even though its a SOUNDTRACK to the RICHARD LESTER-directed MUSICAL COMEDY CYNNICALLY cross-promoted to EXPLOIT their GROWING GLOBAL FANBASE, in my ESTIMATION their THIRD RECORDED EFFORT A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (PARLOPHONE, 1964) is the EFFECTIVE STARTING POINT of THE BEATLES as a generationally TRANSCENDENT CREATIVE ENTITY, not least of which is because it is their FIRST ALBUM to be comprised ENTIRELY of ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS by the SONGWRITING DUO of JOHN LENNON and PAUL MCCARTNEY.  sorry folks, no GEORGE HARRISON SONGS on this one. previously on their first two ALBUMS PLEASE PLEASE ME (PARLOPHONE, 1963) and WITH THE BEATLES (PARLOPHONE, 1963) nearly half their SONGS OFFERINGS were COVERS of STANDARDS and POP HITS of the day.

given that A HARD DAY'S NIGHT was still very much EARLY DAYS in their much-STORIED CAREER pre-RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965), before they branched out both SONICALLY and THEMATICALLY with their SONGWRITING, many of these TRACKS including "I'M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU," "AND I LOVE HER" "A HARD DAY'S NIGHT," "CAN'T BUY ME LOVE" and "IF I FELL" are still very much of the ROMANTIC and LOVE-themed VARIETY.  the HIGHLIGHT of these SONGS is not necessarily LYRICAL, but the SOPHISTICATION and EARNESTNESS of the MELODIES, notwithstanding the MAGICAL VOCAL INTERPLAY of LENNON and MCCARTNEY.  INTERESTINGLY, and this is a THROUGH-LINE for much of these EARLY BEATLES PUPPY LOVE TRACKS on SEVERAL RELEASES, there is an EVIDENT VEIN of MISOGYNY in SPECIFIC A HARD DAY'S NIGHT TRACKS like "YOU CAN'T DO THAT," "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER," "TELL ME WHY," "I'LL BE BACK" and "THINGS WE SAID TODAY" which are centered around ISSUES of GENDER POWER DYNAMICS and CONTROL.  to say such are PROBLEMATIC in a CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT is putting it very LIGHTLY, but back in the early 1960s this TYPE of TOXIC MALE AGGRIEVEMENT over supposedly UNFAITHFUL or SUBSERVIENT-enough LOVE INTERESTS and/or FEMALE COMPANIONS was no doubt the NORM.  its more than a little CRINGE-INDUCING to take the SONGS at FACE VALUE given the MASSIVE GLOBAL CULTURAL PHENOMENON that continues UNABATED to this day that is THE BEATLES, but im just being HONEST here.  i love this ALBUM, but i recognize that the LYRICAL CONTENT that is the VEHICLE for those ENCHANTING MELODIES are not PERFECT by any means.

which is HUMOROUS because, again as a FILM SOUNDTRACK, this ALBUM was meant to be LIGHT-HEARTED and FUN.  reportedly the highly UNCONVENTIONAL and NONSENSICAL title itself originated from a RINGO STARR-concocted MALAPROPISM regarding the need for more sleep given how understandably HECTIC their SCHEDULE was at the time.  arguably only ELVIS PRESLEY had dealt with SIMILAR PRESSURES of THE BEATLES as everything they did is the first link in a chain that SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS of MUSICIANS have studied and learned from, both MUSICALLY and in TERMS of the BUSINESS.  you also have to remember that their ENTIRE CAREER in the spotlight was less than a decade long and that each ALBUM was essentially the NEXT BATCH of WRITTEN SONGS that calendar year, notwithstanding STANDALONE non-album SINGLES with B-SIDES released every few months.  the fact that these RECORDS, especially the early ones, are so CONSISTENT and MELODICALLY and COMPOSITIONALLY VARIED and SOPHISTICATED is a TESTAMENT to the BAND as QUALITY MUSICIANS and SONGWRITERS.  not to be an APOLOGIST, but the fact that some UNFORTUNATE CHAUVINISM crept in as well to me is ANOTHER SIGN of how QUICK the CREATIVE PROCESS was and how LITTLE TIME they had to SECOND-GUESS THEMSELVES.  it is nothing like the CURRENT 2-3 year RECORDING-TOURING CYCLE that most MODERN GLOBALLY SUCCESFUL ACTS adhere to in order maintain their AUDIENCE's ATTENTION.  THE BEATLES released thirteen ALBUMS in seven years, from 1963-1970. 

its INSANE.

and more so than their INITIAL two EFFORTS, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT is the first stop on that EFFECTIVE TRAIN that CULTURALLY altered everything in the 20th century and provided the QUINTESSENTIAL MODEL of what ROCK AND ROLL was moving forward.  saying that, obviously its much RECOMMENDED if not REQUIRED listening in my OPINION.  just try to look past the CRINGEY PARTS.

much as SOUND CITY (ROSWELL FILMS, 2013) was a CLOSE EXAMINATION of the ANALOG RECORDING PROCESS as a FOUNDATIONAL, EQUALIZING EXPERIENCE for MUSICIANS , the more RECENT WHAT DRIVES US (ROSWELL FILMS, 2021) is a COMPANION DOCUMENTARY that similarly finds DIRECTOR and FOO FIGHTERS FRONTMAN DAVE GROHL investigating the TOURING EXPERIENCE as a BEDROCK PURSUIT that both galvanizes and connects all WORKING MUSICIANS regardless of GENRE or STATUS.  as HENRY ROLLINS of HARDCORE PUNK ROCK ICONS BLACK FLAG made FAMOUS with his GET IN THE VAN: ON THE ROAD WITH BLACK FLAG (2.13.61, 1994) MEMOIR, the EXPERIENCE of TOURING endlessly throughout the country in a CONGESTED, OVERLOADED, FAR-TOO-INTIMATE PASSENGER VAN of some VARIETY was a VERITABLE RIGHT OF PASSAGE.  it is an ARDUOUS yet REWARDING PROCESS that all SUCCESSFUL MUSICIANS from a pre-internet age, until recently, went through at some PHASE in their CAREER and connects EVERYONE from U2 to AC/DC, SLAYER to DEAD KENNEDYS, BLACK FLAG to THE BEATLES.

and GROHL makes that INTERCONNECTION between GENERATIONS of MUSICIANS intimately CLEAR as day with what has to be one of the most ECLECTIC and beyond IMPRESSIVE INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT LIST i have ever witnessed, including all THEN-CURRENT MEMBERS of the FOO FIGHTERS, BRIAN JOHNSON (AC/DC), THE EDGE (U2), FLEA (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), ANNIE CLARK (ST. VINCENT), PETE STAHL (SCREAM), IAN MACKAYE (MINOR THREAT, FUGAZI), EXENE CERVENKA (X), STEVEN TYLER (AEROSMITH), DAVE LOMABARDO (SLAYER), D.H. PELIGRO (DEAD KENNEDYS), BEN HARPER, SLASH & DUFF MCKAGAN (GUNS N ROSES), KIRA ROESSLER (BLACK FLAG), TONY KANAL (NO DOUBT), CHARLIE GABRIEL (PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND), JENNIFER FINCH (L7) and MIKE WATT (MINUTEMEN) as well as MEMBERS of EMERGING BANDS RADKEY and STARCRAWLER and even RINGO STARR (THE BEATLES).  yes, he even got a freakin' BEATLE to talk about the CRUCIAL ETIQUETTE of admitting when one  has farted in the VAN to avoid DISCONTENT and ARGUMENTS therein.  GREAT STUFF.

