tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75942525939458430332011-08-21T10:39:14.881-04:00An increasingly occasional blog about the Beatles and their songs.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.comBlogger3661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-68774470590212070332010-04-08T17:48:00.006-04:002010-04-08T18:11:08.769-04:00

If you like to do the Twitter thing, you'll love The Daily Beatle, brought to us by the folks at the always excellent Hey Dullblog (which is always over there to the right on my blogroll). There's going to be a quote, a link to a story, or some other fun exciting thing posted every day. Follow it!http://twitter.com/thedailybeatleI like daily things having to do with the Beatles, so I support this

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-12157799559364096952010-04-01T12:02:00.014-04:002010-04-09T09:05:36.429-04:00

That is the sound of a rusty blog being wound painfully into gear by a lazy blogger. Creak creak creak. Argh. Is anyone out there? Hi! I haven't written in a while. I'm very sorry. See, I have this tendency in my life to come up with crazy projects, stick to them with near-religious fervor for a little while, and then drop them just as quickly. Already for 2010 I've adopted some other stupid

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-66069540339401092242009-12-31T17:55:00.002-05:002009-12-31T18:15:58.863-05:00

Just my personal faves, anyway. And by "favorites," I don't really mean favorite Beatles songs-- I really, no matter how hard I try, can't limit myself there. I more just mean songs that proved fun to write about even if I didn't think the songs would be that great, or songs that just struck as particularly amazing on that particular day in a nice bit of kismet, or songs that seemed to resonate

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-21037363144225715152009-12-26T12:30:00.003-05:002009-12-26T12:56:38.044-05:00

After having slightly bullied my mom about it (as was very unbecoming for someone who's as old as I am, I'd be the first to admit), I was unsurprised to receive the remastered stereo box set for Christmas-- though still terribly excited. Yay!I was, however, pleasantly surprised to also receive Beatles Trivial Pursuit from my parents. And then my husband up and gave me a wicked sexy Revolver

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-45795900790522867172009-12-24T11:04:00.003-05:002009-12-24T11:28:35.290-05:00

Here's a Christmas message you might be a little more familiar with than the others, at least if you've played Beatles Rock Band on story mode and unlocked some of the delightful prizes they've hidden for you. Because this is one of them.1963 was the Beatles' first big year, and what a year it was-- as they indicate here, the year prior they'd been a band with the one minor hit "Love Me Do," and

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-13920145627863137192009-12-23T12:18:00.002-05:002009-12-23T12:28:46.205-05:00

The 1964 message was only the second Beatles Fan Club Christmas record, and it basically follows the model of the first one the year prior-- it's just a recorded prepared statement. These early ones are fairly hilarious without being insane, as the later ones became. Much as I like ALL these Christmas messages, the later ones sometimes come across as something that your friends made while high as

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-29364354548420677932009-12-22T15:14:00.003-05:002009-12-22T15:36:49.324-05:00

You know what was a really big deal in 1965? Well, besides, the band's second movie, Shea Stadium, and Rubber Soul, that is? "Yesterday," of course. The 1965 Christmas message--the last message to be more of a true message rather than a pantomime, which is what the later messages sort of evolved into-- features the Beatles gleefully lampooning Paul's masterpiece several times, which is a large

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-62059564955438010192009-12-21T15:23:00.002-05:002009-12-21T15:33:24.116-05:00

This one is fun for its sketch about Podgy the Bear. That's still the way I remember things when I'm too lazy to find a piece of paper and make a shopping list. 1966 might have been a year in which the band released music so mind-blowing, so mature, that it changed pop music forever, but they're clearly still messing around like a bunch of kids.Oh, plus there's the song called "Please Don't Bring

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-53676051213799893682009-12-20T16:21:00.002-05:002009-12-20T16:38:58.691-05:00

The 1967 Christmas message is more cohesive than what was to come later, though it's still pleasantly anarchic. It's like a deranged sketch comedy special that devolves into a psychedelic nightmare-- up until the moment that John reads his sweet little nonsense poem that sends us off to bed. My favorite bit is the song "Plenty of Jam Jars" by a band called The Ravellers ("plenty of jam jars for

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-61676842302239313252009-12-19T11:40:00.002-05:002009-12-19T11:55:50.922-05:00

The 1968 message was also recorded separately, as the Beatles were already kind of running out of patience for hanging out with each other. But we get some cool weirdness, including a Chipmunky sped-up version of "Helter Skelter," John reading his Jock & Yono poem, a bizarre interlude from Tiny Tim, and insane yet strangely festive soundscapes that remind me of "Revolution #9" outtakes dressed in

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-5260023379735316322009-12-18T16:40:00.002-05:002009-12-18T17:03:44.078-05:00

Don't you hate how when you go out anywhere this time of year the department stores are blasting the odious "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" or whatever that saccharine nightmare of a McCartney song is called? Or the only-slightly-less-odious-and-in-its-own-way-more-crass "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" by Johnandyoko and the Harlem Boys Choir? Blech. It's no wonder people loathe this

