tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82770672005073667092024-02-20T03:42:32.701-05:00Music and MemoryPersonal reflections based on the inspiration of songs. The "Fab Foundations" series (2020) is inspired by the music of the Beatles. "Master Blueprints" (2018) centered on Bob Dylan. "Under the Big Top" (2016) was on the Who. “Forever Young” (2014) was Neil Young centric. “Stepping Stones” (2012) focused on the Rolling Stones. The first 100 postings (the original "Gem Videos") emailed to friends and family and later added here are from 2008 and 2009; include songs from a variety of musicians.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.comBlogger353125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-69211275470633250162021-01-01T10:15:00.021-05:002021-01-01T10:32:25.523-05:00Table of Contents for all Music and Memory series<p> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">Below are
the tables of contents URL links for all of my 5 musician-centric series,
including the 2012 “Stepping Stones” series inspired by the music of the
Rolling Stones, the 2014 “Forever Young” series inspired by the music of Neil
Young, the 2016 “Under the Big Top” series inspired by the music of the Who, the
2018 “Master Blueprints” series inspired by the music of Bob Dylan and the 2020
“Fab Foundations” series inspired by the music of the Beatles. Each
series has 50 entries. For the original “Gem Music Video of the
Week” series, I do not have a table of contents. To get to that
series, you will need to connect with the 2008 and 2009 entries (100 in all)
which are typically accessed on the right side of these blog pages (scroll as
far as you can go).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: ""calibri"",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: ""lucida calligraphy"",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fab
Foundations Series</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspired by the music of</span></b><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> the Beatles</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2021/01/fab-foundations-table-of-contents.html">Fab
Foundations Table of Contents (click here)</a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: ""lucida calligraphy"",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Master Blueprints Series</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspired by the music of</span></b><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Bob Dylan</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2019/01/master-blueprints-table-of-contents.html">MasterBlueprints Table of Contents (click here)</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: ""lucida calligraphy"",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Under
the Big Top Series</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspired by the music of</span></b><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The Who</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2017/01/under-big-top-toc-titles-song_11.html">Underthe Big Top Table of Contents (click here)</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: ""lucida calligraphy"",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Forever
Young Series</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspired by the music of</span></b><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Neil Young</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/12/below-are-links-to-each-of-50-forever.html">ForeverYoung Table of Contents (click here)</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: ""lucida calligraphy"",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stepping Stones Series</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspired by the music of</span></b><b><span style="color: #984806; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The Rolling Stones</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/12/stepping-stones-wrap-up.html">SteppingStones Table of Contents (click here)</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-80609322076328613362021-01-01T09:44:00.001-05:002021-01-01T09:44:27.064-05:00Fab Foundations Table of Contents (personal reflections based on the music of the Beatles)<p> Below are links to each of the 50 Fab Foundations entries,
which are personal reflections inspired by the music of the Beatles, written
throughout 2020. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"># 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/01/fab-foundations-1-album-cover-duality.html">Album-Cover Duality</a></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"># 2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/01/fab-foundations-2-in-beginning.html"><span style="color: blue;">In the Beginning</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/01/fab-foundations-3-sing-song-in-sequence.html"><span style="color: blue;">Sing a Song in Sequence</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#4</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/01/fab-foundations-4-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="color: blue;">Going Back to the White Well (1 of 4)</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#5<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/02/fab-foundations-5-spreading-your-wings.html"><span style="color: blue;">Spreading Your Wings</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#6<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/02/fab-foundations-6-concise-sacrifice.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Concise Sacrifice</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#7<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/02/fab-foundations-7-real-deal.html"><span style="color: blue;">The Real Deal</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#8<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/02/fab-foundations-8-raise-roof.html"><span style="color: blue;">Raise the Roof</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#9<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/03/fab-foundations-9-liberated.html"><span style="color: blue;">Liberated</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#10<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/03/fab-foundations-10-visceral.html"><span style="color: blue;">Visceral</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#11<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/03/fab-foundations-11-pepper-shaker.html"><span style="color: blue;">Pepper Shaker</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#12<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/03/fab-foundations-12-love-packaging.html"><span style="color: blue;">Love Packaging</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#13<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/03/fab-foundations-13-family-feud.html"><span style="color: blue;">Family Feud</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#14<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/04/fab-foundations-14-opening-floodgates.html"><span style="color: blue;">Opening the Floodgates</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#15<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/04/fab-foundations-15-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="color: blue;">Going Back to the White Well (2 of 4)</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#16<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/04/fab-foundations-16-pepper-core.html"><span style="color: blue;">Pepper Core</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#17<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/04/fab-foundations-17-langelo-misterioso.html"><span style="color: blue;">L’Angelo Misterioso</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#18<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/05/fab-foundations-18-splendid-isolation.html"><span style="color: blue;">Splendid Isolation</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#19<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/05/fab-foundations-19-moms-word-redux.html"><span style="color: blue;">Mom’s the Word Redux</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#20<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/05/fab-foundations-20-grace-in-passivity_16.html"><span style="color: blue;">The Grace in Passivity</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#21<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/05/fab-foundations-21-well-covered-ditty.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Well-Covered Ditty</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#22<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/05/fab-foundations-22-collaborate-principle.html"><span style="color: blue;">The Collaborate Principle</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#23<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/06/fab-foundations-23-poster-child-of.html"><span style="color: blue;">The Poster Child of Yearbook Quotes</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#24<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/06/fab-foundations-24-emptying-closet-of.html"><span style="color: blue;">Emptying the Closet of One’s Mind</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#25<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/06/fab-foundations-25-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="color: blue;">Going Back to the White Well (3 of 4)</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#26<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/06/fab-foundations-26-shaggy-dog.html"><span style="color: blue;">Shaggy Dog</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#27<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/07/fab-foundations-27-living-in-moment.html"><span style="color: blue;">Living the Moment</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#28<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/07/fab-foundations-28-power-of-persuasion.html"><span style="color: blue;">The Power of Persuasion</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#29<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/07/fab-foundations-29-second-wind-for.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Second Wind for the Young Dude in Me</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#30<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/07/fab-foundations-30-cover-story.html"><span style="color: blue;">Cover Story</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#31<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/08/fab-foundations-31-heres-twist-plastic.html"><span style="color: blue;">Here’s a Twist: Plastic Props</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#32<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/08/fab-foundations-32-all-for-one-and-one.html"><span style="color: blue;">All For One and One For All</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#33<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/08/fab-foundations-33-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="color: blue;">Going Back to the White Well (4 of 4)</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#34<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/08/fab-foundations-34-mountain.html"><span style="color: blue;">The Mountain</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#35<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/08/fab-foundations-35-brief-but-invaluable.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Brief (but invaluable) Stint with Beatles Collectibles</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#36<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/09/fab-foundations-36-bum-rap.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Bum Rap</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#37<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/09/fab-foundations-37-lost-weekend.html"><span style="color: blue;">Lost Weekend</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#38<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/09/fab-foundations-38-say-cheese.html"><span style="color: blue;">Say Cheese</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#39<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/09/fab-foundations-39-metaphorically.html"><span style="color: blue;">Metaphorically Speaking</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#40<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/10/fab-foundations-40-novel-way-to-pray.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Novel Way to Pray</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#41<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/10/fab-foundations-41-transition.html"><span style="color: blue;">Transition</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#42<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/10/fab-foundations-42-market-correction.html"><span style="color: blue;">A Market Correction</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#43<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/10/fab-foundations-43-intersessions.html"><span style="color: blue;">Intersessions</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#44<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/10/fab-foundations-44-what-if.html"><span style="color: blue;">What If</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#45<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/11/fab-foundations-45-where-did-that-come.html"><span style="color: blue;">Where Did That Come From?</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#46<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/11/fab-foundations-46-where-beatles-and.html"><span style="color: blue;">Where Beatles and Beetles Converge</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#47<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/11/fab-foundations-47-self-made-man.html"><span style="color: blue;">Self-Made Man</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#48<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/12/fab-foundations-48-december-8th-1980.html"><span style="color: blue;">December 8th, 1980</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#49<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/12/fab-foundations-49-on-line-blog-writer.html"><span style="color: blue;">On-line-Blog Writer</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">#50<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/12/fab-foundations-50-peace-love.html"><span style="color: blue;">Peace. Love. Understanding</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-26505136915405992622020-12-27T07:24:00.007-05:002020-12-27T08:42:15.940-05:00Fab Foundations # 50: “Peace. Love. Understanding”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “All You Need Is
Love”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: Released as a single<br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: July 1967</span></b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><br /></span></b></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A snippet from a 1987 <i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone
Magazine</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> interview with George Harrison:<br /></span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">: <i>“Do you still think that all you need is love?”</i></span></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beatle George: <i style="font-size: 12pt;">“Yes, absolutely!”</i></span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">While pulling together my thoughts
early this past week for this final </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> blog entry, a personal
late-1960s recollection slowly surfaced to the top of my consciousness. And as
the week played out, my mind pieced back together that memory; a day when I was
no more than 6 years old, walking with my ~ 4-year old brother Joe in the woods
behind our rural ranch home in Franklin, Massachusetts. There were sections of
that woods where all of us kids were very comfortable and familiar with, but if
we veered off the beaten path to the left (in the direction away from our home)
we tended to get disoriented. We called this area the “Lost Forest”. It was a
dark and forbidding forest, dominated by stately White Pine trees and
little-to-no undergrowth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Most of the time, my siblings and
I (along with a few friends) avoided this area like the plague, but curiosity
and boldness occasionally trumped our fears for mad spells, and in turn we
would make brief forays into the Lost Forest. Each and every time, it would not
be long before we would get disoriented and fearful. Eventually, after some
trepidation (which probably felt much longer than real time), we would fumble
and stumble our way back to familiar ground (or, Mom would track us down and
insist we keep our explorations within the confines of our roughly defined backyard).
I’m thinking we were never more than 50 yards from the house, but in our mind, when
we entered the Lost Forest, we had crossed into another dimension. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the occasion that came back to
mind this week with Joe alone, the two of us were feeling particularly curious
and bold, and so we ventured our way deeper into the Lost Forest than we had
ever ventured before. As I reflected this week, I recalled the disoriented
feeling that crept in as we hiked up and over a small ridge. On the other side
of that ridge was a bubbling brook and hanging out beside it were a handful of
young adults. Both the guys and gals had long hair, and they were wearing funky
loose clothing, which included beads around their necks. The lot of them were
sitting around a small firepit with a transistor radio emitting cool music. Several
tents were set up a bit farther up on the opposite bank. These dudes came
across as friendly right off the bat, and after a brief exchange they sensed
our fears of being lost, whereby they guided us back from whence we came.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My world was an innocent and insular
one at the time, and so this was my first encounter – both physically and metaphysically
- with the then hippie subculture of America. My young mind actually equated
these hippies to Native Americans, and in many ways, I believe I got it right. Afterall,
they were surrounding themselves with the natural world, while in the process separating
themselves from the material world. In essence, they were establishing an
environment - however temporary - that would allow them to connect more readily
with their true inner selves. Amazingly I sensed all this at a very young age, although
I now believe that that association was quite natural for a then innocent mind like
mine to make.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As mentioned before in these blog
pages, that hippie subculture – of which those groovy cats represented - had a
profound effect on those of us who came of age in the 70s, which personified
itself in the music we loved. Another way of putting this is, we didn’t toss
aside the music that came immediately before us, as so many other generations
have done. On the contrary, we embraced it. And, we added to it with our own
fantastic dose of profound music. In this way we ended up with a
double-decade-barrel of musical potency to tune into. In the past 13 years, I
have tried to capture in writing how that uniquely intense musical world I
lived in (and continue to live in) has played out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Every musician and band that I
focused on this <i>Music and Memory</i> blog site was originally known for
brilliant output in the 1960s, and all of them continued to produce great stuff
into the 1970s and beyond (which incredibly includes the here and now for each
and every one of them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I started with the Rolling Stones
in my 2012 <i>Stepping Stones</i> series. As with all my yearlong series, there
were 50 <i>Stepping Stones</i> entries in all, and as with all my series, I
would listen only to that given musician’s music all year long (in this case,
the Stones). Of all my musician-centric listening/writing ventures, <i>Stepping
Stones</i> would end up being my most fun one. I loved revisiting life-changing
albums such as <i>Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Some Girls, </i>and<i> Tattoo
You</i>. I loved diving deeper into <i>Between the Buttons, Black and Blue, </i>and<i>
Bridges to Babylon</i> (I just realized all 3 of these album titles hit you
with a double “B”). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made the
breakthrough I always wanted to make with <i>Exile on Main Street</i> as a top-10
rock and roll seminal album (this breakthrough came about ½ way through my <i>Stepping
Stones</i> series, and from there on I had to refrain myself from sticking with
the album for the remainder of the year).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of all, I loved making observations regarding the individual
talents of the seven official bandmembers, as well as their support cast through
the years (Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins, Merry Clayton, Bobby Keys, Chuck
Leavell, etc.). The <i>Stepping Stones</i> series had me realizing that in many
ways I was channeling the love I have for all the wonderfully-unique people in
my own life through the musicians I was writing primarily about. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Next up was my 2014 <i>Forever
Young</i> series on Neil Young; the musician who I have witnessed the most in
concert. Here was my first stab at a talent that is known more as a solo artist
than as part of a band (the other would be Bob Dylan). Of all the musicians I
have ever seen live, it was Neil Young who surprised me the most, hitting me far
more impressively than my expectations had allowed (particularly when he
performed with Crazy Horse). This was why I included Young for his own series. During
that <i>Forever Young</i> year, it was mind-bending to flesh out Neil Young’s
second-to-none album-oriented output in both the 70s (<i>After the Goldrush,
Harvest, Time Fades Away, Tonight’s the Night, On the Beach, Zuma, American
Stars ‘n Bars, Come a Time, </i>and<i> Rust Never Sleeps)</i> and the 90s (<i>Freedom,
Ragged Glory, Harvest Moon, Sleeps with Angels, Mirror Ball, Broken Arrow, </i>and<i>
Silver & Gold</i>). Neil Young is the most passionate of the musicians whom
I love to listen to (which is saying a lot), and I would like to think I
captured that passion within myself as I wrote during that <i>Forever Young</i>
year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My favorite band, the Who, were
next up; they the inspiration for my 2016 <i>Under the Big Top</i> series. I
called the series “Under the Big Top”, because I have always felt I was at the
perfect “4-ring” circus as I watched and listened to them over these many years.
Who do you focus on? Do you listen to the unparalleled drums in Ring 1, or that
one-of a kind bass in Ring 2, or those harmonious wide-range backing vocals in Rings
2 and 3, or those lyrics emanating out of Ring 3, or those power chords also in
Ring 3, or that lead singing in Ring 4? Each of the original 4 members of the
Who is recognized as top-tier by critics in terms of the instrument he excelled
at, as well as his stage presence. But collectively is where the real magic
was. That was what I was trying to capture and convey that year: Collective
magic. Can an ensemble effort in any endeavor rise above individuality when all
cylinders are clicking? The Who also tackled difficult subject matter in their
music, including war, schizophrenia, pedophilia, ostracization, and the fear of
becoming obsolete. I tried to hit on all these topics at one time or another
during that <i>Under the Big Top</i> year. Finally, the Who were my first stab
at a spiritual element in my writing. They would not be the last.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My Bob Dylan year was in 2018
(actually, it lasted two years, because I spent all of 2017 prepping for
it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I titled that series “Master
Blueprints”, because, among the ‘multitudes’ of accolades one can toss in
Dylan’s direction is this one: Bob Dylan leaves breathing room in his songs for
other musicians to interpret in their own way. This is a key reason why his
music will endure. My <i>Master Blueprints</i> year was one full of mystery and
intrigue and unexplained phenomena. I also had the opportunity to visit three
of Bob Dylan’s personal cornerstone geographies: Hibbing MN, Greenwich Village
NY NY, and Woodstock NY. Through these and other events, I connected with
numerous individuals in the Dylan world. All in all, I gained abundant new
insight into poetic brilliance, the importance of accepting and embracing change
in one’s life, and spirituality. And in the end, I found myself so thankful for
living these times with this man.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Last but not least was this year’s
<i>Fab Foundations</i> series, inspired by the music of the Beatles. This is
where it all began for me (hence the title) and I’m glad I saved this band for
last. I had to dig farther back here, but most often, it proved to be easy to
find the memories. What was hard was keeping up with the writing. Indeed, I
have to say this was my hardest year fleshing ideas out week to week. Perhaps it
was because I knew the end was near. Perhaps it was because I’m 10 years older
than when I started all this. My core idea all along was to find that youthful
exuberance. That can be hard to do when your 58 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not going to settle for half-rate
writing though. Looking back and re-reading a few of the writeups, I’m happy to
say that, at least in my mind, I did not. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Weaved in all of this were the
personal stories that were pulled out of me as I listened to the Rolling
Stones, Neil Young, the Who, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles. That was the other
side of the coin, which complimented the musical side. Stories of famous musicians
and stories of friends and family blended together, often seamlessly. <i>Music and Memory</i>. Yeah!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One thing I have not mentioned yet
that I find fascinating about the Beatles was how George Harrison and John
Lennon stuck it out with Beatlemania for as long as they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see them smiling genuinely on the album
covers and in other photo-ops all the way to the breakup. They are supportive
in many other ways too. And yet, the extreme commercialism was against their general
nature. I think of John Lennon more in the nature of Lou Reed and George Harrison
more in the nature of Cat Stevens….and Reed and Stevens shunned the limelight for
most of their careers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But here’s the thing: At the heart
of the Beatles message was a message of love. George and John could not resist
this. Nobody could if they were in their shoes. I don’t care what your
personality trait is. The end game of love was fundamental and as it turns out,
irresistible. And it was awesome. Deep inside, Lennon and Harrison most
certainly realized this. Neither of them lived as long as he should have. But
George Harrison did live long enough to come around in the end and reconcile
with his Beatles fame. I believe John Lennon would have done so too. As for
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, it’s actually turned out pretty-darned well
that they are the latter-day spokesman for the Beatles; both have honored their
deceased brethren and the band magnificently.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In closing, I would like to thank all of you who have
put time aside to reading this blog. Some of you have been particularly faithful
(you and I know who you are), and I am so very appreciative of that. I’d also would
like to thank Google, YouTube and Wiki. Google and YouTube are over-sized monopolistic
corporate entities, but without them, I would not have had research and imagination
at my fingertips (Wiki is just excellent, period). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most importantly I was a routine seeker of divine
inspiration, writeup to writeup, year to year. God never failed me. In fact,
for whatever reason He pushed me forward, especially when I felt as if I had
nothing to give.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I can think of no better way to close this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music
and Memory</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> series with the following video:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">( <a href="https://vimeo.com/214047758"><span style="color: blue;">All you need is
love Beatles on Vimeo</span></a> )<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peace. Love. Understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pete<o:p></o:p></span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-68820847129146751782020-12-19T08:03:00.009-05:002020-12-19T19:55:19.070-05:00Fab Foundations # 49: “On-line-Blog Writer”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Paperback
Writer”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: Released as a single<br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: May 1966</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Well, it’s about time I call it a wrap with
this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> blog site. All in all, there will be 350 entries
(after next week’s finale), the last 50 being this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab Foundations</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
series. A significant percentage of the writeups are over 3 pages long (one of
the exceptions is this one), which adds up to ~ 1000 pages. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">With all that writing, I think I’ve taken the
concept about as far as it can go.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the first Beatles songs I ever connected
with was “Paperback Writer”, way back in my pre-teen years. As I listened this
week, I began thinking that kinship between me and the song may have been a
harbinger of things to come, in terms of this website. In other words, I now
see a strong correlation between my early love of “Paperback Writer” and my
need to write creatively.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And so, in honor of the Beatles (in general),
and specifically “Paperback Writer”, I offer up here an alternative take on the
lyrics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Without further ado:</span></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">On-line-Blog
Writer</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(sung
to the music of “Paperback Writer”)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">( <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ"><span style="color: blue;">The
Beatles - Paperback Writer - YouTube</span></a> )</div></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer (Online-blog writer, writer)</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dear Sir or Madame, will you read my
blog?<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It took me years to write, I’ve reached
the epilogue<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s based on great music and recall
memory<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And I hope it proves<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m a well-established online blog
writer<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer!</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There are many stories there are many
themes</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But without the songs their all just pipe
dreams</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m a guy who grew up in the 70s</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When the music ruled</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What this called for was an online-blog
writer</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer!</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer (Online-blog writer,
writer)</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s a thousand pages give or take a few</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ll be writing the last entry in a week
or two</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I can add more illustrations if they fit
the style</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I can change it ‘round</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And I want to be an online-blog writer</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer!</span></i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you get the concept, you’ve got the
inside track<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">With a good case made, I know you’ll
have my back<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you must reject it, that is standard
fare<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But I think there’s something there<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And I want to be an online-blog writer<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer!</span></i></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Online-blog writer (Online-blog writer,
writer)<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Online-blog writer) Online-blog writer<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Online-blog writer) Online-blog writer<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Online-blog writer) Online-blog writer<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Online-blog writer) Online-blog writer<br /></span></i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Online-blog writer</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">------------------------------</span></i></div><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Until next week….</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-70623601052397332742020-12-08T06:17:00.001-05:002021-04-09T20:52:46.363-04:00 Fab Foundations # 48: “December 8th, 1980”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Watching the
Wheels”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Double Fantasy<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: November
1980</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Today marks forty years since John Lennon’s
murder.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There is a strange synchronicity about this
sullen anniversary in terms of numbers divisible by </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">10</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You may be able to think of more significant
numbers, but here’s is what I’ve got: Here in the year </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">2020</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, John Lennon
would have been 80; he died </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">40</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> years ago in </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">1980</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, at the age of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">40</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">;
his death was </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">10</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> years after the Beatles disbanded in </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">1970</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, the
year Lennon turned </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">30.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I suppose such ruminations are a defense
mechanism from the reality of what happened the night of December 8</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;">,
1980.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The passage of time takes care of the rest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Where were you the night John Lennon was
killed? There are many of us tail-end Baby Boomers who can answer this question
without hesitation. It was our JFK moment. The end of the innocence. The moment
when we connected vividly with someone’s death beyond our personal circle of influences.
John Lennon was larger than life, and he had just returned to the public stage
with a new album after a 5 year hiatus. During that reclusive period, the
leader of the most acclaimed band of all time was living his ‘30-something’
years as the first self-proclaimed “House Husband”, putting all his love and energy
into raising his son Sean, alongside his wife Yoko Ono. Lennon’s “stepping out”
(or rather, stepping back out) into the limelight was such a thrill, especially
for those of us who were experiencing this Fab-like phenomena for the first time
in a here-and-now sort of way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And just like that, it was all snuffed out.
JFK style.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So, where was I on that fateful night? I
was nestled in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts, a freshman at North
Adams State College. And like many New England Patriots fans, I was watching
Monday Night Football. In my particular circumstance I was doing this with my frosh-year
roommates, in the living room of our landlady “Ma” Bette’s off-campus home. The
Patriots and the Dolphins were heading for overtime when Howard Cosell made the
gut-wrenching announcement. I can still hear his one-of-a-kind voice, which was
spot on in projecting the severity of the event: </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“An unspeakable tragedy
confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City. John Lennon, outside of his
apartment building on the West Side of New York City. The most famous perhaps
of all of the Beatles. Shot twice in the back. Rushed to Roosevelt Hospital. Dead
on arrival”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The game ended for me at that moment. I rushed
up to my bedroom and flicked on the radio while in an already-stunned state of
mind. Fortunately, I was able to tune into 104.1 WBCN Boston, which was hit or
miss in that remote western Massachusetts community high in the Berkshires, a
good 100 miles from Beantown. The first song I heard was “Watching the Wheels”
( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVXR2LYeFBI"><span style="color: blue;">WATCHING THE WHEELS. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon
(official music video HD) - YouTube</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> )
off John and Yoko’s brand new album, <i>Double Fantasy</i> (which was also the
first time I had heard that song, period). Man, did it ever resonate. “Watching
the Wheels” was the perfect tune to take in at that moment. Here was John
Lennon explaining his years out of the limelight in song; the serenity of the
lyrics in stark contrast to the horrific late-night news. The memory hits me
every time I hear this song.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next morning, I remained stunned, and
so blew off school and drove west into Williamstown in my old stick-shift v6
Lincoln Mercury Capri (my first car).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I
contemplated going all the way to Central Park NY, NY, where mourners were
gathering by the thousands. I even made my way into the Empire State for a good
stretch along the Taconic Trail.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">From
there it would have been a three-hour straight-shot down Rte. 87 into Manhattan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the end, I turned around and just drove and
drove in zigzag patterns through the vertical landscape of Williamstown,
Cheshire, New Ashford, and Adams, continuing my vigil with WBCN from the night
before. The DJs (including Charles Laquidara) had suggested that drivers turn
on their headlights – in solidarity with fellow John Lennon fans - which I
did.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As I headed back into North Adams
after a good half-day of driving, I noticed a handful of other cars doing the
same. Ok, mercifully, I was not alone. My radio blared with Beatles and John Lennon
tunes. Their radios blared these familiar Fab sounds too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What was it about John Lennon’s life and
death that moved so many of us in the early days and weeks of December 1980 (which
continues - albeit to a lesser intensity - today)? Well, for one thing, Lennon
was uncompromising, which in his case always came across as a strength. John Lennon
expressed this attitude in many ways, particularly when he spoke his mind, which
he often did in brutally-honest fashion. One way this manifested itself was how
he could be harsh on others (particularly Paul McCartney). But he could also be
harsh on himself, and so, this gave Beatle John all the leverage he needed to
say pretty much whatever he wanted. Lennon was also witty and funny and
sarcastic and charming; all traits that draw people in, whether at the personal
level (the other Beatles were all forever fascinated in him) or on the big-stage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John Lennon was also a risk taker, which was
appealing to those among us who have a rebellious slant (ok, me). This was
exemplified in his “Bed-Ins for peace” with Yoko Ono in 1969, which were wide
open to the public (as Derek Taylor, the Beatles publicist once explained,
anyone was welcome </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“as long as they were not obviously carrying a
blood-stained axe”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">). His risk-taking played out in many other ways too, be
it in songs like “Revolution”, “Gimme Some Truth” or “Working Class Hero” or in
comments, like </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“we’re</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (the Beatles, are) </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">more popular than Jesus now”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
(which was more a lament than anything).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">However, I believe the biggest reason why
many of us admired (and continue to admire) John Lennon was because at the heart
of his voluminous discography was a message of peace and love. Just give
another listen this week if you will to the truth-serum sounds of “All You Need
is Love”, “Give Peace a Chance”, “Merry X-Mas (War is Over)”), and/or “Imagine”.
