Welcome, Pete!

My good friend Pete got a new Xbox 360 (a Jasper unit, no less!) and is hooked up to Live. The first game he got was Sacred 2, so we are chomping at the bit to do some co-op gaming. We are tentatively scheduled for Friday. I'm really glad to have him aboard and can't wait to hook up with him. Welcome aboard, Pete!

The Beatles: Rock Band - drums

Ringo Starr is unfairly judged as an untalented guy who was lucky to be along for the ride with the other 3 Beatles. The truth is that Ringo was an essential part of the band, not only for his consistently solid drum work, but for what his personality brought to the band. After seeing the hit-and-miss solo work of the 4 individual members of the Beatles after the break-up, it is very clear that the 4 of them together inspired something truly magical. Indeed, I believe that it was almost some sort of miracle that the 4 were brought together, created musical magic and then broke up right at the end of the turbulent 60's. It is simply too big a coincidence for me that the end of The Beatles came right at the end of the 60's. The Beatles were messengers for their time and when that time was over, they went their separate ways.

But enough of my philosophizing. Back to the music, which is what really matters. Ringo Starr, along with Paul McCartney, created one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history. Here are some of the songs I look forward to playing in TB:RB. Please note again that I am not suggesting that all of these songs will be available. Just that I would love them to be!

1. The End - well, it contains Ringo's only solo, so it's a given.
2. Birthday - a rocking track with a great beat.
3. Get Back - Ringo's driving drums propel the song forward.
4. I Call Your Name - come on; who doesn't want more cowbell?
5. She Loves You - from the opening roll through the crashing cymbals, this oldie gets some love.
6. Ticket To Ride - tremendous song with an upfront drum part for Ringo.
7. She Said She Said - some nice fills for Ringo in this one
8. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (Reprise) - a nice little rocker; short but sweet
9. Yer Blues - something a little different and a little wild from the boys
   
10. Helter Skelter - "I got blisters on my fingers!"

I gotta say that's a pretty good set right there. I have my copy of the game pre-ordered and now all I have to do is wait. September 9th still seems like a long time away, but I have plenty to keep me busy in the interim. I'll probably be posting more Beatles: Rock Band related stuff as it pops in my head. One thing I will be doing is posting the order I would like the albums to be available for download. We already know that Abbey Road is up for #1 and that is a perfect pick in my mind. I'll get a complete list up later.

The Beatles: Rock Band - bass guitar

If Paul McCartney is not the greatest bass player of the rock era (and that's impossible to say since the answer will be based on personal opinion) then I would argue that he is more than likely the most influential. McCartney's inventive, melodic bass lines gave the songs of the Beatles a distinct sound and feel all their own. Many artists adopted the sound he got out of his iconic Hofner and used the bass guitar more to help create melodies than simply provide a backbeat. Hey, I am an unabashed McCartney fan. To me, he is one of the most talented musicians (the man can play an incredible number of instruments and play them very well) of the rock era. Together with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, he created a legacy of music that will live on way longer than I can even imagine. The last Beatles album came out nearly 40 years ago and there are scores of teenagers that are very eager to dive in to The Beatles: Rock Band.

Picking my favorite McCartney bass lines out of the Beatles catalogs is very difficult for me. There are so many that stand out and are integral to the song that it will be way too easy to miss some that are just plain cool. But I am gonna attempt it anyway. As has been the rule in these TB:RB threads, I will repeat the disclaimer that I am in no way saying that all of these songs will be in the actual game, but these are the songs I would love to play:

1. I Saw Her Standing There - a rollicking, throbbing bass line in a great rock-n-roll song. McCartney admits that he lifted this from a Chuck Berry song, but it still rocks.
2. Day Tripper - follows the guitar riff, which is one of my all time faves.
3. Rain - a great, trippy bass line for a great, trippy song.
4. Penny Lane - from the very first note, the bass line climbs all around the tune and adds the bounce that makes the song so memorable.
5. With A Little Help From My Friends - basically the entire Sgt. Pepper album is a primer on how to play thrilling, melodic bass. This song is the first example.
6. Getting Better - another Sgt. Pepper tune. This one will be hella fun to play.
   
7. Hey Bulldog - a lesser-known Beatles tune with some agile bass playing to go along with some thumping bass as well.
8. Come Together - McCartney's bass line helps flesh out Lennon's Abbey Road opener.
9. Here Comes The Sun - Harrison's lovely song has a really nice bass line throughout.
   
10. Abbey Road side 2 medley, from You Never Give Me Your Money through The End - just some lovely playing throughout this tour de force.

Out of those 10 songs, at least 5 of them will be in the game: I Saw Her Standing There and Day Tripper will ship with the game, while the entire Abbey Road album will be available for download. That's a heckuva good start. Here's hoping the rest of them make it through somehow as well. Next will be the songs I want to play drums on. Make no mistake: Ringo may not have been flashy but he was incredibly steady and provided a great backbeat for the other lads. He was an essential part of The Beatles. But more on that later.