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-32391908024618953792009-12-15T13:09:00.000-05:002009-12-15T13:10:28.063-05:00

Where does the time go in December, kids? Where oh where? I guess we've had a good week of silence in memory of John (many thanks to all commenters to that post, by the way), but Apple Corps must go on! Imagine no possessions, you say? Pshaw! We're in the middle of Hanukkah, so I'm coming to this pretty late (what else is new?), but if you're still finishing that shopping, or just beginning your

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-8646668707721059532009-12-08T10:42:00.004-05:002009-12-08T11:10:32.518-05:00

Gees, these crappy anniversaries just come running smack into each other at the end of the year, don't they? Anyway, it's now been 29 years to the day since John Lennon died. That's kind of weird, isn't it? I don't have much to add to the wave of online remembrances that I'm sure are lining up in my blogroll (over there on the right), because I was only about a year and a half old when it

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-17798130532134781842009-12-05T12:32:00.000-05:002009-12-05T12:33:25.242-05:00

Because the Lennon vs. McCartney question is a debate (and a fallacy) that apparently will never die, I am delighted to see that the new McCartney biography by Peter Ames Carlin, Paul McCartney: A Life, apparently spends a lot of time once again defending Paul's legacy from those who would continue, blindly, to see him as the lameass of the band and to deify a conveniently deceased John. But I am

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-43958881591210314522009-11-30T08:45:00.002-05:002009-12-01T00:04:37.333-05:00

My first playlist that I did on the blog back in, what, April or something, was a hidden treasures playlist. Listing the Beatles' hidden treasure tracks is a slightly ridiculous exercise, given the culture's massive Beatles overexposure in general. But that's why it interests me so much. Besides, for whatever reason, I have personally witnessed several people come to the Beatles (rather like one

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-76114842387818130332009-11-29T10:52:00.004-05:002009-11-29T11:58:18.628-05:00

Well, it's been eight years now since we lost George Harrison to cancer. On this day in 2001, I remember being in my still-fairly-new Boston apartment, pacing around the bedroom and trying to get some writing done (I was in a grad program for creative writing) and just being completely blocked, so I turned on the radio to procrastinate a little and suddenly it was all George all the time. There

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-66423510091967680462009-11-13T12:16:00.007-05:002009-11-13T13:09:17.549-05:00

I see at WogBlog that Harmonix, which had long promised a complete Sgt. Pepper download for Beatle Rock Band in November, has announced solid dates: Xbox and Wii users can download the album on November 17th, while PX users have to wait until the 19th.Harmonix has already put up Abbey Road for sale to the Rock Banders of the world, and wisely so-- how could anyone who had already laid out the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-44019451444372468092009-11-10T16:20:00.005-05:002009-11-10T22:56:35.746-05:00

Although I'm a fan of the One-Disc White Album game (the game wherein you pretend that George Martin gets his way and that the Beatles release a wicked solid single-disc album instead of the slightly all-over-the-place double-disc album that DID get released in November of 1968, and then decide which songs should be on it and which shouldn't be), I've never been able to satisfactorily come up

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-90296596284845794762009-11-03T13:43:00.002-05:002009-11-03T13:47:05.023-05:00

Well, you're in luck, because the whole catalog is going to be released again, this time on vinyl.MOJO had the story on its website yesterday. And, you know, I like records a lot. But even I might be too exhausted at this point to lay out more money. I swear, though, if they package Let It Be with a reprint of the original photobook, I might yet relent....

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-46857374239911703922009-11-02T23:20:00.000-05:002009-11-02T23:21:02.847-05:00

Perhaps you've been asking yourself, "Should I buy the recently released digital remastered Beatles box set in mono?" Well, I'm of the opinion that most people probably should, although you personally might not really need to. It kind of depends on how much of a geek you are. But, wait a minute, you're here reading a Beatles blog, aren't you? So, likely yes. But just in case, I've compiled a very

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-26248651747340399682009-10-18T21:38:00.001-04:002009-10-18T21:39:04.145-04:00

Well, there we are-- by my count (and it would be hugely embarrassing at this point if I've counted wrong) I've listened to every legally available Beatles song, one by one, since January 1. And hopefully you've listened along with me. If you've missed something, go back and give it a whirl! There's not a song here that's not worth your time. (Except for, arguably, well... you know.)When I

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-42925915431185295272009-10-18T09:21:00.001-04:002009-10-18T09:43:37.849-04:00

The subtitle of this blog, which insinuates that there's a Beatles song for every day of the year, is kind of a lie, because this is it. "A Day in the Life" is the last Beatles song in the catalog for us to listen to. Because if there's an even better ending to this project than a song called "The End" it's an almost-minute-long E major chord. Right? Right. Please sit back for a few minutes and

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-28218243623711973372009-10-17T17:08:00.002-04:002009-10-17T17:10:45.526-04:00

Although it's not really, of course, not quite. Those paying attention will note that there's one more song to go after today-- and it ain't stupid "Her Majesty," either. But since we're near enough, and since Abbey Road has given me a taste for epilogues, today it's "The End."So we get each Beatle in a solo moment here, which is very cool and very unique in the catalog. But this isn't the crazed