These are the songs at the core of my generation’s shout-out to all the other
generations – before and after us – who we have had the pleasure to live with
over the decades. We were looking for different solutions to the world’s
problems, and John Lennon was doling out the answers like hotcakes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Add all of these traits to a boatload of
talent, and you have the recipe for moving the masses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Two years after my ‘mourning’ drive around
the Berkshires, I did finally make it into Central Park, as well as the nearby
Dakota Apartments (on the West Side), where John Lennon lived throughout his
“House Husband” years, and where he was killed. I’ve written about that incredible
college winter-break road trip before in these pages. Here I’ll try to keep the
focus on this specific part of the journey.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After an involuntary and impromptu all-nighter
in lower Manhattan, my three Canadian brethren and I sleepwalked our way to
Central Park. At this stage, I began making a beeline west for the Dakota, and
I was dragging my friends along with me. We made our way up to “The Lake”, just
across from the Dakota. There we spied an old abandoned rowboat with a small
hole in the bottom.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We plugged the hole
up with a tea shirt and used makeshift oars (sticks, cardboard, you name it) to
row across the waterbody.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This was just
after dawn. For all we knew, Yoko Ono could have been looking out her apartment
window that morning, shaking her head in bemusement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After landing the boat, we made our way
across the remainder of Central Park West and onto 72nd Street. The first doorway
was the main entrance into The Dakota. A bellhop greeted us. He was middle aged
and appeared a veteran of his trade. I explained we were there to pay tribute
to John Lennon. He stated that he heard this on a regular basis from visiting fans
and then told me that we were welcome to hang out in the archway and corridor,
which was precisely where Lennon had been killed. We did this for a spell, in
silence, and then we moved on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The remainder of that Manhattan morning is
a blur.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next memory I can recall of my personally
bonding with John Lennon’s life and death was in 1988 when I had my wisdom
teeth removed. Upon being admitted to the surgical room, I dutifully fessed up
to the fact that I had a cup of coffee earlier that day, which apparently was
against the rules if I wanted to have a full-blown anesthesia (I kinda knew
this going in but was hoping for a bit of slack). And so, I ended up getting a
local anesthesia, which allowed me to listen to all the gory details of my
wisdom teeth being drilled to a pulp. Later that day, I sat with my sister,
Amy, and we watched </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Imagine: John Lennon</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, a newly released documentary (at
the time) about John Lennon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As the film lurched forward, toward its inevitable
tragic ending, my local anesthesia and additional pain killers were coincidingly
wearing off. The combination of the physical and emotional pain was a bit too
much for me to handle. The raw emotions related to John Lennon’s death,
apparently locked inside of me to that point, came welling out for the first
and only time. In hindsight, I suppose it was therapeutic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Several year later and newlywed, my wife
Nancy and I took a weekend trip to New York City to do some Christmas shopping.
While there, we made a side-trek to the Statue of Liberty, our first of several
trips to that iconic symbol of freedom and democracy. Upon landing on Liberty
Island, we passed on the long line in and up the innards of the statue, and
instead walked around the perimeter, along the water’s edge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Once again, I had a destination in mind;
this time a frontal view of the Statue of Liberty, where John Lennon posed in
1974, showing his love for a country whose President at that time was trying to
deport him. There, we took some photos ourselves, including one of me doing my
best John Lennon impersonation. Nancy and I had that photo on our refrigerator
for years, next to a postcard of Lennon in his classic peace pose (both images attached).
It was yet another effort to connect with the life of a man who I did not know
personally, and yet who I felt a strong kinship with.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Until this year, and particularly this week,
that Statue of Liberty visit - and the follow-up refrigerator posting- would be
the last time I would put any concerted effort into recognizing John Lennon in
any deep sort of way. Interestingly, every one of these events I just reflected
on occurred in the winter months: John Lennon’s death, my Berkshire drive,
Central Park, wisdom teeth removal, the Statue of Liberty, and now this write
up. Unlike my ‘numbers divisible by 10’ observation in the opening sentences of
this entry, I think there is something to this. Winter has always been a season
of ‘seeking’ for me. It’s when I’ve started every one of my 6 blog series. Its
when the music hits me the hardest. It’s when the memories kick back in fast
and furious. It’s when I have to seize the moment. Carpe Diem.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A week or so after John Lennon’s death, I
purchased </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Double </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fantasy at a record store in downtown North Adams</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">. </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Four
years later, upon release, I would also</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"> </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">purchase the follow up; John
Lennon’s posthumous </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Milk and Honey </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(much of which was recorded during
the </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Double Fantasy</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> sessions). </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Milk
and Honey</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> would prove to be the last Lennon studio release of original
material. These two albums were complimentary and filled with upbeat,
energy-inducing tunes, which were in many ways the polar opposite of the mood
of John Lennon’s first solo albums (indeed the opening sound effects are
harbingers of what’s to come in each case , with “Mother” opening </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Plastic
Ono Band</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> with four ominous bell tolls, and “Starting Over” opening </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Double
Fantasy</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> with the soft percussive sound of three strikes on a triangle).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For an 18 year old, it was pretty-darn inspiring
to hear a song like “Woman” from such a respected musician, which, although
primarily about Yoko Ono, translated for me as a healthy admiration for members
of the opposite sex in general. Related to this was something quite unique to </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Double
Fantasy</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> as a rock album; a volleyball approach to the tracks, with John
Lennon lobbing a song over the proverbial net, and Yoko Ono lobbing one back (some
of Yoko’s songs were actually pretty good, including “Kiss Kiss Kiss” and “Give
Me Something”, Yoko sounding like she could have been a walk-on with the B52s).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Starting Over” is John Lennon singing at
his confident best. “Watching the Wheels” is a convincing musical narrative
about a man (Lennon) who has paid his dues to society…and then some. Same for
“Borrowed Time”. “Grow Old With Me” is about as lovely of a love song as I have
ever heard.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Nobody Told Me” sounds like John Lennon is
ready to contribute his worldly views to society again (which begs the
question, ‘</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">oh what could have been?’</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">) by lamenting cultural ambivalence (Side
note: The refrain in the lyrics goes </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“Nobody told me there’d be days like
these”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, which my sister Amy – at the time of the songs release, working as
a waitress - </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">would modify to </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“Nobody
told me there’d be trays like these”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> as she cleared tables; a classic alteration
that I harkened back to as I listened this week).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One consolation about December 8</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;">,
1980: John Lennon was in a peaceful place when he died.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I suppose at this stage in the game (40
years on) …. I’ll take it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Pete</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRAQ-SnbAtacdKIwtzovNRkZjjqJE5Ay_4RiZGX7n6xWh_nckPbTxIluo2V0aVHBs0p-uQIf6jsH_9zuQ7HgOMFVg6GcZ_b81duu8YNQhfJLWDC4dXC1nwzzXI6EhPNKgY33y2BIBlBwS/s816/Statue_of_Liberty.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="816" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRAQ-SnbAtacdKIwtzovNRkZjjqJE5Ay_4RiZGX7n6xWh_nckPbTxIluo2V0aVHBs0p-uQIf6jsH_9zuQ7HgOMFVg6GcZ_b81duu8YNQhfJLWDC4dXC1nwzzXI6EhPNKgY33y2BIBlBwS/w350-h292/Statue_of_Liberty.jpeg" width="350" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-5675694020331738812020-11-21T07:26:00.009-05:002020-11-21T16:11:31.873-05:00 Fab Foundations # 47: “Self-Made Man”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Here Comes the
Sun”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Abbey Road<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: September
1969</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One big take home for me from the </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Beatles
Anthology</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> autobiography is a common thread among John, Paul, George, and
Ringo regarding how little each of them gained from their formal education. Come
to think of it, this was also the case for several of the other musicians I’ve
written about in these blog pages, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Keith
Richards. I suppose this goes with the territory: If you are a young aspiring rocker,
musical ambitions are likely to clash with studies, particularly if you’re in a
fledgling rock band.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I thought about this over the past week as
I homed in on “Here Comes the Sun” as my topic-song of choice for this entry.
The reason formal schooling came to mind was the story behind the song, whereby
George Harrison played hooky on a Beatles meeting to visit his close friend
Eric Clapton on the first warm spring day of the year after a long, cold, hard,
London winter. There he wrote “Here Comes the Sun”. The Beatles were splintering
at the time (1969) and their meetings were as often about business affairs as
they were about music. Harrison was fed up, feeling like he was going back to
school, which he detested. I imagine he pondered over a morning cup of tea: </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“a
sunny day outside vs an indoor room filled with tension?”. </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It appears to have been a no-brainer
decision.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I think we all can relate to blowing off
commitments for an early spring day in the sun. I recall doing this on a
handful of occasions in my undergrad years, electing to skip the elective in order
to head to the school quad for some soccer dribbling with a friend or to the
courts for a game of hoops (or to the frig for a beer).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One particular blow-off memory was early in
my career with the US Geological Survey (USGS) when a great friend, Bob
Mainguy, decided to make a last-minute Boston pit stop on his way from Paris to
New York City on a business trip. Bob arrived on a Sunday afternoon. We soon connected
with another great friend, Mac, and then the three of us promptly headed down
to Mac’s cottage on the ocean in the village of Humarock (part of Scituate),
Massachusetts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After celebrating the night away on the
breeze-blown deck, we crashed, and a few hours later awoke to a beautiful
late-spring Monday morning, complete with the sound of crashing surf. All of us
were supposed to gear up for heading to our respective work commitments on that
weekday, but this weather and this locale were too special to pass up. One by
one, we called into our offices to literally “blow off” the day. We were
howling listening to each other. I was last and when the admin person (a great Korean
Vet who has long-since retired) answered the phone I said “Henry, I’m calling
in to blow off the day”. He said, “you mean, take a vacation day”. I said “no,
I’m blowing it off!” (much laughter from Mac and Bob in the background). Henry
chuckled and said “well, alright then, I’ll put you in as “blowing off the
day”. (I did eventually chalk it up as
annual leave).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hooky was something George Harrison was very
familiar with in grade-school. He did a lot of it in his formative years,
often with Paul McCartney (and later with John Lennon too). George was the
youngest of the Beatles, and so would end up missing the most schooling when
John and Paul got serious about taking the band on the road. And yet, despite
his lack of a formal education, Harrison grew up quickly; arguably faster than just
about every other rock musician of his day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In relation to this, there’s a scene in the
Martin Scorsese biopic movie </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison: Living in the Material World</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
that really grabbed me. One of the many interviewees in the film is Astrid
Kirchherr, a lifelong friend of the Beatles from Germany, who they met in
Hamburg during their ‘residency’ at several nightclubs there in the early 60s. Kirchherr,
who hailed from Hamburg, took a number of priceless early photos of the band. She
would end up falling in love with one of the then-Beatles, Stu Sutcliffe, who
would die not long after of a brain hemorrhage (Stu had left the Beatles to
stay with Astrid in Hamburg after his bandmates were forced to leave the
country for a variety of reasons, and so Sutcliffe was with Kirchherr when he
died).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anyhow, Stu Sutcliffe was very tight with
John Lennon, who struggled mightily when his best friend had passed away (this
tragedy following the death of Lennon’s Mom only a few years earlier). In the
Scorsese film, Astrid </span><a name="_Hlk56769021" style="font-size: 12pt;">Kirchherr </a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">tells the story of
when John and George came back to Hamburg to visit with her around that time.
As she tells the story, a photo she took of Lennon and Harrison is presented to
the movie-watching audience. It shows a downtrodden John Lennon sitting in a
chair (it may have been Stu Sutcliffe’s art chair) with George Harrison standing
over him. Kirchherr remarks in the interview that Harrison was very solemn that
day and that every ounce of his energy was geared to his compassion for John Lennon
and his commitment to be there for him in that moment. She points out his demeanor
in the photo, in order to support her claims. I could see this too (image attached).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison was only 19 years old at
the time and yet, wisdom was already deeply ingrained. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For my next blog entry (several weeks down
the road), I’ll be writing about memories related to John Lennon’s life and death
(it will be 40 years this coming December 8</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> when he was killed in
cold blood). Here I’d like to reserve some thoughts on Harrison’s life and death
(although much about his life has already been written in these pages, so I
will keep it short), the latter of which occurred on November 29, 2001. Beatle
George was only 58 years old when he died (my age now). It was the 2</span><sup>nd</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
of a triple blow in 7 months’ time of deeply-felt events beyond my immediate
sphere of connections (the first was 9/11 and the third would be John
Entwistle’s passing in early 2002). For myself - and I am sure many others - it
was about as bad a stretch as what we are all going through now in 2020.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My recollection of hearing the news of
George Harrison’s death is not as intense as it was when I heard the news of
John Lennon’s death, most likely because I had experienced another 20 years of
life in the interim. My hearing the news was just prior to walking my daughter
to school on a mild late-fall day. As the case with Lennon’s death, I
internalized that news for the most part. If I had someone to commiserate with at
the level I needed, I would have. But that was not the case, which was ok by me.
Sometimes the best way to mourn is on your own (although, I must say commiserating
was not a problem a few months later, when John Entwistle died, and that worked
out too, in a far different way).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney visited
George Harrison two weeks before his death. By all accounts, it was Harrison
who kept the conversation lively, upbeat, and at times, hilarious. George Harrison has never shied away from
death. Give a listen to his songs “All Things Must Pass” and “Art of Dying” and
you certainly would agree. In fact, I’ve often gotten the sense that Harrison
was looking forward to death (in one interview near the end of his life, he
stated something to the effect that his only sad reflection was in leaving his
son Dhani behind at such a young age).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison’s 2</span><sup>nd</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> wife Olivia
Harrison (who he was committed to from the mid-70s to his passing) claims that
the brutal stabbing of her husband by an intruder into their London home in 1999
ultimately led to his untimely death (Harrison was stabbed in multiple
locations including the lungs, one lung of which collapsed; the official reason
for death was lung cancer). That would mean that two Beatles were slain by
crazed individuals … a head shaking thought when you consider the fact that the
Beatles core message was love. Olivia Harrison comes across as a very peaceful
soul in any interview I have ever seen of her, and like her husband, in tune
with a solid faith. In another poignant part of the Scorsese film Olivia states
that when her husband died, the room lit up in an amazing, spiritually-felt
glow. I believe her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I remember the news when Pattie Boyd
(George Harrison’s first wife) married Eric Clapton (Harrison’s close friend)
in 1979. What was memorable about this wedding for me was that Harrison played
guitar at the reception. This says a lot about George Harrison’s take on
life. From what I have read, the love
triangle hurt Harrison to the core, but he was able to overcome that hurt to be
there in, what would be for most of us, a very awkward situation. Harrison was
able to do that because he was always living in the present, vs the past or
future. He was able to do this because
of his faith.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My good friend and colleague, Mike Major
(who receives these weekly entries) first presented the modern-day video “Here
Comes the Sun” to me early in this <i>Fab Foundations</i> year: ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQetemT1sWc"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQetemT1sWc</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> ). It’s a fantastic video (I only wished I was able
to use it for my original “Gem Videos” series 12 years ago), with numerous
photos taken by Linda McCartney, most of which took place at John Lennon’s London
Tittenhurst Park estate. It would prove to be the band’s last photo-op. There is also some creative animation in the
video, including the Beatles feet prancing across Abbey Road (see the 1:10 mark
of the video).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison was a self-made man. All
the Beatles were, really. The four of them overcame the lack of formal
education and privilege to become one of the most successful rags-to-riches
stories in history. And of the four, Harrison may come down in history as the
Beatle who made it happen the most. He did this by finding afterlife in
life. And maybe one could argue, by
playing a little hooky too.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Pete</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwM-zXY_TrRixq4vCnZ4Qmp6MOukD0ZXMc9jGSiLjrdp0OKvFoLZLQaP0qSWpisuTflQ4OyKErfzwcUCKjbeBcU2uteJxZVhSufbjkRPye9DNtFw3Ws01dAZBrzdQq3DENgeiEEjYBvYC/s782/John_George.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwM-zXY_TrRixq4vCnZ4Qmp6MOukD0ZXMc9jGSiLjrdp0OKvFoLZLQaP0qSWpisuTflQ4OyKErfzwcUCKjbeBcU2uteJxZVhSufbjkRPye9DNtFw3Ws01dAZBrzdQq3DENgeiEEjYBvYC/s320/John_George.png" /></a></div><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-30658162033205680882020-11-12T19:16:00.002-05:002020-11-14T20:23:21.643-05:00Fab Foundations # 46: “Where Beatles and Beetles Converge”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Mother Nature’s
Son”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>The Beatles<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: November
1968</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In my decade or so of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
blog writing, I routinely have found myself maintaining a yearlong running
document of loose notes in relation to the musician/band-focus of that given
year. Occasionally when I am hard up for an idea, I dip into it. Seeing as I’m
on the home stretch now with my </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab Foundations</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> series, the related
notes doc is pretty much tapped out. There are a handful of remaining bullets
though, some of which have lingered in that doc since the beginning of the year.
At this stage, I’m pretty sure that at least a few of these will never see the
light of day in terms of fleshing them out (such as this one: “George’s stage
fright”).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There was one lingering bullet though that
caught my eye this week. It reads “Beetles prints in the movie </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Hard Day’s
Night</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">”. That’s not a misspell (although it would be in any other </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab
Foundations</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> entry this year). No, that indeed is a double-e “Beetles” as in
the group of insects; one of the largest and most diverse Orders of life in the
animal kingdom. Off the top of my head, I’m pretty sure that It’s a term I have
not typed all year other than in that aforementioned notes file.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">OK, so back to </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Hard Day’s Night. </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
scene in the movie that I am referring to is about halfway through, where the
Beatles (as in the band) are rehearsing in front of beetles prints (as in the
insect). The prints are fantastic and come close to stealing the show for me
during that scene, distracting my otherwise regular focus on John, Paul, George
and Ringo (and, yeah, Patti Boyd too).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anyhow, I passed over that bulleted note
numerous times over the last few months because it never fit a narrative. But
this week a little lightbulb lit up in my mind, because a few lines above that
bullet was a far more recent bulleted note suggesting a “Mother Nature’s Son”
entry, with a focus on conservation, ecology, and the environment. Could I pull
it all together? Heck may as well give it a try….</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the great fortunes of being a Dad is
getting to see what your children end up doing with their lives as they grow up;
how they establish themselves in society and in the world in general. Both my daughter
and my son - who are now young adults in their 20s - have a tremendous respect
for the environment and appear on similar paths to dedicating their lives toward
figuring out ways to preserve it. The two of them are coming at it from very
different angles though. Charlotte is a biologist, and she is researching the
effects of plastics on seabirds for her master’s thesis. Peter is well on his
way to getting his undergrad degree in plastics engineering and is already working
part time at a small company that has developed a technology which blends
conventional plastics with a natural catalyst, essentially rendering the
plastic biodegradable.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I envision a potential collaborative between
them somewhere down the road.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When I was very young, my parents observed
in me an interest in the natural world, particularly wild animals (I believe a
key factor in what prompted all of this was tidepools, but I’m sure there were
a few other contributing factors as well). The most amazing gift I ever got from
Mom and Dad was in 1967, when I was 5 years old. It was a “blue box” of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Britain’s
LTD</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> wild (“zoo”) animals. These figurines were plastic (go figure) and very
well crafted. Included in the set were little-known mammals, such as the
platypus, tapir, eland, and okapi. I’ve still got a handful of them today.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Around the same period, I also recall receiving
a fantastic series of “Strangest Things” books, each focused on a different
group of animals (i.e. “Birds Do the Strangest Things”, “Reptiles do the
Strangest Things”, etc.). These books helped diversify my knowledge of the
animal kingdom.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mom and Dad did not stop there though. Within
a few year’s conservation factored into the equation. When I was 10, I received
a book from my parents called “Twilight of the Animal Kingdom” by Larry Harris,
which focused on 22 endangered species such as the California Condor, the
Mountain Gorilla, and the Blue Whale. Through this book, I was beginning to
understand how mankind can have an adverse effect on the creatures we share the
planet with.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Around that time, Dad also
got me a subscription to Greenpeace, which I took to heart (one example of this
was that for years I had a Greenpeace poster on my bedroom wall that read “Save
the Whales. Boycott Japanese Goods”).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am forever grateful for my parent’s
insights into my childhood heart.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Interestingly enough, the Beatles
contributed to my early fascination in the natural world too, and it all pretty
much hinged on one song: “Mother Nature’s Son” (“The Continuing Story of
Bungalow Bill” may have factored in there too). Arguably, “Mother Nature’s Son”
( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMMiXjwhODU"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMMiXjwhODU</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> ) was the first pop song written overtly about nature
(although folk music had always been immersed in it). It certainly predated anything
from John Denver and Bruce Coburn. Even Joni Mitchell. The song is almost entirely a singular Paul
McCartney composition (in terms of Beatles contributions), with John Lennon
helping out with a few lyrics (Lennon was writing a song around the same time
called “Child of Nature”, but that song was never released and eventually
was rewritten into his solo effort “Jealous Guy”).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Much has been written about the Beatles pursuing
spiritual enlightenment when they made their 1968 retreat to Rishikesh, India,
with the Maharishi. George Harrison is front and center, seeing as he was
already well on his way to a faith-centric life in the years before Rishikesh.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And he convinced the rest of the band to go
to India. Also, of the four Beatles, he and John Lennon spent the most time in
India that year. And so, George’s reflections (and to a slightly less degree,
John’s) are deserving of the prominence they get in that part of the band’s
history (which plays out in </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Beatles Anthology</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and many other writeups on
the Beatles in Rishikesh).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">However, not nearly as much has been
written about one particular angle on life in that retreat: Harmony with the
natural world. It’s that angle that Paul McCartney appears to have had latched
onto the most. “Mother Nature’s Son” was written in Rishikesh. By the 1970s, and
through to today, McCartney has been championing animal rights and other
environmental causes (also humanitarian ones), and it may have all started with
the Maharishi in the foothills of the Himalayas. Indeed, it was that eco-friendly
angle on the retreat that truly worked for him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes I feel as if my family (Charlotte
and Peter, along with my wife Nancy) and I have been on one endless eco
retreat. The kids have camped every year of their lives. The woods has always beckoned
us. An endless parade of logs and rocks have been turned over in search of
critters (on land and in water). An ever mounting list of trails have been hiked.
We have been blessed by Cape Cod whales, Newfoundland puffins, Nova Scotia bald
eagles, Yellowstone grizzlies, Costa Rican coral reefs, Panamanian sloths, Badlands
prairie dogs, California sealions, Boston-Harbor-Island golden snails, streambed
hellgrammites, tidepool brittle stars, backyard owls, saltmarsh osprey, low-tide
spider crabs, riverine crocodiles, desert lizards, deep-sea dolphins, rainforest
howler monkeys….</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">….and volcanic-rim blue fungus beetles.
More on that last one later.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the most important developments in
our lives in relation to eco retreats has been Charlotte’s love of Panama (where
she has lived for a fair-percentage of her recent life, and where she has done
most of her seabird research) as well as other parts of Central and South
America. As a result of her enthusiasm, the rest of us have headed down there
to visit Charlotte on several occasions in order to witness for ourselves what
she has been so enamored by. We understand now. That part of the world remains
a tropical paradise in many locales and is so worth trying to keep that way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I suppose if I had to signal out one
Rishikesh eco-retreat-like moment for me it would be the precious few days we
spent in the Arenal region of Costa Rica 3 years ago. The village of Arenal is
named after the active volcano that looms over it (which is very impressive in its
fumarole steam emissions). There we stumbled upon a gem of place to stay for 3
nights; a pristine Airbnb on the outskirts of town. The charming quarters were enough
of a lure, but it was the owner, Eduardo, and the land that were the real take
home messages in the end. Here we got to witness someone truly in harmony with
nature. In relation to this, Eduardo and his young family could not have been
more gracious hosts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On the first evening there, Eduardo took us
for a tour of his multi-acre property, half of which was orchard and farm and
the other half of which was rainforest. It was there I saw my first sloth
(three-toed), as well as a prehensile-tailed porcupine and a handful of distinct
rainforest birds. What impressed me the most though was how effortlessly Eduardo
spotted wildlife and how serene he was. The next morning, he took us on a tour
of his orchard. The large variety of fruiting trees were thriving. It was like
a Garden of Eden.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Later that second morning, Eduardo took us
down the road to his Aunt’s property, an ecofriendly-farm. It was a work in
progress (i.e. an immense undertaking), but I was immediately impressed by her
earnestness to see it through and her ability to attract others to help her,
including a professor from the United States, who was there doing hard labor
for the summer.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Eduardo’s aunt then
showed us a significant piece of property which she set aside for preservation
as virgin rainforest, wherein she had designed a trail system. We hiked it and
then settled in for a small breakfast and more discussion with her team of workers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our experience in Arenal (and Costa Rica in
general) had us convinced to head down to Central America to visit Charlotte for
a second go-around, this time in her home base of Panama. A “Mother Nature’s
Son” moment that stuck out for me there was in the extinct super-volcano region
of El Valle de Anton, where a self-described tour guide took us on a 6 mile
hike up a ridge line and onto a spectacular ringed summit around the village. After
talking with him a bit early on (through our mutual linguistic barriers), I
concluded this young dude did these hikes every day, sometimes two or three
times.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He knew his natural surroundings
and had a solid answer for all of our bio-centric questions, be they related to
flora or fauna.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">About halfway around the section of the
ancient volcanic rim we were on, a large beetle landed on me. It was brilliant
blue, with black spots; a type of blue fungus beetle. It looked familiar. Turns
out Charlotte, who is also an artist, had painted it as part of several very
cool Panama-inspired art-pieces not long before (images attached).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Now, here I was with that artwork steering me
directly in the face for the first (and only) time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Panama trip occurred last summer, when
I was just beginning to prep for this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab Foundations </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">series, and so I
had the Beatles regularly in the back of my mind. As I steered at that blue
fungus beetle, I had both Beatles and beetles on the brain: A convergence of
Beat/beet/les. I suppose this writeup brings it full circle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Beatles “Mother Nature’s Son” sounds
just as it should. The song is a testament to being one with nature. This week
two of my favorite pastimes again molded into one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> - </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pete</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOniecGMNMGLFfVp5ZLgikCamd0uFC43EcXte3OZz-Czq5ZOXZ34RAPwHS-H72VOEKPQOo8mPFwQsUhSz2jfaxnrZuMhAdt52QfVbPgb-vPvClEUL7NaQelg6cJ7C_lplMzUvhWekPS0s/s750/Charlotte_Panama2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOniecGMNMGLFfVp5ZLgikCamd0uFC43EcXte3OZz-Czq5ZOXZ34RAPwHS-H72VOEKPQOo8mPFwQsUhSz2jfaxnrZuMhAdt52QfVbPgb-vPvClEUL7NaQelg6cJ7C_lplMzUvhWekPS0s/s320/Charlotte_Panama2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOVB_jnDytJwM9yLMrpMtfi7UbOAXzIxR8jCxPM-m8CAa_GWG7bkD4sxChYhwZtsCbXPx2_BcMs0EmnoKBif3frYFE97oWZqJ0JhfsNiQheaNUhcCXiMgD042jXjZSSNDS_b1dvaxwIV3/s938/Charlotte_Panama1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOVB_jnDytJwM9yLMrpMtfi7UbOAXzIxR8jCxPM-m8CAa_GWG7bkD4sxChYhwZtsCbXPx2_BcMs0EmnoKBif3frYFE97oWZqJ0JhfsNiQheaNUhcCXiMgD042jXjZSSNDS_b1dvaxwIV3/s320/Charlotte_Panama1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><p></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-31950475890466824312020-11-05T20:16:00.003-05:002020-11-08T09:38:22.521-05:00Fab Foundations # 45: “Where Did That Come From?”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Rain”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Released as a B-side single<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: May 1966</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My first 4 years of schooling were at St.
