I've never seen Paul McCartney's vanity film Give My Regards to Broad Street, not a lick of it if you don't count any segments that were broadcast on MTV in the day as his video single. From the little I've seen on YouTube this morning and the little I've read about it - hell, from nothing more than still photographs from the shoot - I'm thankful for not having seen it. Although the video clip that kicks off this thread is of a surprisingly half-decent song (and features friend of Rock Town Hall Chris Spedding front and center), I suspect this film would be included in the Great Beatles Refuse Removal Truck that's coming to your town.

Simple question: What Beatles-related debris would you chuck once and for all?

Specific songs you don't like, be it "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" or "She's a Woman," will not be accepted. Nor will blanket tosses, such as the entire solo career of your least-favorite solo Beatle. This psychedelic dumptruck is looking to collect the offshoot stuff, the vanity projects and collectibles, that are truly not necessary and that will possibly threaten the band's legacy - and your own rock nerd reputation - through this millenium. For instance, George's limited-edition autobiography, I Me Mine, may be another example of Beatles debris that's ready to be tossed, but I wouldn't know, because I wasn't one of the suckers lucky 2000 to pay some exorbitant price for this tome.

A Beatle-on-Brothers bashing.

Paul McCartney has added fuel to the raging fire that has followed Mark McGwire's admission Monday to using steroids during his career.

In response to McGwire's admission, Jose Canseco, Big Mac's "Bash Brother" from their days together in Oakland, contended that the disgraced slugger was not being entirely forthcoming about the matter. Meanwhile, the former Beatle has stepped forward to contend that Canseco was not being entirely forthcoming about his claims of having injected McGwire with PEDs.

"It may be true that Jose injected Mark," said McCartney, interviewed briefly by The Independent following a chance encounter at a London vegan clothing boutique, "but I could have injected injected him first."

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Have you ever wished a favorite artist could do-over a particular album, song, or period in its career? I've always wished that The Beatles could have finished their final 3 albums in a more satisfying, more unifying way. I believe I speak for most Beatles fans in saying that there's a lot to be gained by our shared experiences with the band. In a world where there is little consensus, Beatles fans are pretty much in step with each other over the first two periods of the band's career:

• After acknowledging the greatness of the band's entire output, Beatles fans states their preference for "Early Beatles" (ie, everything up to and usually including Rubber Soul, which few Beatles fans criticize in any way) or "pot-smoking Beatles" (ie, the period beginning with Rubber Soul and Revolver, when they became known for crafting albums).
• Next Beatles fans take a moment to state that Sgt. Pepper's is "overrated," only pausing to differentiate whether it's "grossly overrated" (a sign that something slightly less than a true Beatles devotee is among our ranks) or "still a remarkable achievement, despite the fact that we're all a little sick of having had it jammed down our throats for 40 years!"
• A brief discussion among Beatles fans is likely to ensue over the band's worst and most underrated song ever.
• We've all got a favorite Beatle, but no true Beatles fan dislikes any one member, not even Paul.
• We may have a laugh over the issue of the Fifth Beatle.

For all there is to discuss concerning our love for The Beatles, there aren't too many issues over which we have great differences. These days, only those who've been living under a rock the last 30 years may have an issue with Yoko "breaking up" the band. One area over which Beatles fans can divide, sometimes painfully so, is over their last three studio releases: The White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road. I don't have to tell you all the points of contention, do I?

In my do-over, The White Album's best songs would have been the band's straightforward, stripped down release - not to mention a single album.

This morning, for the first time, I listened to Volume 3 of the old Anthology series of releases. I bought the first two volumes when they came out and was mostly disappointed with what I found after having peeked behind the Wizard's curtain. I'm one of those Beatles fans who's always wished that The White Album could have been a single album - maybe even an EP - and I've also got problems with large chunks of Abbey Road and its influence on one of my close personal friends. On the other hand, I actually love Let It Be.

Listening to the outtakes, demos, and raw tracks of these albums on Anthology, Volume 3, I had a revelation. I wish I could call for a do-over of the band's final leg. Dig.

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Coincidence? That's Ray Cooper in the back, on spoons, with Harry Nilsson at piano, George on guitar, and Ringo.

Shortly after their release a friend burned me the entire mono and stereo box set reissues of The Beatles' catalog. It was an incredibly generous and thoughtful gesture, but I'm sorry to say I've yet to hunker down with them.

Part of the reason is because I'm leery about "cheating" on my vinyl albums that I've had since I was a boy. Part of the reason is because I've been so damn busy. Finally, as always, I'm simply leery about hearing what a modern-day remastering will do to the mix of records that are essential to my being. For instance, I'm sure some of you have heard my rant against the '90s remaster of "Satisfaction," the one that uncovered an acoustic guitar!

Last week I was hanging with Townsman andyr, and he'd bought a couple of the stereo remasters. He played me Rubber Soul, and a week later what most stands out for me is the tambourine on "Wait." As is so often the case with modern-day remastering, the process gives space to and brings to light background instruments that were meant to be felt more than heard. It's as if Ray Cooper is doing the remastering of these '60s records.