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-84747140460824464732009-10-16T11:49:00.000-04:002009-10-16T11:50:54.309-04:00

The official story on "Two of Us" is that Paul wrote it as an early love song to Linda Eastman. But if you're a fan, you absolutely can't help but hear it as a song about Paul and John together, as young friends and artists and collaborators, spending someone's hard earned pay. So let's all drink a toast to Lennon-McCartney, kids, and listen to "Two of Us," and hope that all of us have or will

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-67879835610304223772009-10-15T13:58:00.000-04:002009-10-15T13:59:46.630-04:00

To be honest, I didn't intentionally put off the Beatles' very first single until now. I just kept not listening to this one, I guess, or not feeling like writing about it. But here we are. And the question of whether or not you can hear a hint of what the Beatles are going to be capable of on "Love Me Do" is an open one, if you ask me. "Love Me Do" is charming, and simple, and swinging, and

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-79450499397582255362009-10-14T10:20:00.001-04:002009-10-14T10:24:06.776-04:00

Paul seems to have been the only Beatle playing on Abbey Road to have given a damn about the fact that this was probably the album on which they were saying goodbye to being Beatles. At least if you listen to the songs. John's songs on the album are either about Yoko ("I Want You"), himself ("Come Together"), or nothing in particular ("Sun King"); he was too busy gazing forward (not to mention at

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-31761026457305462922009-10-13T15:54:00.001-04:002009-10-13T17:28:43.984-04:00

In any summation of the musicians who influenced the Beatles, no matter how half-assed, it would be criminal to leave out Elvis Presley. So we're not going to. Our final Beatles cover of the year happens to be a cover of Elvis's first-ever single. He recorded this in the studios of Sun Records way back in 1954. And it's a beaut.Rock and roll, of course, owes a debt to country, and Elvis's version

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-57778126660134031422009-10-12T16:26:00.000-04:002009-10-12T16:27:47.240-04:00

Well, I don't know what you kids are doing on this Columbus Day-- my vote for Lamest Holiday Ever, especially given that most of the country seems to not even celebrate it-- but I am in the office, which seems to be where most people are NOT, at least here in Boston, where not a single government holiday, it seems, goes unobserved by the populace. So this is irritating. This is my last week in my

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-26539452405892346562009-10-11T17:48:00.000-04:002009-10-11T17:49:30.697-04:00

Of course we're not talking about that one Dave Clark Five song that tends to get overplayed on oldies radio station. No way. We're talking about a Beatles song, and since this is our last HarriSunday together, and since we're spending a few days talking covers, we're taking a look back at George's idol, Carl Perkins, the king of rockabilly. This "Glad All Over" is the single that Perkins

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-35981067602380827212009-10-10T15:31:00.000-04:002009-10-10T15:32:26.152-04:00

As we wind down our not-quite-full-year of songs, let's take a few days to look back and remember where the Beatles came from. Bear with me as we work through a small round of early covers and once more hear the songs that made the lads want to be rock stars. As you guys might have noticed, I happen to love songs like these, and I hope I can strong-arm those of you who aren't quite with me on

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-55848727536896515822009-10-09T16:52:00.000-04:002009-10-12T14:45:55.423-04:00

Hey, kids, it's October 9th, 2009! The 69th birthday of John Lennon! Oh, John, it's hard to even imagine you at 69. But when I do, I try to imagine you a bit edgier than Double Fantasy. I like to think that album was just a phase you were going through, and that there was even more amazing stuff on the way... kind of like how Paul's 2009 Fireman album was his coolest in maybe 20 years. Not like

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-9133685601487422552009-10-08T09:04:00.001-04:002009-10-08T09:04:00.189-04:00

I feel as though lately-- perhaps ever since I got back from South America almost a month ago-- I've been a bit under the weather, a bit deficient in energy. Hopefully that hasn't seeped into the blog at all, but I suspect it has (for one thing, until today I've been on a later posting schedule, because my ass can't seem to get up in the morning anymore). Maybe I've just been playing too much

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-84226455749493684272009-10-07T17:26:00.001-04:002009-10-10T13:09:45.025-04:00

From angry John to tender Paul we go. "And I Love Her" is a breakout song for Paul, his first really successful romantic standard sort of thing-- and it holds up, doesn't it? It's as sweet and gooey as Paul's fluttery eyes are as he sings it in A Hard Day's Night.Paul McCartney is obviously widely acknowledged to be an excellent composer of slightly soppy pop ballads. He has a natural knack for

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-19425746947630590412009-10-06T16:32:00.001-04:002009-10-06T16:41:08.444-04:00

As we know, John Lennon wasn't always much of a peacenik or a feminist. A bunch of Beatles songs showcase the rage, the jealousy, and the insecurity of the man whose bearded, peace-sign-flashing visage would later adorn so many college dorm room walls. Of course, we love him anyway, all the more so for his very human complexity.If you're feeling angry or just off at all, here's a playlist for you

