The Beatles can attract new fans on their own

Renowned author and veteran Rolling Stone music journalist Rob Sheffield joined host Kenneth Womack for the special finale of the seventh season of the podcast Everything Fab Four, co-produced by Womack and distributed by Salon. Sheffield appeared at the recent Everything Fab Four Fest in early November in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he engaged in an onstage discussion with Womack and previous podcast guest Jamie Bernstein. The event honored The Beatles classic album Rubber Soul, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this week and is described by Sheffield as his personal favorite, an album that goes with us everywhere.

Sheffield remarked, I dont care if they made better albums. To me, Rubber Soul is the one. The Beatles shocked themselves with how great it was, and its still shocking me. Its an album that continues to inspire and influence musicians to this day. He highlighted that the bands willingness to experiment, rather than sticking to the same formula, has earned respect from both their contemporaries like Brian Wilson and The Rolling Stones and modern artists such as Ariana Grande and Phoebe Bridgers.

Womack praised Sheffields writing for its emotional honesty, which Sheffield attributes to the influence of the Beatles themselves. Music has always brought enthusiasm out of me, and you can blame Paul McCartney for that. He and Ringo still exude pure, unjaded excitement, Sheffield explained. He also compared this quality to Taylor Swift, noting her ability to channel emotion into songwriting. She and Paul share a fanaticism for creating memorable pop music from everyday experiences.

The discussion also turned to The Beatles Anthology, which recently received an updated release for its 30th anniversary. Sheffield commented, Just when you think they cant dig into the vaults any deeper, they do. Every time it seems its reached a plateau, new fans take it and run with it. The Beatles have never needed anyone to introduce them to the world; they do it better than anyone else.

Host Kenneth Womack, who authored a two-volume biography of Beatles producer George Martin and books including Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles and John Lennon, 1980: The Last Days in the Life, recently released the authorized biography of Beatles road manager Mal Evans, Living the Beatles Legend.

Listeners can follow and enjoy Everything Fab Four on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Pocket Casts, and other podcast platforms.

Author: Natalie Monroe