Could September 9 seem any farther away? A hundred sixty-five days is a long time to wait for a lot of things, but it seems especially long to have to wait for the release of the Beatles Rock Band video game. Personally, I'm waiting to make the Beatles game my first Rock Band purchase so I can have the Beatles peripherals, so the agony is compounded by seeing bunches of tantalizing downloadable content being released for the existing Rock Band games. The game is rumored to contain 45 Beatles tracks, so I figure that's enough to build a wish list from. Here we go, from most wanted to least wanted:
1) Hey Bulldog: I’m pleased to see this one show up on more than a couple wish lists. It’s not the most well-known Beatles song, but it was pretty much made for the Rock Band format. Fun to sing, great guitar parts, perfect.
2) Please Please Me: This is maybe the only pre-Rubber Soul track that’s an absolute must for me. This song should come with lockable content: if you master it, you get to stop hearing about how fascinated the boys were with the double meaning of the word “please.”
3) Revolution: I’m looking for the live version where they add in the “shoo be doo wop” from Revolution 1.
4) Paperback Writer: The desperate pleadings of a wannabe artist. Sounds pretty appropriate for the format.
5) Happiness is a Warm Gun: I, too, am well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand like a lizard on a window pane.
6) Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End: Everybody gets a solo.
7) Back in the U.S.S.R.: If you’re playing with anyone under the age of 20 or so, they might ask you what a “U.S.S.R.” is. And they probably won’t get the whole Beach Boys thing.
8) Helter Skelter: There’s definitely a difference between listening to music and playing music. Nobody has this as his favorite Beatles song, but plenty of people have this as their most wanted Rock Band track.
9) Don’t Let Me Down: My roof’s a little steep, but I’ll give it a shot.
10) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: The only problem with this one is it’s so short.
11) Help!: Several of these songs are screaming for backup vocals. I hope that’s somehow an option.
12) And Your Bird Can Sing: This is Brandi’s #1 choice.
13) Rain: Playing the last verse backwards is the toughest part.
14) I Want You (She’s So Heavy): At over seven and a half minutes, it might require an intermission.
15) Nowhere Man: This list is getting very Lennon-centric.
16) She Loves You: Other than Revolution, there might not be another song I’d be more surprised to see omitted from the list.
17) I’ve Got A Feeling: This is another one that’s not one of my favorites to listen to, but I would love to play it.
18) A Hard Day’s Night: From what I’ve read about the Beatles Rock Band game, it sounds like there’s going to be a chronological progression from the early years to Abbey Road. It makes sense—when you break up the early songs, the guitar/drums/vocal parts don’t seem as complicated. This one does have a tricky guitar solo, though.
19) Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window: Hopefully they count this as one track.
20) Here Comes the Sun: Even though this is one of my absolute favorite Beatles songs, I may be less enthusiastic about playing this one because I’ve tried it on guitar and failed miserably.
21) From Me to You: Please be forgiving on the falsetto.
22) I Feel Fine: This one has been rumored to be on the real list. I hope it’s true.
23) I Am the Walrus: Enough guitar?
24) Octopus’s Garden: This one has two vocal modes: easy and easier.
25) Savoy Truffle: Unlockable content: images of crazy sounding British sweets.
26) Come Together: This may be the first game that makes you want to play the bass.
27) Taxman: Should be a pretty safe bet that this one’s in.
28) Drive My Car: This one, too, seems to be a natural fit. Come to think of it, pretty much all the opening tracks to the various albums would work pretty well.
29) I’m Down: Play the drums with your elbows. There’s rumored to be a Shea Stadium part, so this song would seem to have a place there.
30) It Won’t Be Long: A very underrated song.
31) We Can Work It Out: Doing a Beatles version of Rock Band brings up so many questions, like, Will the vocal allow (require) you to sing both the Paul part and the John part?
32) One After 909: The Let It Be album is going to fare pretty well in this format.
33) Oh! Darling: Another piano-centric track I hope they can somehow make work.
34) It’s All Too Much: Possible I’m alone on this one.
35) Sexy Sadie: One of several that could be an American Idol track. Forget the instruments, I just wanna sing it.
36) I Want to Hold Your Hand: Unlockable content: the digital Ed Sullivan. Really big shoe.
37) Strawberry Fields Forever: Might want to use one of the Anthology versions.
38) Eight Days a Week: First song to fade in at the beginning.
39) If I Needed Someone: Probably the earliest example of great Harrison songwriting.
40) Norwegian Wood: Fans who are asking for a sitar to come included are probably setting themselves for disappointment, but I think they’ve got the right idea.
41) Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey: Rock Band might really cause me to re-evaluate side 3 of the White Album.
42) Birthday: As hard as it is to rock out to “Happy Birthday to You” (save for Helter Skelter, this is about as edgy as Paul gets), I think this one would be fun.
43) Old Brown Shoe: Haven’t heard this one mentioned—I wouldn’t mind seeing it.
44) Tell Me Why: Here’s a problem with going chronologically: some of the early Lennon songs wreak the most havoc on the vocal cords. Anybody without a healthy appetite for yell singing shouldn’t be in the room when I’m attempting this one.
45) While My Guitar Gently Weeps: I’m not as crazy about this one as most people, but you can count on it making the cut.
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