Vampire Music Part II

In my last post featuring bits from the music chapter of my book Vampires' Most Wanted, I offered #10 "Vlad the Impaler" by Kasabian, a grungy and bizarre little ditty, and reggae songs for the #9 entry featuring Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sinead O'Connor, Black Uhuru and Tribal Seeds singing songs titled "Vampire." I think of the latter bunch, my favorite would be Tribal Seeds for the sheer drama of its sound, but I like them all.

So let's continue with numbers 8 and 7:

8.  Love and the Horror Hostess

Formed in 1977 The Misfits are noted as the progenitors of horror punk which would influence later bands embracing more gothic elements.  A New Jersey band, it took its name from the 1961 Marilyn Monroe film “The Misfits” and plunged happily into the emerging punk rock movement that had been making its way over from England.  They released a few EPs and played live gigs, even touring the U.K., but it wasn’t until 1982 that they released their first full length album “Walk Among Us.”  Heavily inspired by horror films and sci fi of the 1950s this is mosh pit madness. Rarely going beyond one minute 50 seconds, the songs of The Misfits are surgical strikes:  You’re in, you’re out, you’re onto the next song before your ears have stopped ringing.  Or bleeding, depending on the song and how loudly you’ve listened to it.

“Vampira” is an ode to the 1950s TV frightfest host Vampira, she of the freakishly small waist and high arched brows.  There is no subtlety musically or lyrically nor should there be.  The singer has been in love with her since he was a kid and is calling to her now with the aggression of a high school quarterback juiced up on steroids.  “Mistress to the horror kid/Cemetery of the white love ghoul, well/Take off your shabby dress/Come and lay beside me.”  He’s only been allotted so much time to get his point across so he does so with the bluntness of punk.

7.  Dracula’s Wedding

There’s a lot going on musically for this quick song but the beginning lyrics say it all.  “You’re all I’ve ever wanted but I’m terrified of you.”

In 2003 the members of Outkast each recorded solo albums and put them together to give us the double CD “Speakerboxx/The Love Below.”  Nestled in on track 16 of Andre 3000’s “The Love Below” is the song “Dracula’s Wedding” which uses Dracula as a metaphor to illustrate the fear of commitment that strikes everyone when “till death do us part” comes into play.  “I wait my whole life to bite the right one/then you come along and that freaks me out.”  You may have found your forever love but forever is a long time and a lot can happen between now and forever.

Heavily jazz influenced, the whole CD has a sort of stream of consciousness vibe to it, Andre 3000 moving in any direction the impulse took him.  “Dracula’s Wedding” has an electro/gothic/folk/funk feel as it speaks to the fear of intimacy and being trapped between a desperate longing and fearful uncertainty.  It would seem when it comes to love, even the king of vampires can take fright.

Next time, a chemical romance and gothic metal.

Vampire Music

Halloween is sneaking up on us preparing to pounce. It's waiting, crouched in the bushes, just a few weeks down the street and if you're not careful, it's going to GET YOU!!!

You'll be covered in candy corn before you know it.

In honor of this, I thought I'd share my chapter on vampire-inspired music from my book Vampires' Music Wanted (2011 Potomac Publishers) for the next couple of days. As with most of my work I wanted to have a little fun, so I  picked and chose from a variety of styles to indicate that the vampire can infiltrate everywhere. Mwwwwhahaaaaaa!!!!

 We'll start backward with numbers 10 and 9:

10. Beware of Drifters Carrying Sticks

“Vlad the Impaler” by Kasabian is notable not only for the mind thumping music but also for the video, directed by Richard Ayoade and starring Noel Fielding of “Mighty Boosh” fame as Vlad, or a vampire, or a serial killer, or all three.  The song can be found on the British indie rock band’s 2009 album “West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum” but the lyrics seem to have no connection to Vlad or impalement.  Which is fitting since the video is left ambiguous as to who Vlad is and why he spends his time alternating between impaling and staking people for judging by his demeanor while doing it, it seems more a duty than a pleasure.  Never the less, the song is perfect for the video; or the video is perfect for the song.  The video has the look of a trailer for a 1960s Italian horror flick (or a Quentin Tarantino homage to a 1960s Italian horror flick) in which a mysterious man in black (aside from the white boots) travels the countryside, walking softly but carrying a big stick.  A distorted bass and drums slam into each other as Vlad marches with fixed determination down the road.  Dressed in a black cape with long hair and a thick mustache he even resembles the historical Vlad as he chases down people at a tennis court and a nighttime campsite the music swelling wildly as he chases women across a field.  Impalement may not be easy, but someone has to do it.

