Okay.  Now that I've gotten the big band gloat out of the way, I have to return to the roots of my collection.  I began collecting the Beatles post Beatles albums because that was all I could find in the local thrift stores.  I remember hearing the Beatles when I was very young but never realized how many songs I remembered were actually Beatles songs.  Their music was everywhere.  How could you avoid it?  Then I met a someone who taught me how to enjoy the Beatles.  Taught me how to listen for each individual instrument.  Here's the acoustic guitar, here's the piano...  When they first figured out how to split the sound it opened up so many possibilities.  So eventually, there was Sgt. Pepper and all that wonder.

So back to the collection:  The only Beatles album that I do not own (whether by vinyl or CD or MP3) is "Beatles For Sale" and why I don't know.  I've almost never owned a Beatles album before I owned in vinyl.  Perhaps that is the pattern.   Until I find the perfect one to complete the original collection I cannot indulge in any other way.

So that is my quest.

But seriously - within the Beatles collection, I do have some "ho-hum" pieces mixed with some "nice find" ones.  For Sgt. Pepper I have two versions - one with the original cut-out pieces still intact.  Then there's the Nothing Is Real  Fan Club release with 7 versions of Strawberry Fields and the acoustic demo of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with the lost verse.  I have the poster from the White Album and the Rarities Album.  But I have to say, the last digitally remastered versions released on CD and MP3 were worth waiting for.  I invested in the collections.  For years I only ever listened to the Beatles on vinyl on a record player.  Now I just tap a screen and bring up a favorite or make a mix.  I think I got the best of BOTH worlds.