but the CENTRAL QUESTION is why?  why leave literally EVERYTHING behind? and why bother with all that HEADACHE and UNCERTAINTY.  WHAT DRIVES US seems to argue that the ANSWER lies in BOTH. 

you RECORD and put out a PRODUCT (maybe) and then take the SHOW on the road as a PROVING GROUND of sorts.  putting your CREATIVE EFFORTS into action and possibly experienced that EUPHORIC MOMENT of having a genuine RECIPROCATED REACTION from a PAYING AUDIENCE.  the TOURING EXPERIENCE completes that CYCLE and is at the very essence of what it means to be a MUSICIAN.  its probably the same REASON SAILORS for centuries took to the UNKNOWN, with its INHERENT PHYSICAL and FINANCIAL RISKS, in search of GLORY.  pre-FILE SHARING and STREAMING was the IDEA that TOURING supported ALBUM SALES, but such EXPECTATIONS have been completely INVERTED for the past two decades whereby NEW RELEASES are an EASY EXCUSE to TOUR as extensively as possible and hopefully make a PROFIT to live off of in the PROCESS. 

that is the DREAM at least. 

it seemed before that there were a few TRAJECTORIES at play.  first, you stayed at the VAN-level of TOURING your ENTIRE CAREER, which is undoubtedly the vast majority of MUSICIANS.  the next is that you rise to a somewhat COMFORTABLE LEVEL of TOURING with LONGEVITY right above the VAN-level, which is the case with MIKE WATT or X for example.  thereafter there is the ladder of COMFORT up to SHARED BUSES and SEPARATE BUSES and the like for massively PROFITABLE TOURING OUTFITS like NO DOUBT, GUNS N' ROSES, U2, METALLICA or AEROSMITH.  WHAT DRIVES US interestingly makes the COGENT POINT that no NEW ACTS in the past twenty years have reached that TOP-LEVEL , ELITE STRATA, instead being somewhere in that decidedly more MODEST, MIDDLE GROUND.  at least before in THEORY there was the NOTION that TOURING in a VAN might lead somewhere.  now not so much.

which is why i felt the most IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVES in the FILM were that of EMERGING BANDS in RADKEY and STARCRAWLER, who both see TOURING devoid of CREATURE COMFORTS for months on end in IDEALISTIC TERMS.  the DIY-level TOURING EXPERIENCE is a means of proving their INTENT and their CRAFT to the MASSES.  in spite of their being more DIGITAL COMPETITION in the ENTERTAINMENT SPACE, the almost ELEMENTAL, VISCERAL EXPERIENCE from both the PERFORMER and AUDIENCE PERSPECTIVE cannot be replicated online or shared in a file.  it is an ELUSIVE once-in-a-lifetime MOMENT that has the POTENTIAL to change lives.  those two young BANDS seem to be TRUE BELIEVERS no doubt.

and that is the OBJECTIVE and the payoff.  and the REASON to leave home and TOUR despite all the OBSTACLES, CHALLENGES and off-stage BULLSHIT.  it is a BELIEF in the POWER of the MUSIC itself.

how does one follow-up on a CULTURAL PHENOMENON?

its something that ARTISTS of commercially and artistically SUCCESSFUL bands have been struggling with since ever.  sometimes that ASCENDENT TRAJECTORY continues UNABATED like with NEW ORDER after JOY DIVISION, FOO FIGHTERS after NIRVANA, PEARL JAM after MOTHER LOVE BONE, GORILLAZ after BLUR, or THE BREEDERS after THE PIXIES.  other times it goes the other way like AUDIOSLAVE after RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, MEGADETH after METALLICA or THE RACONTEURS after THE WHITE STRIPES.  needless to say, its always a CREATIVE and FINANCIAL RISK to mess with or alter that UNIQUE CHEMISTRY that resulted in SUCCESS.   but these ACTS are relatively small time.

what do you do if the band you are following up on is THE BEATLES?

in the case of JOHN LENNON, you use that platform as an opportunity to move forward and create some of the most EXPERIMENTAL, and frankly UNCOMMERCIAL, MUSIC of the period by any MAJOR RECORDING ARTIST with the assembling of THE PLASTIC ONO BAND with his WIFE, JAPANESE AVANT GARDE CONCEPTUAL ARTIST YOKO ONO.  its a SIMILAR TACT that GEORGE HARRISON undertook as well post-BEATLES with his subsequent SOLO ALBUMS which delved deeper and deeper into his INTIMATELY-FELT CONNECTION with HINDU MYSTICISM and INDIAN MUSIC in general.  COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS be DAMNED.  such was not the case with PAUL MCCARTNEY who seemed unable to establish a VOICE after the DISSOLUTION of THE BEATLES and spent most of his decades-long career creating MEDIOCRE PABLUM that bordered from the SCHMALTZY to absolute CRINGE.

but back to LENNON. 

​his FOLLOW-UP RELEASE to the WILD EXPERIMENTALISM of his SOLO DEBUT JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND (APPLE, 1970) was the more SUBDUED and SONG-DRIVEN VEHICLE IMAGINE (APPLE, 1971), which has continually been ranked as one of the great albums of all-time by PROMINENT BOOMER CULTURAL PUBLICATIONS and is widely considered an EQUAL alongside his TOP BEATLES OUTPUT.  it should be said that many of these SONGS are rooted in UNUSED MELODIES and PARTIAL STEMS OF TRACKS dating back to the LATER BEATLES years, as was the case with most of the MEMBERS' first few SOLO RELEASES.  contributing to the sessions were VARIOUS MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, FRIENDS and HIRED GUNS ranging from GEORGE HARRISON to KLAUS VOORMAN (noted for his ILLUSTRATED REVOLVER cover art), ALAN WHITE (YES), MIKE PINDER (THE MOODY BLUES), TED TURNER (WISHBONE ASH), JIM GORDON (DEREK & THE DOMINOS) and JOEY MOLLAND and TOM EVANS of BADFINGER, a recent APPLE RECORDS SIGNEE.  IMAGINE was coproduced by LENNON, ONO and the FAMED WALL OF SOUND PRODUCER PHIL SPECTOR.  the title track "IMAGINE" is one of the most UBIQUITOUS and CELEBRATED SONGS ever written, but also grossly MISUNDERSTOOD.  it is often MISUSED as a WARM, FUZZY PEAN to all things UNITY, PEACE, HARMONY and KUMBAYA, when in actuality it is anything but.  LENNON himself understood this mistake and stated it was "virtually the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO" in interviews, as the TRACK considers a WORLD FREE of GOVERNMENT, RELIGION, POSSESSIONS, HUNGER and GREED (i.e. CAPITALISM), and calls instead for a VISION of the EQUAL BROTHERHOOD OF HUMANITY to take its place.  i feel like this is LOST on everyone, the public and ARTISTS alike, who ABUSE such when doing TELEVISED CHARITY FUNDRAISERS for PANDEMIC and WORLD DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS.   its almost CLICHE at this point and just plain LAZY.  maybe they should do "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD" by LOUIS ARMSTRONG instead.  just saying. 

"IMAGINE" is undoubtedly the TRANSCENDENT BEHEMOTH of a TRACK on LENNON's LEGENDARY second post-BEATLES RELEASE, but its not the only GREAT SONG. 