9.  The Rasta and the Vampire

For such a sunny sound, reggae has a surprising amount of vampires lurking in its songs, but Jamaica certainly has suffered its share of “vampires” from Columbus on through the years.

“Vampire” by Lee “Scratch” Perry is a catchy song telling the tale of a vampire hunter, “Obadiah Obadiah, Jah Jah sent us here to catch vampire,” later informing the listeners of what a true Rasta man would do so they can better recognize the vampire posing as the Rasta.  Perry, a producer and songwriter and one of the big names in reggae has been in the business since the 1950s.  In 2005, Sinead O’Connor, backed by some respected reggae artists, released “Throw Down Your Arms” a CD of Reggae covers.  Her version of Perry’s “Vampire” has a slightly faster tempo than the original and her malleable voice with its gentle brogue captures the spirit of the song nicely.  Her voice, as powerful at a whisper as it is at a scream, is well suited to this style of music.

            

“Vampire” by Black Uhuru has an almost joyful sound to it, its opening pronouncement “Oh what a sight to see/a goddamned vampire” sounding a bit like a tall tale told around a camp fire.  Black Uhuru has been around since 1972 when it was just called Uhuru.  The band found some of its greatest success in the 1980s, Rolling Stone ranking their album “Red” 23^rd of the 100 best albums of the 1980s.  The song is infectious the vampire slightly cocky when he insists, “You be man/you have no control over I and I.”  In the end, however, the singer vows that, “I and I gonna drive a stake through the heart of the bloodsucker.”  The righteous will ultimately triumph.

            

The third song was released by a band that started out a long way from Jamaica.  The Tribal Seeds have their roots in San Diego but seem drawn to the spiritual side of reggae and count among their influences Bob Marley and Midnite.  Their “Vampire” has a bit more urgency to it, starting off more dramatically with an almost regal blast of orchestral synth that falls into the steady rhythm of melody.  It’s a defiant cry, a charge to fight the hypnotic power of the vampires prowling everyday life.  These aren’t supernatural blood suckers, however but rather soul suckers in society.  “Beware of the system that preys ruthlessly upon you/It’s a corrupt authority claiming they represent you/Guilty of dishonesty, lacking all integrity/They come and try to suck our blood while we are sleeping.”  Vampires come in many guises and all are deadly in their own right.



Next time: Love and The Horror Hostess and Dracula's Wedding

Feel free to tell me some of your favorite songs featuring allusions to the children of the night.

The Chicken Heart!

BOO!

Did I scare you? I thought that since October has begun, I'd ease into the Halloweeny spirit. Halloween has fast become like Christmas in as far as it's becoming a month long celebration. People are even decorating their houses early (albeit a bit scarier) to drag the "holiday" out as long as possible. 

I love this time of year. Not just for Halloween. In the Midwest (well, before global warming) one can expect the temperatures to start dropping just as readily as the leaves did from the trees. The air becomes crisp, the days shorter, the threat of winter is upon us. It is a perfect day for a celebration like Halloween.

So I think I'll pop in every so often with a bit of Halloween spice. Today, we'll start with something I found particularly fun. 

A few years ago, when I was moderating the Pioneer Pageturners online book club for Pioneer Press, I chose as one of the books The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

A fantastic book, highly recommended. There are a number of issues going on in the book, including the issue of race, medical ethics, and the ethics of DNA research, but the main imputes of the story involves a woman named Henrietta Lacks who went to the hospital in 1951 and discovered that she had cervical cancer. It would eventually claim her life. Doctors, however, took some of the cells that they had scraped from her cervix and cultured them for later tests, as often happens in hospitals. What they discovered was that these particular cells did not die. They were termed "immortal", continue to divide and were named HeLa (after Henrietta Lacks) cells. The HeLa cells have been used in any number of experiments. In some respects, Henrietta is still with us, decades after her death.

The notion of these cells that wouldn't die caused a bit of a stir early on (of course this sort of research was in its infancy). Some found the idea creepy and in fact, the story of the HeLa cells inspired a story called "The Chicken Heart" that was heard on a radio show called "Lights Out Theater."

