Every original studio album by the Beatles has now celebrated a 50 year anniversary. How can that be so? It is hard for me not to associate Let It Be with the end of the Beatles. Upon its release, the wheels were in motion for the band to dissolve. There was even a rancorous meeting … More Let It Be at 50
I’ve always loved the music of Donovan. Very few singer-songwriters can use the guitar melody and a voice to create such grand emotion. The Scotsman Donovan was the original hippy poet singer, at least one of the first. Compared to Bob Dylan, Donovan Leitch had more of a rootsy folk pedigree, but a talent for … More Donovan’s Greatest Hits
I hesitate to write about this album, it is one of my least favorite Paul McCartney/Wings albums. But since I started, here goes. Mr. McCartney was a bit rudderless in 1971, adjusting to being an ex-Beatle, and the cute one at that, was harder than it seemed. He had released his first solo album before … More Wild Life (1971): Paul McCartney & Wings
George Martin will forever be linked with the Beatles, and deservedly so. Besides the eight years with the Beatles, and his other Beatles projects, he produced many artists before and after the Beatles. Here are a dozen favorite projects, some of my favorites, out of the many he did. “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You … More George Martin: Other Works
George Harrison is my favorite Beatle. I own everything he’s done. The day one album was released, I walked across town to buy it. I’m also a tough critic. I remember being very excited about the release of this album. It was the follow up to Dark Horse, a critically panned album, but one I … More George Harrison: Extra Texture (1975)
This was the closest the four Beatles ever got to a reunion, working on Ringo’s third solo album. The other three ex-Beatles worked on the album, but not at the same time. Up to this point, Ringo had released an album of pop standards, Sentimental Journey, maybe the first pop musician to use the songbook … More The Ringo Album (1973)
Music didn’t begin in Laurel Canyon in 1965, but this film makes a strong case that pop music grew a new branch. I was looking forward to this film, and what I saw was unlike what I expected. Usually, I read up on films before I see them, but I wanted to experience Echo in … More Echo in the Canyon (review)
The man with the golden voice, and a gifted songwriter, died at age 52. That’s a tragedy. He burned up the 1970s with hits, his voice all over the radio, then he was gone, and mostly forgotten. “Everybody’s Talkin,’” “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City,” “Without You,” “Me and My Arrow,” … More Harry Nilsson Remembered
In the past three parts, we looked at the origin of the album, the recording and artwork, and the original songs. Now, we get to see the anniversary set and enjoy the the remixed songs and the unreleased working versions. The wait is over! The Remixed Album First, the remixed version of the 1969 … More Abbey Road at 50: (part 4)
Abbey Road always sounded good, the engineering work was superbly done. However, I always thought the analogue tape had a lot of background hiss. The remaster for CD was better. Now, the disc undergoes more cleanup, plus some additional tracks from the vault. Let’s look at the songs. Side A Come Together Written and recorded … More Abbey Road at 50 (Part 3)
