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The Beatles wish you a merry fab and gear new year

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4. The Beatles Anthology $52.99

Required viewing for any Beatles fan, this five-DVD set was a 1995 TV series that chronicled the Fab Four's history and was made with the full cooperation of the surviving Beatles and family members.The wealth of material is copious and there's never a dull moment - concert footage, TV show appearances, film clips from the Cavern Club, the whole lot. Best of all are the interviews with the Beatles themselves (John is represented in archival clips). Along with priceless footage of mid-'90s-era Paul, George and Ringo jamming, there's a fascinating section in which the three gather round a mixing console with producer George Martin and try to figure out just how they recorded Tomorrow Never Knows. A must-have.

5. Tickets to the Fab Faux (various prices)

There are more Beatles tribute bands than of any group around. But only the Fab Faux, led by Will Lee from Late Night With David Letterman and Jimmy Vivino from Late Night With Conan O'Brien, truly nail the catalog - and that includes the group's solo recordings - with note-for-note perfection. Forget wigs and costumes, this five-piece group, which also includes Rich Pagano, Frank Agnello and Jack Petruzzelli, will make you think you've seen and heard Beatles concerts that might-have-been. Although they mainly play the New York area, the Fab Faux have performed all over the world. Check out this extraordinary video of the Fabs being put through their paces by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick.

6. Gibson limited-edition John Lennon Les Paul Jr $4,900.00

Whenever John Lennon played a guitar, it became a powerful instrument of change. You just might feel such magic when you pick up Gibson's loving recreation of Lennon's early-'70s favored guitar, the same model he played at Madison Square Garden at his famous One To One concert. Long a fan of jazz legend Charlie Christian, Lennon had a Charlie Christian pickup installed in the neck position of the guitar, and the result was a clear, biting sound. The makers at Gibson's Custom Shop went over every inch of this limited edition with a keen eye for detail. From the cherry finish to the various dings and dents, it's as close to the original as it gets.

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