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-2181860914459351222009-10-06T14:13:00.000-04:002009-10-06T14:16:07.595-04:00

While yesterday's song gave us an early listen to an angry, resentful John, "Run for Your Life" is the ultimate Angry John song. It lets its misogyny flag fly, this one does. As such, it's a very polarizing song-- I know plenty of people who hate it, and I kind of respect that, since I most likely wouldn't love a song that threatens death as a reasonable retaliation for infidelity if it were by a

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-1504100424141882012009-10-05T12:07:00.000-04:002009-10-05T12:08:44.343-04:00

Do not judge the songs I have left until the end of the cycle, kids. I love all of these, really, including today's sleeper song "Not a Second Time." This is a song more famous for the unusual notice taken of it by William Mann, classical music critic for the London Times, than possibly anything else. Back in 1963, no actual musician or critic was taking the Beatles seriously-- it was clearly

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-40931582944572556092009-10-04T13:58:00.000-04:002009-10-04T13:59:54.751-04:00

Okay, October meanders on and we need to return to the less freaky Beatles songs. And there might be no less threatening Beatles song for a HarriSunday than today's earnest, polite-- yet wicked catchy-- pean to the pleasures of dancing. JUST dancing, mind you!I've provided the video from the "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" sequence in A Hard Day's Night, but I actually don't recommend watching

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-79195788129595699102009-10-03T12:19:00.000-04:002009-10-03T12:19:24.011-04:00

Well, after a couple days of Zombie Songs, we'll return to what remains of the more standard catalog with the scariest Beatles "song" they ever recorded. Everyone who hated the last couple days' songs is sure to hate this one at least as much. I'm beginning to suspect that October might be bad for my blog traffic.See, "Revolution 9" is sort of unfair, because rather than just flirt with different

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-5344143369524250052009-10-02T17:42:00.001-04:002009-10-02T21:49:11.198-04:00

It's the attack of another Zombie Beatles Song! And even if Zombie Song #2 staggered out into the world groaning for brains in a less overhyped way than Zombie Song #1, it's totally a better song. At least I think so. In fact, I think I'm probably guilty of liking "Real Love" more than it might deserve. That's okay. Hear me out. Well, no-- first have a listen.I like this video a lot, too-- I like

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-43915160641145116342009-10-01T11:34:00.004-04:002009-10-01T22:18:44.020-04:00

Now that we're into October, the scariest month of the year, it seems like a good time to check out the Zombie Beatles songs in the canon. And no, this has nothing to do with this Zombie Beatles video or this Beatles-Running-from-Zombies video or even this Zombies-Playing-Beatles-Rock-Band video. (Although I have certainly enjoyed linking to all three.) No, I'm talking about the Zombie Beatles

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-44028451711663504092009-09-30T17:42:00.000-04:002009-09-30T17:44:59.750-04:00

"Hey, Meg!" you might say, if you are unversed in the nuances of Beatles history. "Why did someone make a YouTube video to 'Sexy Sadie' that's just a slideshow of the boys posing with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi? What does he have to do with anything?" Well, see, Sexy Sadie is the Maharishi. This is a song in which John gets all mean-spirited, basically-- he only even changed the name of the song

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-15081228009131519162009-09-29T16:22:00.000-04:002009-09-29T16:24:32.647-04:00

Don't knock the Beatles album filler, is what I say. "Tell Me What You See" is secretly a little bit awesome.If you listen to songs like this enough-- if you frequently, say, make your way through the Help! B-side on your way to the "I've Just Seen a Face" payoff that awaits on the very next track-- then "Tell Me What You See" starts to grow on you, or at least on me. There's no question that

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-59908062063333793112009-09-28T19:21:00.000-04:002009-09-28T19:29:24.340-04:00

Sometimes it seems all I do these days is fix holes where the rain gets in. You know what I mean, kids? Of course you do. And especially on a day when poor Lucy has passed away (more here), it seem only fitting to delve into the Sgt. Pepper universe."Fixing a Hole" boasts not only a wicked pleasant melody, but an arrangement that's so clever and sophisticated that it just gives you a light happy

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-92228934745770726232009-09-27T15:24:00.001-04:002009-09-27T15:26:37.929-04:00

Well, it's a nasty, gloom-inducing HarriSunday here in Boston, with a mellow early Beatles cover to match it. "Chains" has a good swing, but it's still a good one to stay in bed and pull up the covers to, if that makes any sense."Chains" is a song from the illustrious Goffin-King catalog, originally recorded by The Cookies in 1962. The Cookies were best known at that point as the backup singers

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-53012743776039608602009-09-26T18:12:00.000-04:002009-09-26T18:21:55.728-04:00

Oh, "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)"! How could I have put you off for so long?Anyone who loves it when the Beatles act all adorable-- and I am, unsurprisingly, one of these people-- has to get behind "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)," as bizarre as it is. This little fragment began as a brainstorm of John's, apparently taken from the tagline of a phone book, sometime in 1967.

