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The Beatles are probably, for me, the only apt comparison...good call. They broke up right when they should have. If they had gone on to make complete albums of MOR early 70s rock, it would've been ridiculous, and completely tarnished their career (imagine if all of Paul's solo stuff had actually been Beatles stuff...some of it was okay but most of it was pretty hoaky. Would've been laughable after something like "Strawberry Fields" or "Helter Skelter"). They actually got a little too close to such stuff on Let It Be, and then broke up!
Regarding how they just "do what they want, and that's what makes them legendary": yes and no. It is that they always do what they want, but more importantly that they want to do is generally amazing. Rather Ripped is by no means amazing. Sorry. Take for example the breakdown on "Reena": we've heard better versions of that SAME EXACT THING at least 6 other times from them. Again, if what they REALLY WANTED TO DO, MAN was play racist California hardcore with ska inflections, would you say the same thing? I think it's easy to say it in the case of RR because it's such safe music.
Safe, and boring. Safe, and not beautiful. Safe, and not that rockin'. Safe doesn't have to be bad. It is in this case.
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