"JEALOUS GUY" is one of the most achingly BEAUTIFUL, and quite frankly REALISTIC, EXPRESSIONS of the PAIN and inner TURMOIL that comes with being in a LOVING RELATIONSHIP, where one is constantly reevaluating their own MOTIVES, EXPECTATIONS, PERSONAL HISTORIES and INSECURITIES regarding such.  its an admission of GUILT and acknowledgement of IMPERFECTION, as well as an INTRIGUING declaration of INTENT.  lyrically the SPEAKER is seeking GREATER INTIMACY with their SIGNIFICANT OTHER in spite of their FLAWS.  in my mind that is pretty TIDY DESCRIPTION of what constitutes a MATURE RELATIONSHIP based on OPEN DIALOGUE. 

"OH YOKO!" is a BUOYANT FOLKSY TUNE that effectively showcases the ENERGY and PASSION of a NEW RELATIONSHIP.  it is so ENDEARING, and not in a contrived SACCHARINE MANNER, that i have a hard time listening to it in light of LENNON's DEMISE and the UNSPEAKABLE PAIN that came with his LOSS by his LOVED ONES, not limited to ONO herself.  same EXCRUCIATING DYNAMIC with "BEAUTIFUL BOY" off of his FINAL ALBUM, DOUBLE FANTASY (GEFFEN, 1980). 

"GIMME SOME TRUTH" is an pointedly ACERBIC protest SONG focused intently on the then-ONGOING VIETNAM WAR and the IDIOTIC HYPOCRISY and what we would now term TOXIC MASCULINITY that both initiated and sustained it during this period.  this PLAINTIVE question at its core is almost a GENERATIONAL DEMAND of the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT to explain its MOTIVES, as POLITICAL secrecy and WARPED PET THEORIES about the EXPANSION of COMMUNISM sent an estimated two million people to their DEATHS (on both sides) in a NEEDLESS CONFLICT over IDEOLOGY and BRUTE, UNADULTERATED POWER. 

lastly, and arguably my FAVORITE, is the MCCARTNEY DISS TRACK "HOW DO YOU SLEEP?" which is a response to then-recent DISPARAGING INTERVIEWS and SONG LYRICS his FORMER BANDMATE leveled at LENNON and ONO as being BUFFOONISH and UNSERIOUS.  given how deeply POLITICAL and PERSONAL LENNON's EFFORTS were during this period, it is no surprise that such PUBLIC ATTEMPTS at cutting him at the knees were not welcome in the slightest.  the deeply CUTTING COUNTERATTACK by LENNON is one in which he directs that MCCARTNEY had run out of IDEAS, pityingly rehashing and even pilfering his own past MELODIES ("ANOTHER DAY" and "YESTERDAY") for NEW MATERIAL and that his post-BEATLES OUTPUT was but a FAINT SHADOW of his former GREATNESS.  it should be said that all of this has remained TRUE over the decades, whereas LENNON and his post-BEATLES CATALOGUE has only grown in STATURE and CULTURAL PROMINENCE to date.

so how do you follow-up THE BEATLES?  by writing TRANSCENDENT SONGS for the ages.  a whole generation of PROMINENT BRITISH SINGER-SONGWRITERS ranging from NOEL GALLAGHER, PAUL WELLER, DAMON ALBARN, JARVIS COCKER and JOHNNY MARR no doubt have taken note of LENNON and see his path of SONIC EXPLORATION and deeply felt LYRICAL CONVICTIONS as a north star of sorts to judge one's next career phase against.

it goes without saying that IMAGINE is an absolutely ESSENTIAL album that is well worth checking out and repeatedly revisiting.

RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965) is often attributed as being the specific release where THE BEATLES took a critical step forward in terms of their SONGWRITING and sonic production that very much cleared the way for later ARTISTIC and CONCEPTUAL INNOVATIONS, most famously on much CELEBRATED subsequent releases such as REVOLVER (PARLOPHONE, 1966) and SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (PARLOPHONE, 1967).  done were SONGS dealing with the BOY-MEETS-GIRL THEMATIC cul-de-sac that marked the first era of the band and in its stead were more lyrically SOPHISTICATED and OPAQUE (no doubt influenced by FOLK singer-songwriter BOB DYLAN) takes on LIFE, LOVE and the nature of EXISTENCE.

far and away my FAVORITE track, both as a child and as an adult, is "NOWHERE MAN" and its EXISTENTIAL EXPLORATION of feeling ISOLATED and SEPARATE from SOCIETY and HUMANITY writ large.  i can only imagine what JOHN LENNON was going through when composing and conceiving those LYRICS, having been bombarded with CELEBRITY CULTURE and loss of ANONYMITY for years at this point.  its so lyrically MOURNFUL yet strangely MELODIC and UPLIFTING that you wonder if it is a PERSONAL FANTASY to go back to being a relative unknown.

"NORWEGIAN WOOD," "GIRL," "YOU WON'T SEE ME" and "IF I NEEDED SOMEONE" are all intimate and decidedly MATURE LOVE SONGS that deal with the maintaining of said AFFECTION and CONNECTION past the initial MUTUAL INFATUATION phase.  for years the band relied on SONGS that were essentially lyrically seducing their AUDIENCE, but this go around you get the sense that they actually wanted to write AUTHENTIC and HONEST MATERIAL of the more ARDUOUS and therefore REWARDING aspects of RELATIONSHIPS and how they naturally develop over time, with all the HOPE, OPTIMISM, INTIMACY and RISK involved.

"DRIVE MY CAR" is another CHILDHOOD favorite of mine, since i was always game for a GREAT SONG about cars, going back to my UNAVOIDABLE CULTURAL EXPOSURE in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA to the BEACH BOYS catalogue.  its just a CLASSIC PAUL MCCARTNEY-penned POP song with TERRIFIC HARMONIES and a PROPULSIVE GROOVE that makes it a case study in QUALITY BEATLES SONG-CRAFT.

for some admirers and critics the highlight of this collection of SONGS was "IN MY LIFE" and its BITTERSWEET retrospective LENNON-penned LYRICS about years and EXPERIENCES long gone by from some FUTURE PERSPECTIVE.  i have always been a big fan of LENNON's VOICE, especially when he is reaching slightly outside of his HIGH BARITONE range, which is on full display on this emotively AFFECTING track.  even knowing full well that he never was allowed the opportunity to live long enough into his golden years to inhabit this PERSPECTIVE, the SONG is a master stroke in IMAGINATIVE PROJECTION and his ability to reduce COMPLICATED feelings into perfect SIMPLIFIED POP MELODIES.  about that, apparently this is one of the few SONGS that both LENNON and MCCARTNEY contested that they authored the MELODY.  we will never know, but in a sense it doesnt matter.  we all benefit from its very EXISTENCE and manifested influence over the WORLD and the rest of their CATALOGUE.

it goes without saying that RUBBER SOUL is an ESSENTIAL landmark release by a SEMINAL band who have no peer.  definitely recommended and absolutely worth checking out.

