The following is an article (reprinted with permission) from a incredibly inspiring and equally hilarious blog that has recently come to my attention and quickly shot to the top of my daily must read list.

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The Beatles Are Holding You Back:

John, Paul, George and Ringo have been repurposed more times than a temp at a mortgage firm.  New boxed sets crop up like the constantly regenerating severed arms of a cyborg.  There is a never-ending supply of re-mastered recordings for those who may not have previously been able to hear Apple Records’ director Neil Aspinall coughing in the background during an alternate take of “I Dig A Pony.”  A Cirque du Soleil tribute arose from the ever-growing demand for the Fab Four’s music as visualized by contortionists, and Beatles Rock Band emboldens fans of all ages with up-market karaoke that keeps score of just how much you are making everyone else in the room suffer.  And now they are remaking Yellow Submarine.

Before the angry comments start flowing in, know this: I am aware that this flood of continued interest in the Beatles has everything to do with them being rather remarkable.  There is no denying that their R&B-influenced, melodic and later deeply experimental sound continues to influence millions of musicians. They rank handily among the greatest songwriters of the 20^th century.  Key word there: 20^th century.  Friends, the Beatles are holding you back.

The more we give in to the idea that music has never been the same since the Lads from Liverpool, the more we stay out of the present, and our own potential to break through into self-actualization. (Not to mention that, if we remain seekers, we will discover there is a wealth of interesting music out there—and it’s available on more outlets than ever before.)   And as far as the present goes, if you are one of the eleven people who still cares what Paul McCartney is up to, apologies in advance for my insensitivity.  At least Ringo has had the courtesy not to burden us with the release of yet another moribund album every year.

By all means, keep listening to the Beatles.  Love them, respect them, and enjoy them.  But put the Beatles in a box labeled ‘been there, done that,’ before things get ugly.  When we constantly lament that nobody will ever be as good as them, we are including ourselves and our own untapped potential in that assessment.  It’s like we’re saying, “Why not let them be the great ones, while we sit back and know in our hearts that we have nothing that significant to contribute?”  Well, just because you cannot spontaneously generate “Rocky Raccoon” on Garage Band doesn’t mean that your creativity isn’t adding a vital spark of powerful energy to the world.

And the Beatles are not the only 800-pound gorilla in the room.  Mozart, Shakespeare, Picasso, Emily Dickinson…all these talented bastards can provide plenty of ammunition for those predisposed to thinking that all the wonder is behind us.  But progress only happens when we let go and pursue our own personal truth.  Whether you are a musician or a baker, beware of nostalgia.  It keeps us in the belief that everything was better at some other time but right now.  Sort of like continuing to believe that The A-Team is an example of masterful filmmaking just because it was a source of comfort during your years as a neglected latchkey kid in the 80’s.   Let’s be honest with ourselves: we are always facing challenges, no matter where we are in life or what music we were listening to at the time.  Let us not forget that despite how the soundtrack of our lives can, with time, put a rose-colored spin on our personal development, we’re always and forever working through a bunch of sucky bull crap.  We just have to let it be.

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Reprinted with permission from the blog: Mr. Paul Maul

Nice!