Mary’s, a parochial Catholic school in Franklin, Massachusetts. When St. Mary’s
closed at the end of my 4</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> year (I believe due to financial
reasons), many of us students transitioned to public school for the first time.
My 5</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;">-grade teacher was Mr. Carrol, no doubt the most dry-witted instructor
I have ever had. Mr. Carrol was quite a departure from the nuns I’d had for
teachers to that point. There were a handful of us post-St. Mary’s students in
his class that year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">During the first week of class, Mr. Carrol surprised
us with a pop-penmanship quiz. After everyone had handed it in, he started
scrolling through our writeups, while giving us the occasional deadpanned
glance over his spectacles. After what seemed like an eternity of deafening
silence, he finally spoke: </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“The St. Mary’s kids who have joined our school
system have such wonderful penmanship. Would you all raise your hands so the
class can see who you are”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Six or seven of us rose our hands. Mr. Carrol
then stared directly at me and in a stone-faced manner stated </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“well, there
are always exceptions to the rule”.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I chuckle now as I reflect, but that
comment set the ground rules for a confrontational year between me and Mr.
Carrol (which also contributed to my longer-term non-conformist ways). He had a
point though. My penmanship is not something to write home about (pun
intended).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It clearly has something to
do with the way I hold the pen/pencil. There are likely other factors at play
too. Whatever. I’ve never lost any sleep over it.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The inelegant style works for me, and I’m
pretty sure it works for most who have been on the receiving end of my writing
efforts, Mr. Carrol notwithstanding.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Once in a blue moon though (which just
happened this past Halloween night… hopefully you caught it), something consumes
me, and my penmanship becomes…. not my own. Indeed, it’s something else entirely.
It transcends me. The strokes look eloquent, and flow magnificently from letter
to letter, sentence to sentence, and paragraph to paragraph. Every curve and
straight line is precise. The style of it all even looks different. In fact, if
someone, such as a store clerk, were to match signatures – me vs. ‘Penmanship Me’
- they might be suspect. I’ve never been able to understand how this happens.
When I have it, I have it for an entire day.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And then, poof, it’s gone for who knows how long, and I’ve turned into a
calligraphy pumpkin again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m guessing this type of thing happens to
all of us from time to time; those rare occasions when we feel something or
someone has taken over our body, mind, and/or soul, allowing us to do certain
things at a level that we are not normally all that proficient at.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Another example in my own experience of this is
the extremely-rare day when I feel as if I can jog forever on my routine trek
around the block. Another is when I feel in complete harmony with everything
around me. Yet another is when I’ve quite suddenly anticipated something just before
it happens.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What does all this have to do with the
Beatles? Well, as I began preparing for this <i>Fab Foundations</i> entry by
watching the MTV-like Beatles video “Rain” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK5G8fPmWeA"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK5G8fPmWeA</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> ), I thought about something Ringo Starr once stated about
his drumming for the song: <i>“I know me. I know my playing. And then there’s ‘Rain’”</i>.
And as I listened to this <i>Revolver</i>-era ditty this week (released as a
B-side single), I could actually hear what he meant. Ringo’s drumming clearly
sounds different, even to these novice percussionist ears. Where did that come
from? I suppose it’s the same place my once-in-a-blue-moon penmanship comes
from.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In recognition of these otherworldly
moments in life, I thought I’d compile a list of some of the most profound
musical moments in Beatles recordings. I’ve done this sort of thing with the
other 2 bands that I spent a year on for this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> website;
the Rolling Stones (</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Stepping Stones </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- 2012) and the Who (</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Under the
Big Top</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - 2016) (the other 2 series were centered on solo artists - Neil
Young and Bob Dylan - and compiling a list like this for them did not make as
much sense).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After a solid year of listening to a singular
band, you tend to collect an elevated mental list of musical highlights (or
maybe even a warped one </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">😉</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">). At least
that is the case for me. With the Stones it was a lot of fun, because there
have been a total of 7 excellent full-time band members over the years, as well
as a number of other support musicians who had quality highlight moments of
their own on the plethora of Stones recordings. It was much harder with the
Who, because for the most part it was just the 4 of them (pretty incredible
when you think about it), and there was so much to choose from…almost too much.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The fun level was somewhere in-between with
the Beatles as I reflected on their Tower-of-Song this week (the Beatles had accompanying
support too, though not nearly as much as the Stones). A big reason for the slightly-diminished
fun-level of diagnosis (in relation to the Stones) is that much of the Beatles
excellence is in the ensemble effort (all 4 of them as one), including the singing
and instrumentation. In that light, less individuality stands out. But there
are definitely some gems (including the collective).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And so, without further ado, here are those
personal highlights:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Paul’s droning bass on said “Rain"</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Ringo’s drumming
on the bridge to “Something”</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">George’s bass
playing on “Oh, Darling!” (yes, that is George, not Paul)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Patti Boyd and
Yoko Ono’s angelic background vocals on “Birthday”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s opening
piano on “Martha my Dear”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s opening
piano on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s lead
guitar solo on “Old Brown Shoe”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chris Thomas’s
piano during the bridge of “Long, Long, Long”</span></li><li>John’s lead
vocals on his solo song “How?”</li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo Starr’s
drumming at the end of “Good Morning” (he actually sounds a bit like Keith Moon
here)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s chord-changing
rhythm guitar playing on “All My Loving”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Martin’s
piano playing on “In My Life” (which is sped up to sound like a harpsichord)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John, Paul and
George’s hilarious gargling-underwater backing vocals during the bridge to
“Octopuses Garden”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s lead
guitar solo on “Octopus’s Garden”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo’s drumming
during the John singing parts on “A Day in the Life” (the beginning and end of
the song)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s bass during
the second verse of “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s lead-guitar
playing on “Get Back” (yes, that’s a rare John lead – vs. George)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s flashy
bass run near the end of “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and
My Monkey”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s lead vocal
on “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo’s lead
vocal on his solo song “Photograph”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The sounds
effects and banter during the bridge to “Yellow Submarine” <i>(“Full speed
ahead Mister Boatswain, full speed ahead….”</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s lead
vocal on “Something” (particularly the bridge)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s lead vocal
on “You Won’t See Me” (it sounds like the inspiration for Feargal Sharkey’s lead
vocals with the Undertones)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The golden
silence on “Don’t Let Me Down” before John starts singing the bridge <i>“I’m in
love for the first time….”</i><o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John, Paul, and
George’s triple harmony on “Because”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s eerie Moog
synthesizer buildup during the extended instrumental portion of “I Want You
(She’s So Heavy)”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The one-take, triple-lead-guitar-tradeoff
between Paul, George and John during the bridge of “The End” <o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The hilarity that
is the entirety of “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s bass
playing on “Don’t Let Me Down”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s guitar
work on his solo song “My Sweet Lord”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s intense vocal
delivery on “Back in the USSR” – with John and George backing - when he sings
the part <i>“Back in the US, Back in the US, Back in the USSR”</i><o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The back and
forth between John’s “Yeah” and George’s guitar at the end of “Come Together”</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s manic <i>“I
would like you to dance / take a cha-cha-cha chance / I would like you to
dance” </i>on Birthday</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s lead vocals
on “Across the Universe”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul’s lead
vocals on “Lady Madonna”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s lead
vocals on “Taxman”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo’s lead
vocals on “Don’t Pass Me By”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s sitar on
“Within You Without You”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo’s drum roll
on “Strawberry Fields” after John sings <i>“living is easy with eyes closed”</i><o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s guitar
feedback at the beginning of “I Feel Fine” (first ever feedback on a rock song)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The vocals (lead
and backing) during the bridge to “Dear Prudence” (John lead, George and Paul
backing)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo’s drumming
on “She Said She Said” (another ‘blue moon’ moment for him)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The “Wall of
Sound” that is George’s solo effort “Wah Wah”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Martin’s
score for Paul’s solo effort “Live and Let Die”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Eric Clapton’s
lead guitar on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s guitar riff
on “And I Love Her”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The banter at the
tail end of “Hey Bulldog” <o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The orchestra
build up transitioned to the singular piano (and alarm clock) entering the
bridge on “A Day in the Life”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John’s piano
playing on his solo song “Imagine”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The ensemble
build up as “Get Back” commences<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Billy Preston’s
keyboard playing during the bridge to “Get Back” <o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George’s guitar
solo on his solo song “Beware of Darkness”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When John sings <i>“Who
on earth do you think you are? A superstar? Well, all right you are!”</i> on
his solo song “Instant Karma”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When George sings
<i>“You’re asking me will my love grow, well I don’t know. I don’t know”</i> on
“Something”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Paul sings <i>“Hey
Jude, don’t let me down, she has found you, now go and get her”</i> on “Hey
Jude” (likely referring to John and Yoko)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Ringo sings <i>“The
head nurse, she blew in, just like a tornado. When they started dancin’, I
jumped off the table”</i> on his solo song “Oh My My” (likely referring to his
extended hospital stays with a variety of ailments in his childhood and adolescent
years)<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The enthusiasm in John’s vocals, singing “Just Like
Starting Over” (having returned to the studio after a 5-year hiatus)<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pete<o:p></o:p></span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-5152516003016334182020-10-31T07:22:00.004-04:002020-11-01T06:45:56.053-05:00Fab Foundations # 44: “What If”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p>
<h4 style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Come Together”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Abbey Road<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: September
1969</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Back in my comic-reading heyday in the
mid-70s, I occasionally tapped into a Marvel Comics series called </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">What If</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">,
which presented alternate-world comic scenarios such as “What If Spider Man Had
Joined the Fantastic Four” and “What If the Hulk Had the Brain of Bruce
Banner”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was a hit-or-miss series,
and I’m thinking now that </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">What If</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> was probably more fun for the writers
than the readers. Afterall, they got to break out of the normal constraints of
their storylines with farfetched plots that otherwise would not have made it
past the editor’s cutting-room floors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In this light, I thought I’d have a bit of
fun with a “What If” scenario of the Fab variety, that being…. </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">What If</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">the
Beatles did not breakup?</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> What would their next album have sounded like? And
the one after that? Which of the 3 principle songwriters would have soared the
most during their early-70s collaborative efforts? Would they have welcomed
more guest musicians into the studio, as the Stones did regularly in the early
70s?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Would they eventually have toured
again? Would John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr have ended up
agreeing with Paul McCartney that businessman Alan Klein was no good for them? Would
they have ever found another personal manager to replace Brian Epstein?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Surely, many of the early-70’s Beatles songs
would have been familiar ones, from what we know of their immediate post-Beatle
solo works….</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After the success of “Something” and “Here
Comes the Sun”, I am of the belief that George Harrison would have been given significantly
more songwriting latitude had they ventured back into the studio after </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Abbey
Road</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (which would have been a very important factor in the Beatles staying
together). Beatle George had a boatload of material ready for the band, and
much of it ended up on his 1970 solo album </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">All Things Must Pass</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. If it
had been on a Beatles album, “What is Life” would have had a George Martin production
touch instead of a Phil Spector one. “My Sweet Lord” would have sounded more
Beatlesy too, perhaps benefitting from a melodic bass riff from Paul McCartney and/or
fancy rhythm guitar chords from John Lennon. Same for “Beware of Darkness” and
“All Things Must Pass”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m sure that Harrison
would have been open to added instrumental and melodic flavor, if for no other
reason than that he knew these bandmates/friends well, and knew they delivered.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” would have
likely been on that first 70’s Beatles album too (seeing as the music was
originally slated as “Child of Nature” for the White Album, and so it was just
a matter of time). Same for “Give Peace a Chance” and “Instant Karma”. Paul
McCartney would have likely contributed “Uncle Albert” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” (Beatle
Paul, first pulling off a classic Mother’s Day song – “Your Mother Should Know”
and then a top notch birthday song – “Birthday” - now hitting it on the head
with the penultimate wedding-dance song).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All of this music would have evolved in
different ways than how we hear it today. The album title? How about “</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Beat(les)
Poetry”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, with the cover a cool artistic rendering of the band working together
in the studio (rendered by none other than Klaus Voormann; he of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
cover fame, as well as a Beatles “insider”).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Within the context of a continued
collaborative effort, all four Beatles would have gotten even better at writing
individually, and more importantly, as a group. And so, they decide to release
their songs here-forth as “Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starkey”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Several singles are penned to promote this
new song-credit status, including an amazing sequel to “Strawberry Fields
Forever” called “Bed Cred”; an entwined experience of each band member’s adolescent
years put to music (most prominent Ringo Starr, who spent much of his youth in
a hospital bed with a variety of ailments).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Concert for Bangladesh</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> would have been the real Beatles live-reunion event,
trumping the <i>Let It Be</i> Rooftop performance in more ways than one. At
that <i>“Biggest Charity Event Of All Time”</i> (which is forced to move from
Madison Square Garden to Max Yasgur’s Farm due to intense ticket demand), the
band plays mostly songs from their new <i>Beat(les) Poetry</i> album, with Bob
Dylan joining the Fab Four for an extended jam on “If Not for You” (which the
Beatles had just recently covered on <i>Beat(les) Poetry</i>). Highlights of
the show include John Lennon singing “Across the Universe”; a George Harrison
lead on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”; and Paul McCartney tackling
“Yesterday”. Ringo Starr gets the crowd on their feet with “Octopuses Garden”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Along with John and Yoko’s “Bed-Ins” and
“Bag-Ins”, the other Beatles would have also put individual and collective
efforts into the anti-Vietnam-War peace movement. The highlight of this
endeavor?... they somehow pull off a hush-hush live event in front of the
Statue of Liberty (in cahoots with several National Park Service staffers). Oh,
to be a lucky tourist on Liberty Island that day. A number of celebrity-types
are in the know and make it to the island incognito, including Eric Clapton, Coretta
Scott King, Marvin Gaye, Harry Belafonte, Eartha Kitt, Joan Baez, Tommy
Smothers and Muhammed Ali.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Each of them
takes a turn at the microphone as the band runs through an extreme-extended
version of “Give Peace a Chance”, with cameras rolling. Another highlight is
the entire ensemble singing “All You Need Is Love”, with the cameras at one moment
zooming in on the Statue of Liberty quote </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. By the time authorities
reach the island to address the “disturbance”, the gig is over. Mission
accomplished.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A second early-1970’s Beatles album would
have included Ringo Starr’s “Photograph” and “It Don’t Come Easy”. Paul McCartney
would have contributed “Band on the Run”, “Let Me Roll It” and “Jet”. A
cornerstone song would have been John Lennon’s “Imagine”. George Harrison’s “Isn’t
It a Pity” and “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” would be other
big-ticket-items on that big-ticket album (all songs, of course, credited to
“Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starkey”). The album title would have been
either </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Band on the Run</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> or </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Imagine</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. The cover would have been a
photo of the band on the beach near Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre estate in
Scotland (where the album is recorded).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One thing I contemplated this week was how
this alternate-reality of the Beatles staying power (into the 70s) would have
affected their contemporaries. Would they have been emboldened or
intimidated?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Some of the best Rock music
of all time came out within a few years after the Beatles broke up. The Who
released </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Who’s Next</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Quadrophenia</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. The Rolling Stones released
</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Sticky Fingers</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Exile on Main Street</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pink Floyd came out with </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Dark Side of the
Moon</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Neil Young came out with </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Everybody
Knows this is Nowhere </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"> Harvest. </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">David Bowie released </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">The Rise
and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Joni Mitchell
released </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Blue</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Marvin Gaye unveiled </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">What’s Going On</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Most critics
would agree that these were the best albums these artists ever produced. Could
the vacuum left by the Beatles breakup have had anything to do with it? Would
the Beatles alternate-reality staying-power have factored into the results of
any of these albums?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If there is a song that may give a hint of
what could have been, it is “Come Together”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This was a new sound for the Beatles and pop music when it was released
on their last produced album, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, in 1969. Every band member
stepped to the plate to make it happen. Paul McCartney’s bass is funky
throughout. Same for Ringo’s drumming. The lyrics are as good as any Beatles
lyrics to sing along to. And I love the give and take of John Lennon’s lead
vocal off George Harrison’s lead guitar at the end of the song.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Beatles, via <i>Apple Films</i> and
other channels, continue to release modern videos of their compositions. A
great animated one is “Come Together”, with the Fab Four at their Zen-like
best. I’d like to think this is where the
Beatles could have been mentally had they persisted into the 70s. Check it out:
( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cYwDMibGo</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> ).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I have no doubt the Beatles would have
further evolved, in similar fashion to the way their contemporaries did. The
70’s were the Fab Four’s oyster (at least up to the point of the Punk movement)
if they could have hung in there.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But the
reality of what played out is not too shabby either. The Beatles helped to
launch a musical revolution. It’s almost as if, at the end of the 60’s, they
handed the car keys off to the up-and-comers and subliminally/sublimely said
“ok, kid, your turn to drive”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The kid(s) drove all right. It may not have
been perfect. It may have had the Beatles in the passenger seat, slamming on
the desperately-wanted break pad at times, or steering the imaginary wheel. But
in the end, much of it was REAL, which was what the Beatles were. That early-70s
period certainly worked for me. Perhaps there could have been a better scenario,
such as the Beatles remaining together. But isn’t that the case for any
historical possibility? Isn’t there a “What If” scenario in any grand event? In
the end, you just have to accept what played out, and look at the positives for
inspiration. It sure can be fun to “imagine” though.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If not for John Lennon’s passing, I think
the Beatles would have reunited eventually. They had too much love between them
not to do so. We all witnessed it. We all had a sense that it was bound to
happen again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> -</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-90967178571484408562020-10-25T07:33:00.009-04:002020-10-28T06:16:19.096-04:00 Fab Foundations # 43: “Intersessions”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Let It Be”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Let It Be<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: May 1970</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Those who have been reading this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab
Foundations</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> series (thank you by the way) are aware that I have been slowly
carrying through on my commitment to watching and reviewing all 5 of the officially-recognized
Beatles movies in chronological order (a 6</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Anthology</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">,
could be considered for inclusion too, but it was released after John Lennon’s
death…I may or may not get around to reviewing it). I started with </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">A Hard
Day’s Night</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (Fab Foundations # 7), followed by </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Help!</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (FF # 14), </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Magical
Mystery Tour</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (FF # 24), and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Yellow Submarine</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (FF # 32). Here I will
review </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, the fifth and (likely) final review of this Beatles
film pentalogy (I just learned this word).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the reasons I dragged this movie-review
process out was that I was anticipating the remake of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, which as
of this moment is being referred to as </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Beatles; Get Back</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. The remake was
supposed to have hit the cinemas this past September but has now been delayed
to late summer of 2021 (one need not imagine too long what that delay could be
for), which is too late for me to include it in my </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab Foundations</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
series. My hope was that I would get energized by the remake in a way that did
not happen for me with </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, which I watched many years ago while
in college.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My memory of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> was actually more
akin to energy drainer. I recall that the movie was dark and disjointed, with a
lot of internal squabbling among Beatles. Yoko Ono appeared glued to John
Lennon’s hip (even during rehearsals), which annoyed me. George Harrison looked
angry. Paul McCartney looked desperate. Ringo Starr looked fried. John Lennon
looked distant and unengaged. The basic concept of the movie - that we would
all get to see a great band in the studio, creating new music for a new album -
was an incredible one (oh, how I wish the Who or the Rolling Stones would have
allowed the cameras to roll in the studio for any number of their best albums).
But there was no magic. There was no joy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Beatles; Get Back</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> remake is
supposed to be much more uplifting than </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (the new producers having
supposedly captured a number of inspiring moments from the reams of footage
that were not captured in the first go around) but with that card off the table,
I decided to give the original </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> a second chance. Easier said
than done. I could not find it anywhere. Not in the library, not on Netflix, not
in Red Box (online movie rentals). Not in several other means of cable access. It
was nowhere to be found, which may have a lot to do with the Beatles not being
all that impressed with the movie either.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I had pretty much given up early this week
and was trying to gear myself up to resorting to my memory of the film for this
writeup. And then, as I was doing a bit of preliminary research, I stumbled
upon a website that was discussing the new film. Lo and behold, posted a few
paragraphs deep was a link to the entirety of the original <i>Let It Be</i> ( </span><a href="https://www.videomuzic.eu/beatles-let-it-be-movie/?lang=en"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.videomuzic.eu/beatles-let-it-be-movie/?lang=en</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> ). Alas, I could tackle it fresh. (Side Note: I’m not
surprised when these kinds of things happen anymore: They have been happening throughout
my 10-plus years of writing these blog entries).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And so, this past Wednesday, I kicked back,
put on my headphones and watched </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> on my laptop. This time
around, I found myself far less critical. Yes, much of that earlier negative reaction
was still there in me, but my present-day evolved-Beatles-brain approached it
all from a far more enlightened angle, and I can now see why a remake may have
promise.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">First off, Yoko did not bother
me nearly as much because I concluded that she did not bother Paul, George or
Ringo nearly as much as I’d originally thought -or was led to believe (Paul, in
particular, seems genuinely fine with her there).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ringo Starr’s drumming is professionally excellent
throughout. George Harrison creates a highlight moment in the film, leading the
band through his love song “For You Blue” (an ode to his wife Pattie Boyd).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">John Lennon shines on the rooftop with his
singing (particularly “Don’t Let Me Down”) wit </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">(“I’d like to say thank you
on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition”</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">)
and overall presence.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In fact, the
entire rooftop portion of the film is excellent, which eluded me all those
years ago (I covered the rooftop ‘concert’ in “Raise the Roof” > Fab
Foundations # 8).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Despite their growing
apathy, George, John and Ringo remained enticed by the Beatles mystique and
message. Something as special as what they collectively had can be very
difficult to move on from.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But the best moments in </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> are
Paul McCartney’s. He was running the show by this time, in part because he was
still so passionate about the band and in part because the others were losing
interest. We see him orchestrating and formulating and reflecting, and
brainstorming, all in an effort to generate some more of that Beatles pixie
dust. His effort and openness, singing heart-on-sleeve songs like “Two of Us”,
“Get Back”, “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road”, are truly courageous in
the face of the rolling cameras and more than a touch of adversity emanating
from his bandmates. His efforts are also heartfelt and inspiring.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Along with all his orchestrating,
formulating, reflecting, and brainstorming, Paul McCartney was bumming out too.
He knew the end was near. You can see the anguish in his face and hear it in
his lyrics. It’s heartbreaking if you allow yourself to feel it. For example,
on “The Long and Winding Road”, which is performed for the very first time in
the film, he sings in the refrain:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Many times, I’ve been alone<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And many times, I’ve cried<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyway, you’ll never know<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The many ways I’ve tried”</span></i></span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I hear this as a painful plea to his
bandmates to try to get through this estrangement period and carry on (in true
McCartney fashion, there is also a hope in “The Long and Winding Road” lyrics that
love will eventually conquer all). Clearly, the Beatles were more than a band
to Paul McCartney. Way more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Oh! Darling” was rehearsed during these
sessions (which did not make the </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> film or album of the same
name, but later appeared on </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">). I’ve always heard “Oh! Darling”
as an appeal directly to John Lennon:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“When you told me<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You didn’t need me anymore<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well you know, I nearly broke down and cried<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When you told me, you didn’t need me anymore<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well you know, I nearly broke down and died”</span></i></span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“The Long and Winding Road” and “Oh!
