The Beatles have finally come to iTunes: Apple (Abbey Road) meet Apple (Cupertino). I was nine years old when the Beatles appeared that first fateful night in 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show. Lying on the livingroom carpet in front of our big console television, I watched mesmerized, developing an immediate crush on Ringo and noticed when they flashed “Sorry girls, he’s married” when the camera closed in John Lennon. I was a pretty die-hard Beatles fan for many years after that. I stood in line with my aunt who took me downtown to the
Woods Theater in Chicago’s Loop the first day A Hard Day’s Night was released, and repeated that for next year’s Help! I wore the "gear" gear and bought bobble head figurines.
The nascent girl-folksinger in me tended to adore the ballads (and I still do); those are the tracks I’d play over and over, memorizing every word—and eventually every guitar chord. “Do You Want to Know a Secret” was probably my best-loved very early Beatles song.
I suppose because I liked the folk-rock ballads best, albums like A Hard Day’s Night (“If I Fell,” “Happy Just to Dance With You,” “And I Love Her,” “This Boy,” “I’ll Cry Instead,” “Things We Said Today”) and Rubber Soul (“Michelle,” “Norwegian Wood,” “The Word,” “In My Life”) appealed most to me. Another favorite album, Revolver, included several ballads (“For No One,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Here, There and Everywhere”) but is nicely balanced by harder drive of “Taxman” and “Got to Get You Into My Life.”
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band stands in a class by itself. It is whimsical, innovative, genre-bending and completely addictive. From the hidden-picture puzzle fun of its elaborate, colorful cover to its equally elaborate musical orchestrations, I spent hours in Sgt. Pepper's company. The heavily orchestrated title track is a great sing-along song, and the whimsical “When I’m 64” seems ironic in 2010: “Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I’m 64?” Hah! Of course we do! Then there are the surreal mind trips of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “Fixing a Hole.” But the album also contains more serious fare, bordering on social commentary with “A Day in the Life,” and “She’s Leaving Home.” The entire album is an eclectic, rich mind trip. No drugs needed.
Article comments
1 - Sera G
Hello, Barbara,
I followed you over to this review. I think if you and I were to ever meet in the 'real' world, we would have a lot to talk about. I, too loved mostly the Beatles' ballads. Once Elinor Rigby is in my head, it is there for a long time.
I have become more of a fan over time, if that is possible. I was 6 when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. My pre-teen cousins told me all about them. One look at the poster, watching (because you certainly couldn't hear them) perform and my brother and I were enthralled. As a matter of fact, we are all fans. A highlight of our lives was when Paul McCartney and Wings appeared. All five siblings attended the concert. It was as close to Beatle heaven as we could hope.
A few weeks ago, you made comment about William Monk. I love the Anne Perry series. (Pitt is very good, but there is something about Monk!)
I always enjoy your posts on all topics. You are a wordsmith. Keep on!
2 - barbara barnett
I think that's true! It's interesting how many parallel lives I've encountered in my writing here.
Glad you found this little side road/diversion from my usual beat.