I think in order to fully understand the cultural impact of the Beatles artistically, it's important to recognize that their success was a product of mass media. I fully support your argument that "Savoy Truffle" is a self-relfexive nod towards "a reaction against the mass-produced music machine that made the Beatles the biggest band in the world," however one must consider whether or not they would have had the means if it weren't for their overwhelming success. The band was positively ubiquitous in North America even before their records were for sale here; they signed 99 merchandising contracts and stores were flooded with Beatlemania memorobilia before anyone had heard a note.

The Beach Boys, arguably the most significant pop band of ther period other than the Beatles, weren't as heavily marketed and didn't have the same overwhelming success - which, among other things, led to Brian Wilson's breakdown and the fragmented (but brilliant) late period of the group. I'd like to present the argument that late period Beach Boys records like Smiley Smile and Surf's Up are actually stronger postmodern statements than the White Album because they are self-reflexive in reaction to the changing world around them (see the abominable "Student Demonstration Time" from Surf's Up, easily the worst song in their catalogue). The Beatles never struggled to stay relevent, they simply were relevant by virtue of their ubiquity; the masses were tricked by a band that had been normalized for consumption and then slowly "poisoned" with the avant-garde. The Beach Boys, on the other hand, unwittingly embodied postmodern angst in their attempts to reconcile their failure with the self-awareness that comes from being trapped in the fame machine.

Sorry to vamp on that for so long. It just came to mind while reading the article. Great work, I love this zine.