I got your Beatles right here

You know, I’ve always loved the Beatles, but I can’t get real excited about now being able to buy their songs on iTunes. Since Apple had hyped this development as the Second Coming of Christ, I’m a little disappointed. I had expected something really big — like, say, a miniature iPad with a built-in phone. Oh, wait … I already have one of those.

Another thing I already have: pretty much every song the Beatles ever recorded. This is music that I’ve already bought four or five times — starting with a 45 of “Please Please Me” in 1964. Then it was the LP albums, then a few eight-track tapes, then cassettes, then CDs. And most recently, cut-rate MP3s from a Russian site that shall remain nameless. (Sorry, Paul. Hope you’ll still be able to make the payments on the LeBaron.)

The idea of now being able to buy it again, in Apple’s proprietary format through Apple’s clunky front-end, does not fill me with great excitement. Or anybody else, I think. Anybody who really cares about the Beatles hasn’t been waiting on iTunes. I realize this may come as a shock to Steve Jobs.

UPDATE 11/24/10: Looks like I was wrong about this: iTunes sold more than 2 million Beatles tunes during the first week.Go figure. Way to prognosticate, Dave.