Fest for Beatles Fans Chicago 2015
In the "better late than never" department, herewith some notes about attending a day of #ChiFest15 -- the first such I'd ever been to. My 16-year-old daughter accompanied me, and we met up with fellow Dullblogger Michael for part of the day. -- Nancy Carr Two Fest helpers -- the one in the white hat and sunglasses looked unnervingly like Yoko from some angles [...]
Keith Richards on Sgt. Pepper
EMi studios in 1966; the Beatles, working on "Revolver," get a visit from Mick and Keith. NANCY CARR * That headline about Keith Richards calling Sgt. Pepper's "rubbish" in an Esquire interview -- I've finally seen it enough times to post about it. I'm mostly inclined to give Richards' opinion of the album the big shrug. Some people are going to [...]
John Lennon and Branwell Bronte
St. James' earlier book on the supposed connection between Branwell Bronte and John Lennon NANCY CARR * A recently self-published book by Jewelle St. James, John Lennon and the Bronte Connection, claims that John Lennon was the reincarnation of Branwell Bronte, the brother of the more famous Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Also that the author is, perhaps, the reincarnation of [...]
London researchers say Beatles not revolutionary
NANCY CARR * A study just issued by researchers at Imperial College London and Queen Mary University of London asserts that the Beatles' success in mid-60s America was anything but revolutionary. According to Professor Armand Leroi, the paper's senior author, “They were good looking boys with great haircuts and British accents but as far as their music was concerned they weren’t anything new.” [...]
George Starostin on “McLemore Avenue”
We got the front . . . . NANCY CARR * My favorite music reviewer, the indefatigable George Starostin, has just published this review of Booker T. and the M.G.'s McLemore Avenue. He calls it "the first authentic case of musical cosplay in pop/rock history," and I have to concur, though I enjoy the results more than he does. [...]
Krall does Paul: McCartney cover on “Wallflower”
NANCY CARR * On her new album "Wallflower," Diana Krall covers "If I Take You Home Tonight," a song Paul McCartney wrote while working on "Kisses on the Bottom" but didn't release. (Not clear if he recorded a version.) I think the romantic ballad blends in seamlessly with the late 1960s to 1970s songs that make up the rest of Krall's album. Listen [...]
Apple Jam: Off the Beatle Track
Oh, you'll like this In the process of refurbishing Nancy Carr's earlier post on the Seattle-based Beatle-tribute band Apple Jam, I discovered these videos and had to pass them on. 2009's "Off the Beatle Track" is Apple Jam doing an LP's worth Lennon/McCartney songs never released by the Beatles (a recent obsession of mine) in the style of the early [...]
The Beatles as rock gods…literally
NANCY CARR • Sarah Yakawonis, who runs the Etsy shop Yakawonis Quilling, has created images of each of the Beatles as a literal rock god, with intriguing results. Looking perfectly contented, George. George, perfectly at home With George's affinity for Indian spiritual traditions, it's appropriate that he comes off particularly well (his portrait incorporates aspects of Krishna). With his beads and [...]
“Art of McCartney” tribute album mostly meh
NANCY CARR * The recently released "Art of McCartney" tribute album could have been--should have been--so much better. Lots of songs and lots of artists, many of them big names. But the album suffers from two major problems: the track list is weighted toward songs that have been covered a lot (often better than here), and too many of the performers stick [...]
Flaming Lips’ “With a Little Help from My Fwends”: Sgt. Pepper’s through a 21st century blender
Watch up for that blue goo--it really gums up the songs. NANCY CARR * With a Little Help from My Fwends, the Sgt. Pepper’s tribute album from the Flaming Lips and a bunch of their buddies, is a frequently painful listening experience that is also revelatory. It’s just that much of what it reveals leads to depressing conclusions about how [...]