THE BEATLES' EPIC SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (PARLOPHONE, 1967) record gets perpetually credited for being this LANDMARK CONCEPT album, but to tell you the truth, i dont see it.  not that the songs are not TRANSCENDENT, with INNOVATIVE and absolutely SPECTACULAR tracks like "LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS," "BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. KITE," "SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND" and the STARTLING, GAME-CHANGING, MULTI-SECTION track "A DAY IN THE LIFE," this album is very much worthy of the praise it has received through the generations.  but outside of the first song that sets up the LYRICAL CONCEIT of an extended outfit of lonely people in what i presume is a marching band, the whole "CONCEPT" falls apart.  which is FINE since, as i said before, the songs stack up and more than hold their weight in their ECLECTIC and INVENTIVE GENIUS.

famously in 1966, THE BEATLES gave up touring after years of being unable to hear themselves play and decided to retreat to the more EMPOWERING and FULFILLING confines of the RECORDING STUDIO.  gone was the pretense for creating something that could be recreated or facsimiled live and instead was the artistic gambit to truly utilize the STUDIO as an INSTRUMENT and push it as far as they creatively could.  that sense of AMBITION and loss of pretense for REAL-WORLD applications is the actual CULTURAL LEGACY of SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND and set a STANDARD for generations of ROCK N ROLL bands to attempt to follow.  everyone from THE BEACH BOYS, ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA, BLUR, THE FLAMING LIPS, RADIOHEAD and KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD have seen the scope and scale of this particular project as a beacon and an open invitation to likewise not limit their own CREATIVITY.  that being said, its technically a MIRACLE that it exists given the PRIMITIVE state of the RECORDING TECHNOLOGY back in the late 1960s, as this album was recorded on a four-track ANALOG TAPE MACHINES.  that means that all those layers of instruments, percussion and vocals had to be paired down to one of those four tracks with no ability to go back and revise.  today with DIGITAL RECORDING TECHNOLOGY there is an ENDLESS amount of TRACKS that can be individually tweaked with near LIMITLESS parameters.  SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND in that sense is as much a TECHNICAL feat as it is a CREATIVE one and the work of longtime producer GEORGE MARTIN and engineer GEOFF EMERICK should be duly commended.

when i think about THE BEATLES, i always have to remind myself that their artistic partnership and UNPARALLELED EVOLUTION as a creative entity lasted only seven years across thirteen studio albums.  it is absolutely MIND-BOGGING the PACE and QUALITY CONTROL of those releases.  admittedly the first few releases from PLEASE PLEASE ME (PARLOPHONE, 1963) up through BEATLES FOR SALE (PARLOPHONE, 1964) had a litany of cover songs to pad their track-listings, but from HELP! (PARLOPHONE, 1965) onwards through ABBEY ROAD (APPLE, 1969) they essentially recorded whatever songs they had available.  its ASTOUNDING that these records are as COHESIVE as they are, with MODERN bands having numerous finished songs left on the CUTTING ROOM FLOOR as par for course.  back in the 1960s there was no sense that this ROCK N ROLL movement or the BRITISH INVASION cohort of bands would be anything but a FLASH-IN-THE-PAN, MOMENTARY CULTURAL PHENOMENON, so PARLOPHONE and other labels likewise pushed their artists for more PRODUCT.  meaning at least two full-lengths a year with holiday non-album singles that also had original b-sides.  i mean just the b-sides alone of THE BEATLES are amazing.  all of this is to say that the POPULAR CONCEPTION of the making of SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND is that it was this huge masterplanned effort, when in reality these were just the next batch of songs.  it is INTERESTING that GEORGE HARRISON and RINGO STARR are low on their assessment of such given their lack of creative participation relative to past efforts.  i love this record, but from this PSYCHEDELIC, sonically ADVENTUROUS and EXPANSIVE period of the band, i prefer the truly DADA-esque and FREE-ASSOCIATIVE nature of the songs on its LESS-CELEBRATED follow-up MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (CAPITOL, 1967).

regardless, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND is absolutely ESSENTIAL and worthy of all the hype through the generations.  it is most definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

so much of the BRITISH INVASION mythology is tied up with BAY BOOMER coming-of-age nostalgia that it is hard not to view it in retrospect from a skewed, decidedly nonobjective perspective.  dont believe me, just look at ROLLING STONE magazine founding editor JANN WENNER's STARTLING recent admission that BLACK and FEMALE artists were not INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS or ARTICULATE enough to be part of his recent publication of past interviews featuring several WHITE MALE members of bands from this period.  im a 90s child born in the 1980s so this CELEBRATED BRITISH INVASION cultural movement and its lasting pixie-dust over the imaginations of BOOMERS is thankfully a generation removed from me, providing me some distance on the topic.

undoubtedly musicians in these bands from BRITAIN took inspiration from a variety of AMERICAN musical forms during that period, from ROCKABILLY (EDDIE COCHRAN, DUANE EDDY, ROY ORBISON, CARL PERKINS and ELVIS PRESLEY) and early ROCK N ROLL (BUDDY HOLLY, CHUCK BERRY, JERRY LEE LEWIS, THE EVERLY BROTHERS and LITTLE RICHARD) to CHICAGO BLUES (MUDDY WATERS, LITTLE WALTER, JUNIOR WELLS, WILLIE DIXON, BIG BILL BROONZY) and DELTA BLUES (SKIP JAMES, SON HOUSE, ELMORE JAMES, HOWLIN' WOLF and ROBERT JOHNSON).  the list rolls on.  the BRITISH INVASION movement of the 1960s was a COMPELLING cultural phenomenon because in a very literal sense it was an admission and a reflection of AMERICA's musical cultural mirrored and staring right back at itself.  this is especially the case with the FORGOTTEN BLUES artists of the period.  THE ROLLING STONES in particular took several repeatedly on tour and much later in life, it has been reported that they even quietly paid for their funeral expenses.  there is a direct link and an acknowledged debt to BLACK CULTURE that is UNQUESTIONED.

what is interesting is that it took WHITE ARTISTS from another english-speaking country to turn on an EMERGING WHITE AUDIENCE to BLACK CULTURE.  and arguably even that WELL-INTENTIONED exchanged of musical ideas literally got white-washed over the decades in the process, with much of the UNSCHOOLED listenership conceiving ROCK AND ROLL popularly throughout the ensuing decades as a largely CAUCASIAN genre.  to the point that the emergence of a band like LIVING COLOUR in the the late 1980s is interpreted by said WHITE AUDIENCE as a bit of a CURIOSITY.  anecdotally i remember certain BOOMER parents (not my own) DISMISSIVE reaction to early HIP HOP at the beginning of the 90s.  of course three decades later HIP HOP is as ENTRENCHED and OMNIPRESENT as ROCK AND ROLL was a generation earlier.  the cycle continues.

