“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 [...]
A Dylan Beatles Stones Album In A Parallel Universe
These proportions would've been pretty accurate I think Eagle-eyed Dullblog commenter Hologram Sam writes us: "In 1969, Bob Dylan had the idea to form the ultimate temporary supergroup. He wanted to record an album with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He told his idea to Glyn Johns, who immediately started making phone calls. Long story short: George Harrison and [...]
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 [...]
Interview: McCartney Recording Sessions author Luca Perasi
"Groundbreaking and definitive" Here's a welcome sign that Paul McCartney's solo work is being looked at with new and appreciative eyes: Luca Perasi's Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) catalogs all Paul's solo recording sessions in detail. Well, the first 44 years of his post-Beatles career, anyway. Among the book's revelations is just how often McCartney recorded songs he didn't release for years, or in some cases didn't release at all. [...]
Howard Goodall’s Twentieth Century Greats The Beatles
Commenter Buck Turgidson pointed me to this documentary, "Howard Goodall's Twentieth Century Greats The Beatles," deconstructing the Beatles' music, and placing them within the musical trends of the 20th Century. I found it fascinating -- what do you think? http://youtu.be/HbcHG7lL_T4
Shepard Fairey George Harrison Poster
Star graphic designer Shepard Fairey (yes, you know him -- think "OBEY" or that Obama poster) has created a new poster of George Harrison, to celebrate/promote the release of The Apple Years 1968-75. I think it's pretty cool. What say you? Please tell me he did this by hand and eye, and didn't just apply a Photoshop filter. That MATTERS to [...]
John Lennon on Evolution
Yes, this is Mike's old college humor magazine I'm still collecting my thoughts about The Fest for Beatles Fans, but in the meantime wanted to pass along this hilarious quote from our own John Lennon. I was editing a humor piece for a friend of mine, and went to Wikiquote to confirm that Lennon did in fact say, "There are [...]
McCartney in Dallas: A World-Class Balancing Act
NANCY CARR • My favorite moment of Paul McCartney's October 13 show in Dallas was a visual grace note. At the end of a song, as a stagehand came forward to take McCartney's Hofner bass and give him a guitar, McCartney held the vintage instrument up and balanced it one-handed, headstock down, body up. He looked at it, and the audience, teasingly, [...]
George Harrison and Krishna: Devotional Display in Dallas
NANCY CARR * While looking at the jade collection in the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas earlier this week, I was surprised to hear "My Sweet Lord" playing faintly in the distance. A museum worker was moving pedestals around in a nearby gallery, preparing for a new exhibit: was she listening to the radio quietly? Or did I just have [...]