Now, I happen to know of "The Chicken Heart" story because of a bit that was on a Bill Cosby record I had as a kid. Cosby was brilliant at infusing humor into the story of his childhood and in this bit he told a story about being alone at home one night as a child and listening to "The Chicken Heart" being played out on "Lights Out Theater."

At the time I thought it was just a fake broadcast he made up for the bit. Thirty years later, while reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks I discover that there was indeed a radio play called "The Chicken Heart" and you know what...it's pretty creepy. It relies heavily on the listeners imagination and can at times fall into melodrama, but if indeed you're able to allow yourself to fall into it and really imagine the possibility, it's a scary concept. It may well have been the inspiration for the 1958 movie "The Blob."

That could of course never happen. Or...could it? 

So for fun I thought I'd kick off the Halloween posts with something I found on YouTube while doing research for a post on the Pioneer Pageturners' blog. It's the broadcast of "The Chicken Heart" on "Lights Out Theater" with animation from the person who posted the clip. 

Enjoy...if you can. Muwwwahahahahahahaaaa!!!!!

Tell Me A Story

I'm currently listening to "Mr. Penunmbra's 24-hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan on audio and it's a perfect example of how important the reader is to the success of such a project.

When the book started I was tempted not to continue with it. The text is written in the present tense which is a writing style I generally loathe (and one, unfortunately, becoming more popular).

I don't know why exactly I hate it so much. A friend of mine once described it as "lazy" though I don't know if I'd go that far. I suppose one could argue that it doesn't make sense. If the person is in the middle of a gunfight, for example, he isn't keeping a log of his thoughts and movements so any descriptive record of the fight would have to be chronicled after the fact. So logically the style would have to be in the past tense.

Okay, I suppose one could also argue that that reasoning is a bit too anal. Suffice to say that in general, present tense just doesn't read right to me. Typically, once I realize that the writing is in present tense, I close the book and walk away. Every so often, a book surprises me and I continue to read. "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger for instance. It was an exceptional book enabling me to look past the present tense style (in fact, I'm not sure if it would have worked as well in the past tense). Of course in that case, the performers, William Hope and Laurel Lefkow, helped keep me listening. They did a wonderful job with material made difficult by the logistics of the plot.

As for "Mr. Penumbra's," I might have put that book down but the talent of the performer, Ari Fliakos, encouraged me to ignore the present tense style and stick with it. Now I'm enjoying the reader and the story.

Audio books are wonderful for people who don't have a lot of time to read. Popping them into the car's CD player on the way to work you can "read" a book and make the commute more enjoyable. An audio book performance you don't connect with, though, can turn you off a book completely. I get the feeling, based on the skimming I've done, that I wouldn't actually like any of Janet Evanovich's work but when I tried one of her mysteries on audio, I couldn't get past the first few tracks. The reader's style was irritating. Too cutesy. I don't know if it's as her voice or just the way she was reading it or both.

I can't help but wonder if I would have liked Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" books were it not for the reader of the audio books. Oh, okay, who am I kidding? I probably would have disliked the book just as much if I read rather than listened. I did read the first one and while I wasn't blown away by it, I did find it a quick, mindless and fun sort of read. The only reason I moved on to the second and third books was because I was asked to take part in book discussions for them. So for the sake of expediency, I chose to listen to them on audio. The performer, rather like the text, was cloying and whiney and did nothing to save the series for me.

A similar thing happened with "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins I had chosen this book for an on line book discussion I moderated when I worked at Pioneer Press. It was popular due to the movie's imminent release so I chose it in the hopes of coaxing people to take part in the discussion. With me working long hours, the audio would been more convenient for me, but the performer for the audio book read it so melodramatically that it soured me on it. Because I had to moderate the discussion though, I had to finish the book by reading it. And I actually ended up liking the book (despite, once again, it's present tense writing). In that case, it was a fortunate thing I was forced to read the book because I discovered a quality in the writing that wasn't being presented by the reader on audio.

Ron Perlman's performance of the audio book for "The Strain" is fantastic. The novel is the first in a particularly eerie vampire trilogy written by Guillermo Del Torro and Chuck Hogan. I was able to listen to the next one in the series (still need to get to the third) and while the performer for that novel did a good job, Perleman's performance with the first novel contained the perfect blend of suspense and menace helping to make a well crafted horror story even more frightening.