i have nothing against bands like THE ANIMALS, THE BEATLES, THE WHO,  THE YARDBIRDS, THE ROLLING STONES or THE KINKS.  i was raised on them.  in large part they are the bedrock of my appreciation of music culture having been raised by BOOMERS.  more than half a century later what i take issue with is this constant lionizing of that generation above all others by an aging publishing class holding on to cultural relevance for dear life, pushing so hard that they lose all utter perspective.  rendering themselves OBSOLETE in the process, which is just SAD and pretty PATHETIC.  i am all for putting JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, KEITH RICHARDS, PETE TOWNSEND, JIMMY PAGE, JEFF BECK (R.I.P.) and RAY DAVIES on an ELEVATED plane of critical praise, but i feel strongly that even they would want to include artists like CHUCK BERRY, B.B. KING, ETTA JAMES, LITTLE RICHARD, ALBERT KING, FATS DOMINO and JOHN LEE HOOKER in the discussion.  if only to be identified in the context of their ranks as SHINING beacons and continuations of their REFLECTIVE genius and legacy.  and i dont even know where to begin on the NAKED and ENTRENCHED MISOGYNY against including WOMEN in the mix for WENNER's book.  you're telling me that past and present DIVERSE, INNOVATIVE and PIONEERING songwriters and recording artists like PATTI SMITH, SADE, ANA TIJOUX, LAURYN HILL (THE FUGEES), CAROLE KING, WATA (BORIS), AMANDA PALMER (THE DRESDEN DOLLS), ST. VINCENT, POISON IVY (THE CRAMPS), TINA TURNER, CHRISSIE HYNDE (THE PRETENDERS), KATE BUSH, FATOUMATA DIAWARA, JOAN BAEZ, RONNIE SPECTOR (THE RONETTES) MISSY ELLIOTT, ALISSON MOSSHART (THE KILLS, THE DEAD WEATHER), ROBYN, PATTI LABELLE, ELIZABETH STOKES (THE BETHS), QUEEN LATIFAH, WARPAINT, KATHLEEN HANNA (BIKINI KILL, LE TIGRE), JANIS JOPLIN, ARETHA FRANKLIN, LA LUZ, AMY WINEHOUSE, TIONNE WATKINS (TLC), MADONNA, BONNIE RAITT, ALANIS MORISSETTE, SALT-N-PEPA, JONI MITCHELL, SOL PEREYRA, FIRST AID KIT, ANNIE LENNOX (EURYTHMICS), KATE PIERSON & CINDY WILSON (THE B-52's), LOVEFOXXX (CSS), JUDY MOWATT, LYKKE LI, LOUISE WENER (SLEEPER), EXENE CERVENKA (X), PEACHES, WANDA JACKSON, DEBORAH HARRY (BLONDIE), ERYKAH BADU, TERI GENDER BENDER (LE BUTCHERETTES), BEYONCE, JASAMINE WHITE-GLUZ (NO JOY), KARIN DREIJER (THE KNIFE), EMMA RUTH RUNDLE (MARRIAGES), ELLA FITZGERALD, STELLA DONNELLY, WETLEG, TOVE LO, LOUISE POST (VERUCA SALT), TETIANA SHMAILYUK (JINJER), SINEAD O'CONNOR, ALICE GLASS (CRYSTAL CASTLES), SHIRLEY MANSON (GARBAGE), POLY STYRENE (X-RAY SPEX), RIHANNA, KIM DEAL (PIXIES, THE BREEDERS), FIONA APPLE, BETHANY COSENTINO (BEST COAST), TAYLOR SWIFT, FKA TWIGS, REBA MEYERS (CODE ORANGE), MALA RODRIGUEZ, HELEN MARNIE & MIRA AROYO (LADYTRON), BILLIE HOLIDAY, SAVAGES, CHANTAL CLARET (MORNINGWOOD), KIM GORDON (SONIC YOUTH), COSEY FANNI TUTTI (THROBBING GRISTLE), BESSIE SMITH, NATASHA KHAN (BAT FOR LASHES), DOLORES O' RIORDAN (THE CRANBERRIES), CARLY SIMON, MON LAFERTE, AMY TAYLOR (AMYL & THE SNIFFERS), PJ HARVEY, EMMYLOU HARRIS, BRODY DALLE (THE DISTILLERS), ETTA JAMES, COURTNEY BARNETT, JUSTINE FRISCHMANN (ELASTICA), JAVIERA MENA, KAREN O (THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS), FOXES, ANN WILSON & NANCY WILSON(HEART), LIZ PHAIR, NINA SIMONE, LYDIA LUNCH (TEENAGE JESUS & THE JERKS), MICHELLE ZAUNER (JAPANESE BREAKFAST), JOAN JETT, DONNA SUMMER, TORI AMOS, COURTNEY LOVE (HOLE), ALICIA KEYS, SIOUXSIE SIOUX, CHELSEA WOLFE, LIDO PIMIENTA, ALICE BAG (THE BAGS), STEVIE NICKS (FLEETWOOD MAC), CHARLIE XCX, DONITA SPARKS (L7), SHARON VAN ETTEN, BJORK, VIV ALBERTINE (THE SLITS) and DOLLY PARTON arent INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS or ARTICULATE enough for your STUPID publication?  you really couldnt find one interview?  are you serious?!  youre a fool.

FUCK JANN WENNER.  

embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes an ECLECTIC playlist of BRITISH INVASION bands, both obvious and obscure.  enjoy!

much has been discussed, CELEBRATED and parsed out regarding the generational GLOBAL CULTURAL PHENOMENON that as THE BEATLES, so it is always interesting when a recent documentary takes a stab at a narrative most fans feel they already have a handle on. RON HOWARD's THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS (APPLE CORPS, 2016) as its title suggests is concerned with the influence that their live performances had on the band's state of mind and thus their CREATIVE MINDSET up through their last touring performance in 1966 (famously the band did a one-off final performance in 1969 from the rooftop of their LONDON APPLE CORPS office to a film crew, coworkers and unsuspecting bystanders). 

in essence their two major stateside touring cycles that saw them play to FANATICALLY ENTHUSIASTIC crowds, first in theaters and later in stadiums, drained the band.  though immensely FINANCIALLY LUCRATIVE (as the band made relatively little from their lopsided record deal), these live gigs due to the feverishly impassioned teenage crowds quickly became an UNCONTROLLABLE CIRCUS.  they played  through terrible PAs and could barely hear themselves on stage.  adroitly the RON HOWARD-directed film picks up on the powder keg of a POLITICAL, SOCIAL and CULTURAL MOMENT that was the UNITED STATES in the mid 1960s in the wake of the JFK assassination, CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and the VIETNAM WAR.  in a sense THE BEATLES found themselves having to deal with issues such as CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISTS manipulating their words in bad faith with sinister ulterior motives and SEGREGATION at shows in the AMERICAN SOUTH.  i never knew that THE BEATLES refused to play a series of dates starting in FLORIDA id they did not integrate the crowd.  those shows were historically the first integrated events at those football stadiums, which is INCREDIBLE.

luckily for the band members, they experienced all of this as a group.  unlike say ELVIS PRESLEY who went through similar cultural heights all alone.  the band kept each other grounded and when they made a decision as a group they stuck together on such.  they essentially EMPOWERED themselves with the further assistance of like-minded manager BRIAN EPSTEIN, who had their best interests at heart.  that PRESSURE-COOKER live atmosphere of their gigs led to them developing an INTIMATE sense of group cohesion that led to a deep focus when entering the studio.  for them the studio was a place of respite from the press and outside obligations.  it was a site of CREATIVITY and COLLABORATION.

the push and pull of the road and the studio is something i hadnt considered before.  post 1966 the band abandoned live gigs and dove headfirst into expanding their sonic and conceptual palette into a string of records that basically defined their lasting impact on WORLD CULTURE.

just seems TRAGIC in a way that their stateside live gigs where such a DANGEROUS and ultimately UNFULFILLING affair for the band on nearly every level.  seems a bit of a WASTE.  ​

parodies by nacrowe

so years ago i found myself in IOWA at an international teaching fair in the dead of winter with no real prospects of finding a job.  it was 2009 and essentially the GREAT RECESSION effectuated a dearth of possible positions stateside since older teachers were holding off their retirements, thus i looked abroad.  as it so happened, so was everyone else.