Fathers Day pays off BIG TIME

Had a wonderful Fathers Day as my wife and kids made me a wonderful dinner (and dessert!) and then my folks came over for a nice visit. Each of the kids (except 1 year old John) had something really nice to say about me (thanks Barb). And then of course Barb gave me a wonderful card and made the whole evening very enjoyable for everyone. I really appreciate the effort that everyone put into making the day special.

Of course the creme de la creme came when Barb gave me a bag containing a very special gift. We had agreed not to give gifts this year, but Barb never listens (haha!). Inside the bag was a small coin purse that was in the likeness of a ladybug, a small rock from our front yard and a rubber band. Even I could figure out what that meant: Beatles: Rock Band! So my beloved wife and family have pre-ordered the entire Beatles: Rock Band set for me! I will be rocking on Paul's bass guitar, Ringo's drums and have a microphone and stand to sing (and I use that term loosely) along with my all time favorite music. I'll have to keep the windows closed in order to keep the neighborhood sane, but I am gonna get tons of love out of this game. I can't wait!

Thanks to my family. I love you all so much! Thanks for making my Fathers Day special. And Zach, the pork steaks were awesome!

NCAA Football 10 = NO SALE

I posted this on the Operation Sports forums and thought I would reprint it here to sum up what I feel is a real travesty in the world of sports video gaming. This is in response to the NCAA Football 10's developer's admission that once again the game will be shipping with multiple bugs, chief among them game play sliders that do not work and therefore do not let you allow how the game plays. For example, for the second straight year, it will be virtually impossible to get any pressure on the QB. Again, working sliders should fix this. EA botched this last year as well. They released a patch that was supposed to fix the issue but it had little to no effect. Now with the 2010 version due to arrive in stores in mid-July, EA is announcing that once again the sliders are broken but that they will be patching the game ASAP. Here is my response to their announcement and to the reaction of others on the OS forums:

For the first time since it's inception as Bill Walsh College Football, I will not be buying EA's college football game this year. This has been my favorite video game series ever. Each year the release day was like a holiday to me. But I am not going to support the kind of incompetence (at best) or deceitfulness (at worst) that seems to have overtaken the franchise. How can the pass rush possibly be missing again?! It's a pretty darned essential part of football, you know? BTW, those hoping a patch will fix the sliders in any meaningful way would do well to remember last year's debacle. Another year with no pass rush and sliders that don't work. No thanks.

I have always enjoyed NCAA more than Madden, mainly because college football is my favorite sport and the game seemed more alive. This year it seems as though Madden has been made with real love and affection, while NCAA adds meaningless features and doesn't even rectify problems that were present (sliders, lack of pass rush) and completely inexcusable in last year's game. I am fed up. Peter Moore needs to step in and heads need to roll. Someone who loves college football and football video games needs to step up to the plate the same way Ian has with the Madden series. Until there is a total change in direction for the NCAA series, where realistic game play is the #1 concern, I am done with NCAA Football. I never thought I would say such a thing.

I know many of you on the fence will not be able to resist getting the game anyway and I understand. I would only advise you to try to wait until the game is released and the slider patch is out. Then come here and see what the OS veterans have to say. Make your purchase decision based on that. I'll be saving my money for Madden.

The Beatles: Rock Band - backup/harmony vocals

The Beatles were masters at creating beautiful harmonies and memorable background vocals. There are so many wonderful songs that showcase these talents that it is hard to narrow it down to 10 or so. Nevertheless, these are the ones I am most looking forward to in TB:RB. Again, I am not saying that all of these tracks will be in the game, just hoping that they will be.

1. Help! - the really obvious choice among all Beatles songs
2. You're Gonna Lose That Girl - this track is off of the Help album and is similar in it's background style
3. This Boy - really lovely harmonizing in this track
4. If I Fell - it really doesn't get any better than this; beautiful harmonies that may be difficult to replicate
5. Here Comes The Sun - just a lovely tune with great, understated harmonies
6. Because - this one may be a real killer to do, but the boys really nailed this Abbey Road track
7. Here, There And Everywhere - delicate background vocals make the song come alive
8. Yes It Is - one of the really underrated Beatles songs with harmonizing that is right up there with If I Fell
9. Eight Days A Week - such a fun song, filled with great background singing
10. Hey Jude - just for the coda alone, one of the most amazing moments in pop history

I could add plenty more, but I'll leave the list at 10. We are still nearly 3 months away from the release of the game and I am really jonesing for it. I have been listening to my (complete) Beatles collection on my iPod and singing along in the shower. A recent nasty cold has left my voice cracking even more than usual. I am going to pass out earplugs to the family when the game is released; it's the right thing to do.

Next up on my list will be either drums or bass. After I finish those, it's time to settle in and wait for the game's release. Until then Paul, John, George and Ringo will have to do the singing and playing for me.

Trailer for The Beatles: Rock Band