Old-school news, just in time
by Kevin Burton I asked a co-worker, a big Beatles fan who has played guitar since high school, for his opinion on The Big Question: Who was the most essential Beatle? I suppose I was spoiling for a McCartney/Lennon fight. That discussion goes to Paul McCartney and John Lennon and stops there, right? …
Continue reading “The Case For George Harrison, Best Beatle”
by Kevin Burton Most people, hate, February. My research is not exhaustive, but I have looked into this a little bit. If your research finds otherwise, I will stand corrected. But I found this: “February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March.”- Dr. J. R. …
Continue reading “Forlorn, Frostbitten, Forgettable, February”
by Kevin Burton The song that launched the British Invasion was released on this date 59 years ago. “I Want To Hold Your Hand” holds up to this day, but to get the full impact of it you’d have to hear it with ears attuned to the sounds of 1963. God bless …
Continue reading “Electrified Hand Holding: British Invasion”
by Kevin Burton On Thanksgiving night 1974, two of England’s best musical exports, John Lennon and Elton John appeared together in concert. The appearance was Lennon paying off a bet of sorts. His song “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night,” had just reached the top of the US Hot 100, something Lennon was …
by Kevin Burton For about three minutes and fifty seconds a tidy story unfolds from the pen of lyricist Phil Cody and the voice of the great Neil Sedaka. Attempt to read between the lines though and you have a mess on your hands, especially with Sedaka dedicating the song to ex-Beatle John …
by Kevin Burton Musical eras, like chocolate bars or ice cubes, are fluid before they are solid, shaped by the temperature of the times. We can’t always distinguish them day to day. Historians declare them later, according to their differing standards. But for me there is something momentous about looking at the …
by Kevin Burton Since there won’t be any more Lennon/McCartney songs, the next best thing is a Lennon/McCartney story. That is what we got Oct. 18 in a New Yorker piece by Paul McCartney about the song “Eleanor Rigby.” It starts with this tidbit: “My mum’s favorite cold cream was Nivea, and …
by Kevin Burton The story of a stunned Brian Wilson pulling over to the side of the road makes me smile every time. Wilson is the driving force behind the Beach Boys. He was stopped in his and his car’s tracks, by the sheer brilliance of something coming from the radio that he …
by Kevin Burton Fifty years ago today Paul McCartney announced the formation of Paul McCartney and Wings. The move was a guaranteed winner and a guaranteed loser. A winner because any piece of music with McCartney’s name on it was going to get a listen. It was going to sell at least …
by Kevin Burton On my Amazon Echo device, Alexa Myers has made me a post-Beatles play list. She calls it Beatles playlist because I couldn’t make her understand the name I wanted for it. No matter. The list has my favorite tunes from the Fab four after their 1970 breakup. My first …
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