State and regional media turned to an Elon University faculty member this week for commentary on the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" and the group's remastered studio albums, which hit stores Wednesday and exposes a new generation to the Fab Four's music. Associate professor Michael Frontani shared with reporters his expertise from research into his 2007 book The Beatles: Image and the Media.
Media appearances included interviews on The Allan Handelman Show, a syndicated radio program broadcast on dozens of stations on the East Coast. His views were the focal point of a Sept. 10 front page feature story in the News & Record in Greensboro, N.C., and News 14 Carolina, a statewide cable news channel, will air over the weekend its own interview with Frontani.
The Charlotte Observer, North Carolina’s largest newspaper, also published a Sept. 9 opinion column on the The Beatles’ legacy. In “Beatles 2009: Perhaps we will ‘Come Together,'” Frontani explored the way people of all generations grew to love John, Paul, Ringo and George.
From the column:
“With the popularity of the music and the image for a variety of audiences, it isn’t difficult to imagine how the remastered songs will be shared and how “The Beatles: Rock Band” may provide an opportunity for friends to rekindle friendships and for families to join and the generations to communicate with one another.
“Because The Beatles’ music and image are among the few experiences shared and enjoyed by parents, children, grandparents and beyond, they provide a special opportunity. Young people may for the first time, perhaps, be joined by older family members and friends drawn to gaming by The Beatles – and that will only be the beginning, as the music and visuals spark memories and reminiscences.”
To read the full article, click on the link to the right under E-Cast.
Frontani authored The Beatles: Image and the Media, which traced the evolution of the band’s image – and how it eventually allowed them to speak with authority for the counterculture in the late 1960s. The book was recognized by the American Library Association as a 2008 Outstanding Academic Title CHOICE Award-winner.