If you’re a guitarist, there’s at least one chord you know with a “given” name (like the “Hendrix” chord — the dom7#9 shape in the beginning of “Purple Haze”). For a long time, there’s been a mystery surrounding the opening jangle of the Lads’ “A Hard Day’s Night”… some people think it’s George’s Ricky 12-string and John’s Ricky 6… others think it’s multiple layers of 12-string guitar. But now a Canadian professor/researcher thinks he’s cracked the code.
Run away!
Big thanks to Too Poppy for bringing this to my attention! Looks like Paul McCartney is dusting off his alternate persona The Fireman after a few mellow electronica albums in the 1990s.
But this time promises to be different. As heard on NPR’s Song of the Day, Macca’s new direction for his mythical extinguisher of flames is decidedly more rock/pop than downtempo — and still different from his two most recent solo releases. Think U2. Think Peter Gabriel. Think Arcade Fire.
Think I’m gonna get it when it comes out on November 17.
So the world’s luckiest man is now officially too busy to sign autographs.
OK, it’s not huge news . . . a Beatles tape has been found that reveals the Fab Four’s playful side at an early recording session
Now, let me tell you why this story caught my attention.
What’s up, Falknerds? Back on March 13, I mentioned that Jason’s second edition of Beatles covers-in-lullaby-format was coming soon. Well, I noticed today in my Amazon recommendations, “Bedtime with the Beatles Part Two” is due to be released on June 17! Continue reading
I try to read every Beatles release that comes off the presses… Almost through with Jonathan Gould’s “Can’t Buy Me Love”. It’s a history of the group (and the people in it) – no surprises there, of course.
But writer Gould turns it into a sociological study, pushing the Beatles, their birth, their success, their flame-out, against cultural and historical events in the UK and the US, trying to figure out exactly why (besides being a kickass band) they were just so damned successful. Continue reading
I’m in San Francisco for work a bunch of years ago (late ’90s). I went into a much-too-hip-for-me CD shop near Union Square, and I heard some terrific Beatle-y pop playing on the store’s sound system. I was hooked on KC Bowman immediately. Continue reading
It’s down to the top 12 and I’m pulled in, once again. In fact, American Idol is on right now. Doesn’t hurt that they’re paying tribute to the formidable Lennon-McCartney songbook. Those boys proved to be every bit the team that Rodgers and Hart were a generation (or two) earlier. And I’m a huge fan of both duos.
Anyway, this is a posting as much about the Beatles as about twelve budding talents who alternately did the boys from Liverpool proud or . . . not so much. Continue reading
Hopelessly Pop 