Beatles at the BBC, Volume 2: clearly enjoyable
Just before Paul warned George not to stick that Rickenbacker into John's ear NANCY CARR * I've been listening to "On Air: Live at the BBC Volume 2" pretty continuously the past few days, and it's great fun (unsurprisingly, for anyone who's heard volume 1). Of particular note is the astounding clarity of the sound. The warmth and immediacy of the [...]
Literary approaches to the Beatles; or, the difference between a book and a record
DEVIN McKINNEY • Once, a long time ago, I tried to maintain, just for the record, a running tab of Beatles references or mentions that cropped up in the course of my day. During that period (the latter half of the 1980s), the daily references were not many; the group’s public profile was in a relative slough of despond, and looking back, [...]
McCartney, “New,” and “generic genius”: rebutting Ben Greenman
The new McCartney album, "MEM." NANCY CARR • The "New" album is the occasion for Ben Greenman of The New Yorker to opine about Paul McCartney's "generic genius." That's very much "generic" as in "bland and undistinguished," not as in "genre-spanning." Greenman asserts that the album's title is "almost comically inaccurate," but appears unaware that his own critique recycles cliches about [...]
Bad alternate Beatles history
Ringo, ready to spring into instant diplomatic action NANCY CARR * Usually I can take or leave alternative history experiments, but Geoffrey Himes' "What If The Beatles Hadn't Broken Up?" in Paste is so loony I had to bring it back to the Dullblog community for commentary. [For great alternate Beatles history, see Mark Shipper's Paperback Writer or HD's own Michael [...]
Three Ways: Beatles write about landscapes
NANCY CARR * In the late 60s the Beatles had three strong songwriters (and really, was that fair to other bands?), and thus three distinctive ways of treating the subjects they wrote about—landscapes, love, drugs, etc. (That's without getting into the significant variations within each songwriter's work). This time, I want to consider what Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison saw when they looked at landscapes. [...]
Smile vs. Sgt. Pepper
The Boys away from the beach, 1967 NANCY CARR • I love the Beach Boys (not the way I love the Beatles, but still), so why can’t I wholeheartedly love Smile? I ask this question sincerely. I think Brian Wilson is a songwriter, singer, and bassist worthy of great praise. I understand why Paul McCartney was so blown away [...]
Who Am We?
In 2005, after going to college together and working in publishing in New York City, friends Ed Park and Mike Gerber realized that they both loved The Beatles. (You would think it might have come up in the prior 15 years, but no.) Mike and Ed also realized that several friends were serious Beatles fans, in particular Devin McKinney, who had written [...]
I’ve just seen (part of) a face: McCartney on the Colbert Report
Paul McCartney on The Colbert Report, 6/12/13. NANCY CARR • Paul McCartney's hour-long June 12 appearance on The Colbert Report was great fun -- if you missed it, you can watch it all here. Colbert's introduction was characteristically hilarious and pointed. McCartney plays so many instruments he's "a one-man karoke bar without the weird videos," and Colbert is hosting a [...]
Sean to play "Double Fantasy": cool or creepy?
NANCY CARR • According to this article in the New Musical Express, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon will be touring together this summer, with one of the scheduled events being the performance of Double Fantasy in its entirety. (That will be at the Royal Festival Hall in London on June 23, closing out the Meltdown Festival.) Not sure how I feel about this. [...]
Analyzing the Abbey Road medley
What's the album called, again? NANCY CARR • I recently discovered the Soundscapes website, which features -- among many other things -- musicologist Alan W. Pollack's notes on the entire Beatles catalog. Not since I found George Starostin's original review website have I been so excited about a mine of musical information and analysis. The whole set of notes is well [...]