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-86316451640711816222009-09-25T20:40:00.003-04:002009-09-25T22:24:53.555-04:00

If it seems like I'm trying to get these Anthology tracks out of the way, it's kind of true-- if one is going to write a blog like this one, one should try to end on a high note, and there are a few tracks that I'd like to get out of the way. Especially on a Friday night after an extremely long day, after a bit of beer. (I know, I know, I'm only barely making it this Friday, but cut me some slack

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-7121788871583020412009-09-24T08:36:00.000-04:002009-09-24T08:36:14.698-04:00

Do you want to dance with me? Well, you know, it's gotta be rock and roll music. Just sayin'.This is one of those songs that really sounds great in mono. And that's because it should really be blasted as loudly as possible from a boombox or cheap radio or something, preferably on a hot summer day from someone's car while you dance around on the beach and then kick back with, I don't know, a cold

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-25948836028388503052009-09-23T09:47:00.000-04:002009-09-23T09:48:52.465-04:00

Meg's Beatle Gender-Bender Theorem: When the Beatles cover a song originally written for a woman to sing, it rules as much as or, frequently, more than the original. (See: "Boys," "Baby It's You," "Till There Was You," "Please Mr. Postman," "To Know Her Is to Love Her," etc. etc.)** And here comes "I Just Don't Understand" just to drive the point home.This song was a hit in 1961 for the beautiful

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-20071127114570239952009-09-22T17:53:00.000-04:002009-09-22T18:52:39.491-04:00

FREAKING YES. Today I gotta treat myself. Unlike some people I could name, I've never actually ranked all the Beatles songs in order of my preference. It feels impossible to me, not to mention endlessly variable from one day to the next. But if I were to undertake such a project, there would most likely be two constants in the top slots every time: this one (plus that other unlikely candidate) 

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-61988137377724166662009-09-21T13:24:00.004-04:002009-09-21T17:32:28.108-04:00

I'm off the HarriSunday schedule slightly, and we're thus slipping in a couple George songs on non-Sundays-- if we don't, it's going to throw us off in the last few weeks of our song-a-day schedule. So let's dip into the Anthology 1 tracks once more for a fairly kickass lead vocal from George. "The Sheik of Araby" is one of those weird covers the Beatles used to do to fill out their act at clubs

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-15744232563748771982009-09-20T22:26:00.002-04:002009-09-21T15:00:32.704-04:00

Since I seem to have not been in a good mood at all since returning to North America, I'm finding the sardonic strains of "Only a Northern Song" particularly affecting on this HarriSunday.A lot of people don't like this song, I think, or just feel rather indifferent about it, but I like it a lot. I love that George's songs reveal a personality at war with itself-- on the one hand espousing the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-34075749942886739562009-09-19T18:15:00.000-04:002009-09-19T19:24:45.303-04:00

Well, I promised a song that I had stronger feelings about than "That Means a Lot," and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" certainly qualifies. Frankly, it's one I should have gotten out of the way a long time ago. Because this was never one of my favorites anyway, and as I get older, I like it less and less.In fact, what I frequently call my trio of distaste-- the only three Beatles songs I ever skip--

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-78646969900769053132009-09-18T17:21:00.000-04:002009-09-18T17:22:29.192-04:00

Today's funny little song dates, like its similarly unsuccessful sister song "If You've Got Trouble," to the Help! sessions. That's why I like this video, which features outakes from the film. (Thanks, Jedalmanko!)By "unsuccessful," I don't mean to cast aspersions-- I'm just noting that neither of these songs actually made it onto Help! after all. Both songs had to wait until Anthology 2 for an

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-40005413917708981962009-09-17T12:29:00.000-04:002009-09-17T12:30:55.175-04:00

The first song that Ringo ever wrote appeared on 1968's White Album, as everyone knows. You might also know that Ringo seems to have been working on "Don't Pass Me By" on and off for something like four years. A 1964 BBC interview features Ringo explaining that he's working on a song with this same title, and Paul singing a little bit of it: "Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-45509936438258686012009-09-16T14:49:00.004-04:002009-09-16T15:01:57.901-04:00

Late today ONLY because the internet has been out all freaking day. I have no idea how long I have, so I'll try to make this quick...After playing around with Help! on the mono box set, I went right into Rubber Soul, figuring that the blasts of three-part vocals on this album would be interesting in mono. I was right—and thus “Nowhere Man” and “If I Needed Someone” were particularly breathtaking,

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-60263875068334618292009-09-15T19:54:00.000-04:002009-09-15T20:00:14.763-04:00

Argh, late today, as I should have guessed of myself. Kids, please allow me to ease back into my song-a-day blogging with a pleasantly fluffy little number from Help!, okay? And anyway, it's a fun song, right? Of course it is. Oh, just have a listen.When I talk about the Help! album (as I recently did here, she said shamelessly) I tend to talk a lot about how John owns side A while Paul owns side

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-36793380080071248852009-09-14T18:57:00.002-04:002009-09-14T19:27:56.112-04:00

