The Birth, The Death, and The Re-birth of the Beatles: Presented by Charles Rosenay and Cevin Soling-Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. (at East Haven Public Television, 230 Main St.)

Despite obsessive fans scouring over The Beatles’ lyrics and music since they first gained attention, and decades of academic review, people still do not fully understand what makes them unique. Certainly, other great musical artists have written exceptional songs, but why do The Beatles still maintain a loyal following among fans and academics, and have a catalog of music that remains influential?

The answer is both subtle and obvious, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Scholars and casual fans often view The Beatles’ career as a smooth progression from simple pop beginnings to sophisticated artistic maturity. But that doesn’t capture the truth. The Beatles were determined to actually destroy everything they had created. This process of self-destruction is known as the death drive in psychology.

Their album covers start with images of themselves as cheerful mop-tops, which are then subverted through distortion in Rubber Soul, abstraction in Revolver, alternate identities in Sgt. Pepper, obscuration in Magical Mystery Tour, and complete erasure in The White Album. Their music begins with a formal pop song structure in their early releases and gradually disintegrates in Tomorrow Never Knows, I Am the Walrus, and Strawberry Fields, until it turns into pure chaos in Revolution #9. The attack on ego follows a similar path with The Word, She Said, She Said, culminating in the death of ego in All You Need Is Love.

What follows is a transformation through rebirth in Abbey Road and Let It Be, where they present a more introspective and integrated self. However, it is the death of the band that failed to complete this process of rebirth. This explains why a reunion was so important to so many. It was not just a desire for four people to resume writing great songs, but a hope for salvation. It also explains why, even when their solo work was sometimes better, it still couldn’t match The Beatles because it lacked the same context.

This one-hour presentation by Cevin Soling and Charles F. Rosenay!!! is an entertaining and thought-provoking multi-media program including audio, visuals, and new concepts and fascinating revelation for both casual and hardcore fans. You say you want a revelation?

This program is free and open to everyone. Seating is limited and registration is required. To sign-up, please contact Cynthia Gwiazda, Community Services Librarian at: cgwiazda@hagamanlibrary.org.