Darling” are heavy, but the title song to the movie, “Let It Be” (one of the
Beatles all-time greatest songs) is where we hear Paul McCartney’s anguish the
most:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“When I find myself in times of trouble<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mother Mary comes to me<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Speaking words of wisdom<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let it be”</span></i></span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Before I go further with this chain of
thought, I need to tackle a specific thought that’s been gnawing at me all year;
that being that Paul McCartney has an almost nihilistic way of undermining his
deeper-meaning songs. It started with “Yesterday”, where he has stated that the
original title was “Scrambled Eggs” </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">(“Scrambled eggs, oh my baby, how I love
your legs”)</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Not many musicians
would admit to such lack of early inspiration to one of their most significant
compositions. Then there was “Hey Jude”, where McCartney has led us to believe
all these years that the song was written primarily about a young Julien
Lennon, who was caught in the middle of his parent’s marital unravelling (John
Lennon and Cynthia Lennon) after John met Yoko.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yes, this may be at least partly true, but the song takes on a far more
profound meaning when the listener hears it as being about his songwriting
partner (which John Lennon himself has observed).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(It’s very likely that Paul McCartney is
being extremely honest in these reflections, which actually makes it all even
more intriguing in a subconscious sort of way.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Things get really interesting though with his
songs that have spiritual connotations. Faith seems to poke up in at least 3 of
McCartney’s best compositions, particularly in relation to the Virgin Mary. This starts with “Lady Madonna” where he
sings <i>“Children at your feet, wonder how you manage to make ends meet”</i>. Later, in his solo career, he penned the song
“Jet” where he sings about </span><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Ah Mater”,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> which is Latin for Mother Mary: <i>“Ah, Mater, want Jet
to always love me”</i> (“Jet” being a veiled reference to his
Father-in-Law”). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But the “<i>Mother-</i>load” of Paul
McCartney’s Mother Mary connotations is in “Let It Be” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(
</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcA-qlMP11s"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcA-qlMP11s</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Sure, McCartney has stated that
the song is about his birth mother, Mary, whose death – when Paul was young –
has always weighed heavy on him. Still “Let It Be” simply must go deeper than
that. It’s too surreal not to be the case. It’s as faith filled a song as I
have ever heard. I have no doubt it’s a prayer; Beatle Paul, traumatized by the
Beatles breaking up, was searching for divine answers. Catholics turn to Mother Mary for
intersessions in “times of trouble”. McCartney
was baptized into Catholicism, although he has never publicly embraced it. Anyhow,
there’s too much there for me to ignore it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Why all the sidestepping about faith? Has
Paul McCartney been intimidated all these years by his bandmates far more open
faith-centric proclamations (I speak here of George Harrison and John Lennon, neither
of whom stuck with their Liverpool Christian upbringing)?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Did Paul McCartney’s prayer-of-a-song work?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m thinking yes it did indeed. I mean, he did
get the brilliant </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> as a final Beatles farewell after the
acrimonious </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Let It Be</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. It was an inexplicable rebound if you think about
it. And yet, it was the only way the Beatles could and should have ended.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In turn we all (including John, George and Ringo) benefitted from Paul
McCartney’s appeal for divine intercessions. For that, I’m thankful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> - </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-36497459845712433452020-10-16T07:37:00.001-04:002020-10-16T07:37:37.579-04:00Fab Foundations # 42: “A Market Correction”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “While My Guitar
Gently Weeps”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>The Beatles<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: November
1968</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Back in April, Boston Globe Correspondent
Stuart Miller wrote a nice piece on the Beatles in recognition of their
official disbandment 50 years ago to the month. Miller’s article centered
around the results of an exhaustive survey he performed over the course of the
prior months, whereby he asked participants to list their 30 favorite Beatles
songs in order. Miller then took the feedback (he cut it off after 64 participated),
developed a ranking scheme, and compiled it. His tally of the top 180 Beatles
songs of all time was included in his article, where he also discussed his overall
findings.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the key findings in Stuart Miller’s
article was a big surprise to him; that being the song that came in at # 2:
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFDg-pgE0Hk"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFDg-pgE0Hk</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> ). This song only got three # 1 votes, but through Miller’s
ranking scheme (30 points for # 1, 29 points for # 2, and so on) it climbed almost
all the way to the top (only “A Day In the Life” beat it out, which included
thirteen # 1 votes).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As I close in on the final handful of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music
and Memory </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">blog entries over the upcoming months, I have to say “While My
Guitar Gently Weeps” has been my biggest song-surprise of this </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab
Foundations</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> year too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As has been the case with every one of
these </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> series (Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Who, Bob
Dylan, Beatles), I inevitably bumped into several already-familiar songs this
year that blew me away in novel ways. Sometimes it’s just the music that hits
me from a new angle, and other times it’s more profound than that. The short
list of surprises this year includes “Because”, “Back in the USSR”, “Birthday”
and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. I’ll get to more talking points about that
last song (this week’s spotlight tune) soon enough. Right now, however, I’d
like to take a deeper dive into the how’s and why’s of what it is that has some
music hit you fast and furious, while other music is more of a slow drip of
greatness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The test of time is always telling. Pecking
orders of value can end up being shuffled around and ironed out in more natural
ways than initially conceived (or even fabricated). This is clearly the case in
the art world, including literature, paintings, films, poetry, and music. Viewpoints
change. New generations weigh in. Stereotypical opinions are overcome. Case in
point, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> magazine just released its latest top 500 albums of
all time. </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> came in at # 24.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Not bad. However, back in 1987, when </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rolling
Stone</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> first did such a “top” list, this renowned album came in at # 1. More
to the point, in that hot-off-the-presses “top” list, Sgt Pepper finished
behind two other Beatles albums (</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> at # 5, and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
at # 11), with several others nipping at its heals (the “White Album” at # 29
and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> at # 35).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How do these sorts of things happen? What is
it that accounts for this type of ‘market correction’? Why do cultural moods shift
when it comes to value?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Back when I started blogging, I got a
recommendation from my good friend Pat Shea to read </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> by Robert Pirsig. The book was an eyeopener. A main
theme was the protagonist’s quest for Quality (in keeping with the book’s
approach I capitalize the word here).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In
a nutshell the answer to his quest was in a blending and balancing of rational
sources of wisdom (science, reason, and technology) with seemingly irrational
sources of wisdom (faith, love, trust). I tend to agree and find myself
fortunate in this regard.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My observation
has been that it’s the rare person who strikes the right balance between their quest
for scientific answers to the world’s problems with their quest for faith-based
answers (which essentially cuts to the core of the meaning of “While My Guitar
Gently Weeps”).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We humans have an instinctual 6</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
sense for Quality (whether we turn to it or not is another matter). Yes, we
have individual tastes as well, but when a song like “While My Guitar Gently
Weeps” climbs to the # 2 slot on a well-planned survey of Beatles songs, it’s
more than just about individual tastes. That’s high enough up the ladder to
consider that some type of cultural correction is going on.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Focusing more on that Sgt Pepper slip down the best-ever charts, which I
believe is a correction in the opposite direction. A big part of the reason for
this correction is related to hype. Sgt. Pepper made such a giant splash when
it was released in 1967 that the ramifications lasted a good 20 years. It was a
splash of psychedelia and technicolor and flower power and long hair. It germinated
the summer of love. Most of the critics jumped on the bandwagon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> was a lot of things, but some of it was a wee-bit superficial.
When you looked under the hood there is less of a message to Sgt. Pepper than
one would hope. There certainly is depth in a handful of songs, including “A
Day in the Life”, “Within You Without You”, and “She’s Leaving Home” (and maybe
even “A Little Help from My Friends”). But much of the rest of the album is
just plain fun. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with fun. It’s just that, this
sort of statement must ultimately run its course when it comes to ‘game changer’.
It turns out for Sgt. Pepper that, after the dust settled, there was a shelf
life in relation to its super-hyped, crème-of-the-crop reputation. This is
because there was a limit to its level of Quality.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On the flip side there is a song like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, which has
always been recognized as a great composition, but not necessarily a cultural
crème-of-the-crop tune.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“While My Guitar
Gently Weeps” was nested deep in the 30-song double White Album; an album which
was not unanimously praised by critics upon release in the way that Sgt. Pepper
was. And where Sgt. Pepper was a revolution in studio innovation, pop culture,
musicality and sound, the White Album was none of these things.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Also, as opposed to the release date of Sgt.
Pepper (May 1967), by late 1968, great rock music was cropping up all over the
place (in part, thanks to Sgt. Pepper). Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, the
Velvet Underground, the Band, Pink Floyd, the Who, the Rolling Stones,
Jefferson Airplane, Van Morrison, the Byrds, the Rolling Stones, and so many
others were cranking out fantastic music on a regular basis by this time. The
Beatles were now simply part of the musical landscape rather than the landscape
itself.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Finally, “While My Guitar Gently
Weeps” was a George Harrison song, and as late as 1968, Harrison was still
trying to establish his own reputation as a serious songwriter while under the
shadows of the supersized Lennon/McCartney songwriting team.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The good thing: Such conditions can put a
song in prime position for a latter-day climb up the “best-ever” charts.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most of the time, such conditions won’t work
for a given song or album, because that record is, in the long run, mortal. Its
Quality has already been realized. Its potential has already been tapped (or
even over-tapped). There’s nowhere else you can go with it. Not so for “While
My Guitar Gently Weeps”. It’s one of those songs that clearly had a lot of
upend. To me, it is on a very short list of Beatles songs that hit Pink Floyd and
Who levels in terms of pure intensity (the others that come to mind include “I
Want You [She’s So Heavy]”, “Oh, Darling”, “Helter Skelter” and “Don’t Let Me
Down”). Songs of this ilk may run a bit longer than your standard 3-minute
ditty, but rarely do they run longer than 7 minutes…. and man do they pack an additional
wallop in that relatively-short extra time span.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As I’ve stated before, it has been a long while
since I have listened to Beatles songs as intensely and extensively as I have
this year (I want to say at least 40 years). That’s proven to be a good thing.
Revisits to past experiences can have a very different effect than the initial
exposure, which has much to do with all the life that has been lived in the
interim. Way back when, I mostly heard Eric Clapton’s brilliant lead guitar
while listening to “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. This time around, I hear
much more the lyrics. George Harrison wrote many serious songs in his lifetime,
and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” ranks right up there in the serious
department. In fact, you can feel this song through the lyrics alone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul McCartney’s musical contribution to
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” cannot be overstated. He is there, in the moment
for his bandmate (although it took a while for George Harrison to get his
attention). McCartney’s opening piano line is just as lovely as the Eric
Clapton guitar solo. His harmony vocals shine too, and his bass sets the
undertone to the mood. The other virtuoso musical element to the song is George
Harrison’s lead vocals, which is lock step with the feel and meaning behind
each-and-every line, verse, and chorus. And Harrison’s moaning at the end has
the same eerie feel as the lost souls in the ‘Jacob Marley’ scenes to several
of the movie adaptations of Charles Dickens’ </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">A Christmas Carol</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was already
partly reviewed by me in Fab Foundations # 4, which was a general overall review
of side 1 of the White Album. But as the year progressed, I felt that it needed
its own entry. In that Fab Foundations #
4 entry I mentioned that, through his spirituality, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison gained a reputation among Beatles fans for asking
the tough questions we all must face if we aim to be virtuous. In “My Guitar
Gently Weeps” Harrison frames these questions more as dejected statements of
fact. This is particularly poignant in the 2 bridges:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“I don’t know why nobody told you</span></i></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How to unfold your love<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I don’t know how someone controlled you<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They bought and sold you”</span></i></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And….</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“I don’t know how you were diverted</span></i></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You were perverted too<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I don’t know how you were inverted<br /></span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">No one alerted you”</span></i></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The “you” being anyone who does not reach their
potential, or even come anywhere close to it (i.e. most of us). Truer words
could not be spoken</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Eric Clapton channels these lyrics soulfully-well in
his gently-weeping lead-guitar playing. Again, brilliant.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison was only 25 at the
time he wrote “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, which goes to show you can gain
deep wisdom at a young age if you focus on the right things.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Quality in this case, had been
found.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-25849362801176820392020-10-10T08:05:00.007-04:002020-10-12T09:11:47.088-04:00Fab Foundations # 41: “Transition”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Nowhere Man”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Rubber Soul<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: December
1965</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I suppose a concertgoer like myself reveals
his age when he attends about as many tribute-band shows as original-band shows
in a given year. Indeed, over the past few years alone I’ve attended tributes to
the Police, Neil Young, Bob Seeger, the Band, Chicago (not my choice), and Bob
Dylan, among others. In my defense, these types of shows are happening more and
more frequently for us Baby Boomers, and some of them are very, very good (of
all the tributes I’ve seen, “The THE BAND Band” is most highly recommended –
and no, that band name is not a typo). As is the reality with all of us,
musicians burn out or get old and pass away (although they rarely retire), but
their legacy can live on when covered by fellow musicians who love their music.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ok, out of the gate I’ve admitted to
attending these tribute events (at times choosing them over original-band
shows when there is a conflict). However, for the longest time the only tribute shows I’d subject myself
to were Beatles tributes (with a few notable exceptions, including several
Blushing Brides concerts -Rolling Stones imitators – and a wonderful evening at
the Middle East Club in Cambridge MA watching a tribute to the entirety of the
Kinks album </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Preservation Act II</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">). I was never floored by any of the
Beatles tributes for the simple reason that they are all imitator shows (vs the
real deal). But if you are going to be a Beatles cover band, you have to be
really tight (and so it seems, you also have to find the rarity of all
rarities: a good lefty bass player), and virtually all of the ones I have seen over
many years have been just that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Beatles tribute shows I’ve witnessed
have been many and pretty much all of them I’ve attended with my wife Nancy. Off
the top of my head, there was the cover band “Help!”, which performed admirably
on the beach sands of Hampton Beach on a lovely summer evening a few years back
(after the show they staged a fun Abbey-Road-style walk across Ocean Boulevard for
a photo-op).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There were a handful of
times watching “Beatlejuice”, a cover band which included the late Brad Delp
(of “Boston” fame) as front man (one reason for catching them on multiple
occasions was that Nancy’s former roommate Deb was close friends with the
guitarist). I recall one of these events was at a funky club in Exeter, NH.
Another was at the VFW in Woburn on New Year’s Eve.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We have seen Beatles tributes at the Townend
Public Library in Townsend MA (which included a fantastic rendition of “Oh,
Darling” – the only time I’ve ever seen that one live); in Keene NH for the “Pumpkin
Festival”; at a county fair in Milford NH; at the Bull Run in Shirley MA (our
favorite haunt to see music); at the town common in our hometown of Pepperell
MA; and at the Todd Rundgren-hosted “A Walk Down Abbey Road” at Harbor Lights Pavilion
in Boston (which was the last time I saw John Entwistle live). I also attended a
run through of the entirety of the “White Album” at the Berklee School of Music
Performance Center with my good-buddy Mac, (which I discussed in a prior entry).
Then of course, there was the original “Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band”
tour, which in a way was a Beatles tribute too (and which I have also discussed
in a prior entry).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The first Beatles tribute I went to may
have been the best, at least in terms of the effect it had on me. It was the Broadway
production <i>Beatlemania</i>, which I attended at the Colonial Theatre in
Boston in 1977. One big reason it stands out was that it was the very first
rock show I ever attended. One moment I
recall was sneaking into one of the small, closeup side-balconies with my brother,
which is where we would take in most of the show (in hindsight, this maneuver
set the ground rules for me at many other concerts and festivals </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">😉</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Beatlemania</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> was a marathon; 29 songs were performed, all of them
Lennon/McCartney originals (as I researched this over the week, I found it
strange that not a single George Harrison composition was performed). The show
was broken up into two acts, with an intermission in-between. The two acts were
like night and day to me (or rather day and night). The first act showcased the younger, presumably innocent
Beatles; well dressed, well mannered… a reflection of their touring years
(’62-’66). The second act revealed an older, wiser, and more individualistic
Beatles… a reflection of their post-touring years (’66-70). Sound familiar? … (this breakdown was very
similar to the breakdown between release dates of songs on the compilation “Red”
album vs the follow-up compilation “Blue” album).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">With the Beatles, it’s almost as if we all got
two bands in one. I can’t think of any other band that fits that bill; a
‘before’ and ‘after’. A reincarnation. Most Beatles aficionados mark the
release of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> as the transition point between the two ‘acts’, as
opposed to the end of touring, which came a wee bit later. </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
marked the end of the ‘innocence’ and the beginning of the ‘dynamic’, not only
for the band, but for the Rock-music world as a whole.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My cousin Tim Gilligan has made a
compelling case for </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> as being the best of all Beatles albums.
I can’t track Tim’s email from a few years back, where he made this case, but I
do recall some of his talking points. One big one was that Paul McCartney was
ramping up his leadership role both musically and in the general decision-making,
as well as the overall guidance as to where the band was heading. This is a
good point by Tim for any Beatles fan to chew on (or anyone interested in group
dynamics), because it can be very difficult to break the status quo in any
endeavor, especially when it’s as successful of a status quo as what the
Beatles had figured out to that point. There is a risk factor…. such a change
can work in one of two ways: It can break up a band (which is what eventually
happened) or it can evolve things exponentially (which is what happened in the
short term).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> was the Beatles personal “Cambrian Explosion”.
Musical phyla evolve all over the place. For example “Norwegian Wood” was the
first use of an Indian string instrument on a Rock recording (George Harrison
on sitar); “Michelle” comes across as a rock ballad adopted from the
then-bohemian streets of Paris; “In My Life” combined ballad with baroque; “Nowhere Man” made early use of double
tracking (John Lennon’s lead vocal); and “Drive My Car” sounds state-of-the-art
in its harmonic roller-coaster vocal ensemble.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison’s lead guitar playing on </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber
Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is some of his Beatlesy best (especially the instrumental portions of “Drive
My Car”, “Nowhere Man” “What Goes On”, “If I Needed Someone” and “Michelle”).
John Lennon takes his rock-star status very seriously on this album (arguably
as serious as he would ever be on a Beatles album) in penning “Nowhere Man”,
“In My Life” and “Norwegian Wood” (personally, I recall “Norwegian Wood” being
the first song on </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">to really catch my ear as a young teen.
The lyrics put me right there in that bungalow with John Lennon and the mystery
woman).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paul McCartney display’s a very unique (for
him) vocal delivery on “You Won’t See Me” (I’m reminded of the Undertones
“Wednesday Week”). We get to hear Beatle Paul in a scolding tone here. Also, McCartney’s
bass playing is some of his best on any Beatles album, particularly on “Drive
My Car” and “The Word”, as well as his in-your-face fuzz bass on “Think for
Yourself”. Ringo Starr stands out with his drumming on “The Word” and “Wait”.
He also gets his first co-writing credit for “What Goes On” which would add
another new twist to the Beatles allure at the time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most of the songs on </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
have a lyrical dark side (the only clear exceptions are “The Word” which is
about universal love, and of course “In My Life” which is simply a lovely song
in every way). In fact, all in all this may be the Beatles darkest album.
“Norwegian Wood” hints at vengeful arson at the end of the song. “Nowhere Man”
tackles uncertainty and doubt. The George Harrison tracks “Think for Yourself”
and “If I Needed Someone” (which reveal an emerging songwriter) are similarly
disillusioned; in these cases, in accusatory and dismissive ways. Same for Paul
McCartney’s “I’m Looking Through You” and “You Won’t See Me”. Ringo Starr sings
of rejection in “What Goes On”. “Girl” has the protagonist hanging on by the
skin of his teeth in the face of a very strong woman. Don’t even get me started
with “Run for Your Life” (the lyrics of which John Lennon later regretted
writing). It’s all a barrage of blues in the guise of pop music.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Geez, whatever happened to “Love Me Do”
guys?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It seems as if the Beatles got all this out
of their system though, because </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, their next album, is far more
upbeat in the lyrics (and yet, where </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> had a few exceptions,
so too does Revolver in the opposite direction).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison once stated that </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber
Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> could have been discs one and two of a double-album-set…that’s
how alike they felt to him.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I agree
musically, but not lyrically, unless that imaginary double-album was a concept
album and then disc 1 could be “dark” and disc 2 could be “light” (a reflection
of Joe Jackson’s </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Night and Day</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> concept album).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One key song that got played at that
mid-70s Beatlemania show was “Nowhere Man” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8scSwaKbE64"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8scSwaKbE64</span></a>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">). As a young teenager at the time, it grabbed
my attention, and If I recall correctly, “Nowhere Man” hovered near the transition
between Act I and Act II. This makes sense. Afterall, according to one Beatles
researcher, “Nowhere Man” was the very first Beatles song to completely avoid
boy-girl relationships. It would not be the last.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve observed over the years that Beatles
fans categorically fall into greater enthusiasm for either Act I or Act II of
the Fab Four. My brother Fred is a Red Album guy (Act I). So too is Nancy. Me?
… I’m a Blue Album guy all the way (if you have not figured this out already),
although I do love to dabble with the early stuff on occasion. It may say
something about one’s personality. I’ll have to think about that some more. In
the meantime, it’s clearer to me now more than ever that </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Rubber Soul</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is
the demarcation line. The transition. In another light, it’s where we can all
meet…. Red and Blue album types; in peace and harmony.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Thanks for your help with this one, Cousin
Tim!)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> - </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-52031811937809545492020-10-04T08:34:00.003-04:002022-01-13T21:42:06.090-05:00Fab Foundations # 40: “A Novel Way to Pray”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Give Me Love
(Give Me Peace on Earth)”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Living in the Material World<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: May 1973</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Here’s the perfect formula for forming a band:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The founder should have a chip on his shoulder. It would also help
if he/she was a bit older than everyone else, in order to assert a certain type of leadership
that guides the conscience and attitude of the band itself. Next on board
should be a maestro; a natural-born musician who oozes melody and solidifies
the reputation of the band as to its sound and style. This new bandmate should,
soon after, introduce a friend to the founder who is a driven perfectionist and
who at the same time brings spiritual depth and a moral compass to the group. Also,
it would be all the better if this 3<sup>rd</sup> individual be a bit younger
than the rest too, in order to give the band a stronger connection with
youthful innocence. Bringing up the rear should be a mate who everyone likes; turning
the band into a family. Therein you have your formula for success.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Incredibly, this formula describes how both the Beatles and the
Who came to be. Strangely enough there is also an in-order commonality in terms
of the musical instrument each new member eventually brought to the table.
Another commonality is the general length of time it took between each step in
the band-formulating process. John Lennon and Roger Daltrey started these two
incredible bands. After a series of short-term mishaps with footnote bandmates,
they finally brought on board musical connoisseurs in Paul McCartney (Beatles) and
John Entwistle (Who), each of whom would eventually drop his original
instrument-of-choice for the bass. McCartney and Entwistle would in turn
convince the band leader (Lennon and Daltrey) to include a young buck in the
fold - George Harrison and Pete Townshend respectively - each of whom would
turn out to be the lead guitarist. Give it a few years and the membership of
each band would solidify with a beloved drummer: Ringo Starr for the Beatles and
Keith Moon for the Who. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The rest is history. A budding sociologist could write a
dissertation on this formula. Have at it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With that said, this week I round out my “Solo September”
mini-series (which admittingly has leaked into October) by delving deeper into the
discography of that 3<sup>rd</sup> ingredient in the Beatles formula (and
arguably the most important when contemplating how popular they became); George
Harrison. The spiritual/moral compass of the band never wavered in his
otherworldly pursuits, all the way through to his dying days. That pursuit most
manifested itself to the public in Harrison’s 1973 album <i>Living in the
Material World</i>, which in essence is a long prayer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Before I go further, I want to acknowledge my Cousin Tom Gilligan,
who anticipated this week’s song of choice, “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on
Earth)” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-KAvPbO8JY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-KAvPbO8JY</a><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ). I can’t remember this ever happening in all the 340-plus blog entries
I have written over the past decade. Tom has been such a wonderful supporter of
this journey of mine, offering a never-ending supply of fantastic feedback.
This time around Tom also adds “sounding board” to his repertoire of support,
given his nailing my choice of song, and in turn reaffirming it. Thank you,
Tom!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” opens <i>Living in the
Material World</i>. It’s the only song on the album that ever-got regular radio
time. It did this in grand fashion, reaching Number 1 on the Billboard charts
upon release. The song is a beautiful plea-of-a-prayer to God with the title
pretty much saying it all. I played it early and often all week and it never
got old. I’m pretty sure it never got old for the man who wrote it either.
Afterall, “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” is the only tune that George Harrison
would perform in every one of his concerts from 1973 on. I think this says a
lot about what the song meant to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Every other highlight on <i>Living in the Material World</i> is
prayerful too (only one song on the entire album – “Sue Me, Sue You Blues” -
does not fit the bill). My favorite of them all is “Who Can See It”, which
includes what I consider to be George Harrison’s all-time best vocal delivery. In
my mind, it is as close as anyone has ever come to achieving the majesty of Roy
Orbison’s angelic vocals, aside from the “the Caruso of Rock” himself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The title track laments the over-materialistic values of the western
world and includes a nifty Ringo Starr drum solo just after Harrison mentions
him by name – as well as his two other former bandmates - in the song. “Be Here
Now” is a lovely song of conversion, which emphasizes living in the present. “Don’t
Let Me Wait Too Long” is the most underrated song on the album…how this composition
got overlooked by classic-rock radio is beyond me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The odes to God (aka prayer) pile up with “The Day the World Gets
‘Round”, “The Light That Has Lighted the World”, “Try Some, Buy, Some” and “The
Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)”. After all that spiritual
bombardment, <i>Living in the Material World</i> fittingly closes with “That Is
All” which has the soaring feel of a soul transitioning from Earth to Paradise.
Be there no doubt after listening to this album; George Harrison’s lifetime aspirations
were entrenched in God, faith, and the afterlife. He was one of the first Rock
stars to include faith as a topic in song, and he did this repeatedly from the
mid-60s all the way to the end of his mortal life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was oh-so appropriate that I should be listening <i>to Living
in the Material World</i> all week, because my Mom spent the entirety of it in
the hospital with an aneurysm (which was finally successfully operated on early
in the week). There were many of us praying for Mom/Dot/Dorothy/Grandma and as the
days rolled by, I realized that much of my own prayer was playing out while
listening to George Harrison. Sometimes the stars align in amazing ways. This
was certainly one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The situation with my Mom in the hospital also had me doing a lot
more driving than I typically have in these Covid times. Driving to and from
work pre-Covid (a 40-minute commute) was always such an advantageous time for
me to listen to music for this blog series. With the advent of Covid however,
I’ve had to find other ways to set aside the listening time, including on a
handful of occasions where I have resorted to a joy ride for old times “commute”
sake. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyhow, the playing and replaying of <i>Living in the Material
World</i> truly allowed me to get in tune with George Harrison’s message(s). Yes,
it’s a pretty overt spiritual (even religious) message Harrison is preaching
here. You could even say it borders on repetition and chanting in places. But in
many ways, that’s what prayer is, and all that driving helped me to fall under
its spell. It felt like saying the Rosary, and it put me at peace with the
situation with my Mom by keeping me in the present, which is where you want to
be in such times. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This mini-stretch of never-before-listened-to albums by the four ex-Beatles
was something I was looking forward to from the very beginning of this <i>Fab
Foundation</i> series. I started with John Lennon’s <i>Walls and Bridges</i>
three weeks ago, which was followed by Ringo Starr’s eponymous <i>Ringo</i>
album. Last week I tackled Paul McCartney’s <i>Chaos and Creation in the
Backyard</i>. And here I close with George Harrison’s <i>Living in the Material
World</i>. One big reason for my writing these blogs has been discovery, which
is impossible with Beatles songs, seeing as I already knew virtually all of
them. And so, I researched their solo albums, weeded out the ones I already knew,
and came up with these four with the help of critical reviews. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My Mom is on the mend now. She even texted me a humorous image a
few moments ago, which I must refrain from including here. There are so many people
that have played a role in my Mom’s progress to date, be their contribution
through professional know-how or prayer (or both), and I’d like to think that George
Harrison’s singing and chanting helped too, which was amateurishly accompanied
by my added backing vocals while driving to the places that matter most this
past God-given week.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-12590406334444082132020-09-26T17:00:00.004-04:002020-09-26T21:18:31.809-04:00Fab Foundations # 39: “Metaphorically Speaking”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Jenny Wren”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Chaos and Creation in the Backyard<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: October 2005</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s rare when I come at an album for these </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
musings that is completely foreign to me. Usually I already know to some degree
something about the record, including at least one or two songs. Not so the
case this week. For in continuing my ‘Solo September’ sojourn (John Lennon 2
weeks ago and Ringo Starr last week), I decided to give the well-received Paul
McCartney album </span><a name="_Hlk51838995" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Chaos and Creation in the Backyard</i>
</a><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">a listen, which had completely slipped under the radar for me until this
week (as is the case for many of McCartney’s albums). In terms of release date
(2005), it will end up being the most recent focus of mine in this </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fab
Foundations</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> series.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Out of the gate, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chaos and Creation in the Backyard</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> paints
an aura of mystique, this initial impression based entirely on the album title.
