By that I don't just mean "how much have our thoughts changed because of the things that tell-all books and interviews have brought to light?" I mean, "has viewing the band through the lens of our changing culture caused the general public to think of The Beatles, the "mania" surrounding them, and the various 'characters' (the lads themselves, Yoko Ono, George Martin) in their ' story' differently throughout the years? In other words, is, to name an example, the 80s' Beatles story different from the 70s Beatles story? If so, how?"
On a side note, I'm kind of interested in how our changing cultural mores impact our understanding of historical events. Could you recommend any good articles/books on the subject?
I remember seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show when they first arrived in the US. I was just a child, but I remember it distinctly and the reaction of adults at the time. They were shocked by the length of the Beatles's hair. This personal recollection is is supported by the reaction of the press at the time. The book "The Beatles: Image and the Media" by Michael R. Frontani contains a good summary of the media's reaction to the length of the Beatles hair.
The bands hair is rarely a big issue when the Beatles are mentioned today but in the early 1960s that was what everyone talked about.