Hey kids! Thanks for reading and for all the great LP-related comments while I was gone. I'm freshly home from my trip to Peru and Bolivia (though perhaps "freshly" is the wrong word, since after my experiences with international air travel I am, frankly, a bit rank) and ready to commence to blogging again. I think. I could crash at any point, honestly.We walked in the door tonight to find my

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-23831395748300867472009-09-14T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-14T12:00:04.847-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Let It

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-63353199267975440582009-09-12T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-12T12:00:01.228-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Abbey

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-70764058557850824272009-09-11T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-11T12:00:00.400-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Yellow

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-24457529199978918772009-09-10T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-10T12:00:00.207-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.The Beatles 

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-63808478786500585052009-09-09T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-09T12:00:01.338-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Magical

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-26662659053900326482009-09-09T11:49:00.003-04:002009-09-09T11:53:49.659-04:00

Let it Be:"If you’ve heard that Let It Be is rough but have never seen it, you’re almost surprised when you realize it’s not as bad as you expected. But even in 2009, apparently, the myth of the Beatles, begun by A Hard Day’s Night and perpetuated by almost every film and album that came after, is so strong that we are told that we’re still not ready to see the Beatles as flawed human beings who

Rumseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-46856441539158678952009-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-08T12:00:00.310-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Sgt.

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-22562791563266873282009-09-07T18:41:00.004-04:002009-09-09T11:54:54.829-04:00

Hello all, a quick update on Meg's Beatles films reviews (which will conclude tomorrow and Wednesday):A Hard Day's Night:"A Hard Day’s Night is, on the surface, a particularly well-done musical comedy, but it’s also about youth and all of its dissatisfactions and injustices in a more general way. It remains as beloved as it is not only because it involves the Beatles, but because its taste for

Rumseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-33663207546666945122009-09-07T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-07T12:00:00.159-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song,

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-39356568289011216672009-09-05T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-05T12:00:02.375-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Rubber

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-91882829815506303952009-09-04T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-04T12:00:00.775-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Help!Release

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-22645071038878471672009-09-03T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-03T12:00:01.350-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Beatles for

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-84083618118168979312009-09-02T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-02T12:00:05.309-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.A Hard Day's

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-5651787313117472152009-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-01T12:00:03.155-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.With the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-24584440171890568592009-09-01T01:13:00.005-04:002009-09-01T01:18:26.469-04:00

Hello all -- dipping in to plug Meg's feature on the Beatles' films, which commences today at notcoming.com:Over the course of their five movies, from 1964 to 1970, the Beatles changed along with pop culture, such that by the time Let It Be flashed its ambivalent “The End” on screen, something even greater seemed to have ended. This is true even if you weren’t there to live it, as I wasn’t.

Rumseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-30602451831893019142009-08-31T12:00:00.000-04:002009-08-31T12:00:00.541-04:00

As I'm out of the country until September 15, my normal song-a-day listening schedule is being put on hold. Instead, rediscover your love for the LP format by enjoying a complete Beatles album per day. Try to keep your finger away from the "shuffle" or "skip" buttons for the ultimate retro experience! See you in September to wrap up the Beatles' catalog song by song, remastered-style.Please

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-66935483319112258472009-08-28T12:17:00.000-04:002009-08-28T12:19:31.082-04:00

Don't cry over me, readers! This is my last post before I jet off tonight to Peru and Bolivia for two fabulous adventure-filled (and probably, sadly, Beatle-free) weeks. But the blog will be updated by Ghost Meg, as it were, so check in for some quick LP lovefests (they will be not QUITE every day, but fairly frequently), plus links to some long-winded essays about relevant movies I wrote for

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-79274621113557135042009-08-27T13:08:00.000-04:002009-08-27T13:10:09.158-04:00

Today we'll move from a song that I love but that so many people hate, to a song that a lot of people seem to love in a way that I completely can't understand. I want to make it clear that I don't HATE "Rocky Raccoon." How could I? It's kind of cute and guileless, and I like it exactly as much as it deserves to be liked, in my opinion. But are you aware, reader, of the deep, deep love that people

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-24698554535195402082009-08-26T15:52:00.001-04:002009-08-26T20:23:09.932-04:00

Sorry to be so late today, kids. In fact, I have no time at all to write anything decent. But I've ALWAYS got time for a little "Mr. Moonlight!"What a deliciously weird song. So weird, in fact, that most people seem to hate it. But those people are just being silly, because "Mr. Moonlight" is hilarious. John does a phenomenal vocal on the "on the nights you don't come my way" parts, going for

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-5236975185586250812009-08-25T13:53:00.000-04:002009-08-25T13:57:00.982-04:00

I have a thesis about "All I've Got to Do," which is that "All I've Got to Do" is one of the most secretly sexy, badass Beatles songs ever. I think all you've got to do is listen to hear what I mean.Oh, Lord, kids. For a pubescent girl developing a decided preference for John, "All I've Got to Do" was one of the best With the Beatles tracks bar none. Even now, as a cynical adult fan, it can make

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-45837439442579323522009-08-24T16:35:00.001-04:002009-08-24T21:40:38.211-04:00

