I'm not even a Beatles fan, but I do not deny their huge contribution to and influence on popular music. And yes, George Martin was an excellent producer (which is why the early Beatles recordings sound better than the early Stones, Yardbirds or Kinks stuff, The Beatles obviously had a different budget) and arranger, but even he could not turn crap into gold, there are enough bands out there who were at one time produced by him and did not become the 2nd Beatles (eg UFO, America, Stackridge). And when the Stones consciously tried to emulate The Beatles on Their Satanic Majesties Request (which I do no think is such a horrible Stones album at all) they failed miserably.
People not liking The Beatles doesn't bug me so much as it has me scratching my head in incomprehension.
And not liking The Beatles, but liking Slade is a bit like saying you like butter, but not milk! Lennon/McCartney is all over Jim Lea's songwriting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA2rLmGvXOg&feature=relatedThe argument that the Beatles bowed out of live dates because they couldn't play is news to me. They could at that time with the then technical means not recreate the sound of Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour (nobody could have), but had no trouble replicating the aurally scaled down Let it Be sound on the roof a few years later. Nor have I heard anyone accuse Ringo (whatever you think of his albums), George, Paul or John (whatever you think of his wife
) of ever having given bad or sloppy concerts. Macca is legendary as a hard task master as U2 laughingly complained when they rehearsed Sgt Pepper's Hearts Club Band (the song) with him. And it takes three notes from George Harrison to recognize it's him plus his guitar playing is lauded by people who could technically play circles around him (Clapton, Gary Mooore).
I was seven or eight when I first heard Sgt. Pepper - it sounded like nothing had before then. The aural impression (even over my big brother's then Dual mono record player) was overwhelming, I can only compare it to seeing your first fiilm in color after years of black and white.