The rest will be new to everyone but collectors.

Limiting the first release to the band’s early years might be Capitol’s only misstep here. Yes, the alternate versions of songs such as “One After 909” and “A Hard Day’s Night” are fascinating, as are unreleased songs such as “Leave My Kitten Alone.”

But while they’re great recordings for their time, “Love Me Do” and “Besame Mucho” don’t hold up as slices of genius in the ‘90s.