Singer-songwriter Emitt Rhodes, the ill-starred talent once called "The One-Man Beatles" (also the title of a 2009 documentary, pasted below), has died. The New York Times obituary is here. I wrote about him previously on Dullblog, and those thoughts revisited me today. Nothing more to say but: good luck to you, Emitt, and thanks for the music. https://vimeo.com/266426996
I’ve been on something of a Jazz Age kick recently, and you can’t be on one of those without running into my second-favorite American author of all time, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Somehow the thought occurred to me: F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Lennon have a lot in common. The original John and Yoko? Fitzgerald said that all his works were imprinted with what he called his “stamp”; he said this stamp was “taking things hard.” Specifically, Fitzgerald was referring to Ginerva King, a Chicago heiress and socialite whom Fitzgerald courted in his late teens and who rejected him for someone wealthier and [...]
Read this in a comment this morning: "I am 59 years old, and a brand new Beatles fan as of two months ago, so basically a blank slate with no preconceived thoughts on the band." Which got me to thinking, what sources would I recommend to a person who was new to The Beatles? Of course I'd start with the music. I'd probably recommend the mono box set, but I actually think which version is a bit less important than going chronologically, spending a little time with each album in order. As you enjoy yourself and get to know the song canon, [...]
And so we say goodbye to one of my favorite parts of the Beatle story, the complex and talented Astrid Kirchherr. Though their influence is impossible to quantify, Astrid, Klaus and the "Exis" are foundational to what John, Paul, George and Ringo became. It was in Hamburg that the Fabs transformed from a group of English teenagers playing sloppy covers of American R&B tunes into a artistic unit with a coherent aesthetic that would take over the world. The Beatles are so BIG a cultural phenomenon that it can be difficult to see the artistic outlines of other people in their orbit. [...]
This morning while listening to "Fame," the David Bowie song guest-starring our pal John Lennon, I realized something. At a certain point, John ad-libs "What's your name?" Why does he do that? Because, when you're famous and someone comes up to you for an autograph, you ask… "What's your name?"
Stumbled across this via a comment thread on BoingBoing.net, and it was too good not to share. By the way, you'll like the BoingBoing post as well. https://youtu.be/xaDsbnhK2CQ
It was 20 years ago todayyou didn't have to walk around wearing a goddamn facemask If you want a Beatles face mask, and of course you do, here's where to order one. If the zombie apocalypse comes, there will be Beatles-themed machetes. (Not officially licensed, but still.)
What the world needs now, I feel, is this: a Buddhist monk singing Yellow Submarine. I know who I want to go do karaoke with! Enjoy! (And enjoy the two minute sit afterwards.) https://youtu.be/QLELtdrRyhs
Wake up, Sheeple. When approving the last ever comments on the gargantuan "Were John and Paul Lovers?" thread, I found myself asking a simple question, which some of you might have an interest in as well. There are certain niche interests where, if not for fan-generated content, there wouldn't be anything new to talk about. I suspect that if you're interested in the Titanic, for example, or Jack the Ripper, or Sherlock Holmes, fan-generated content is necessary to sustain your passion. But the Beatles is different; it's bigger even than the Marvel Comics Universe. Beatle fans don't need fanfic. We don't need [...]
From friend of Bystander Stephen Kroninger…I'm just glad Sgt. Pepper wasn't alive to see this...