The cover is a photograph of a very young Paul McCartney in the process of developing
his guitar skills, all alone in his parent’s backyard. The photo was taken by
his brother, Michael, from a hidden spot near the backdoor, unbeknownst to his
guitar-strumming older sibling. I’ve seen this photo before. It’s a classic.
Michael McCartney may have had a premonition. I mean, how many younger brothers
would do such a thing, particularly at the age of 15?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chaos and Creation in the Backyard</span></i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> was the first studio album of Paul McCartney’s to be released
after George Harrison’s death four years earlier. This may at least partly
explain the unusually reflective and intimate tone of the record (considering
the reputation of the man who composed it). It’s a solid disc, with McCartney
overdubbing virtually all the instruments (which had me wondering why he did
not do more of this sort of thing after the Beatles broke up).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">This album sounds like a cross between Pete Townshend’s “Scoop”
releases (to the degree that I think PT should have been credited somewhere)
and late-career R.E.M. (particularly their album </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Up</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">), with a dose of
Beatles (“Jenny Wren”) and Wings (“Promise to You Girl”). It’s a bit eerie. A
bit moody. A bit freelance. I gave myself a pat on the back after I read up on
the producer, Nigel Godrich, who, as it turns out, also produced R.E.M.’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Up</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">.
It appears Godrich, like Daniel Lanois (who has worked with Bob Dylan, Neil Young
and U2), is a producer who has a big effect on the final sound and feel of an
album.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">A number of songs off </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chaos and Creation in the Backyard</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
stood out to me at one point or another this week, which made it tough to
emphasize any particular tune for this entry. The opening number “Fine Line” is
standard fare musically (in comparison to other songs on this album), but the
lyrics are deep for Paul McCartney. In this song, we get to hear McCartney in
the unusual-for-him role as preacher, he sermonizing (presumably to a
prodigal-son type) that there is a fine line between chaos and creation,
recklessness and courage, etc. The take home message for me here is that McCartney
sounds as if he is taking his ‘survivor’ role seriously, ready to embrace and carry
the ‘profound’ torch forward for both John Lennon and George Harrison.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When I first listened, I sensed a direct George Harrison lyrical touch
to the 5</span><sup style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">th</sup><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> cut, “Friends to Go”. Later, when I Googled the wiki
summary of this album, I saw that the song was both influenced by and dedicated
to George. How about that! I guess I’m even more locked in to all things Fab this
year than I previously thought (a second, and final self-pat on the back). Side
Note: It is so very cool that Paul McCartney tried to put himself in George
Harrison’s shoes for this song; It is a wonderfully unique approach to
eulogizing a friend, and I would love to think I can learn from it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">“How Kind of You” (the song that had me most thinking of R.E.M.,
particularly in relation to the instrumental bridges) is a nice touch, the
lyrics expressing thankfulness toward someone who stands up for you during
tough times. It’s reminiscent of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me”, Natalie
Merchant’s “Kind and Generous” and the lesser known “You Stand by Me” off the
Who’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Endless Wire</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">. On the flip side of this sentiment, the ominous “Vanity
Fair” expresses hurtfulness and betrayal.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The closing number “Anyway” has spiritual undertones, if only
based on the opening melody, which is note-for-note aligned with “People Get
Ready” by the Impressions. Good stuff. Four other songs on </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chaos and
Creation in the Backyard</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> - “Too Much Rain”, “A Certain Softness”,
“Promise to You Girl” and “This Never Happened Before” - all appear to be love
songs to McCartney’s then-wife Heather Mills. “At the Mercy” came across as a
song about facing your fears. Add it all up and it’s clear that Paul McCartney
runs the gamut on this album, much like John Lennon did on his </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono
Band</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Imagine</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> albums in the early 70s.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I suppose the song that grabs me the most is “Jenny Wren” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9GvXFphCFc"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9GvXFphCFc</span></a><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ). I say ‘suppose’ because I’ve only listened to this album for one
week, which is enough time to know it has significant depth, but not enough time
to know where the deepest pools are. The song title is Dickensian, Jenny Wren a
disabled character in Charles Dickens last novel, <i>Our Mutual Friend</i>. I’m not going to pretend to critique that
novel, which I have not read (although I have read several of Dickens novels).
What I can say is, the song makes a connection. It delivers a message. And like
any great tune, it leaves much to the imagination. The song-style is similar to
“Blackbird” and “Mother Nature’s Son”, further revealing Paul McCartney’s
special gift for the melodic touch.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Which brings me back to the album title. There is so much wallop
here for me. I mean, I love my own backyard, but I never really thought of that
special open space as a metaphor for life, which all along I believe was Paul
McCartney’s intent to convey. In other words, Beatle Paul wanted the listener
to reflect on aspects of their lives that remind them of their own backyards. What
is it about our backyards that is unique? The remainder of this entry tackles
that question.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Ok, so when my family and I moved to Pepperell, Massachusetts 16
years ago, I had a certain priority order in what I was looking for. Priority
#1 was the region; I was in search of a region that had a lot of woods and protected
land, and that was also part of a broader wildlife corridor. Priority #2 was
the backyard, more so than the house itself.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">My thinking was the house was more malleable than the yard. I needed to
run with that.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">When we found what we were looking for, I went to town in the
backyard. My first order of business was to fill the perimeter with native
plants and to weed out any invasives. This was done primarily to attract the
local fauna, but soon I realized I was doing this for sustainability reasons
too; planting natives that could take care of themselves in the long run when
it came to pests, or at the very least allow for a natural balance of things. It
turned out that the less I disturbed, the more I could observe. Whaddaya know: A backyard metaphor for life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">From there it was a series of projects, including a trail into the
woods, a tree house, a woodshed, a basketball court, a compost bin, a fish
pond, a firepit, a toolshed, and a stone walkway (shaped like a stream from the
fish pond to the house). Within a few years we had made this backyard our own.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The one place I can completely retreat mentally is next to the
fish pond, which includes a small waterfall. I can sit there and zone out for
hours. The fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals and invertebrates all do
the busy work around me. </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We’ve had many friends
and family visitors hang by the fish pond with us over these 16 years, as well
as by the firepit nearby. It’s great to share the experience. I see it as a
celebration of life. Hmm, …there’s another backyard metaphor.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">We have never applied chemical fertilizer to our lawn. The general
rule is to keep it green, free of bare patches. That’s about it. Other than
that, it’s up to the grass, crabgrass, and moss to compete with one another. Therein
lie a few more life metaphors.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">This all adds up to leaving plenty of time for exploration, which
can be done almost anywhere in the yard if I look hard enough. Thanks to Paul
McCartney, I’ll never think of my backyard in quite the same way again. Chaos
and Creation… just the way I like it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0px;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-48766374890069582132020-09-19T09:07:00.002-04:002020-09-20T12:01:55.132-04:00Fab Foundations # 38: “Say Cheese”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Photograph”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Ringo<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: November 1973</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">In queuing up Ringo Starr’s 1973 self-titled album </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> for
the first time this past Sunday, I continued on my "Solo September" listening sojourn,
tackling unheard-until-now solo albums from each of the four ex-Beatles (last
week I launched this sub-series with John Lennon’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls and Bridges</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">
album). I was very much looking forward to this one and Ringo did not
disappoint, seeing as the album is chock-full of solid up-tempo music that had
me tapping my feet all week. Indeed, upon the release of </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo,</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> three
years after the Beatles disbanded, Starr proved he could produce a hit-laden
album with the best of em’, including his typically far-more-prolific
ex-bandmates.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ll get to the music on </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> soon enough. The first thing
that grabbed my attention though - in relation to this album - was when I read
the liner notes on the sleeve and saw just how many great musicians contributed
their talents to it. Which musicians you ask? How about John Lennon, Paul
McCartney, George Harrison, Marc Bolan, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth
Hudson, Rick Danko, Steve Cropper, Billy Preston, Randy Newman, Nicky Hopkins,
Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, David Bromberg, Harry Nilsson, Martha
Reeves, Merry Clayton, and Linda McCartney. Can any other album top that list for
rock-star quality and quantity? None that I can think of.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As discussed before in these pages, Ringo Starr has always been a
magnet for the stars (hence his adopted surname?), proving this ability time
and time again, particularly on all his “All-Starr-Band” tours. In this way, Ringo
may have been at the height of his powers in 1973. Case in point, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> is
the only post-Beatle album on which all 4 ex-bandmates would perform on (although
never the 4 together on one song). And they all brought their “A” game. Here we
hear Ringo Starr bringing out the hilarity in John Lennon (“I’m the Greatest”)
the “Big Hit” in George Harrison (“Photograph”) and the confessional in Paul McCartney
</span><a name="_Hlk51356318" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(“Six O’Clock”). </a><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s as if Starr shuffled the deck
and assigned everyone a fresh personality. Perhaps that’s part of the
attraction everyone had for the man; he pulled them out of their own skin.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The only musician who plays on every song on </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> other
than Starr himself is Klaus Voormann on bass (give a listen to Voormann’s
‘vrooming’ bass on “Oh My My” – did he get lessons from Bill Wyman of “Paint it
Black” vrooming fame?). This had me doing some research, seeing as I’d just last
week listened to Voormann’s sweet bass playing on John Lennon’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls and
Bridges</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">. I also recalled that he had played bass on Lennon’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono
Band</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> and George Harrison’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">All Things Must Pass</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">. It turns out
Voormann played bass on virtually all of Lennon’s solo albums, a good many of
George Harrison’s (primarily his 70s output) and several more of Starr’s (and seeing
as Paul McCartney already had the bass part covered, its no wonder that
collaboration did not happen). He was also the bassist for Manfred Mann in the
late 60s.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I find this interesting and unique; Voormann as a key
connect-the-dots persona in the Beatles lives. He was there for them musically,
artistically, and personally. In tandem with his fellow German, Astrid
Kirchherr (who passed away earlier this year), Voormann became close friends
with the Beatles during their hard-rocking heady days in Hamburg, before the
band made it big. Both Klaus and Astrid were artsy types. Kirchherr would go on
to take some of the earliest masterful photos of the Beatles, whose membership
at the time included both Stu Sutcliffe (who Astrid would fall in love with for
a spell before Sutcliffe died of a brain hemorrhage at the tender young age of
21) and Pete Best (who would soon be replaced on the drum stool by Ringo).
Voormann would eventually move to London, live with George Harrison and Ringo
Starr for a spell, and end up designing one of the Beatles most famous album
covers, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">. During those years (1963-66), he would also learn how
to play the bass.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I’d like to think I connect with many a musician, but there are
only a handful where I end up wanting to learn a lot more about than just their
music (pretty much the ones I’ve written about in these blog pages these past
10 years). Here is where I find myself diving into the stories of the “extras”
in their lives. After all, no great success story is possible without the
support staff. The Who had a particularly eclectic cross-section of
personalities in their circles, all of whom appear to have had a genuine love
for the band. There’s Irish Jack, Bobby Pridden, Peter “Dougal” Butler, Chris
Charlesworth, John “Wiggy” Wolff, Glyn Johns, Leo Sayer, Simon Townshend, Ted
Astley, Kit Lambert, Chris Stamp, Rabbit Bundrick, Jeff Stein, Rachel Fuller,
and Zak Starkey to name a few. Look them up. They played many disparate rolls,
yet the one thing they have/had in common is that their stories are very Who
centric.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">In the case of the Beatles, along with Klaus Voormann, Astrid
Kirchherr and Stu Sutcliffe, there’s Brian Epstein, George Martin, Yoko Ono,
Linda McCartney, Pattie Boyd, Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, Mick Jagger, Eric
Clapton, Billy Preston, Derek Taylor, Ravi Shankar, Jane Asher, Peter Shotton, Peter
Brown, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Elliot Mintz, Joe Brown, Barbara Bach, Olivia
Harrison, and Tony Bramwell, to name a few. The Beatles were loyal to those who
helped them before they were famous, and that loyalty was reciprocated,
particularly in the cases of Evans, Aspinall, Epstein, Voorman, Kirchherr,
Shotton and even Martin.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why has this </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> blog entry veered off on a side trail to
my now writing about “support staff”? I pondered this too, and then it struck
me, and I can summarize that light bulb moment in one word; “Photograph”. This song
was Ringo Starr’s greatest hit, and one of the catchiest tunes of all time. Yes,
all it took for me was to type the song title in the 3rd paragraph above and
the next thing you know, I’m off the beaten path (listening to “Photograph”
frequently this week may have had something to do with it too). Or am I?
Afterall, these thoughts all tie together …. Ringo’s friend-filled,
star-studded life. Photographs of memories. The Beatles. The people in our
circles. The </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ringo</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> album cover (very Sgt. Pepper-esque).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Who are the people in your bubble (circle, sphere) that made it
happen for you? Who are your “support staff”? I know who they are for me. They
are those who have had a positive connection with me beyond the superficial
level, many of whom read this blog. I thought of all of you as I listened to
“Photograph” this week, as well as those who </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“won’t be coming back any more”</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">,
including close friends Ed Suen and Bob Bouvier, as well as my Aunt Ginger and
so many others; aunts, uncles, grandparents, in-laws, cousins, colleagues, and
friends. You are the people that have made it happen for me. You are the “bread
winners” in my life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Photograph” was co-written by George Harrison. It’s the only song
that has ever been officially credited to “Starkey and Harrison”. Ringo sang this
song at <i>The Concert for George</i>, a very special event that memorialized Starr’s
Fab-Four bandmate not long after he had passed. Parts of Starr’s performance
are captured in this video ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhDKHo2wapM"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhDKHo2wapM</span></a><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ) which also features photographic memories of many others in Ringo’s
circles, including of course John Lennon and Paul McCartney.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ringo</span></i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (the album) is solid through and
through. The Band (of Bob Dylan fame) plays on the pastoral-sounding “Sunshine
Life for Me” (oh, to be a fly on the wall to witness that ‘Big Pink’ crew
jamming on this tune with Ringo and George Harrison - who wrote the song). “I’m
the Greatest”, “Photograph” and “Six O’Clock” each include wonderfully-familiar
backing vocals from Ringo’s ex’s (John, George, and Paul respectively) “You’re
Sixteen” brings me way back. “Oh My My” may be the most touching song on the entire
album, which appears to be about Ringo’s adolescent years in a hospital bed
(with a variety of ailments), rising above the pain and sadness with the
occasional late-night boogie and a little bit of slide. “You and Me (Babe)”
signs off the album in classic uber-confident Ringo fashion (similar to how he
opens it up with “I’m the Greatest”).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">By week’s end, it all came back to “Photograph” for a handful of
extra plays. And with it the memories, which had me pulling out photo albums of
days gone by. Do me a favor this weekend and poke through your old photos.
Relive some of your great memories and with them, your support staff. You may
find yourself rekindling something that’s been squirreled away for far too
long. Something just dying to come back to the fore.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I include a few of mine here for some inspiration. Be sure to play
“Photograph” as you view.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0px;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccdX9l3RCGZDKva8yLAu2n_va-xwSCnO6baFXBEVPH2-L7NrDKa_ExVpfhRILTpd4Qei9HxMSgGpnoQGkCddYWHcr5vjehDXi2wI_C9alx6qiek6y33yCp8cOk9LWyKmW4T1z9OWHXu2C/s505/Fred_Jen.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccdX9l3RCGZDKva8yLAu2n_va-xwSCnO6baFXBEVPH2-L7NrDKa_ExVpfhRILTpd4Qei9HxMSgGpnoQGkCddYWHcr5vjehDXi2wI_C9alx6qiek6y33yCp8cOk9LWyKmW4T1z9OWHXu2C/s320/Fred_Jen.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YxHx7K9TqTrqrvckt9Kqxgjcy7-JOiFRshNqsRvRTUrHhLO4o_jBR6_1BdGmnYk8rmqJT1jokAfHeS0hZuO1cejhikSu4fTakmoKyT6CWgnGrnrpQC5Zl-l2sg9_0UvAau3DUWRwVAzq/s549/Jeff_Strause.png" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><p></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-22147788484283485192020-09-12T13:52:00.003-04:002020-09-13T07:22:31.174-04:00Fab Foundations # 37: “Lost Weekend”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Nobody Loves You (When You’re
Down and Out)”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Walls and Bridges<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: September 1974</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I have listened to a wide spectrum of Beatles music in my lifetime,
including much of their solo material. However, I must admit that my
explorations into the Fab’s vast song-composition catalog falls far short of
being comprehensive (although I do believe I am pretty darn close to comprehensive in relation to the band’s pre-breakup
ensemble years). Indeed, a fair percentage of their post-Beatles material has
passed me by to date, which I consider a significant piece of the Fab puzzle.
In my defense, there is a lot out there. John Lennon produced 10 studio albums
after the Beatles broke up. George Harrison produced 12. Paul McCartney’s output
is at 25 and counting. Ringo Starr’s output stands at 18. That’s a boatload of
music to take in.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">And so, here begins a four-part sub-series of this </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fab
Foundations</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> narrative where I tackle some of the unheard-until-now
stuff.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve done this with all four of my
other </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> series (which are based on the music of the Rolling
Stones, Neil Young, the Who, and Bob Dylan respectively), but this one has a
somewhat unique feel to it. I mean, aren’t we Baby Boomers supposed to know all
of the Beatles music, be those songs produced collectively or separately (in which
case, they would often request assistance from one another)? I exaggerate here,
but there is a bit of truth to that query based on the fact that John, Paul,
George and Ringo were, for all intents and purposes, the pop-music spokesmen of
our generation. For me, this truism gives these new/old song discoveries from
their collective catalog a bit more of a “wow” factor (and as I’ve stated
before in these pages, for whatever reason, I love squirreling away unheard
music for future consumption, which is playing out now).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As always, I approach this discovery process from the album perspective.
I’ve already done my homework, reading up on music-critic reviews to determine
which elusive-to-these-ears discs to be the crème of the crop. Now that those
discs have been scoped out and secured, I’m ready to roll. Over the next four
weeks, I’ll be listening to one album from each of the Fab Four’s solo output
that I have never listened to before (to my knowledge). My hope is that I can
gain some new insight into the brilliance of what made this foursome tick, as
well as what allowed them to connect so amazingly with the world – particularly
my 1970’s teenage world - in such profound ways.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I will start with John Lennon, declaring right off that this
4-part-sub-series concept is hardest with this renowned musician, because of
the four Beatles, I’ve listened to just about everything Lennon has produced.
And yet, there is one significant solo album of John Lennon’s that has slipped
through my fingers: </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls and Bridges</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">, which was released in 1974. Several
originals on this album were very familiar as I listened this week, including
“Whatever Gets You Through the Night” and “# 9 Dream”, but much of the
remainder of </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls and Bridges</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> was new to me. I found this hard to
believe, but hey, them’s the facts. Part of me was ecstatic though: New music?
…John Lennon? …. Yeah!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">First, I’d like to say something about the album cover. It’s
adorned with John Lennon drawings from his childhood. As I scanned earlier this
week, one drawing caught my eye. It’s the lower half of a man’s face which has
an uncanny resemblance to what Bob Dylan looks like today. I throw this in here
mostly as a side note, but I just had to get it out there.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Much of </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls and Bridges </i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">was written near the tail end of
John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend” (which lasted more than a year); a period of time
where he was estranged from his wife Yoko Ono and their New York home, living fast
and hard on the opposite shore (California) with fellow party-hearty
enthusiasts, including Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr and
Micky Dolenz (what’s with all the drummers?). A then modern-day Rat Pack. A
motley crew prepared to bring down any club that made the unfortunate decision
of admitting them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Looking back,</span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Walls and Bridges </i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">was a pivotal album for
John Lennon, tackling a major transition in his life. The songs bear this out.
We hear Lennon reflecting on his transgressions to the degree that he would
come out of this Lost Weekend a new man. Over the subsequent 5 years he would
go into professional seclusion, focusing entirely on repairing his relationship
with Yoko. In the process, they would bear their only child together, Sean. John
Lennon’s focus on fatherhood was so intense that a term from that period of his
life would be freshly coined in Beatle-fan circles; that term being “house
husband”. This was a big deal to the younger generation of the times, which of
course included me. It was a new angle on how to approach life for many of us; a
new debate on what was important, and what was not.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">If there was any time you were going to have a lost weekend in
Rock and Roll circles, this period – the mid-70s - was it. Rock music was at
it’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I am a Golden God” </i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">peak. Living legends of the industry were out
and about, particularly in New York City and Los Angeles. John Lennon connected
with just about every heavy-hitter musician of the day, and the music on </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls
and Bridges</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> reflects this. I hear at least three songs that connect me with
other classic music of the 70s. There’s the magnificent “Old Dirt Road”, which brings
to mind the Rolling Stones “Fool to Cry” (Lennon’s song predated that Stones
song by 2 years). “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” has Elton John’s 70’s
style written all over it (not the least reason being Sir Elton sings backing
vocals on this song). And then there is “Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and
Out”, ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaMLCruhQKY </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">) which sounds oh so much like the beginning
and end of Pink Floyd’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Animals</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> concept album (which </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walls and
Bridges</i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"> also predated by several years). I don’t see any of these other
efforts as plagiarizing. I just see them as having been inspired by John Lennon.
Yes, there was a lot of cross pollinating happening on the mean streets of LA
and NYC in the mid-70s.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">“Lost Weekends” have always been intriguing to me; be they related
to John Lennon, Richard Manuel, Pete Townshend, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Graham
Parsons or friends in my own circles. Even myself. Lost weekends can be on the
edge of brilliance, loneliness, hilarity, foolishness and lunacy, often the lot
of them blended together into one big bowl of unpredictability. There is risk
involved to both health and hearth, which is why many avoid such escapades (honestly,
I can’t blame them). But at the same time, in a nonsensical way, lost weekends can
be cleansing and cathartic if you find a way to rise up through the ashes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">I still connect with this “Lost Weekend” world on the odd
occasion. Most consistently this plays out at annual forays to my great friend
Mac’s cottage in Humarock (a tiny coastal hamlet in Scituate, Massachusetts)
with a number of childhood friends. Those experiences have not been averse to
Rat Pack mentality. The saving grace has always been the long-term friendship we
all share and… the beach. With the friendship, I’m forever rejuvenated by an
endless parade of inside jokes. It’s almost as if we have created our own
language. The laughs come early and often. Many of these laughs can be
downright hysterical.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">The beach is another matter. A short stroll there puts you in
another much more contemplative mindset. These breakaway retreats to the ocean
are needed amidst all the hullabaloo. Looking back, they give my memories of
Humarock a proper balance and deeper meaning (a good example of this is that
I’ve come up with a handful of blog-entry ideas there). My guess is that John
Lennon did something similar in his crazed year on the west coast. Something
like it would have been critical in his preparation for that next phase of his
journey as house husband (which would turn out to be his last phase).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Walls and Bridges</span></i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is aptly named.
Lost weekends can find you building a wall around yourself, such as happens to
the protagonist in Pink Floyd’s <i>The Wall</i>. But mix in enough of those beach-like
breakaways and you just might be able to get glimpses of the brilliant bridges
you can build in the days, weeks, months and years beyond.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0px;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-84502503846079339192020-09-04T19:30:00.000-04:002020-09-04T19:30:17.074-04:00Fab Foundations # 36: “A Bum Rap”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Live and Let Die”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: Released as a single<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: June 1973</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pete Townshend once took a stab at defining Rock and Roll:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"</span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If it screams for truth rather than help, if
it commits itself with a courage it can't be sure it really has, if it stands
up and admits that something is wrong but doesn't insist on blood, then its
rock and roll."</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I embrace this definition. There are many popular songs that sound
like rock music, but in the end if you can’t assign that underlying meaning to
the song, then in my mind it’s on the outside looking in. There has to be some
risk involved. Some juicy element that makes the listener ponder. An angle on
hope or yearning. Songs with these elements will survive the test of time. The
others will just fade away (if they have not done so already).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Somewhat randomly off the top of my head I thought of a
cross-section-list of songs that would, on musical merits alone, fall in the
genera of Rock and Roll. However, in terms of Pete Townshend’s definition, some
of these songs may not necessarily fit the criterion. Which ones do and which
ones don’t? …</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Mr. Tambourine Man” (Bob Dylan); “Johnny B Goode” (Chuck Berry); “Crazy
Little Thing Called Love” (Queen); “Have a Cigar” (Pink Floyd); “Purple Haze”
(Jimi Hendrix); “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Nirvana); “Slip Kid” (Who); “White
Punks on Dope” (Tubes); “Southern Man” (Neil Young); “Dude Looks Like a Lady”
(Aerosmith); “Smoke on the Water” (Deep Purple); “What’s the Matter Here”
(10,000 Maniacs); “Willie the Wimp” (Stevie Ray Vaughan); “Stairway to Heaven”
(Led Zeppelin); “It’s Only Rock and Roll” (Rolling Stones); “Dirty Deeds Done
Dirt Cheap” (AC/DC); “Back on the Chain Gang” (Pretenders); “Up on Cripple
Creek” (Band); “London Calling (Clash); “Rock Lobster” (B-52’s); “Lola”
(Kinks); “Come Together” (Beatles). </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’ll let you be the judge on that list (for me, three of them fail
and one teeters on the border), but I will weigh in on one song for this entry,
which may give some insight to my stances on that cross-section list. That song
is “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and Wings. I’ve been thinking about
this tune in context with the Pete Townshend definition of Rock and Roll all
week. In fact, I’ve been thinking about this off and on all year. Indeed, “Live
and Let Die” has been percolating in my head throughout this entire Fab
Foundations series. I can’t explain why, but it has. It was never about whether
this McCartney hit is a great song, which is my standard reason for choosing any
given composition for my weekly narrative (although I do believe it is a very
good song). No, it was always about that Pete Townshend-initiated “is it Rock
and Roll or is it not” question.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul and Linda McCartney wrote “Live and Let Die” for the 1973 James
Bond movie of the same name. It actually takes top billing, opening the film in
grand fashion (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBC1FquIrZo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBC1FquIrZo</a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">). Was it composed just for the fun of it? To make a bit of cash
on the side? To booze and schmooze with Hollywood royalty? I’m not ruling those
options out as being part of the McCartney’s motivation. But there are elements
at play here that lead me to believe there is more to it than that.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Well alrighty then, does “Live and Let Die” fit Pete Townshend’s
meaning of a rock song”? My initial inclination was “on the contrary”. After
all, this song declares shallow human traits, including those of being cutthroat,
self-centered and defeatist. The title of the song alone is sinister enough,
and the lyrics back it up. Take this line</span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">: “what does it matter to ya, when
you got a job to do ya gotta do it well. You gotta give the other fella hell!”</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
Earlier in the song it’s as if the protagonist gives up on being compassionate.
