Lewisohn review round-up
The title that always gets attention For those of you who have asked for details on what can only be called "revelations" regarding George Martin's forced signing of The Beatles, Tim Riley's review in the NYT spills the beans on that. He also notes Lewisohn's possible debunking of Lennon's Choice between Alf and Julia though—to his credit, I think—Riley doesn't [...]
Phil Rickman’s “December”: Wrestling with Lennon’s ghost
It's hard to write Beatles-related fiction without backing yourself into a corner NANCY CARR * What Beatles fan who was alive in 1980 hasn't wished he or she could have done something to prevent Lennon's murder? And what thoughtful Lennon fan hasn't been troubled by the contradictions manifested in Lennon's personality and life? Those questions drive Phil Rickman's 1996 novel December, [...]
Mark Lewisohn’s “Tune In” Worth the Wait, Says Beatles Blogger
DEVIN McKINNEY • I hope you’ll all toggle over to the arts blog Critics at Large, where I’m a contributor, to read my review of Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In, volume one of his three-part Beatles biography. I know, posting that request here is a bit like asking one’s lover to have dinner at the home of another. But I’m proud to post [...]
“You, my pal, ROCK!”: Inspiration from the spam filter
This flower is astonishingly functional! NANCY CARR • In this season of thankfulness, I am grateful to the Hey Dullblog spam filter. Whenever I clean it out I appreciate anew its kidneyesque work of protecting us all from poorly-worded importunities to buy pharmaceuticals, fake luxury items, or memberships to sketchy dating sites. The most garbled messages, however, attain a level [...]
Cries and Whispers, Crashes and Flutters: 10 Favorite Beatles Musical Micro-Moments
Recording "Real Love," 1994:Gut genius at work. DEVIN McKINNEY • We all know you can take the Beatles to the outer limit and upper extremity of significance—Best thing in universal history—and then narrow that unit to its subordinate but still-impressive absolutes: Best miracle of the 20th century; best socio-cultural force of the 1960s; Best group of the “rock era.” Having [...]
McCartney and Thackeray: “Queenie Eye” and “Vanity Fair”
NANCY CARR * I believe that—probably without being aware of the parallel himself—Paul McCartney has written, in “Queenie Eye,” a version of Thackeray’s prologue to his 1847 novel Vanity Fair. And I think this reveals some interesting things about how McCartney thinks about performing and his relationship with fame. You’ll remember that I’ve called McCartney the Dickens of rock. In general, I’m [...]
When I’m Seventy-Three: What John Lennon would look like today
DEVIN McKINNEY • Huffington Post today features John Lennon headlining a festival of dead pop stars as they might look today, in computer-aided speculations created by the Sachs Media Group in partnership with “photo restoration and manipulation company” Phoejoe. I study John’s digitally aged image, looking for the flaw in the algorithm, the misjudgment of hairline or jowel nomenclature, [...]
The Beatles and Criticism
"Apparently, we're not a patch on The Shadows." MIKE GERBER • Devin wrote something in an comment regarding The Beatles and criticism that I thought was too well-expressed, and too rich a topic, not to break out for further discussion. First, here's Devin's comment (edited a bit by me; follow this link to get the full version): Something’s been sticking [...]
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 [...]