established with their receiver that allowed them to paradoxically elude the constraints
imposed by the public and to enjoy an unprecedented and unrepeated freedom in their
artistic endeavors.
It is precisely when they stop touring and began working in the studio, creating
musical pieces that could not be played live by the four of them, that The Beatles
created the masterworks we still listen and enjoy today, for it is as well a given that any
song from Sgt. Pepper’s is more interesting than “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, their first
number one hit in the U.S. and the beginning of international Beatlemania. In other
words, it is when they broke off from direct contact with the public that the Beatles felt
entitled to adventure into uncharted territories, well beyond the three minutes and a half
catchy tune. We all accept, in very basic and general terms that true art must be original
and thought-provoking – in the words of nineteenth Century French poet, Charles
Baudelaire: “Le beau est toujours bizarre.” (“The beautiful is always strange.) 34 Once
The Beatles were assured of the unconditional love and support o