Yow! Yes, the music is powerful, but all-in-all does the song</span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “stand up and admit
that something is wrong”?</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Does it </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“commit itself with a courage it can’t
be sure it really has”?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In actuality yes, it does (in a veiled sort of way).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes a song needs to tell the truth by taking the
counterpoint/low-road position. Randy Newman is a master at it, having composed
brilliant tunes such as “Political Science”, “Short People” “Yellow Man” and
“Its Money that Matters”. These songs are all from the perspective of the
anti-hero. However, when you think about it, what better way to point out the nasty
than to take on the musical roll yourself?</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paul McCartney is the last musician I would have expected to write
the lyrics to a rock song like “Live and Let Die” though. I mean, the guy is
the consummate believer, isn’t he? This is why “Live and Let Die” can be so
strange to hear if you know anything about the musician who penned it (even if the
song was written for a spy movie). Does this sound like McCartney:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“When you were young<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And your life was an open book<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You used to say live and let live<br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(you know you did you know you did you know you did)<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But if this ever changin’ world in which we live in<br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Makes you give in and cry<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Say live and let die”</span></i></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It shows me that Paul McCartney is more complex than what many Rock
music fans give him credit for. Here’s an interesting thought: Which Beatle
stood for the meaning of the utopian 60s the most? Maybe it was George with his
spiritual awakening? Or John with his political stance for peace? Perhaps it
was Ringo with his ability to always bring out the better person in those
around him <i>(“peace and love, folks”)?</i> Or was it Paul with his laid-back persona
that oozes hope.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I posed this question to several Beatles forums on Facebook this
week and got back over 100 responses. It was roughly what I expected: 76 votes
for John Lennon (55%), 22 votes for George (16%), 6 votes for Paul (4%) and 5
for Ringo (3%). There were also 25 votes for </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">‘all 4 of them’</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (18%). Oh,
also 2 votes for Pete Best and 1 for Stu Sutcliffe (go figure). Not to mention
1 that basically said, ‘You Suck!’ (I would have been disappointed if I didn’t
get one of those).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I ran this question by Beatles fans because, although I would
typically agree with this breakdown, I had a bit of a lightbulb moment this
week as I listened to “Live and Let Die”. It is such a </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">real</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and
insightful song. It helped guide me to the notion that maybe Paul McCartney
gets a bum rap when it comes to authentication. Such a question as the one I
posed drives at the heart of the matter.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dig under the surface, and more of the 60s-persona-light shines on
Paul McCartney. He was after all the Utopian spirit behind the money-hemorrhaging
corporation that was Apple Records. And more than John, George, and Ringo, Paul
McCartney incorporated all forms of modern art into his life in the late 60s. McCartney
was also the Beatle out-and-about the London scene during that time too (he was
an early enthusiast of the Syd Barret-lead Pink Floyd in their wild
stage-experimentation years), while the other 3 Beatles were immersed in
domesticity. You have to drill deeper into the Beatles story to connect with
these facts. Deeper than most are willing to do.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yes, “Live and Let Die” is a dour song. Here’s the paradox though:
Only someone with Paul McCartney’s hopeful outlook on mankind could write such
lyrics and sing them in such a deeply-reflective way. From his rosy
perspective, McCartney was able to view the darker side objectively. I’m not
saying he was blind to negativity and self-centeredness…life experience to that
point clearly factored to his opening eyes, including the Beatles rancorous
“divorce”. But the concept was foreign enough for him to see it for what it was
and compose a narrative around it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">With all this in mind, the song fits the Pete Townshend definition
of a Rock song.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Beatles contributed significantly to the idealism of the 60s.
They all bought into it. And they each had to change aspects of who they were to
get there, none of them more so than Paul McCartney. I know this because when I
read of the Beatles younger days, the band member who reminds me the most of
myself (in my younger days) is McCartney. Like Paul, I could be opportunistic
and cunning and shrewd. Maybe I still got a little of that in me at times, but
I do my best to squelch it. This, because even though I came of age in the 70s,
I too have bought into the spirit of the 60s. In fact, anyone who takes their
70s’ teen-years seriously is really just a child of the 60s. Live and let live,
folks! Live and let live.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">- </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-47950507329794317502020-08-29T08:32:00.005-04:002020-08-29T17:37:07.478-04:00Fab Foundations # 35: “A Brief (but invaluable) Stint with Beatles Collectibles”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “I Saw Her Standing There”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Please Please Me<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: March 1963</span></b></h4><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">Back in Fab Foundations #9, I wrote about the amazing record collection
of my longtime friend Pete’s older brother Paul, which consisted primarily of
Beatles albums. Pete and I would admire this well-kept collection from time to
time back when we were teenagers in the 70s. Paul’s Beatles collection included
rarity-albums, along with scores of original singles with their accompanying picture
sleeves.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">I was collecting other things at the time, including coins and
comic books, but for a brief period I saved up my paper-route cash to delve
into the world of Beatles-collectibles myself. The highlight of this short
stint was a trip into the city to attend a Beatles convention of which the
centerpiece was the buying and selling of Beatles memorabilia. My sole reason
for going was to purchase collectible items for myself, particularly singles
with pictures sleeves.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">Aware of my interest, Pete’s brother Paul had informed me of this
convention and drove a group of us in (this also being a period of time that
predated my friends and I being of driving age). It was great having Paul there
because this sort of thing was old hat to him, which gave me the peace-of-mind
that I would not be ripped off and maybe even find a good deal. I had nothing
in particular in mind other than purchasing original singles with intact
picture sleeves. For the most part, I simply wanted to find items that caught
my eye.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">The details are sketchy, but I do recall a handful of vendor tables
where I spent most of my time poking through the collectibles. I also remember
one of these vendors - who resembled Santa Claus - talking up his wares. Throughout
my shopping experience Paul gave me space, but he was never too far off to help
guide me. I had about $200 to spend and figured I’d break it up to 5 items,
seeing that the average price for the Beatles singles was running at about $40
(although some items, like the infamous “Butcher Cover” and the “Two Virgins”
album were running for way more than that).</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">I homed in on my choices, and after some very helpful haggling on
Paul’s part, I was able to get a pretty good lumped discount; 5 Beatles singles
that ranged from $30-$60 at a group-discount price. These singles ended up
being 1) “I Saw Her Standing There”/”I Want To Hold Your Hand” 2) “Nowhere
Man”/”What Goes On” 3) “Lady Madonna”/”The Inner Light” 4) “Hello Goodbye”/”I
Am The Walrus” and 5) “All You Need Is Love”/”Baby, You’re a Rich Man”. The
sleeves and discs were all in very good condition. Right off, it felt great
having them in my possession. I thanked Paul for all his help, and after poking
around for a bit longer (while Paul made a few purchases for himself) we headed
for home.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">I went down cellar this week and pulled out those 5 singles (photo
below) and for the first time in a long time I decided to remove them from
their hermetically sealed vacuum packings (slight exaggeration there). Were these
distinctive collectibles going to fall apart in my hands? Turn to dust?
Thankfully no, but nonetheless I did handle them with extreme care. My hope was
that by holding and observing these singles in such a way, I would rekindle
some of those feelings I had when I first made that purchase over 45 years ago.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">What makes an item valuable? I’m not necessarily talking about
this in a monetary way. I mean, sure, there is a monetary aspect to any item’s
value, but it’s way more than that. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,
or so they say. And yet, as they also say, you can’t take it with you. For this
and other reasons, I lost interest long ago in collecting things. But I still
value greatly many of the items I once collected, and I am thankful I still
have most of them. My linkage to these material things - be they cereal box
“Funny Fringes”, hockey autographs, comic books, Britain’s LTD plastic animals,
coins, monster models, old magazines, or Beatles pictures sleeves - is a key
reason why I am able to write this </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Music and Memory</i><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;"> blog series. All
these items are blasts from the past that stir up the imagination.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">The picture sleeves remind me of my old paneled bedroom on Park
Road, Franklin, Massachusetts, where I was surrounded by all these
collectibles. Case in point, two of my four bureau draws, which would normally
be dedicated to clothing, were instead dedicated to comic books, along with those
five Beatles picture-sleeve singles. I kept the singles in the corner of the
upper comic-book draw, propped up by one of my 20 or so comic series (I’m guessing
it was the Avengers, seeing as it was the highest stack). My room was like a
sanctuary to me. It was the one place that I could make completely unique unto
myself.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">On the top of my bureau was my turntable and speakers. I remember
one time playing the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” for my Dad to
hear. Dad was impressed but gave the credit for the quality sound to my stereo
system (vs. the Stones – Ha!). I had built up a nice album collection by the
time I’d left for college, including Joe Jackson, Supertramp, and a good number
of Beatles albums. My brother Fred, whose room was adjacent to mine, had built
up a nice collection too. His albums included a handful of great Kinks music,
as well as assorted new wave and punk. I give credit to Fred for getting me
into the Stones with his “Hot Rocks” album (Side note to Fred: We should have
discussed this last year when we attended that great Rolling Stones show).</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">My sister Jen also had some good music blaring from her room,
which was diagonal to mine. I’m thinking we competed for volume and so shut our
doors when necessary. Jen introduced the household to Pink Floyd and Led
Zeppelin (Side note to Jen: We should have discussed this 2 years ago when we attended that fabulous Roger Waters show. Come to think of it, maybe we did!). Brother Joe rounded out the Rock craze from his room - which was 2
doors down - with his excellent cassette collection (sadly this collection would
be stolen from him before he set off for college). Joe had a great assortment
of Rolling Stones albums, as well as Tom Petty and other classic rock staples (Side note to Joe: You have to get hard copies of at least half of that old collection so you can get that old Musical Mojo back. I'll help!).</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">I was the Beatles sibling. We all loved them, and we all had their
music in our collections, but I pushed the envelope with the deeper stuff
(which included selections from their solo efforts). I did this until I
discovered the Who during my Freshman year in college. From there, the
floodgates opened with my Rock and Roll explorations. But make no doubt about
it, the Fab Four were the Foundation.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">The collectible picture-sleeve singles were rarely if ever played.
They were there for show: Mine that is, not anyone else’s. Afterall, if they
were for everyone, I would have displayed them somewhere in the open. But they
were tucked in my draw, where only I would observe them on a regular basis. In
this way, I suppose they acted as a keepsake…my personal linkage to a then-recent
past that was very significant to me. I’m happy to say this remains the case.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s funny that I never added to that core collection. But it was
enough for me. Those 5 singles validated my immersion into all things Beatles. Those
5 singles authenticated my bedroom as being part of the Magical Mystery Tour. Those
discs gave me informal card-carrying membership to the ever-expanding fan base.
Taking it a bit further those 5 singles gave me membership to a Rock culture
that believed in something novel, real and intrinsic, which made it all the
easier to take bold forays into that brave new world.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I dedicate this entry to the song “I Saw Her Standing There” (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjt1gQI3o1k">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjt1gQI3o1k</a><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">), which is track 1 on the very first Beatles album, <i>Please
Please Me</i> (and of my 5 singles, it’s Side A on the oldest one). This url link
shows a bass-player’s cover of said song. I have watched this video often. It
was one of the fi</span>rst tunes I learned on bass, and I enjoy it to this day
because it is both complex and fun at the same time. Mostly, however, “I Saw
Her Standing There” is a reminder of a time in my life when it was all about
collectibles. What an invaluable time it was.</p><p></p><p style="text-indent: 0px;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p><p style="text-indent: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC6BsAnhZQ1GQOkthj2xhoTMhHrOQ-ngL4mySwLMsxjWYWKCQEJjhM2R3SzviLniKg88f5XHbCU_rHxTvCm_BvPuf8eNu-f-b_MCM_nujjbzfKO5uem0vzL_M3o6k4vljVR7fdaSvarCu/s1024/picture_sleeves.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC6BsAnhZQ1GQOkthj2xhoTMhHrOQ-ngL4mySwLMsxjWYWKCQEJjhM2R3SzviLniKg88f5XHbCU_rHxTvCm_BvPuf8eNu-f-b_MCM_nujjbzfKO5uem0vzL_M3o6k4vljVR7fdaSvarCu/s640/picture_sleeves.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><p></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-16128340450721854842020-08-22T12:43:00.002-04:002020-08-22T17:17:33.209-04:00Fab Foundations # 34: “The Mountain”<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h3 style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Strawberry Fields Forever”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Released as a single<br /></i></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: February 1967</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Much of this week’s entry is scavenged from an entry in my </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stepping
Stones</i><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> series from 8 years ago. I could not resist replicating here (with a
handful of modifications both to add clairvoyance as well as to fit this
entry’s narrative) because as be the case with John Lennon, I too have a
childhood memory of a dreamy place where only kids seemed to be able to find.
John Lennon’s was Strawberry Fields. Mine was “The Mountain” near the home of
my upbringing in Franklin, Massachusetts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And so, without further ado….</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I can still conjure up
an image of the place as if I were there just yesterday. When you spend
hundreds of hours at a naturally impressive and seemingly clandestine location,
as a crew of us did over 5 or so years in the mid-70s, it’s not too difficult
to get instant recall. Such was the case with “The Mountain” of my youth; a
mere fifteen minute walk from home, yet for all intents and purposes, a world
away. It’s been gone for decades now. I’ll talk about how that all came about
in short order, including the period of time when we knew its days were
numbered.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But first, please
allow me to describe this wonderland of my youth for both nostalgic and preservation
purposes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The approach was from
the west along an old logging road, a handful of downed trees and large
well-placed boulders impeding motorized progress and revealing this passage as
having seen more ‘useful’ days. Looming up ahead was our destination, The
Mountain (see the rough sketch below for reference); a sizable expanse of rocky
outcrop with a number of intriguing features, most of them tucked in and around
what I will refer to here as the Inner Bowl. With the Inner Bowl at its core,
one could think of The Mountain as loosely similar in shape to Boston’s Hatch
Shell. The inside of this bowl was where we would spend most of our time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The far side of the
Inner Bowl was partly visible at several vantage points along the logging road.
As you got closer though, you lost view of it, as the road angled slightly to
the right backside of the bowl. Here a </span>trail-head<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> began its ascent just on the
outside rim of the bowl. This was a steep, narrow, scraggly path consisting of
both stretches of loose stone and smooth, solid rock. You had to be careful
hiking up it on wet and icy days, although there were two small trees for
support at several critical junctures (one of which broke off at its roots
after years of overuse).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most of this entry
trail was concealed from the Inner Bowl, but about half way up it, you could
cut off to the left around a knob and sneak your way inside the bowl via a protuberance
followed by a long thin ridge line. Not everyone dared this route, but good
friend Bruce would traverse it as if he were strolling through the park. More
often however we would all stick to the main trail all the way to the top.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">Ah<span style="font-size: 12pt;">, the top of The
Mountain, which I will </span>affectionately<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> call here The Summit. Now, I’ve hiked up
many a geologically-designated mountain in my day and in the process gained a
feel for what to expect when emerging onto higher ground: That transition from
a sheltered canopy to an exposed one. Amazingly, this relatively low-lying
crest had the feel of one of those true summits; the pitch pines and scrub oaks
were scraggly and stunted, with a windblown look to them. Tucked inside this
grove of trees were blueberry bushes and a small clearing with an old abandoned
rock fire pit in the middle (which we would use in the latter years of our
journeys there).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">On the far side of
this clearing was a final vertical heave of outcrop jutting just high enough to
declare itself The Pinnacle (although no official benchmark by the USGS to
distinguish it as such). Here, along with a few other locations in the general
area of The Summit, were far ranging views in most directions. Looking back, I
believe we were instinctively correct in dubbing this grand place “The
Mountain” (despite good friend John’s attempts to keep our grasp on reality in
check by regularly reminding us it was just a hill).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The trail continued
past The Summit, and as you followed it a tad further, it looped back to the
upper ridge of the Inner Bowl, the heart of The Mountain. There was not much
space between the tree/shrub line and the cliff edge, but there were a few
ledges to step out onto. One of these overhanging ledges hovered over a
mid-upper level ridge below it, which itself was above the long thin ridge line
mentioned earlier. This mid-upper level ridge was where I would spend countless
hours with good friend Phil during our middle-school years, the two of us chipping
ceaselessly away at the granite with any number of tools from crowbar to hammer.
In the process, we grooved out a wider and wider platform for us to hang out on
while also making a cave beneath the overhang above us.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Several more ridges
scattered about the bowl at various levels would be occupied by my brothers Fred
and Joe, as well as friends Bruce and Jeff (aka “the Piz” as in Pizarro), and occasionally
other friends; they themselves also chipping away with an assortment of tools.
Together, I suppose we were unknowingly creating our own version of Mount
Rushmore, or at the very least we were excavating; exposing rock (and
fossils?... quite often we were convinced) that had not seen the light of day
since at least just before the last ice age.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Much of the Inner Bowl
was littered with rubble, including the bottom, where one very large boulder stood
out. We would use that boulder to prop targets on top of, picking them off with
rocks thrown from the top rim (these targets included glass bottles which we
would collect at a reliable party location for driving-age teens on the way). Bruce
was always an extremely accurate hurler, but we all had our fair share of
highlight-reel moments. We would take turns to go down to the bottom to set
more targets up.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After chipping away at
The Mountain off and on for a few years and hurling the rocks below, we had
pretty much doubled the amount of debris at the bottom. This new debris
included one particularly humongous chunk-o-pried-out ledge which took out a
20-foot tree on its way down. It would rest permanently next to the other large
boulder and soon got used as a backup for more target-practice items.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Back to the trail
which, after continuing beyond the top of the Inner Bowl, approached the most
distinctive feature on the entire escarpment: An almost square ledge which had
the appearance of “Frankenstein’s Head” (which I will officially christen
here). This feature jutted out just beyond the Inner Bowl, perfectly defining
the far side of the bowl (looking up from the bottom of the bowl you would have
Frankenstein’s Head to the left and the aforementioned concealed </span>trail-head<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> to
the right). Frankenstein’s Head gave the entire location a Wild-Wild West feel
about it. It was the one part of The Mountain you really could not climb
without rope and carabiners. God knows how we tried though, and I believe Bruce
(again) figured it out once or twice.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just beyond
Frankenstein’s Head, past the Inner Bowl, was a nice stretch of climbing rock
where you could practice your finger and toe holds, getting really good at it
with repetition. Tucked in the middle of that vertical challenge was a crevasse
area to rest and regroup. I believe some of this zone survives to this day.
After this stretch, the exposed rock petered out to the great woods beyond. We
ultimately discovered that woods in equally intense fashion, but that’s a story
for another time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This was a world all
to ourselves. On the rare occasion when we were visited by strangers, they
would usually get the hint that they may be intruding. The hint was delivered
not so much by us as by our dogs, Nicky and Whiskers, who maintained constant
vigilance on The Summit. Inevitably, folks would either turn around or saunter
on by (and if they had read “Lord of the Flies” at any time in their lives,
they may have sauntered a bit quicker).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Many great times were
had on The Mountain, be they related to climbing, chipping, exploring, hurling,
hiking, chilling, biking, or later, midnight fire stoking. It was a magical
place; a natural fun house. Our own Strawberry Fields. What we did not realize
in our earliest years there, though, but which would become more obvious to us
over time, was that this land was actually owned by someone, deed and all. That
entity was the Franklin Lumber Company, and their developed piece of property
was adjacent, through a small patch of woods beyond the </span>trail-head<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> on the
southwest side. </span>Unbeknownst<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> to us, they were apparently becoming increasingly
aware of our activities and increasingly interested in this piece of land for
their own uses.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I believe it was Bruce
who first got wind of the lumber company’s initial wave of encroachment onto
The Mountain; the lower sections of the more gradually sloping hillside leading
up to it from the east backside had been stripped bare of trees. Our world was
still fully intact, but the space between this wonderland and the real world
next door had narrowed considerably. And rumor that this was just a first step
was mounting, turning scary possibility into more-scary inevitability. For
reasons that have never been fully explained to me, the Franklin Lumber Company
was intent on wiping out The Mountain. Perhaps it was a liability issue.
Perhaps other kids who came later had squandered the privilege of enjoying this
land as there were reports of theft and vandalism in the lumber yard.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Squatters Rights were
not in the cards. As we were growing up, each visit back had the feel of being
the last. On a handful of occasions, I would go down there alone. The Mountain
felt like no other place on Earth to me. It was a place of </span>alternate reality<span style="font-size: 12pt;">, where I
could be whisked away to the fringes of imagination. It was perfect. Knowing
what was in store for The Mountain, I would savor those moments.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Strawberry Fields
Forever” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8</span></a><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> ) was John Lennon’s
proudest contribution to the Beatles. It is truly a watershed song,
particularly considering how revolutionary it was at the time of release. The
video does a fantastic job of capturing childhood imagination (and in turn
capturing the essence of the meaning of the song). The tree, piano, strings,
lighting, decorations, and even the way the Beatles move about all factor into
this and remind me so wonderfully of my days on The Mountain.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Franklin Lumber
Company did indeed plow The Mountain asunder, actually managing to get their
heavy equipment on top of The Summit from behind, wiping it and the entire
Inner Bowl out. It was a hard pill to swallow and was likely an early impetus
to my conservation leanings. </span>After-all<span style="font-size: 12pt;">, The Mountain and the land around it was
a natural gem.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And so, for now, The
Mountain only lives in my memory, but something tells me that one day I’ll be
standing on The Summit again, looking to my right at Frankenstein’s Head, to my
left at the scraggly-trail entrance way, and straight ahead at the Inner Bowl.
And as the mountain-top breeze ruffles my hair I will smile broadly and then
suddenly feel as light as a feather.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">- Pete</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFIYFwsiLMYVcehMOdv2YYbKVicXfW1GG1I0Y5bfNEGJ7uyUdTXzB-dX7HY5XvWSPJkiXYvoDG-9kgm9d61iZ3fABKdkVRHPj5fBQovd7B1zt-qs5VsNnly-0HnRiZsymFCTRUH2ZOpyI/s1205/The_Mountain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFIYFwsiLMYVcehMOdv2YYbKVicXfW1GG1I0Y5bfNEGJ7uyUdTXzB-dX7HY5XvWSPJkiXYvoDG-9kgm9d61iZ3fABKdkVRHPj5fBQovd7B1zt-qs5VsNnly-0HnRiZsymFCTRUH2ZOpyI/s640/The_Mountain.png" width="640" /></a></div><span face="" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><br /></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-10997300080973252092020-08-15T13:27:00.002-04:002020-08-17T15:47:34.698-04:00Fab Foundations # 33: “Going Back to the White Well (4 of 4)"<p><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles
songs)</span></b></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Revolution 1”<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>The Beatles<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: November 1968</span></b></h4><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Concluding my White Album review song by song, here I tackle side 4.
If you have not already done so, I suggest reading the introduction to Fab
Foundations # 4 as a prelude to this entry ( </span><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/01/fab-foundations-4-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/01/fab-foundations-4-going-back-to-white.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ) seeing as it explains my personal introduction to the White
Album on Christmas Day as a young teenager many years ago. Side 2 is tackled in
Fab Foundations # 15 ( </span><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/04/fab-foundations-15-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://pete-</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">gemsandbeyond</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.blogspot.com/2020/04/fab-foundations-15-going-back-to-white.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ). Side 3 gets fleshed out in Fab Foundations # 25 ( </span><a href="https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/06/fab-foundations-25-going-back-to-white.html"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/06/fab-foundations-25-going-back-to-white.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Side 4 of the White Album has always been the most secluded of
Beatles album sides to me (there is one big reason for this, which I will
explain). When I listen, I feel as if I’ve gone off the beaten track and found
a cool hidden cave.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I mentioned in my
original “Going Back to the White Well” Fab Foundations entry (# 4), when I
first listened to this seminal album, I was very methodical, taking in each
song in the proper sequence. Seeing as virtually all the songs were new to
these ears on that Christmas morning, by the time I finally flipped to side 4,
I was already pretty much overwhelmed. My brain could only take in so much in
one sitting. Yes, it would take some time for side 4 to register as deeply as
the others, but right off I knew it too was special.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As with the other 3 entries, I will type my thoughts as I listen
on headphones.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">White Album, Side 4 (of 4)</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolution 1”</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (John). One
thing you could always count on with a John Lennon vocal was attitude. This
certainly bears out on “Revolution 1”. When you are in your formative years,
listening to a song with this type of attitude can be very powerful. In my
generation it was a big draw with Rock and Roll. It’s also a big reason why rap
music has been so popular with my son Peter’s generation. At some point in your
young life, you get the sense that there will be times when you are going to
have to make a stand for something you believe in – or don’t believe in - and when
you do so, you better be able to show the other side you are serious.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There was never any wishy-washy aspect to John Lennon’s delivery
in his songs. He projected himself in a way that gave the impression he meant
what he said. Note the caveat ‘gave the impression’. Lennon was not obstinate;
unwilling to change his position on something. Case in point, when Lennon sings
the line </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“But when your talk about destruction, don’t you know that you can
count me out”,</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> he adds the word </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“in”</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> at the end. In other words, ….
it depends. Somehow Lennon is able to take two sides of the debate here. You
can only do something like that with the kind of attitude he had.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">‘It depends’ is what is really at the heart of the meaning of the
song “Revolution 1”. John Lennon was by that time (1968) tuning into the peace
movement and the Vietnam protests happening in America and elsewhere. He could
see many very good willed people in support of these causes, but he could also
see the occasional twisted mindset taking things a bit to the extreme. I may
not have been able to articulate what I heard the first time I listened as a
kid, but I recall vividly understanding the logic.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Honey Pie</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">” (Paul). The
Beatles sound like they are having a lot of fun in the studio here. I love the
ad-libbed “yeah” at the end of John Lennon’s nifty guitar solo during the
bridge (it sounds like Lennon who is doing the ad-libbing).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison sounds funky taking a rare
turn on the bass. But it’s mostly Paul McCartney who makes this song happen,
channeling a throwback British music-hall style in flawless fashion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first thing I tuned into when I heard “Honey Pie” was the
singer pining for his lover overseas. It’s been a familiar theme in our Covid
household these past months, our daughter, Charlotte, longing for her significant-other,
Andres, who is also overseas (a reunion incredibly played itself out this
week). Love can be painful sometimes, especially when it’s a long-distance
affair.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Earlier in this “Going Back to the White Well” sub-series, I
suggested that my parents may not have known quite what they were doing when
they purchased the “White Album” for me back when I was at my most
impressionable (instead of say, something more innocent from earlier in the
Beatles career, like </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meet the Beatles</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> or </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A Hard Day’s Night)</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">. But
songs like “Honey Pie”, “Martha My Dear”, and “Good Night” counterbalance this notion
a bit. Regardless, somehow the harsh (“Revolution 1”) and the gentle (“Honey
Pie”) all fit together like a glove.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Savoy Truffle</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">” (George).