The other things that stood out for me were the clarity around Ringo's drum fills, which I found almost as distracting as the tambourine on "Wait" and which often pointed out Ringo's technical deficiencies, and the clarity around the vocals, which highlighted just how strong The Beatles were at singing. Not all singers could stand up to that aural scrutiny!

Whether you own these Beatles reissues or not, if you've heard even a song or two from them, what stands out for you?

Link: http://www.thesecretcinema.com

A friend who really needs to enter the Halls of Rock more than any other friend I know, Jay Schwartz, is screening The Beatles' lost feature Let It Be, as part of his Secret Cinema series at Moore College of Art & Design (20th & Race Sts, Philadelphia) this Friday, October 23. Showtime is 8:00 pm; admission is $7. I was planning on being there, but now I've got to make a whirlwind work trip across the country instead. If you've never seen this film on a big screen, I highly recommend it. If you've seen it long ago and live in the Philadelphia area, I still recommend being there. I'd love to read some discussion over it when I get back on Sunday.

If you do go, please do me one favor:

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Decades after Beatles fanatics spent their hard-earned cash buying bootleg albums in search of the Great Lost Beatles Track, the band finally allowed for the release of that three-volume Anthology series. The series confirmed that, with the exception of a few well-known alternate takes, The Beatles had nothing more to give. There was not a treasure-trove of cool, unreleased original tracks.

Fans of The Kinks and The Who have been treated to some cool rarities and demos over the years. Some believe Bruce Springsteen's unreleased tracks are as good as his released ones.

The Rolling Stones never faced this question. Each new album since Black and Blue contains tracks that were revived from some aborted recording session in Jamaica or the Bahamas, circa 1974. A hundred years from now they will still be able to release a new album of material culled from one of those late-night jam sessions. And don't think they won't.

With each new reissue of the back catalogs of Elvis Costello and David Bowie, new previously unreleased tracks emerge, most of which are of better-than-current-day-release quality of either artist. The other night, however, I was thinking about one major band with excellent studio chops that seems to have nothing more to give:

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The Beatles' "Penny Lane" b/w "Strawberry Fields Forever" single is rightfully acknowledged as one of the finest pairings of songs ever committed to 7 inches of vinyl. What's less often acknowledged is the band's landmark display of facial hair, as presented on the promotional films for each song. Although rock facial hair had already been in bloom in the rock underground, John, Paul, George, and Ringo busted out an astounding array of complimentary moustaches (and one Van Dyke) to support their dazzling new sonic achievements. Paul will forever get his share of grief for being the most ambitious and glib of the Fab Four to reach old age, but along with all the praise due to his musical abilities, let's not forget to recognize the perfection of the man Sgt. Pepper's-era 'stache.

While The Beatles were experimenting with mind-expanding sounds and drugs - and fashion-expanding facial hair - The Rolling Stones were searching for an appropriate response. Their Satanic Majesties Request was such a poor attempt at psychedelia that they would be bested in their efforts to follow the times by the likes of The Four Seasons' Genuine Imitation Life. I'm not kidding, and Frankie Valli and the boys put their thick, dark Italian follicles to great use, helping to launch the overlooked genre of Goatee Rock. The best the Stones could manage was Brian Jones' fabulous mutton chops.

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All four Beatles had hit singles as solo artists, more than one, in fact. Even Ringo. I don't know that any band, even a band as compact as a trio, has ever spawned four successful solo artists. But I could be wrong. Regardless, what band might rival The Beatles or at least claim second place for having spawned the greatest number of successful solo artists? And please, wiseguys, refrain from suggesting Traveling Wilburys!

The wisdom of The Hall continues to amaze me. For as many knowledgeable individuals who dazzle with their rock knowledge, it is the collective wisdom of our participants that I find most dazzling.

It is in this spirit that I want to allow for further amazement---not only for the people but by the people. I was going to try to turn this into my own original post, in an attempt to display my deluded sense of having a unique brand of insight and humor, but then I thought better of it. Instead, I'd like to pose this question to the collective wisdom of The Orockle: What if the British Invasion had been thwarted?

What if Chubby Checker and James Darren had led a battalion of ships to turn away The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, and Freddie and the Dreamers? What would constitute rock 'n roll from 1964 forward if the British Invasion had failed? Would rock 'n roll truly have died, as the conventional wisdom of countless rock documentaries assume, or would the void have allowed American country and R&B artists direct access to the riches of what we've come to know as Rock Stardom?

As always, when any of us consult The Orockle, the opportunity exists for folks to ask similar questions and receive similar advice. The topic shouldn't necessarily focus just on my topic.

I look forward to your responses.

What artist completes the Mount Rushmore of Rock?

It goes without saying that The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan constitute three quarters of this soon-to-be historic monument, which the U.S. National Park Service is planning to sculpt in an undisclosed location. Who's the fourth and final artist (solo or band) to be chiseled into stone?