I don't talk much about my job, because I can't imagine it's interesting to very many people, but I will say this much: before I leave for my two weeks out of the country this Friday, I have a lot of reports and so forth due. I've been crunching numbers and syncing spreadsheets until my head spins. And now that there's suddenly a torrential downpour or something outside, it's making me feel even

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-80258466178518565432009-08-24T14:03:00.000-04:002009-08-24T14:03:40.897-04:00

This was the first track that came up on my iPod's shuffle mode on my walk to work today, and it just made me so freaking happy.I love this song, as I love so many of Chuck Berry's songs, and as I love so many Beatles covers of Chuck Berry songs. "Memphis, Tennessee" was the B-side to "Back in the U.S.A.," a 1959 single that strangely failed to chart for some reason on, I'm pretty sure, either

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-54789180363502151332009-08-23T15:06:00.000-04:002009-08-23T15:07:59.927-04:00

I suspect that "Something" might generally be agreed to be George's single best Beatles song, and then of course the "Here Comes the Sun"s and "Taxman"s and so forth have won the quiet Beatle deserved accolades as well-- they are songs as solid as any Lennon-McCartney track. But "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is in some ways the ultimate HarriSong. It resonates with so much raw feeling, so much

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-19829273940410444722009-08-22T22:18:00.003-04:002009-08-22T23:20:42.726-04:00

Fun Beatles fandom events happen from time to time, and I'm sure it would be great fun for me to one day make it one of them. The Fest for Beatles Fans, for instance, just finished up in Chicago this past weekend, and I thought I might go to that (with my awesomely geeky friend who lives in Chicago) before I realized that, lodged as it was between a week of work travel and two weeks of for-fun

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-67912816870949520362009-08-22T14:12:00.005-04:002009-12-08T09:01:48.918-05:00

I've considered doing "What's the New Mary Jane" a few times this year, but in the end I've never been able to, because at heart I don't really enjoy listening to this. And I prefer not to think this is because it's so self-consciously weird-- I mean, I'm generally a defender of "Revolution #9," which I do enjoy listening to (when I'm in the mood), so I don't think I'm some kind of fuddy-duddy.

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-6951246331114913372009-08-21T12:03:00.000-04:002009-08-21T12:04:33.694-04:00

I don't know, I must be feeling hazy lately, or just, like, quasi-mystical. To follow "Flying" with "Sun King" can only mean that my mood is soporific. And God, it's so true. I am tired, kids. I sorely need the vacation that I'm about to embark upon.But in the meantime, there's "Sun King." So let's all cross our legs and tilt our heads back and have a few deep breaths, shall we?There are those

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-3970450340322621412009-08-20T21:21:00.000-04:002009-08-20T21:21:00.071-04:00

This is more of a personal one, but these are the songs that have been keeping me company as I get ready to go off on my jaunt to Peru and Bolivia-- as I hurriedly try to learn Spanish, pack winter clothes (39 Fahrenheit the other night in Cusco!! do you know how awesome that sounds to me here in 90+ degree Boston??), and figure out how to book bus trips in Bolivia on the internet (answer: with

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-60725506162624727082009-08-20T13:37:00.004-04:002009-08-20T14:45:14.205-04:00

Read this if you want to ruin your day.Zemekis?? ZEMECKIS???Fucking THE POLAR EXPRESS???Just, no. NO NO NO NO NO NO NOUpdate: Here's a longer writeup in Variety. Even more of the soul-crushing information for you there.

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-79597455620612654682009-08-20T13:24:00.001-04:002009-08-22T14:32:25.041-04:00

Okay, okay, I'm taking the lame way out today. But I have to cover "Flying" someday. It may as well be today. And I've got it running in my head after spending the weekend watching Magical Mystery Tour a couple times for an upcoming film feature on Not Coming to a Theatre Near You, a site that I help to edit and occasionally write for (yes, that was a shameless plug for an upcoming project-- stay

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-9088010515117285232009-08-19T21:46:00.002-04:002009-08-19T22:08:06.997-04:00

I've been so remiss on posting Beatles news lately-- just swamped, kids, you know, work and so forth, what with being gone for two weeks pretty soon-- but WOW, two news items today demand comment.The first one comes courtesy of Troy. This year I had actually planned to attend the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago, which was last weekend-- I was going to live blog it and all such stuff-- but my

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-30761369726311914542009-08-19T13:42:00.001-04:002009-08-19T13:56:45.763-04:00

There's something about summertime that just makes you think of brass music, isn't there? Maybe it's some vestigial memory of the brass bands that used to play in summertime parades and so forth in some mythical yesteryear. Or maybe it's the brassiness of the unrelenting sunshine. And you know what else? There's something about summertime that seems to make people want to sit back on the porch

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-27267277607644569492009-08-18T11:48:00.000-04:002009-08-18T11:52:28.364-04:00

As anyone who reads this with any regularity knows, I have soft spots for a whole lot of Beatles songs that maybe, it could be argued, are undeserving of my affection. Maybe they're a bit awkward or spotty or somehow less than masterpieces. Oh, but I love them anyway. Because, you guys, I am a fan. It's pretty much the definition. I can be critical as the mood strikes me, but in the end any of