Speaking of vampires, when I wrote "Vampires' Most Wanted," I read "Dracula" straight through (since it's featured in the chapter on books) for the first time. I'd tried years before but put it aside (I was always more of a "Frankenstein" fan) because it just wasn't catching me. Even though I finished it when I tried it the second time, the book nevertheless left me cold. It was only when I listened to it, as a refresher since I chose it for the online book discussion (for Halloween), that I really enjoyed it. (Unfortunately, I can't track down the information on the edition so I'm unable to name the man and woman who performed the reading). Perhaps listening to it enabled me to lose myself in the story better than reading it.

The books of Bill Bryson are especially fun to listen to since he performs the audio himself. He has a slightly deadpanned, slightly adenoidal delivery that is just right for the material. He's written books on all manner of topics: Science, travel, language, history. I enjoyed his book on Shakespeare, as well as "A Short History of Nearly Everything," "The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-town America," and "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." There's no guarantee that an author can read their own work better than anyone else, but Bryson does a good job with his work.

Jim Dale reading the audio for J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series was always a treat. I had a friend who made the reading of the book and later the listening of the audio a ritual with every new book released. Dale seemed able to inhabit each character, old or young, male or female, good or evil and it was a quality that, as with Rowling's writing, spanned across the series.

Joanne Harris has been one of my favorite authors since I fell in love with her novel "Chocolate". She put aside the "food theme" that she often weaves within her writing ("Blackberry Wine," "Five Quarters of the Orange,") with a book called "Gentlemen and Players," a psychological thriller set in a boys school in England. It was a wonderfully tense story made richer by Steven Pacey who performed the audio book.

I think my favorite audio performances are those by John Lee reading Ken Follet's novels in the "Pillars of the Earth" series and "The Century" trilogy. The audio books, again, were chosen by me over reading for convenience sake. The books are very long and my free time idiotically tight. An hour commute to work four days a week, however, helped me enjoy the work of a true master by listening to it on audio. Lee's talent for not only acting but accents is especially apparent in the "The Century" trilogy which concern the world wars and those characters from various countries caught up in them. Russia, British, American, German, French, etc. Accents that are called for are performed expertly turning Follet's intricately woven storylines into something akin to a radio play.

So next time you want to read a good book, why not try listening to a good book. You might get even more than you expect.

Guess Who

I became reacquainted with the genius of The Guess Who several years ago when I took a “greatest hits” compilation from the library. While I enjoy their music, I have a memory about the Guess Who that goes beyond the music. It’s a small point and personal, but strong.

I was five years old when The Guess Who, a Canadian band, hit it big in the U.S. with the song “These Eyes” off their “Wheatfield Soul” album. It’s a hauntingly passionate song made even more so by Burton Cummings’ voice whose heartbreak seems on the verge of bursting out (as indeed it eventually does). Cummings’ vocal style has a slight feral screech to it, as if he’s trying to keep himself from letting lose in each song (an attempt that usually fails by the end of the songs).

Jim Kale’s bass line is as solid as the vocal in directing the tone. Adding to the subtle mix is the sturdy twang of Randy Bachmann’s guitar and Garry Peterson’s restrained drumming.



Peterson’s drumming is more pronounced in the song “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” Cummings sounds more disappointed than torn apart that he has no girl to hang with. Where in “These Eyes” he sang the lyrics vindictively, there’s a playful disappointment in “No Sugar” leading one to think that the woman he’s missing isn’t so much a deep lover as much as she is a friend with benefits. By the time the song morphs into “The New Mother Nature,” it’s taken on a whole new dynamic. When Bachman originally presented his “No Sugar Tonight” to the record company it was decided the song was too short, so Cummings’ song “New Mother Nature” was added to it to flesh it, The transition from one song to another is surprisingly smooth, even with the lyrics though it seems apparent that there are two relationship dynamics going on in narrative.



