by Kevin Burton One of the few Steely Dan tunes I don’t really like took on more juice recently when I read that the song is an attack on John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I had no idea the song “Only A Fool Would Say That,” from the 1972 album “Can’t Buy A Thrill” casts Lennon as …
Tag Archives: John Lennon
The Case For George Harrison, Best Beatle
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? …
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Forlorn, Frostbitten, Forgettable, February
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. …
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Electrified Hand Holding: British Invasion
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 …
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Lennon’s Thanksgiving Concert Appearance
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 …
“The Immigrant” Didn’t Fit John Lennon
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 …
The Sounds They Were A-Changin’
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 …
“Eleanor Rigby” Sprang From Genius
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 …
“Be My Baby” Has Had A Huge Influence
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 …
Fifty Years On, Wings Has Mixed Legacy
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 …
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