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-62970726002887956562009-08-17T08:12:00.001-04:002009-08-17T08:12:00.152-04:00

We're getting to that time of the year when I've had to do some some math regarding how much of the year I've got left versus how many songs I've got left, and I've recently concluded that I need to expand songs that George sang beyond HarriSundays in order to fit them all in neatly. Hence today's song, a bit of an oddity from Live at the BBC-- odd in that George and Paul are singing a duet

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-46831033626079378672009-08-16T08:06:00.002-04:002009-08-16T08:53:24.023-04:00

Now, here's a weird little choice for a HarriSunday. "You Know What to Do" came to light for really the first time on its release on Anthology 1-- due to a filing error, I don't think it was ever even really bootlegged before then, but Lord knows someone should leap in and correct me stat if that's wrong.According to what we know of the song (and thanks to the Beatles Bible for filling in the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-32949422288905018732009-08-15T14:52:00.000-04:002009-08-15T14:55:09.621-04:00

Hey, guess what today is? It's the 49th anniversary of the Shea Stadium concert-- notable for its being the first rock concert in a stadium, and also notable for kicking off the Beatles' 1965 American tour with fun and mayhem and record-breaking greatness. And since we've actually already covered each of the other songs in that setlist, today seems like a great day for "I Feel Fine."I've said it

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-89135657290166547962009-08-14T08:57:00.000-04:002009-08-14T08:57:54.773-04:00

Last night I had too a little too much to drink. Whatever. And I found myself on the train heading back home singing "Nowhere Man" to myself rather more loudly than is normally considered appropriate on a train. Because that's what I do. I sing wicked loud and sometimes wicked passionately when I'm drunk. It's mortifying, especially to my put-upon (and usually still-sober) husband. At any rate,

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-4261135171919989822009-08-13T17:22:00.000-04:002009-08-13T17:59:45.009-04:00

Lord, how this day has gotten away from me. Late again today, but I'm back hanging with Mr. Kite. Oh, kids, this one is so awesome. I have this icky feeling that maybe "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" hasn't aged well, or something-- I seem to detect detect a bit of backlash among the people, or perhaps a sense that one is tricked by the production into thinking this is a better song than it

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-16542211233293998582009-08-12T19:49:00.002-04:002009-08-12T20:46:08.869-04:00

Oh my God, you guys, you know what song I totally LOVE? "I'll Be Back." I love this song. I LOVE it. Though I guess I should probably qualify this a little and stop swooning.I mean, part of it is that I am a sucker for these close harmonies between John and Paul. And though they largely move through the verses in simple thirds, the thirds go somewhere a little bit surprising. For me, anyway (

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-16385942508972821032009-08-12T10:45:00.000-04:002009-08-12T10:50:20.954-04:00

Back in the office following the red-eye, and will do some Beatles listening shortly-- most likely late in the afternoon. But now that I'm back from work-related travels, this seemed as good a time as ever to warn you, dear readers, about some non-work-related travels that are coming up for me. On August 28, I'm going on vacation to Peru and Bolivia for something over two weeks, and as ambitious

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-85445268498068825962009-08-11T20:11:00.000-04:002009-08-11T23:11:18.570-04:00

I'm once more blogging on a flight, this time from Seattle back to Boston, thank God. My travels were fun and all, especially today when I was working less than I had been the rest of the weekend. But it will be nice to get back to normalcy. At any rate, I gotta do this super fast-- I'm fighting not only the usual fatigue and whatnot, I'm also fighting my computer's lagging battery. (I packed the

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-6068754788808362002009-08-10T15:45:00.000-04:002009-08-10T18:57:39.171-04:00

Today I'm listening to the Beatles way up in the air, in a flight from San Francisco to Seattle, which is kind of neat. And when I'm kind of sleepy and on a flight with nothing but work on the brain, I really like to listen to Beatles songs like today's. "You Really Got a Hold on Me" is a cover of an excellent Miracles song, and it has a lovely groovy feel that just makes me happy.All the Beatles

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-31388225630794038352009-08-09T08:18:00.000-04:002009-08-09T11:18:21.585-04:00

Here's another song that was fiddled about with during some Beatles sessions, but wound up on a solo album. In fact, it ended up titling George's massive first solo album, All Things Must Pass, which is probably the greatest single musical thing George ever made. (Even if it is a bit long.) But long before George became the first solo artist to release a triple album, the Beatles worked on "All

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7594252593945843033.post-36047614217513416712009-08-08T21:36:00.000-04:002009-08-09T00:37:55.771-04:00

Since I seem to have slipped into a nighttime posting schedule, and since I'm freaking exhausted after a full day of work stuff at a trade show, I'm finding myself more drawn than usual to this sweet little lullaby by John. Of course, Ringo takes a memorable lead vocal. Let's all hope I make it through this post without falling asleep myself.But yeah, John wrote "Good Night" as a lullaby for his

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17565760365090993595noreply@blogger.com4