The group had a funk/rock fusion thing going on in “American Woman,” the guitar lick prominent and memorable. It’s a perfect song for throaty vocals. I once had a debate with someone who accused the group of misogyny based on the lyrics of this song. What he didn’t understand was that the song isn’t about an actual American woman but rather about America itself. Released during the Vietnam War, it alluded to America’s imperial tendencies which flared up during the cold war and came to a head in the Vietnam conflict. The lyrics are simple and succinct. Unfortunately, over time, a misunderstanding has developed about the meaning and some Americans have acquired a curious patriotism about a song created by a Canadian rock band that wasn’t allowed to perform it for the U.S. President when they appeared before Nixon in 1970 because of what was considered at the time the song’s anti-American lyrics.



“Undun” is another haunting melody if perhaps lighter than “These Eyes” thanks to a flute swirling around the lyrics. Again, the bass helps forge the path while the drumming lays a consistent foundation to help guide the way. Though Cummings voice is more restrained, the growl does come out a bit later in the song as if to underscore the seriousness of the situation. The arrangement, more gentle then many of their songs, fits the helplessness of the lyrics as the singer recounts the tale of a woman’s hope lost.



The music of the Guess Who could range from fragile to fierce, sometimes in the same song, and they incorporated any number of styles effortlessly. “Wednesday in Your Garden” is one such song that at first seems strange coming from a band capable of producing “American Woman.” It combines that longing pain found in “These Eyes” with a delicate, jazz-feel to the arrangement. And as he sings, Cummings doesn’t sound so much angry as he confused. In “These Eyes” he’s taking an assessment sometime after the affair has ended. In “Garden,” he has no idea what happened, the break up perhaps too recent to see clearly.



By the time I was conscious of music in general, let alone the Guess Who, the group had had a few hits that I’m sure I heard, and enjoyed, often on AM radio even though I was too young to fully appreciate the lyrics or the artistry. Listening to the Greatest Hits compilation years ago, I rediscovered just how great their music was.

As stated earlier, though, I have a deeper appreciation for the group, and it involves not their music but rather their name.

My brother Dennis was nine years older than me. Almost a generation really. I have a lot of strong musical memories of my brother even though I don’t remember him being overly into music. It was his Rolling Stones 8-track tape that the family listened to while driving up to Wisconsin for vacation. The son of an electrician, Dennis displayed his own skill by wiring speakers in the ceilings of the kitchen, the living room and his bedroom which were all connected to the 8-track tape player embedded in his wall. Needless to say, Mom wasn’t overly fond of the upgrade (and yet she allowed it). With the flick of a switch, the music could be played in one or all of the three rooms.

The Turtle, as he liked to be called, standing
in front of the Model T truck he rebuilt 

He had an electric guitar. I don’t remember him ever playing the guitar (though I would guess he did). I just remember the guitar. I also remember myself sitting on his bed earnestly strumming the guitar to one of his Johnny Cash 8-Track tapes and being absolutely certain that the chords I played were the same that Cash was playing (they weren’t).

And then there was the joke. I don’t know if it was a joke that was going around among the big kids like him or one he came up with and patiently bided his time until he found someone gullible to use it on.

He found that person in his little sister. One night he showed me an 8-track tape in his hand and when I asked who the group was, he replied, “Guess Who.”

So I did, my guess being incorrect to which he said, “No, Guess Who.” To which I tried again. After about 10 minutes of this mini-Abbot and Costello bit, he finally released me from my childish frustration and explained that the band’s name was The Guess Who.

It was a corny joke and remains a simple memory, but it sticks out every time I hear the band’s name.

This year my brother would have been 58 if lung cancer hadn’t gotten him first when he was 42. For a variety of reasons (too complicated to visit here), he remains a mystery to me in a number of ways. By the time I was 9 or 10 he was out living on his own, and even before then he spent a good portion of his time working on jobs for my dad’s electrical contracting company. I don’t know what kind of music he was passionate about, if he was passionate about any, nor do I know what movies, TV or books he preferred.

But thanks to feats of genius like him wiring up the house for sound, and moments where he kept a lame joke going for 10 minutes, I have memories that help soften any regret I may have at not getting to know him better when I had the chance.

From the Stone’s “Get off of my Cloud” to Johnny Cash’s “The Orange Blossom Special” to “No Time” by the Guess Who, he remains with me.

Dennis and me so many years ago

                                                                

Covering the Beatles

The Beatles had an almost effortless ability to cover the songs of others while it seemed their songs were a bit harder for others to cover.
Of course this is all my opinion. I’m sure there are those out there perfectly happy with Sinatra’s staticy version of “Something” or (heaven forbid) the syrupy mess the Carpenters made of “Ticket to Ride.”