The White Album was only the 3</span><sup style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Beatles album I really tuned into
(after the greatest-hits “Red Album” and Sgt Pepper) and every song composed by
George Harrison that I heard to that point was serious and heavy, including his
3 other compositions on this album; “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Piggies”,
and “Long, Long, Long”. And so, it was refreshing to hear something that
sounded fun from him, at least lyrically. I mean, a song about truffles and
other desserts can only be fun, right?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Still, the music and George’s vocals suggest something deeper is
going on, which has always been my suspicion. The lyrics of the first bridge
alone are testament to this take on the song meaning:</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“You might not feel it now<br /></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But when the pain cuts through<br /></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You’re going to know and how<br /></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The sweat is going to fill your head<br /></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When it becomes too much<br /></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You’ll shout aloud”</span></i></span></h4><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Is George joking about his friend Eric Clapton’s chocolate cravings
or is this a veiled attempt to address what it’s like to be in the throes of
heroin addiction? Is this song a precursor to John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey”?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I never really dwelled on this to much, because I was always too
busy enjoying the music.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Savoy Truffle”
is a fantastic, up-tempo Rock song, further revealing the capabilities of a
band at the top of its craft (particularly Ringo Starr on drums).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cry Baby Cry</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">” (John). If
side 4 had me feeling as if I’d gone off the beaten track and discovered a
hidden cave, “Cry Baby Cry” was the ancient cave painting on the inside walls.
The quirky eccentricities of a royal family seem to be at least part of the
story here. But the real story is the music, which is mysterious and sedated;
almost menacing. You get the sense you’re in an old mansion, with rooms upon
rooms of unused space, all wide open to mischief of one kind or another. The Fall
of the House of Usher. The Shining.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I like the background sound effects near the beginning of the
third verse; uppity conversation with the duchess over clinking glasses. There
is all sorts of vocals and instrumentation coming in and out throughout
(including George Martin on the harmonium). Just another day of studio
innovation for the Beatles.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As he is wont to do, Paul McCartney’s tags a somewhat isolated
ditty to “Cry Baby Cry” at the end. It is even more eerie than the rest of the
song</span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">. “Can you take me back where I’ve been from, can you take me back”</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
he repeats. For me it reaffirms the lost-souls feel of the rest of the song, as
if they are longing for a glorious time-gone-by that has been lost forever.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolution 9</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">” (John). Can
this be classified as a song? I’m not so sure. However, I am confident to say
that “Revolution 9” (aka ‘Number 9’) can be classified as one of the most
bizarre things you will ever hear on a record. To simply be there on one of the
most acclaimed albums of all time is what astounds. How did John Lennon get
away with it?</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How did he get away with
so many other things in his oh-too-short a life? Well, ‘Number 9’ pretty much
says it all. Lennon rarely allowed conventional thought to get in the way of
his ideas. His resistance to selling out and his brutal honesty is a huge piece
of what made the Beatles so successful. So, everyone else dealt with it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When best buddy Mac and I went to the Berklee Performance Center
to watch an incredible show that covered the White Album from beginning to end
(as discussed in Fab Foundations # 25), “Revolution 9” was the only thing the
musicians could not perform. Instead, when it came to this cut, the original
was queued up and an amazing kaleidoscope of images played out on a big screen,
which was very appropriate.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Revolution 9” is likely the reason why side 4 of the White Album
feels so secluded. When you put the side on the turntable back in the day, you
knew you were in for an 8 minute stretch of absolute weirdness. Was it worth
it? Frequently the self-answer was “no”.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maybe when you are on your own, but when hosting others? </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I for one would think… “ahh, let’s see, what
else is in the record bin”. And yet, is a strange way, it’s comforting to know ‘Number
9’ will always be there.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Revolution 9” kinda proves that, not only were the Beatles the
first band I got into; arguably they were the most radical (which played out in
many other ways too, including their utopian approach to Apple Records Corp,
which hemorrhaged money because of their overall radical philosophy). It’s
incredible to think that a band of such unique prominence can be labeled as
such.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Good Night</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">” (John).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This was
the only song on the White Album where the principle songwriter was not also
the singer. In fact, John Lennon does not even appear on this song in any
capacity. Neither do Paul McCartney or George Harrison. It’s all Ringo Starr,
George Martin and orchestral strings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Beatles touched on an incredible range of musical genre on the
White Album, so why not toss in an original lullaby for good measure. “Good
Night” appropriately closes the album. What with the barrage and range of the
29 songs that preceded it one would almost need a good-nights-sleep to recover,
especially when hearing most of them for the first time. On that Christmas Day,
with my new turntable and album sitting in front of me, I was both cooked and
exhilarated. I’m willing to believe my overtaxed brain was more than ready for
some zz- zz’s by days end.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-1719912119246737242020-08-08T08:50:00.004-04:002020-08-09T08:48:10.351-04:00Fab Foundations # 32: “All For One and One For All"<p>
<b
><span
style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;"
>(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles songs)</span
></b
>
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b
><span
style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"
>Song: “All Together Now”<br /></span></b
><b
><span
style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"
>Album:<i> Yellow Submarine<br /></i></span></b
><b
><span
style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"
>Release Date: January 1969</span
></b
>
</h3>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>This past week I watched my fourth (of 5) Beatles movies for this </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Fab Foundations</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
blog series; </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Yellow Submarine</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>. John, Paul, George, and Ringo did not actually participate in the making
of this film, but they did compose and perform every song that was used in
it - including 4 originals - and they all ended up being very pleased with
the results. In a gesture of solidarity, the Fab Four appear at the end of
the film – my favorite part. I’ll get to that soon enough.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>I watched this movie once before, a very long time ago on the telly. I
cannot remember the context or the year, but I’m thinking it was with family
members (and maybe even a few cousins) way back when we were all pre-teens.
It may have even been not long after the movie was released. If so, it would
have been one of my very first Beatles experiences. The film was
impressionable on me back then, and I’m happy to say after my viewing this
week that it still is.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<i
><span
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"
>Yellow Submarine</span
></i
><span
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"
>
was a labor of love. It was directed by animation producer George Dunning,
who hailed from Canada (why am I not surprised by this – see Fab Foundations
# 29). In a nutshell, Dunning was stunning. He and his animation crew
capture the spirit of the Beatles and the spirit of the times in a
production that was a technical marvel for its day and age. It’s a
wonderful period piece, but also manages to translate well to our current
times.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>The basic plot is about an extraordinary underwater utopian world called
Pepperland (similar enough in name to my hometown of Pepperell to have me
imagine I was living there this week) that comes under attack by the
bloated, distorted “Blue Meanies” and their evil minions. The Blue Meanies
despise anything that is creative, musical and artistic, in other words…
anything they can’t wrap their feeble minds around. A ship captain from
Pepperland, “Old Fred”, manages to escape in the community’s Yellow
Submarine, taking it to the seaport city of Liverpool where he enlists the Beatles for help. The
trip back is rife with peril, but in the end the 5 of them make it and free
the magical Pepperland from its captors.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>I recalled this week that when I was a kid watching the movie, I found the
Blue Meanies more comical than anything. This time around I found them a bit
more disturbing. Back then I did not understand that when it comes to
limited minds in power, art is one of the many things that comes under
attack. Now I understand this full well. </span
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">However,</span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Yellow Submarine</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
is primarily a positive experience, and what it captures better than
anything is the casual, almost friendly way in which the Beatles confront
their adversaries. In the real world, the Fab Four had a natural wit and
wisdom about them that rubbed off on an entire generation. This comes across
fantastically well in the film, despite the fact that other actors were used
to portray their animated selves. Indeed, it’s become clear to me in this my
personal year of the Beatles, that being a Beatle was not only about
creating music. It was also about how this band projected themselves as they
created, which played out throughout their ~ 10 year existence. Each one of
them was extremely comfortable in his own skin. This, along with the music,
put them in rarified air.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Quite often during this </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Fab Foundations</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
series, I’ve thought about how it all clicked so well for the Beatles, and I
believe a big part of it comes down to their extremely unique collective
mentality. In fact, I’ve dwelled on this general concept throughout my 10
years of blog writing…. this notion of </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>“in what forum is there more potential: One where you create something in a
collective way or one where you create something on your own?”</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>. There’s no easy answer, but my leanings continue to be in the group
setting.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Collectively, the Beatles caught everyone’s attention in a very big way.
When they went their own separate ways, they lost much of that. After the
breakup, their individual personalities projected more to the general
public. Paul McCartney projected more as the superstar, jet-setter
extrovert. George Harrison projected more as the spiritual recluse. Ringo
Starr projected more as the good time Charlie (for a spell). John Lennon
projected more as the idealist hippie beatnik. The projection was real. They
all continued to be successful, but to various degree they lost their mojo
(keeping in mind that that mojo had supersized – virtually impossible –
shoes to fill).</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Yes, creativity can come either collectively or individually (which the
Beatles proved when they went their own ways), but a group setting allows
for the creativity to be more dynamic. Even in the cases of the
individualist musicians I’ve written about – Bob Dylan and Neil Young – it
kinda played out this way. Dylan is an extremely unique case, but his period
with the Band in the late 60s allowed him to break free from the shackles of
being Dylan. In the process he released collaborative music from that period
that to this day stands out in a distinctively palpable way. As for Neil
Young, his discography highlights the every-so-often need for collaborative
solace with his band Crazy Horse (and less frequently with CSN), and he
continues to value the period of time he spent in Buffalo Springfield in the
late 60s (a true group effort). Young knows the value of collaboration. You
can hear it in that Crazy Horse sound.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>There are many collaboratives in our lives. A marriage is an example. So
too is a family. Friendships and work teams are other examples. Are these
the only kinds of experiences in our lives where we can optimize on dynamic
potential? Is there much space for dynamism when we are doing something on
our own (for example, in my case when I write entries for this blog)? Again,
it’s not an easy proposition to contemplate. Perhaps what it comes down to
is that the two environments (group and individual) complement one
another.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>We will always have ourselves to rely on (or at least we have that in our
control) but when it comes to a collective experience - which in essence is
built on our individual efforts - we must rely on an “all in” group
mentality. There’s more risk involved. You need a solemn vow so to speak
(either spoken or unspoken) to make it really work. The more people
involved, the harder that is to pull off or maintain in the long run,
especially when it comes to creativity. But when you do manage to pull it
off, magic happens. The Beatles figured this out.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"
>In <i>Yellow Submarine</i>’s Pepperland, harmony comes with that
collective, creative spirit. It’s interesting that the best of the 4
original Beatles songs to come out of the film’s soundtrack was the aptly titled (on all accounts) “All
Together Now” ( </span
><a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM8S4Y7FPMk&list=RDSM8S4Y7FPMk&start_radio=1"
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM8S4Y7FPMk&list=RDSM8S4Y7FPMk&start_radio=1</a
><span
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"
>
). Was this intentional(in terms of the song and it's title fitting so well the general narrative of the film)? In the masterfully creative world of the
collective Beatles, I believe so. It may not have been spoken, but the
spirit of the solemn vow made it so. As the case with the song “Yellow
Submarine”, it works too that “All Together Now” is for the most part a
children’s song. It all fits. Much of our creativity evolves out of our
connection with our youthful innocence. The Beatles are a band that formed
in youth. The movie <i>Yellow Submarine</i> is at heart a children’s movie.
And the title song, along with the best original song (“All Together Now”)
tie in with all this (arguably these two songs are the only two children’s
songs that the Beatles ever wrote). </span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>As mentioned at the beginning of this entry, the ending of </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Yellow Submarine</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
with the actual Beatles is my favorite part of the movie (a portion of that
clip is in the above link). Afterall, this was late 1968, when the band was
going through internal strife. And yet the clip is a playful one. All four
Beatles come across as much more youthful versions of themselves than what
you see in other clips of them from that period. I replayed it over and over
this week. I love George’s little moments, especially the way he says </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“how’s that”</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
just before they launch into song. I love Ringo’s little moments, especially
when he leads off the singing with that immediate and natural </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“One!”</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>. I love Paul’s little moments, especially when he says, </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>“what’s the matter, John love, Blue Meanies?”</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
. And I love John’s little moments especially when he
pronounces that the only way to get things right is by </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Singing!”</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>. There’s not a hint of jadedness with any of them. It’s all very
Beatle-esque.</span
>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>In my imagination this week, I thought of myself watching </span
><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"
>Yellow Submarine</i
><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
as a kid with my siblings and my cousins. We were a bundle of energy back
then, likely bouncing off the walls before, during, and after we watched.
The reason? A very likely one is that there was so much potential for our
future, which eventually played out in fantastical ways for each of us. And
so, we were excited! The Beatles showcased this potential in their animated
selves. They helped unlock all that.</span
>
</p>
<p style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span
style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"
>- Pete</span
>
</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-65833080665663858002020-08-01T12:18:00.001-04:002020-08-02T09:08:16.563-04:00Fab Foundations # 31: “Here’s a Twist: Plastic Props”<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Working Class
Hero”</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album:<i> John Lennon</i>/<i>Plastic Ono Band</i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: December
1970</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 1987 </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> magazine celebrated its 20</span><sup style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
anniversary with 4 special issues. The boldest and finest of these was the
first: “The 100 Best Albums of the Last 20 Years”. From what I’ve researched,
it was one of the first times any music-centric publication had ever attempted
such a thing and would set a precedent for record retrospectives (and other
retrospectives for that matter) that continues to this day.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Throughout the 80s, I read </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> religiously, from
cover to cover (a crate or two of issues from that period still resides in my basement).
Needless to say, I sucked this special issue up. It had a huge influence on me,
affirming many of my own declarations regarding superb albums (the only thing I
was miffed by was that </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Quadrophenia</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was not included in the canon).
Better still, it introduced me to some great music from musicians I knew little
to nothing about (including Richard & Linda Thompson, Graham Parker, and
the Modern Lovers) as well as a handful of musicians/bands whom I’d already
connected with to some degree, but still had a steep learning curve to round
out my understanding of their significant contributions to the music world (for
example, several of Randy Newman’s discs that had previously slipped my
attention). Each album had a nice writeup explaining the reasoning behind its inclusion
and its hierarchical position. It was all very classily done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I recall now my being quite methodical in how I approached that
magazine the day it arrived in my mailbox. There would be no rapid-fire page
turning to see what made this special list and what did not. Instead, I treated
each page as if it were made of gold leaf, examining every detail and then
turning ever-so carefully. I liked how </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> approached the list
by starting at #1 and working down to #100, instead of the other way around.
Usually it’s better to “build up” to # 1, but here it worked the opposite because
this was a very exclusive list, and so, starting at #1, you would get the overall
gist of the concept right out of the gate. It was a concept that would not lose
its luster all the way through to #100 (T. Rex’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Electric Warrior</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#1 you ask? None other than the Beatles </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely
Hearts Club Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">. No surprise there, particularly if you’d been sucking in
rock music back in the 70s and 80s as much as I had, which included faithfully
tuning into “underground” rock radio stations such as WBCN on a regular basis.
The writeup made a very good case though, and I generally agreed with the
choice. However, if things continued along this “classic rock” trajectory, I
would have been disappointed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It did not.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Coming in at #2 was the Sex Pistols </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Never Mind the Bullocks</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
Wow! Ok, now this was suddenly getting very interesting. I began to understand that
the formula being used by </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was not so much about a popularity
contest, nor was it strictly about staying power. Factoring into the formula were
alternative albums that had the greatest effect on the music world at the time
of their release. The writeup on Johnny Rotten and his fellow punks was spot
on.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Rolling Stones </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Exile on Main Street</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> came in at #3. I
was already a big Stones fan in those years but had not yet sunk my teeth into
this incredible album, and so I was very curious. The insightful commentary
fueled that curiosity. By the time I wrote my </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stepping</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stones</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
blog series in 2012, I would fully understand why this </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">all-time-best</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Stones
album had been given such a lofty position (entry #17 of my </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stepping Stones</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
series explains how I became enlightened). Yes, an excellent choice.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Having tackled the top 3, I turned to the next page to see what #4
was, which ended up being the most pleasant surprise in that entire afternoon
of page turning: </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band; </i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lennon’s first solo
album after the Beatles break up. At that stage, I remember thinking that </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling
Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> must have put a lot of thought, effort, and coordination into this
list. </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> would top the Beatles “White Album” (# 9), Marvin
Gaye’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What’s Going On</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (# 10), Bob Dylan’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Blood on the Tracks</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (#
12), and the Who’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Who’s Next</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (# 22). It would come ahead of many other
fantastic choices too, as well as many that did not make the cut. During the
months prior, in anticipation for the arrival of this special-issue
retrospective, I wanted the list to include gems that the radio had not quite
figured out yet. Clearly this was what was playing out.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why did </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> get so highly ranked? I’m not
going to try to resurrect that special </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> issue at this time
to help me answer that question (although I know where it is). Instead I’m
going to rely on the insights that I arrived at this week as I listened, which
of course includes flashbacks from having played this album frequently in those
bygone years (after all, flashing back is what this overarching </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Music and
Memory</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> blog site is all about).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Plastic Ono Band</span></i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is one of the
starkest albums I have ever heard, which goes a long way to help explaining <i>Rolling
Stone’s</i> recognition of it. It lays out bare-naked John Lennon’s painfilled
emotions at the time (the word “pain” is used in 5 of 11 songs on the album and
could easily have been used in several others). Those troublesome emotions hit on
a range of topics, particularly in relation to Lennon’s being robbed of a
childhood through death (his Mom) and abandonment (both his parents). It’s a
therapy album (“primal scream therapy” to be precise), and we all get to hear
the patient bare his soul.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The album starts off with 4 tolls of a funeral bell, before John Lennon
launches into the gut-wrenching (yet, magnificent) song, “Mother”, whereby he
proceeds to say goodbye to her. In other words, “I’m done”. The album rarely
lets up from there. “Isolation” could just as easily have been titled “Ostracization”
…as in…’</span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yeah, well that’s what you get for going out on a limb with these hippie-like
dreams of peace and harmony, and in the process abandoning your Fab persona’</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
(generic establishment voices speaking there). The song “Well Well Well” is the
most difficult on the album to listen to emotionally, Lennon crying out in
childlike agony as he grapples with a world closing in on him.</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">One song after another takes on these themes of
isolation, abandonment, and pain (the only real bright spot is the song “Love”
which has the feel of therapeutic success).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The most melodic song on the album, “God”, is also the most jaded;
John Lennon disassociating himself from just about everything, including Christianity,
I-Ching, Buddha, Elvis, Zimmerman (Bob Dylan), the Queen of England, you name
it. In the end, the only thing left is “Yoko and me”. The lashing out in the
song culminates with </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“I don’t believe in Beatles!”</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">. I knew when I first heard
those lyrics that the subsequent line in the song, </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“the dream is over” </i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(of
a Beatles reunion ever happening), was a reality</span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The affirmation was so
clear. For John Lennon it was all part of the therapeutic process, but for many
Beatles fans it was a very cold shower indeed (which must have also been the
case for Paul McCartney when he first heard it).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">John Lennon clearly felt isolated at that time, but what he may
not have realized was that a new generation of 70s kids (like me) were hearing
him out, impressed by his courage and conviction in the face of intense
adversity. I may not have been fully on board (particularly in relation to his
lashing out at established Christianity), but I was there, man. I mean, if
there was ever someone in a position to do so, here was a guy who could rest on
his laurels. He’d conquered the world in the previous decade for goodness
sakes! But he stuck with his artistic self – his true self – in order to stay
on his personal path of wisdom. Who knows how it would have played out for John
Lennon had he lived beyond the age of 40? The dust was already settling down for
him by 1980 (when he was murdered).</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’d
like to think that by facing his fears and traumas head on with </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono
Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and other projects (including his second solo album, </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Imagine</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">), that
he would eventually come around to believing again in some of the good things
he was then condemning.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It’s funny, but when I listened as a kid, songs like “God”,
“Mother”, and “Isolation” were more about the quality of the music than they
were about the pain of lyrics (although both factored into why I was so
enthused to see that #4 recognition in </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone </i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">all those years ago).
I’m willing to hear others out on this next point, but when it comes to an
album like </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, my thinking is that when you are in your
formative years, your ears are more attuned to quality (the music) than the
thoughts being conveyed through the lyrics, particularly if you have been
blessed to have retained your youthful innocence up to that given point. Conversely,
when I listen now to </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, I connect more with the pain of
the lyrics than I do with the quality of the music (although my life has been
relatively wonderful) and so the songs tend to sound a bit more jarring.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The penultimate song on </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plastic Ono Band</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is “Working Class
Hero”, which fits right in with the general theme of the album, and maybe even
defines it. The song (about the trappings of falling in line to the whims of
the powers that be) is loaded with classic lines, but the one that draws me in
the most is </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“They hate you if you’re clever and they despise a fool”.</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’d like to think that on the occasion when
I’ve been put in that position - when my uniqueness has been challenged – that more
often than not I’ve dealt with it appropriately.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The one line I’ve always struggled with in “Working Class Hero” is
the one John Lennon uses to close the song: <i>“If you want to be a hero, well
just follow me”. </i>After all, isn’t
that the type of thing that Lennon advises against in “God”? The lyrical line had
a touch of hypocrisy about it. Well (well well), whaddaya know, this week I
stumbled across the official video for “Working Class Hero”, which was not
released until 2016. Check it out if you can because it’s a work of art ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMewtlmkV6c">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMewtlmkV6c</a><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ). Along with several other ‘modernized’ Beatles-related videos
(including one for “Here Comes the Sun” and another for “What is Life”), this one
is incredibly well-constructed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Anyhow, if you watch, note the “Strawberry Fields” visuals at the
beginning and ending (John Lennon’s escape from reality locale when he was growing
up in Liverpool). These visuals align with the lyrics, particularly the ending
with those aforementioned closing lines I was struggling with. The point is
clear: Run with your childhood imagination. It will take you to glorious places
that an overly-structured world could never hope to accomplish. Nicely done! In
one fell swoop, my jadedness to those lines disappeared.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That same imagination was there for me on that thought-provoking
day in the summer of 1987 when I slipped that special-issue of </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
magazine out of my mailbox. I was hoping my imagination would be satiated with
imagination and insight in those pages. </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> did not
disappoint. In turn, John Lennon did not disappoint them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0in 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-28910253158554283322020-07-25T12:22:00.001-04:002020-07-25T12:22:36.643-04:00Fab Foundations # 30: “Cover Story”<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Band on the
Run”</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Band on the Run</i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: December
1973</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My son Peter’s off-campus apartment had one solitary poster on the
wall of the living room this past year: A blowup of the Beatles </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
cover. Early this week, I tried to put this into proper perspective. Here’s one
way to look at it: Seeing as that album cover was 50-years old last year when
it adorned my son’s walls, it would have been comparable to me having a Duke
Ellington or Benny Goodman album-as-poster on my dorm wall in the early
80s.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If such a hypothetical were to have
actually happened, it’s likely I would have faced a bit of ridicule from my
peers. Not so with today’s youth. Having the cover of </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on your
living room wall this day and age is pretty hip. Yes, the Beatles are still
very much alive and well, thank you.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Beatles remain super popular not only because of their music.
Another big reason is that they were at the heart of a pop-culture revolution
that still remains quite viable. I grew up in an era when there was quality and
value in most anything you could purchase, from comic books to baseball cards,
matchbox cars to monster models, cereal-box prizes to lunch boxes. Even the
coins in your pocket had worth beyond face value (in comparison to the drab chemical
composition of today’s coins).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vinyl albums were certainly a fixture in pop culture too, which
included the picture sleeves. I used to love thumbing through people’s
collections, if only to spot some album cover that blew my mind, be it one I
was already familiar with, or one that I’d never seen before. Most of the
musicians had fun with all of this. Some of my favorite covers include Bob
Dylan & the Band’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Basement Tapes</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, the Allman Brothers </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eat a
Peach</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (the title a bit on the morbid side, seeing as Duane Allman had died
just prior to the making of the album after hitting a peach truck on his
motorcycle), the Who’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Who’s Next</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Pink Floyd’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wish You Were Here</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
and Neil Young’s </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">On the Beach</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And then there were the Beatles, with some of the most famous
album covers of all time. What follows are my top 5 Beatles-related picture
sleeves, and some explanation of why:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#1: The Beatles: </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abbey Road:</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is so much to view here. It was the end
of an era; the Beatles crossing Abbey Road in St John’s Wood, London, from the
known (the four of them as a collective entity) to the unknown (their
soon-to-be future as solo artists). </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">All
4 of them have an aura about them. There’s a sense that they have reached the
mountain top, and they indeed did, having just put one last-ditch concerted
effort into a masterstroke of an album, this amid all the turmoil that
surrounded them as the inevitable breakup loomed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As many of my fellow Boomers know, there is a lot of fun to be had
with this cover (which I had to bring to light for Peter and his roommates). The
fun of it did nothing to squelch the rumors at the time of Paul McCartney’s
death. In actuality it did everything to support those rumors. Afterall, is
this not a funeral procession? We’ve got John Lennon, in the front, dressed
quite dapper in an all-white suit, looking like a preacher. Behind him Ringo
Starr, in a more standard black suit, he the lone representative of
pallbearers. Next up, Paul McCartney, the corpse.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paul is walking out of step, smoking his last
cigarette, and barefoot (which is how many cultures bury their dead). Bringing
up the rear is George Harrison in jean jacket and slacks; the gravedigger.