so im sitting in my hotel room thinking about what to do in IOWA when i realized that BUDDY HOLLY played his last show at a local club a few hours away in CLEAR LAKE.  a few other fast friends i made from FLORIDA (who were in the same boat), had a rental car and decided that making the trip sounded like as good a use of our time as any so we b-lined there.  what was crazy is that the SURF BALLROOM was closed as, of all people, YOKO ONO was inside being interviewed for an upcoming documentary.  turns out we arrived, by pure coincidence, on the 50th anniversary of the famous plane crash that took the lives of not only HOLLY but also RICHIE VALENS and THE BIG BOPPER back in 1959.  still hard to believe that the one time i visited the venue and the crash site, by dumb luck, was on such an auspicious day.  not sure if id go back.  its more than a little morbid.

whats cool about HOLLY is that he established so much of the vocabulary associated with ROCK AND ROLL.  this covers everything from our expectations regarding a singer-songwriter fronting a band with music composed and lyrics written by said musician.  before this you had TIN PAN ALLEY and standards written by songwriters and sung by gifted, professional singers a la FRANK SINATRA, ELLA FITZGERALD and the like.  HOLLY in my mind was a revolution in that he personalized that art of making music and opened the door for BRITISH INVASION acts like THE BEATLES, THE KINKS, THE WHO and THE ROLLING STONES, who all adored him, to channel their own personality and perspectives into songs composed and played by themselves.  even peers like the supremely gifted EVERLY BROTHERS sang songs for the most part written by BOUDLEAUX and FELICE BRYANT who did so at the behest of their record label.  HOLLY to me represents the first time a musician and their instrument armed with catchy songs took over the planet.

he paved the way for literally everyone, which is why his music has been covered by countless acts from LOU REED, BLONDIE, WANDA JACKSON, THE BEATLES, FIONA APPPLE,  RUSH, PATTI SMITH and THE ROLLING STONES to ERASURE, CHRIS ISAAK, GRATEFUL DEAD, BO DIDDLEY, X, JEFF LYNNE, THE RAVEONETTES, ALBERT LEE, MODEST MOUSE and LEMMY KILMISTER.

definitely check out the DEER GOD RADIO episode celebrating BUDDY HOLLY from back in september 2021.

lets get something straight: there are no bad BEATLES albums. 

that said, the longtime critical knock against MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (PARLOPHONE, 1967) has been its supposed stylistic and conceptual in-cohesiveness.  such criticism is hard to dismiss outright, especially given that its predecessor, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (PARLOPHONE, 1967), besides being a cultural milestone and landmark album, is arguably on the short list of greatest concept albums of all-time.  if not the greatest.  so there is that.

i look at it from a different tack.  where critics see in-cohesiveness i see eclecticism. THE BEATLES were constantly attempting to push the boundaries of their work in terms of PRODUCTION, SONG CONSTRUCTION and PRESENTATION.  each time they made an artistic breakthrough, such on celebrated releases like RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965), REVOLVER (PARLOPHONE, 1966) and the aforementioned SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, the subsequent release was an earnest attempt to break out of expectations both in terms of the public and within themselves.  so even SGT. PEPPER'S as an CULTURAL ARTIFACT became a gilded cage of a sort for THE BEATLES. 

that is why i totally love the fact that they embraced nonsense on MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR.  yes there are poignant INTROSPECTIVE songs with an observational bent like the PAUL MCCARTNEY-penned "PENNY LANE" and "THE FOOL ON THE HILL" tracks, but far and away the most enjoyable are more LEWIS CARROLL-adjacent psychedelic songs like "HELLO GOODBYE," "STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER" (which was a double A-side non-album single with "PENNY LANE" originally but has been included on subsequent rereleases), "BLUE JAY WAY," "MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR" and of course most famously "I AM THE WALRUS."  the album is a soundtrack to a television film the band directed about a bus of BRITISH tourists being taken on a tour (presumably in ENGLAND near LIVERPOOL) with fantastical happenings taking place along the way.  its a ludicrous premise devised by MCCARTNEY with KENEY KESEY's MERRY PRANKSTERS exploits almost certainly front of mind, but what said premise did was free up the band to essentially create nearly anything on such a broad canvas without worry of it being THE BEATLES.  its almost an anti-concept concept album in a sense.  further releases, most famously THE BEATLES [WHITE ALBUM] (PARLOPHONE, 1968) had a subtext regarding the fragmentation and ultimately the  dissolution of the band.  MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR represents the last team effort of sorts, maybe due to the fact of the recent passing of their beloved manager BRIAN EPSTEIN (but who really knows?).

the FREE-ASSOCIATION, CODED NONSENSICALITY of the lyrics may be in part a result of the bands collective embrace of TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION and its focus on settling the mind into a state of restful alertness.  its a technique since made famous by famous adopters like DAVID LYNCH, MIA FARROW and even HOWARD STERN who swear by its creative benefits in allowing outside and internal noise to dissipate and allow uninhibited expression to prevail.  again, i cant imagine the constraints and pressures of being a member of THE BEATLES, notwithstanding a creative unit that had since lost their leader and primary support system in EPSTEIN.

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR is one of my favorite BEATLES albums, in part because of its IDIOSYNCRASIES and just plain WEIRDNESS.  dont ask me what its about, i couldnt tell you.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the music of early  ROCK N ROLL pioneer BUDDY HOLLY!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

photo & text by nacrowe

as a child HELP! (PARLOPHONE, 1965) was probably my favorite BEATLES album.  it reminds my of my first visit to NEW YORK CITY as a child when during my kindergarten year my father and i flew out from CALIFORNIA to visit my grandmother in BROOKLYN.  standout tracks like "TICKET TO RIDE," "IT'S ONLY LOVE," "YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY," "I NEED YOU," "THE NIGHT BEFORE" and of course "HELP!" all have soaring memorable vocal melodies that remind me of walks in CENTRAL PARK and the general sense of overwhelming wonder that came with being in the big city for the first time.  it still sounds to me like a soundtrack to the idea of possibility.

historically HELP! marks the end of an early period of songwriting for the group focused on sappy, overly saccharine love ballads.  this record would be followed up in quick succession by the lyrically and sonically more adventurous RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965) that would essentially mark the beginning of their mature period.  its understandable why JOHN LENNON and PAUL MCCARTNEY decided to expand their lyrical themes and take more compositional risks thereafter, as writing song after song about puppy love is rather restrictive.  and in a sense that sense of restriction, both thematically and in terms of production, is part of the charm of that early run of records.  in the modern era you have bands like THE BLACK KEYS, DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 or THE WHITE STRIPES that take delight in scaling back their instrumentation to two instruments in order to showcase their musical dexterity and supposed aesthetic sophistication.  with THE BEATLES you have to realize that 1) their whole discography was over an 8 year period (which is insane!) and 2) that they took advantage of every technological innovation in music production which still pales in comparison to basic software today.

like with most early BEATLES songs, there is a bit of MISOGYNY creeping throughout the lyrics, most notably "ANOTHER GIRL"  and "YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THAT GIRL" which both have warned statements about the repercussions that come with not pleasing the narrator.  it showcases a sense of uneven POWER DYNAMICS in which the narrator (assumed to be male) has other options available that may be exercised if the love interest doesnt get with the program.  one of them even speaks about taking another's girl just to prove a point that he can, because the other doesn't treat her right.  how romantic.  its always interesting reading these early lyrics because this sense of assumed MACHISMO and outright MALE CHAUVINISM is abandoned after HELP! with few exceptions.