For my own tastes, however, I’ve not come across many Beatle covers that have been very satisfying. The musical chemistry of these four guys was so strong that the magic it produced was hard to match.

When I do come across a one of their songs covered by others that satisfies me, it’s quite a treat.

So let me introduce you (or reintroduce you) to five Beatle covers that I think are exceptional.

The song “Yesterday” is one of the most covered songs in history with more than 2,000 versions. Marvin Gaye’s version is actually one I wasn’t sure I liked when I first heard it. At work I get the chance to listen to Beatles radio and they played the song regularly. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me to where I think it’s my favorite version of a Beatle song. I think the reason for my initial reaction is probably also the reason I like it now. It’s so different in terms of instruments and the rhythm. While the original has a feeling of confusion over the loss, Gaye’s version has a note of shock and anger, though whether it’s anger at the situation or at himself for allowing the situation, is hard to say.

Al Green’s version of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is another example of a cover that comes out of nowhere and knocks you right over. The tune is there but what he does with it is absolutely amazing, turning it from fun pop tune to exciting Motown groove.

I will confess, I have very little love for countrified music. That’s just me. But this Alison Krauss rendition of “I Will” works amazingly well. I think one of the selling points was the banjo. The original version itself is a simple song and both the banjo and Krauss’ voice deliver without overpowering the melody.



Madness, best known in America for the song “Our House,” produced some of the most inticing music of the 80s with its big band meets ska sound and cheeky London lyrics. As lead singer, Suggs was a key ingredient to the sound with a sort of carnival barker twist to his voice that fit the groove just right. Here he takes the slow and slightly ethereal “I’m Only Sleeping” and skas it up to great affect retaining its desperate quality with just the slightest of winks.



The Beatles version of “Here Comes the Sun” has a delicate…well I have to say it, sunny feeling to it. You can practically feel the ice melting. And even as the music seems to blossom as the song goes along, it retains that delicate feeling. This version by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, while not quite as delicate, led not by an acoustic guitar but by an electronic keyboard, has that same blossoming feel to it. You can truly see the sun rising.



These are just a few of covers of Beatle songs that I've heard that have impressed me. I may add more later.

Introductions

I started this blog several years ago as part of a project for the library where I work. It was never meant to go anywhere really, just proof to the higher ups that I could do it. Part of a program called All Wired Up that many libraries were encouraging staff members to take part in.

Once it was done, I considered keeping it up for my own sake, but as free time grew tighter, I put it aside to concentrate on other things. Recently, however I thought, I revisited it. I yearn for organization (though my apartment would say otherwise) and this gives me a chance to divert ideas on audio/visual to this blog (I also have a blog for my writing and one for more political pieces).

So here I am. King Khan, the subject of my first entry, has held up this blog long enough (though I’m sure I will include him again in the future). Let me begin a new attempt to keep up with this blog by posting a piece about another favorite subject of mine. The Beatles.

I was born in April 1964 and was barely a blip on the map when the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan show in November of that year. Growing up in the late 60s and 70s, I of course knew of them, heard songs from them. Watched the cartoon “Yellow Submarine” when it was shown on TV. They were great. I knew this.

But it wasn’t until I saw “A Hard Day’s Night” for the first time that I realized just how great they were. Of course my 12-year-old self was also attracted to their looks (never stopping to consider that at that point they were probably about 20 years older than I was). There was something about that movie, on that day, at that moment that just clicked and I became a diehard Beatlefan.

"Can't Buy Me Love" from "A Hard Day's Night"


Of course as many late-to-the-party fans will tell you, it’s hard to be hit by the bug long after the phenomenon ended (luckily, however, the Beatles were working on solo careers—and really, in some respects, the phenomenon has never ended). Music, books, movies, TV shows. So much of it may be new to you when to others it’s old news (news that you nonetheless want to share anyway cause you’re so happy to have found this particular bit of brilliance). My poor older sister. Several years after the record had been released, I insisted she listen to the White Album which I had just purchased and was enthralled with. And she wasn’t even a Beatles fan (she skued more Beach Boys).

I have never been bashful about my love for the Beatles (nor have I ever really needed to be). And even though I’ve discovered fabulous bands after, they’ve always held the top spot.

Tomorrow: Songs covered by the Beatles.