Behind the Beatles is a car with the license plane </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>“LMW 28IF”</i></b><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">:</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Paul McCartney had just recently married Linda Eastman, and the initials </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>LMW</i></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
were interpreted as “Linda McCartney Widow”. The remainder meant that he would have
been</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>28</i></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> years old </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>IF</i></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> he were still alive. An
ambulance is there too to maybe suggest that it was McCartney who </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“blew his
mind out in a car”</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Freaky stuff,
man!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">No album cover is imitated more. Nancy and I attended a Beatles
cover-band show on Hampton Beach several years ago, and after the show the band
crossed Ocean Boulevard in single-file to take a stab at imitation themselves,
as the crowd parted and took photos. Iconic. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#2 The Beatles: </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sure, it was the music that grabbed me most when my parents
purchased this album in the early-mid 70s, but the cover art was not too far
behind. First and foremost, there were all those characters to identify (and
this in a time when there was no Google assistance). You could learn a lot
about modern history by spending just one hour researching the life of each
person depicted.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And then it was the Beatles themselves, both the early-day version
of the band (I like to think Ringo was doctored up to look like Pete Townshend)
and the then super-modern psychedelia version; the Fab Four in their eccentric
wardrobe, holding brass and woodwind instruments. I remember asking Dad about
the instrument in John Lennon’s hand. He told me it was the French Horn, and
that it was one of the most difficult instruments to learn. I found this very
intriguing. It asserted for me the Beatles mastery of their craft, because now
wasn’t just about guitars and drums; it was about anything they could get their
hands on!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#3 The Beatles: </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A masterful artistic rendering of the Beatles, which would play
out much later in equally masterful ways for both the Rolling Stones (the cover
of </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tattoo You</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">) and the Who (the cover of </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Face Dances</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">). The eyes
are what stand out here, particularly George Harrison’s. The artist (Klaus
Voorman) does an amazing job of tapping into the soul of each Beatle through
those eyes. Voorman was an ideal choice to do cover art, having been a very
close friend of the band since the heady Hamburg years (he would later play
bass in John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Many pop-culture writers point to Sgt Pepper as the album that
unleashed a wave of classic 60s album covers, but it really started with </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
The album-cover also unleashed other artistic ventures including poster art for
60s and 70s concert events at places like Fillmore East (and West) and the
Boston Tea Party. It was all creative, and unique, even classy. This fed into
all those other elements of pop culture too (comics, etc.), already discussed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#4 George Harrison: </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">All Things Must Pass</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gnomes, and Beatle George looking as hippie as hippie could look.
Please see Fab Foundations # 9 (“Liberated”) for further talking points about
the cover.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">#5 Paul McCartney and Wings: </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Band on the Run:</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Listening to this album all week for the first time in decades,
and looking at the cover, prompted the idea for this entry. I remember first
looking at it back in the 70s and saying to myself “hey, is that James Coburn?”
(my fandom of Colburn at the time was based primarily on his role in </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Great Escape</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yes, it most
certainly was, along with a number of other celebrity types, including, of
course Paul and Linda McCartney.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The cover is great fun - depicting McCartney and friends depicted
as prisoners caught in a spotlight during a jail break - but I also remember
thinking way-back-when, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">where are all the band members, the rest of Wings</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">?
Turns out half the band up and quit just as Paul McCartney was pulling the
album together (he would end up playing guitar, bass and drums on a number of
tracks). But why celebrities? Why not family members or fans or studio
assistants? Turns out there was a reason for this too.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I originally planned on putting “Let Me Roll It” on this week’s
blog-entry pedestal, but the song did not grab me as strongly as it did all
those years ago. Instead it was surprisingly the two big hits on the album that
I enjoyed the most, (which are also the first two tracks): “Band on the Run”,
and “Jet”, which was not at all the case when I first connected with the album
several years after its release. The difference this time around was that I
tapped more into the meaning of both songs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Band on the Run” sets the stage for the entire album. It’s
essentially about how, the more famous you become, the bigger the target on
your back. The Beatles certainly could attest to this in relation to drug busts,
their albums being burned in southern bonfires, the Nixonian wire-tapping of
the Lennon’s and the like. Here, Paul McCartney is pretty much asking the
question, why? What negative vibes did we bring to the table? None! It was all
positive, both in the music and the communal spirit. So why the backlash?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The lyrics in “Band on the Run” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjlvdcBAKdg"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjlvdcBAKdg</span></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ) that captured my imagination the most this week were:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“If I ever get out of here</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thought of giving it all away</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To a registered charity</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">All I need is a pint a day”</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There was no way I could relate to these lyrics as a kid. I had
not experienced the responsibilities of adulthood yet, which include both the
good (success) and the bad (materialism) that can come out of it. I can relate
now.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As for “Jet”, I used to turn the radio dial to another channel whenever
this song came on. But I enjoyed it this week. Am I getting soft in my old age?
Maybe a little, but again, it comes down to understanding the meaning now.
Several years ago, Paul McCartney finally admitted the song was about his
Father-in-Law (who he anonymously refers to as “Jet” in an effort to throw off
the scent). Despite all of McCartney’s success, he was very intimidated by
Linda McCartney’s Dad when they met and was in a never-ending quest for his
approval in the early years.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here too, I zeroed in on specific lyrics, in this case </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Ah
Mater, want Jet to always love me”.</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is yet another hint as to Paul McCartney’s faith leanings, seeing as “Ah Mater”
could easily be interpreted from the Latin term for Mother Mary (note to self:
I must loop back to the song “Let It Be” for a faith-reflecting entry soon).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Band on the Run</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> cover says a lot about Paul McCartney’s
personality. Of all the Beatles, McCartney had the most fun with his celebrity.
This came through in many ways, and one of the most telling was in his efforts
with album covers. It’s Beatle-Paul’s imagination that plays out for pretty much
all the Beatles famous album covers, including the three hilted here in this
entry: </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolver</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abbey</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Road</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, and </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sgt</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pepper</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
(if this were a “top 6” it would have included the </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">White</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Album</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
which also evolved through Paul, including the great folded poster tucked
inside).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Enthusiasm of celebrity carried into Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles
career too and even intensified. McCartney was the Beatle who embraced
super-sized concert tours the most. He was the Beatle to reach across musical
genera’s, connecting with other musical dignitaries in the worlds of jazz, big
band, crooning, you name it. He was the Beatle who most embraced the world of
filmmaking, in the process connecting with celebrity types in that realm too
(although Ringo Starr did the same as an actor, as did John Lennon in his early
years of fame).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I thought about this some during the past week, which got me
thinking, in the group setting that was the Beatles, they all kind of balanced
each other out with their personalities. No one personality became
overpowering. But when each went off on his own, that individuality played out
big time. This raised the question in my mind: Is it better to have the extreme
of yourself squelched by working collectively with others, or is it better to
take your individuality as far as it can go?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I think the former, but I’ll have to tap more into that thought at
a later date. For now, all I really want to do is queue up </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Band on the Run</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
one last time, stare at that album cover, and think to myself, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“whatever
happened to James Coburn anyways?”</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>- </i>Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-27976461022358678632020-07-18T09:10:00.002-04:002020-07-19T09:34:05.562-04:00Fab Foundations # 29: “A Second Wind for the Young Dude in Me”<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">(Personal reflections inspired by Beatles songs)</span></span></b>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></span></b>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Song: “Magneto and Titanium Man”</span></span></b>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Album: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venus and Mars</i></span></span></b>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Release Date: May 1975</span></span></b>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In grade school, I was one of the youngest in my class, so upon setting off
for continuing education at North Adams State College (now the Massachusetts
College of Liberal Arts) in western Massachusetts on a late-summer morning
in 1980, I was just several days past my 18</span><sup style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
birthday. Add 2 years, and I was still (barely) a teenager when I started my
junior year a few weeks earlier than normal, having accepted an invitation
to attend school at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, on an exchange
program. I start this entry with this age-frame factoid, because it gives
the remainder of the writeup the proper mindset for me to build on.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My time in Canada can best be described as rejuvenating. The two prior
years in North Adams had exhilarating moments for sure, but in general those
years tended to pull me away from….me. Freshman year, I was living off
campus with four not-so-likeable roommates, who would end up being footnotes
in my life (each of them difficult to connect with for a myriad of unique
reasons, and now, as I think about it, they didn’t like each other either,
which made it all the harder to make inroads). Sophomore year was a little
better because I was on campus in a funky then-modern townhouse. My
roommates were somewhat better too (one was a holdover from the year
before).</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But again, the comradery (or lack thereof) was nothing to write home about.
I spent most of my free time that year hanging out with a group of seven
guys I’d met the year before in another townhouse (address: TH #1). This was
one tough crowd; we kept each other on our toes with wit and sarcasm. Yet,
despite the bunker-mentality friendship among us, “TH1” gave me what I
needed at the time, which was a distraction from a prolonged
hometown-relation breakup (the only guy in the TH1 crew who could
commiserate with me about this, Kurt, appropriately turned out to be a
lifelong friend, which qualifies as my # 1 take-home from those two years –
with #2 being my deep-dive into the music of the Who and # 3 being the
education).</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That North Adams environment worked for me for a spell, but it was not
sustainable. Slowly I found myself drifting, losing touch with </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">the</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Real Me;</i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that young dude who exuded confidence only several years earlier. Much of
that confidence was built on youthful innocence. Yes, it’s inevitable that
we all lose this – at least to some degree - but for me it was happening too
fast. Subconsciously, I knew that I needed to find the kid in me again
before it was too late. This sixth sense gave me the courage that I needed
to try something new, and so I researched foreign exchange programs (which
was a relatively uncommon phenomenon in the early 80s) and landed myself in
Canada’s Capital (I was also accepted to 3 other Canadian schools as part of
a ‘package offering’ as well as one school in Australia…the latter – though
very enticing - proving a bit too costly to travel to, which turned out to
be a blessing in disguise).</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now, just because I was trying something new did not mean it was going to
work. Sure, I knew Canada better than your ‘Average USA Joe’. Heck, I even
knew Ottawa, having been blown away when I visited the city while on a
family trip several years earlier (which gave Ottawa an upper hand over
other Canadian locales when I had to choose the exchange-program school I
wanted to attend). But living there was another matter.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If I thought more about it though I would have realized I was on to
something, because one big reason I thoroughly enjoyed Ottawa upon my first
visit - aside from the Rideau Canal, Parliament Hill, Embassy Row and the
museums - was the warmth by which my family and I were greeted by my Mom’s
(and in turn, my) second cousins, who managed the Lord Elgin Hotel downtown
and gave us an insider tour of the city like no other. Turns out my
relative’s demeanor was not the exception in Ottawa – or Canada for that
matter – it was the rule. And so, what I did not realize as I packed my
luggage for that Great White North journey was that I’d hit the jackpot with
my underlying objectives; rediscovering the 1970s homeboy in me, including
that wonderful young-dude innocence I was searching for.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Canada is a relatively young country by world standards…. it’s only been
independent from Great Britain since 1867. One thing I learned that
school-year in Ottawa was that the newness of the country is reflected in
the youthful spirit of the people. I typically get a slight pull in the
opposite direction when meeting people from long-established countries like
France, Spain, Egypt, or Greece. At the risk of over-generalizing, people
from those countries often come across as more aged and wiser to the ways of
the world than I, which has its benefits, but also its drawbacks. Relative
to this, I frequently find that, like most of us, folks from these older
countries feel it necessary to go to bat for their nation’s past, in a
patriotic sort of way. Every longstanding country has a storied past, some
of it good, some of it not so much. Canada is on the low end of the storied
spectrum, which works well for its people. In other words, there’s not a lot
of baggage.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I showed up on the Carleton University campus at the beginning of a
week-long orientation, which included a tug-of-war over the Rideau Canal
(which months later I would be skating on) and a super-sized pub-crawl
competition across the city. It was all a blast. The early arrival worked
well in another way too: I would end up meeting my suite-mates and other
fellow floor-mates at a casual clip, as they came trickling in steadily
throughout the week. This gave me a chance to connect with most of them on a
case-by-case basis.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The first person I met in any substantive way was my suite-mate Steve
Vance, who gave me the immediate impression that my Ottawa relatives were
not alone in their warm ways.</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Steve was a lovable giant of a guy (still is) and loyal (almost to a
fault). We hit it off right away, he, taking me under his wing as his
“American” buddy, and me willing to listen before being heard (Canadians
appreciate this from their neighbors to the South, particularly when we are
on their home turf). As the week went on, I would connect with a handful of
other guys who would prove to be longstanding friends, including Luc, Pat,
Tom, and Ed. I’d have to write a dissertation to explain the chemistry that
formulated between us in the subsequent weeks and months and years. For the
sake of the standard length of these blog entries however, I’ll leave it at
that.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">One of the last suite-mates to arrive that week was Bob Mainguy, fancy
cowboy boots and all. Within four years, the two of us would be travelling
across Europe together for an entire summer, but in those first few days we
were gauging each other out. One thing I homed in on while gauging was Bob’s
meagre record collection; 5 or 6 albums at best. This was not because Bob
could not afford records, it was because, well …. he had a lot to learn
about music. I came to this conclusion pretty quickly after posing a few
basic questions to Bob about his Rock & Roll interests, which got some
very naïve feedback (to this day, we laugh about this gulf in our musical
interests).</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One album Bob had in his collection (the only one I remember) was Paul
McCartney & Wings <i>Venus and Mars</i>. This piqued my curiosity,
seeing as it was an album that I did not know much about by an extremely
popular musician who I admired. I asked if I could pop it on the turntable.
The music played in the background as we talked over it, but then a song got
my attention. It was the 5<sup>th</sup> cut on the disk; “Magneto and
Titanium Man” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHz_7e7yluM"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHz_7e7yluM</span></span></a><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remembered the song from
somewhere in my past, and I liked it. I grabbed the album cover and
proceeded to look at the inner sleeve, as I was always wont to do when
listening to music I liked back in the day.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<font face=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Frequently over the ensuing weeks, when visiting Bob in his room, I would
pop that album back on the turntable, if only to listen to “Magneto and
Titanium Man”. Something was stirring inside me. It was that something I’d
left behind when I set off for North Adams two years earlier. What first
came to light in this reconnect was the most obvious, relating directly to
the song and its title: Comic books. Along with several of my closest
friends back home, I was an avid comic-book collector for about 5 years,
which ended abruptly (both physically and mentally) when I left home. One
comic book I collected was the X-Men, and anyone who knows about this
mutant group knows that Magneto is their most arch of </span>arch-villains<span style="font-size: 12pt;">. I told Bob about my comic collection. He then told me about his.</span></font>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That rekindling of my comic-book memories was just the tip of the iceberg
because Bob, Steve, Luc and many other of my fellow dorm-mates turned out to
be interested in most anything I had to tell them, and I willingly
reciprocated the interest. There was no posturing. No grandstanding. No mind
games. They got me into “poker dice” (one of the coolest competitive games
I’ve ever played). I got them into the Who. They got me into a brand new
Canadian game called “Trivial Pursuit” (man, I should have put stock in that
one). I got them into wearing bandanas. They got me into Hull, Quebec City
(Winter Carnival) and Arnprior. I got them into Boston, Vermont, and Cape
Cod. They showed me how to crack open a bottle of beer on a fire hydrant. I
showed them how to crack open a beer with my teeth (not recommended for you
kiddies at home).</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There was NHL Hockey to immerse into (which was part of the scene in North
Adams too, but not quite as intense). Wayne Gretzky was king of Canada’s
world at the time (looking back, it’s fascinating that he was often excluded
as a player-choice in gambling pools because he was so prolific). The Bruins ended up with
the President’s Trophy that year - which gave me bragging rights the whole
season - but they would end up losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion
New York Islanders in the playoffs. My conversations with my hockey-loving
brethren - which included a mutually-rich understanding of NHL history - was
extremely rewarding (several Montreal Canadien and Toronto Maple Leaf fans
in the dorms were surprised that I knew so much about their teams).</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The young dude in me was back. The fact of the matter was, I still had
quite a bit of it in me. Thankfully, I had been reinvigorated by my
new-found friends. These Canadian buddies let me be myself.</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Counter-intuitively, this helped me grow in many ways. I was released from
the shackles of conformity and self-doubt. I could see clearly now. There
would be no turning back.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Upon returning to Ottawa after winter break, I brought along my X-Men
comic-book collection (~ 50 comics in all). First Bob, and then Steve, ate
the entire series up in short order (I envied the fact that they could read
the comics back to back, where I would have to wait a month for each
release). Many years later it would be oh so cool to see this super-hero
group explode on the big screen (side note: Stan Lee came up with the
concept of an ostracized mutant group to subliminally point out the
immorality of discrimination to the youth of the world. It worked for
me).</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Living on the Carleton University campus that year was somewhat like being
in a comic book. I was the one guy in the entire complex from the States and
I took this situation seriously, knowing I was representing an entire
country with my presence. There was a lot interest in me. One guy called my
“Yank”, another half-jokingly referred to me as the “F**cking
American”.</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">For the most part I kept my “American” opinion to myself. Heck, I didn’t
even like the term “American”. Some of my Canadian brethren felt that way
too. “Aren’t we all Americans” a friend stated one time. She had a point. I
found out Canadians got frustrated that people from the States knew little
or nothing about Canada, where Canadians knew quite a bit about us (even the
Canadian news had significant coverage of things happening in the States).
And so, I listened. I believe I served my country well in the process.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why do I discuss this all in my blog series? Well, it all ties into my 70’s
upbringing, which is core to this blog site’s mission. Without that
reawakening year in Canada, I would never have gained the proper perspective
to roll something like this out.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Venus and Mars</span></i><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
was an enjoyable revisit this week. Other songs I reconnected with on it
were “Rock Show”- which has vocals in the bridge that may very well have
inspired the cult-classic <i>Rocky Horror Picture Show -</i> and “Listen to
What the Man Says” which may be the most overt (or even the only) song that
Paul McCartney ever sang about God.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But as was the case all those years ago in Bob’s dorm room, it was mostly
about “Magneto and the Titanium Man” this week. It’s a joy of a song to
listen to. I recommend it, especially for you fellow comic-book lovers out
there. Clearly, Paul McCartney was a comic-book fan too: Magneto was well
known in comic circles, but not so the more obscure Titanium Man or Crimson
Dynamo (another villain sung about in the lyrics of the song).</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What I got most out of listening this week, however, was the reassurance
that the young dude in me is still alive and thriving. My Canadian
experience is a big reason why.</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">- Pete</span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in -22.5pt 0pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This entry is dedicated to all my Canadian Brethren.</span>
</div>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8277067200507366709.post-59762141527277744782020-07-12T07:26:00.001-04:002020-07-12T07:26:51.693-04:00Fab Foundations # 28: “The Power of Persuasion”<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #31849b; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">(Personal reflections
inspired by Beatles songs)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Song: “Handle with
Care”</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Album: <i>Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1</i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><b><span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Release Date: October
1988</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After listening to </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">All Things Must Pass</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> all of last week, I
am feeling on a roll with Beatle George, so I’ll stick with him for another
entry.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The nicest Beatles-related surprise for me in this ever-growing
post-Beatles (PB) period we live in, was not John Lennon’s last studio album
(although that was a very pleasant surprise after his 5-year “house husband”
hiatus from releasing music to the public), or their near-Beatles quasi-reunion
(sans John, who may have been there in spirit) to record 3 tracks for </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Anthology
1</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in 1995, or the fabulous “Concert for George” after Harrison’s death, or Paul
McCartney and friends masterful performance of the latter-part of the </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abbey
Road</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> side-2 medley at the “Concert for Montserrat” in 1997. No, it was none
of these. Rather, it was George Harrison’s 2</span><sup style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> wind with the
Travelling Wilburys.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Wilburys were such a wonderful breath of fresh air in 1988,
after nearly a decade of music being dominated by big hair and techno pop.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just the fact that five of the coolest
musicians on the planet – George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison,
and Jeff Lynne – decided to unite as a super group was in and of itself
surreal.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What really made it great,
however, was the music they wrote together, which may have on its own prompted
the death spiral of 80s plasticity.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison looked so comfortable as a member of the
Travelling Wilburys. Makes sense, doesn’t it? After all, he grew up in a super
band. He knew what collaboration meant. George was also very close with his
fellow Wilbury’s, particularly the guy who probably knew the least of what it
was like to be an equal-member ensemble: Bob Dylan. The longstanding
relationship between Harrison and Dylan is, in my mind, what made the
Travelling Wilburys work. Only Beatle George could bring out the “bandmate” in “The
Bard”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It should come as no surprise that of the Fab Four, it was Beatle
George who Bob Dylan grew closest with. George Harrison’s quiet demeanor,
integrity, and quest for a higher spiritual meaning in life are all traits that
would appeal to Dylan.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Harrison also had
an underdog status in the Beatles, which seems to appeal to Bob Dylan as well,
seeing as he grew closer to both Brian Jones and Ronnie Wood than he did to
their dominant songwriting bandmates, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison had another character trait however, and that was
an uncanny ability to persuade. It may not have worked so well in the
leadership structure of the Beatles, partly because George was the youngest in
the group and partly because his song-writing ability took longer to develop
than the team of Lennon & McCartney (hence the underdog status). Harrison’s
persuasive powers were evident early on, however. He convinced the Beatles to
travel to India to practice Transcendental Meditation with the Maharishi (where
many of their great “White Album” songs were written). After the Beatles broke
up, his Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 was the first ever superstar Rock
fundraiser.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">George did most of the
recruiting, including getting a then-reclusive Bob Dylan to sign on.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And it worked again in the late 80s in his recruitment for the
Travelling Wilburys. At the time, Harrison was in the process of a minor career
revival with the then-recent release of his “comeback” album, </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cloud Nine</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
(which was where, by the way, my 2</span><sup style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> grade teacher, Sister Margaret
Ester, would often derogatorily tell me I resided). George was interested in
playing the game again, in much the same manner as John Lennon was just before
he was murdered. Normally, George Harrison’s nature would be to recoil against
the notion of a supergroup and the fanfare that would come along with it. But
here he was diving headlong into it. This likely fascinated Bob Dylan and rest
of the Wilburys. Here most certainly was a strange twist of fate. An ephemeral
George-mood to capture before it disappeared. How could you resist.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The five Wilburys weave their uniquely-gifted talents beautifully
on their first album </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (the only album they
did with Roy Orbison, who died not soon after its release). It comes across in
their writing styles, which (thank goodness) was captured on film (this can all
be can be viewed on the DVD component of </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Travelling Wilburys Collection</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">).
One thing I got from watching the video was that the five of them were all
learning from each other’s approach to songwriting. George Harrison, in very
Beatles-like fashion, wrote some of his lyrics by compiling them from newspaper
clippings. Jeff Lynne took cues from a drumbeat. Roy Orbison erected novel
approaches to his lovely vocals with each take of a given song. Tom Petty took
in everything around him and applied on impulse. Bob Dylan immersed himself in
his hand-written notes, which evolved rapidly and masterfully into lyric and
song (in the process amazing his bandmates).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The blending of talents comes through from the very beginning of
the album, and it all gets funneled through George.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Handle with Care” was the first song the
Wilburys constructed together.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Everyone
shines on it. The song has an upbeat tempo and some positive affirmation, but
it also has heavy lyrics to contemplate, including “</span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">reputations changeable</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">”
and “</span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’ve been fobbed off and I’ve been fooled</i><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">”.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">These are not happy-go-lucky pop lyrics. This
is harsh reality speaking; about how you can suddenly find yourself in a
vulnerable situation after years of success. As George Harrison and company
sing in the refrain, its times like this where we need good love the most (a
sentiment which is also reflected in the song title).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The official video for “Handle with Care” ( </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4s1KVJaVA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4s1KVJaVA</a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ) was very alluring when it first came out on MTV, for anyone who
grew up in the 70s and loved Rock music (side note: Who/what is that shrouded
figure behind drummer Jim Keltner at the 2:30-2:33 clip? It captures my
attention). George Harrison looks elated to be singing in an equal ensemble
again. Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne look mesmerized, almost in shock that this is
happening. Roy Orbison’s vocals are as angelic as ever. Bob Dylan is cool, calm
and collected, and we get to see in this all-too-fleeting band that he could be
a team player. The vocals are the best part of the video. They all take
center-stage at one moment or another. They all do their part to lift the song
up to higher ground.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Travelling Wilbury’s opened so many doors for me. My interest
in Bob Dylan skyrocketed afterwards. So too did my concert attendance. I still
say that 1989 was the pinnacle of live Rock music, and I was sucking it all in,
attending multiple shows, both big and small throughout that magical year. It
also kindled my then simmering belief that anything is possible. Maybe it did
so for the Who and the Rolling Stones too, each of whom reunited not soon after
(both bands were a big part of that 1989 concert-attendance magic-carpet-ride
of mine).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">George Harrison gets much of the credit for forming the Travelling
Wilburys (with some credit going to Jeff Lynne) and so, in turn one could make
the argument that he injected a second burst of wonderful energy into the
Rock-music world and Western-youth culture in general (the first of course was
with the Fab Four). In subsequent years, we would see the birth of grunge and
the revival of both Bob Dylan’s and Neil Young’s songwriting mastery. That’s
what such success does: It creates a chain reaction.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The power of persuasion can be a wonderful thing (it can also be
disastrous if used in Machiavellian ways). I contemplated this some over the
past week. George Harrison was loved by many people, including his fellow
Travelling Wilburys. He had a soft touch. He had humor. He had empathy. He had
knowledge as to the real meaning of life. All of these contribute to inspiring
other seekers of truth and to them wanting to be with him and to do wonderful
things themselves.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most of all, however George Harrison knew love…. a Beatles “keyword”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That’s really where persuasion exists; in love.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: -22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">- Pete</span></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02839656868192732415noreply@blogger.com0