What the critics wrote about the Beatles in 1964

[MineralMan]

65. I remember seeing the Beatles in their first appearance on

The Ed Sullivan show. Watching with my parents, sister and brother. We kids were already familiar with them, of course, or their music, at least. We weren't huge fans or anything, but it was part of the music we listened to. I was home for the weekend from my freshman year at college.

Looking at that performance again, 50 years later, I have to wonder why there was the offense taken by the adults of those days. My father commented on their hair, as did many fathers, I suppose, "Those boys need a haircut." My mother said, "Well, I certainly don't understand why all those girls are screaming."

It was interesting. I asked my mother what she had thought of Frank Sinatra as a teenager. "Well, that was different. He was really popular back then." Then she thought about it for a minute and said, "Well, I see what you're saying. I suppose these Beatles are popular with kids your age now."

1964. I was still wearing a crew cut, propped up with "Butch Wax," but things were changing.