HELP! is required listening, much like everything else in THE BEATLES catalogue.  definitely worth investigation and a revisit for anyone interested in the BRITISH INVASION or just WESTERN MUSIC in general.  oh yeah, and there is a film.  its terrible.  that you can avoid.

named after the MARLON BRANDO's motorcycle gang in the iconic film THE WILD ONE (COLUMBIA, 1953), BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB out of SAN FRANCISCO are an established INDIE ROCK band with a rootsy GARAGE ROCK sound that i highlighted in a past episode of DEER GOD RADIO.

what drew me to the band initially was the intensity and diversity of the songwriting of frontman PETER HAYES, which incorporated some wicked slide playing and a loose sense of timing that really propelled their sound and made it swing.  this is not a band that is attempting to reinvent the wheel, but man do they do ROCK N ROLL justice with an earnest, straightforward approach and some killer songs. 

plus ive never seen them not wear black.  BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB is definitely worth check out, not to mention that other band named after BRANDO's rivals in THE WILD ONE.  you know, THE BEATLES.

photo manipulation by nacrowe

BUDDY HOLLY: RAVE ON (BBC, 2017) is a recent BRITISH documentary that examines the life and work of early ROCK N ROLL pioneer and cultural icon BUDDY HOLLY.  notable interviewees include the likes of DUANE EDDY, SONNY WEST, DON EVERLY (THE EVERLY BROTHERS), BRIAN MAY (QUEEN), HANK MARVIN (THE SHADOWS), DON MCLEAN, ALBERT LEE, DION, PAUL ANKA as well as original CRICKETS JERRY ALLISON and SONNY CURTIS as well as his brother LARRY and his widow MARIA ELENA HOLLY.

what this documentary does a good job of is presenting the scope and breadth what was a tragically short 18 month recording career.  its unfathomable to consider how impactful his short career actually was, profoundly influencing everything that came after, especially the BRITISH INVASION of the 1960s.

being from the small town of LUBBOCK in rural panhandle TEXAS, HOLLY was originally part of a duo with local BOB MONTGOMERY.  after being signed to DECCA RECORDS, MONTGOMERY was let go unceremoniously as HOLLY was determined to be more marketable.  it is an interesting what if in ROCK N ROLL history.  after an unsuccessful stint recording in NASHVILLE, as the machine there didnt know what to do with him (didnt even let him play guitar or participate in arranging his own compositions), HOLLY relocated back to LUBBOCK and started recording with engineer NORMAN PETTY at his studio located across state lines in nearby CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO.  that is where all the iconic early recordings were made including "PEGGY SUE," "EVERYDAY," "RAVE ON," "NOT FADE AWAY" and "MAYBE BABY" among others.

going into this i didnt know about how experimental those sessions were and their impact on THE BEATLES.  essentially PETTY and HOLLY created unique arrangements that include eccentric recording techniques including the use of palm-muting ("THAT'LL BE THE DAY"), chord soloing and rolling patterns on tom-tom drums ("PEGGY SUE"), hands and knee slapping as percussion ("EVERYDAY"), cardboard boxes as percussion ("NOT FADE AWAY") and long intros that precede the opening verse ("MAYBE BABY").  this studio trickery opened up possibilities and gave permission for young emerging artists of the period to utilize nontraditional techniques in making each song sonically unique. 

case in point are the final orchestra-backed recordings he made in NEW YORK CITY weeks before his passing with help from PAUL ANKA including the touchingly intimate "TRUE LOVE WAYS" written about his new wife MARIA.  you get the sense that he was on to something new and attempting a new phase in his development.  his loss is still senseless and tragic more than half a century later, much as his music is still relevant as ever.

in summation, BUDDY HOLLY: RAVE ON is a touching, insightful documentary well worth watching even for the most ardent ROCKABILLY aficionado or BUDDY HOLLY fan.

DOUBLE FANTASY (GEFFEN, 1980) by JOHN LENNON and YOKO ONO is probably the most depressing album ever made.  and that is not to say the songs are bleak or somber in tone, in fact it is the opposite.  songs such as "BEAUTIFUL BOY," "WATCHING THE WHEELS" and "(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER" find LENNON in a state of DOMESTIC BLISS, after surviving his years-long lost weekend away from ONO, and unbridled optimism about his new son SEAN.  this record is so PAINFUL and HEATBREAKING to listen to because of its BUOYANT outlook and CHEERFUL, UPBEAT tone. 

this is one of those records that is nearly impossible to listen to and divorce it from the fact that LENNON was senselessly murdered by a fan shortly after its release.  similar albums in this regard that come to mind are JOY DIVISION's CLOSER (FACTORY, 1980) and NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991).  but those two are not comforting records celebrating FATHERHOOD and the benefits of COMPANIONSHIP.  knowing about LENNON's own biography and the role his mother JULIA played into his fear of ABANDONMENT (she deserted him as a child),  the very idea of him finding a sense of IDENTITY and SALVATION through LOVE at the moment his life was snuffed out from under him is too much to bear. even now more than 40 years later.  at the risk of sounding entitled i'll say emphatically that we were all robbed.

i literally cannot listen to this record without getting emotional.  LENNON most definitely had one of the most affective singing voices ever which is severely underrated during and after his time.  the former BEATLE had a unique instrument in that regard that allowed him to come off EARNEST and TUNEFUL without coming off as overly CONTRIVED or PROFESSIONAL.  it worked in his favor throughout his career and gave his material the illusion of being effortless and of the people.  it gave his songs an EVERYMAN quality.  to this day when i hear PUNK ROCK, i hear LENNON.

since childhood every time i hear this album it makes me think of my father, much like hearing "BABY LOVE" by THE SUPREMES reminds me of my mother.  its just such an astounding affecting achievement and too tragic for words.  a seminal recording by an iconic generational talent that should be heard and appreciated by everyone.

parodies by nacrowe

given that the next DEER GOD RADIO show on SUNDAY MAY 24TH at 8PM EST on MAKERARKRADIO.NYC will be celebrating the BRITISH INVASION, it seemed as good a time as ever to revisit a show six months back that was dedicated to the musical and cultural legacy of THE BEATLES.

really what can be added that hasn't already been said about them? 

all i can come up with is that whenever i feel jaded about art or music, like everything has already been done before (and better!), i just go back and revisit the music of the FAB FOUR and i am taken aback anew by how fresh it still sounds more than half a century later.  its still startling. any era of the band.  still hard to believe they were only together 8 years.

reading books, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts over the years it seems i can never learn too much about the group.  their personal failures, political naivety and even trend jumping only adds to their mystique since (as i've said before) they did everything better than everyone else.

anyway, enough of all that.  enjoy THE BEATLES.

