It can be a little fawning at times, but details like the peculiar way Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin, used original master tapes and some old-fashioned foley work to produce the game's between-song studio chatter are interesting, and really hammer home just how much effort has gone into making something that, even when it takes liberties with the truth, values the spirit of authenticity. It also reveals some of the limitations that working with The Beatles has placed on the Rock Band formula, such as that there's no booing crowds when you fail, instrumental improvisations aren't allowed, and players won't be playing as a specific band member. This may be the game that really propels music games into the mainstream, but it won't be the one that revolutionizes the format.
There's a hilarious aside that the Rock Band Network project was developed under the code name "Nickelback" as a deterrent, but the only real significant news coming out of the article is the revelation that, in addition to Abbey Road, the albums Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will be made available as DLC for The Beatles: Rock Band. Abbey Road is still set for release shortly after The Beatles: Rock Band hits shelves on 9-9-09, but our friends at Harmonix declined to comment on the time frame for the releases of Sgt. Pepper or Rubber Soul. There's no denying that there's a mercenary edge to coercing fans into paying for The Beatles music in yet another format, though considering how skittish Apple Corps has been about releasing the band's music in a digital format, it really speaks volumes about how committed they are to this venture.