The Bonnie Benrubi Gallery in NYC is showing an exhibit of Linda McCartney's photographs through the end of the month. It looks very worth a visit, in person or online: pictures of the family, some great behind-the-scenes Beatles shots, and some portraits of other luminaries. The image they're using to advertise the show -- titled "My Love" -- is pretty terrific: My Love (1978) by Linda McCartney
[After the millionth insightful comment by our indefatigable Nancy, we asked her if there was anything Beatley burning a hole in her well-furnished brains. This is what she wrote; give her a warm Hey Dullblog welcome.--MG] NANCY CARR • When it was released in 1971, Ram was hated—really hated, to the point of practically being crushed and melted—by many rock critics. Rolling Stone’s Jon Landau inveighed against it as “the nadir in the decomposition of Sixties rock thus far,” calling it “incredibly inconsequential” and “monumentally irrelevant.” Robert Christgau was kinder, giving it a C+ and sniffing “If you’re going to be eccentric, [...]
From this lovely series of photos. (h/t Boing Boing)
Sessions (Odeon Fake): One of my favorite Beatlegs as a kid. After my earlier post, a commenter over at my Facebook page joggled my memories a bit more. I thought it might be fun to ask everybody, "What were your favorite Beatles bootlegs?" Not necessarily the best, but the ones that played the biggest role in your fandom? In my teenaged years (1980-87), my most beloved vinyl boots were The Beatles at the Beeb 3-lp set, Hahst Az Son, Beatles Not For Sale, Strawberry Fields Forever, File Under: Beatles, and a version of Sessions (the abortive Anthology precursor). (The links [...]
I spent about ten years of my life holed up in an attic obsessively listening to Beatles bootlegs (that's what we had to do, back in the days before Anthology, BBC, and remasters) on vinyl (that's what we had to do, back in the days before mp3s and Purple Chick torrents). I studied them like Torah; not only did they satisfy my lust for new Beatle music, bootlegs were one of the few things that sounded perfectly fine on my JC Penney stereo. None of my pals really understood why I did this, and I never understood why they DIDN'T. Listening to [...]
Today (or yesterday, depending on when you asked him) would've been George Harrison's 68th birthday. Don't think about that too hard, because you'll suddenly remember all the really shitty people who made it to 68 and are still going strong. Henry Kissinger. Charles Manson. Oh well. I guess God doesn't want to be around those guys any more than we do. Thanks to commenter Gabriel McCann for unearthing this video. http://youtu.be/AarhZScyuz0
The moptops in action amid a hail of jelly babies, February 1964. Last night, I was lucky enough to see the closed-circuit film of The Beatles' first American concert, given February 11, 1964, in Washington, DC. The film was broadcast in March, 1964, to movie theaters all across the country--then languished in somebody's basement until the mid-90s, when it was handed over to an archivist. I don't know why it hasn't enjoyed a proper release; my guess is wrangles over rights and royalties. But whatever: WOW. You NEED to see this film. Beatles first American concert… and their best? When [...]
The Fab Four as you've never seen them before!
Some people get Mania, others get Pandemonium Brother/good influence Jack Gerber just sent me this great cover of John Lennon's "Isolation" by JL's close friend/bad influence Harry Nilsson. It was unreleased until 2008, when it appeared as a bonus track on Aerial Pandemonium Ballet. Lennon covers almost never come close to the original; Lennon's paramount gift was to make his material feel so personal, indubitably his. It bothered him, especially post-Beatles, that fewer people covered his songs than covered Paul's, but you can understand why -- who could possibly equal his originals. Still, this version of Isolation holds its own, [...]