ECHO IN THE CANYON (MIRROR FILMS, 2019) is a documentary about the mid 1960s LAUREL CANYON scene located just outside the SUNSET STRIP in the hills above LOS ANGELES that served as a sanctuary to FOLK-inspired ROCK AND ROLL musicians.  musician JAKOB DYLAN of THE WALLFLOWERS conducts the interviews with luminaries such as BRIAN WILSON, ROGER MCQUINN, DAVID CROSBY, RINGO STARR, ERIC CLAPTON, GRAHAM NASH, STEPHEN STILLS, TOM PETTY, JOHN SEBASTIAN, MICHELLE PHILLIPS, LOU ADLER, JACKSON BROWNE and most compellingly, reinterprets the songs himself of BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD, THE BEACH BOYS, THE BYRDS and THE ASSOCIATION with a roster of modern musicians including FIONA APPLE, CAT POWER, BECK, JADE CASTRINOS and NORAH JONES.  as i will discuss shortly, this continuing of the cycle of interpretation and experimentation is a genius stroke as that passing of ideas is at the core of how the scene developed and was nurtured by artists back in the day.  very cool stuff indeed.

what i found most interesting about this period of music history was the atmosphere  of experimentation that defined it with songwriters cross-pollination and contextualizing the sounds of peers in new concoctions, moving everyone forward together. 

prime example: THE BEATLES inspired THE BYRDS to take FOLK chord progressions and play them in a ROCK AND ROLL setting, which found them reinterpreting PETE SEEGER in a cover of his "THE BELLES OF RHYMNEY" which, in turn, influenced GEORGE HARRISON to interpolate that chord progression and 12-string RICKENBACKER sound in "IF I NEEDED SOMEBODY."  just a cycle of ideas being ping-ponged back in forth across the pond by like-minded artists.

and for me that is the crux of any healthy scene, irrespective of outside distractions like business, fashion and aesthetics.  at its core this scene nurtured artists to spread their wings and take chances.  as BECK points out in the film, this may be why most of these bands have multiple singers and songwriters.  they are in fact supergroups in a sense channeling the best of what they have to contribute.  just take the songwriters in two of the most prominent groups: BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD (NEIL YOUNG, STEPHEN STILLS),  THE BYRDS (ROGER MCQUINN, DAVID CROSBY).  its pretty amazing they stuck together as long as they did.

its a complete 180 now in terms of the media landscape where artists are afraid of being explicit about their influences for fear of being sued in the aftermath of the 2013 PHARRELL/ROBIN THICKE case concerning an interpolation of a MARVIN GAYE song.   or maybe im wrong in that, maybe with the internet there is a bevy of experimentation going on beneath the surface, producers trading files with musicians and rappers, songs being remixed, ideas being shared in the same way those house parties in LAURAL CANYON helped spark such a rich tapestry of music from 1965-1967 at the outset of that scene (including others not interviewed like FRANK ZAPPA, JONI MITCHELL and JIM MORRISON) which obviously blossomed in the 1970s with acts such as CAROLE KING, JACKSON BROWNE and FLEETWOOD MAC among othes.  something to consider.  great film.

in my opinion, THE WILD ONE (STANLEY KRAMER PICTURES, 1953) is one of the most consequential films of all time.  even up there with CITIZEN KANE (RKO, 1941) in terms of influence.

in many respects this is a result of its content rather than its construction (as was the case with ORSON WELLES' opus still being held in high esteem).  the film basically introduced the AMERICAN public to teenage rebellion.  in the post-WWII period the economic pursestrings controlled by young adults was sizable for the first time in modern history and HOLLYWOOD took notice.  later films like REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (WARNER BROS, 1955) take their cue from THE WILD ONE, which deals with a clash of two motorcycle gangs in a small town.  in many ways it is almost like a WESTERN in its construction, here bikes and leather jackets taking hte place of steeds and leather chaps.

there is also the immortal MARLON BRANDO line "What have you got?" to the question "What are you rebelling against" that is one of the great lines in all of cinema.  for me this film is the ground zero of modern youth culture.  you can even start with the fact that there is the well-known myth that THE BEATLES got their name from the rival biker gang in the film (a reference to the BEAT WRITERS and BEAT GENERATION).  for the record the ALTERNATIVE ROCK band BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB is named after the corresponding BRANDO bike gang in the film.

at some point the legend of the film is divorced from the actual film itself which was low budget with minimal set locations.  by standards of the time it is a pretty bare bones production.  but where it succeeded it did so brilliantly in exploiting a burgeoning teenage market that was as-of-yet untapped with characters that questioned authority and went against the status quo, creating their own community of like-minded riders that lived by their own code.  again, this is straight out of the WESTERN playbook, but being transmogrified in this new context was brilliant.  to this day motorcycles, leather jackets and the paraphernalia of the imagery from this film represents rebellion, independence and freedom in AMERICAN popular culture.

the fact that there is no focus to their defiance is a core issue that gets explored to great effect in the aforementioned NICHOLAS RAY film REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE starring JAMES DEAN, but i will leave that to another review.

THE WILD ONE is definitely worth watching if you are a fan of film history or the evolution of AMERICAN popular culture through the generations.

JAMES A. MITCHELL's book THE WALRUS & THE ELEPHANTS (SEVEN STORIES PRESS, 2013) highlights JOHN LENNON's foray into AMERICAN POLITICS after relocating to the UNITED STATES in the early 1970s.  for him it was a transitional era that saw him reconsider his role as a musician and the responsibility that came with being a "spokesman" for a generation.  i put that in quotes, because like BOB DYLAN, LENNON saw himself as an artist who communicated his own truths and never had aspirations to be anything but.

during this period he was keen to shed his BEATLES' image, which he considered of a bygone era in which he was bridled by handlers from showing too strong support for the counterculture movement his band helped inspire.  he viewed his past work as platitudinal and sought to create work that was more immediate, almost journalistic in its specificity.

his first foray was at a benefit concert in DETROIT for the incarcerated artist provocateur JOHN SINCLAIR (and onetime manager of the MC5) who was given ten years for holding two marijuana joints.  he was released within the week of the show.  this power to sway public opinion as well as his association with the YIPPIES, who put on the show, caught the federal authorities by surprise and thus began a tale of intimidation and abuse of power by J. EDGAR HOOVER (FBI), the INS and the NIXON administration that basically lasted for another half decade.

the title of this book is a reference to both the REPUBLICAN officials that sought to curb his influence by denying his first amendment rights (originally at the suggestion of STROM THURMOND of all people) as well as the obscure, lower manhattan art-jazz-rock band ELEPHANT'S MEMORY that he took on as his collaborating backing band (a la THE BAND and BOB DYLAN).

despite the fact that this period was a low point in terms of his artistic output, marital woes and residential status, it could be argued that this battle with the NIXON administration is a key part of his post-BEATLES legacy and one that endures him to this day.

what struck me as interesting in this book were the lengths to which LENNON stuck out his neck during a volatile period in an adopted country.  he knew the power of his voice and gave voice to the opposition with a nonviolent, peaceful message at great personal cost.  almost needless on his end.  he could have made records with ERIC CLAPTION and taken the safe road talking in platitudes.  instead he attempted to push change.  this is in direct opposition to ELVIS PRESLEY, who is mentioned in the book to have gone out of his way to act as a spy for NIXON among the counterculture, even stating the BEATLES by name in a letter as subversives.

how lame is that?  what a sad legacy for ELVIS.  oh well.

its tempting to think about what LENNON could have done now if he was still around.  it feels like the BOOMERS are gonna be defined by TRUMP for eternity and sadly there is nobody of that era with the clout or media presence to cut through and drown out this sad ass face clown of a leader.

imagine.  it isn't hard to do.

cover by nacrowe

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