Advertisement
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality.” — Yoko Ono
Mar
8
Today is International Women’s Day. I wrote my serious post on the subject over at Feministe.
Here, I would like to offer you a bit of frivolity and fun, with Yoko Ono’s 1970s feminist anthem “Woman Power.” Dedicated to all women, I offer it not as a grandiose statement of any kind, but as some feel-good retro, a celebration of women in all of our many forms, and a great beat.
Video Description: Photo of Yoko Ono, with the words WOMAN POWER flashing in pink on a black background during the chorus. Lyrics below.
Feb
27
Top 5 George Harrison Vocals
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun, pop culture | 11 Comments
This past Thursday, February 25th, was George Harrison’s birthday. He would have turned 67.And with it, we mark the (admittedly probably intermittent) return of Gratuitous Beatles Blogging.
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the Quiet Beatle, but as I’ve begun an obsession with collecting vinyl records over these past several months,1 I’ve explored his solo work a bit more fully and found my love towards him grow tremendously.
George was a fabulous songwriter, a stellar musician, topnotch guitarist, and a very witty man. But he’s not normally praised for his vocals.
That’s understandable. For one, with his main legacy belonging to the Beatles, he’s greatly overshadowed in terms of vocal talent by both John and Paul. For another, his voice wasn’t that particularly strong. He didn’t possess a large range. He couldn’t hold a note for a very long time. Myself, I’ve always referred to George as the world’s greatest backup singer — not as an insult in the least, but as recognition that his vocal backing in the Beatles was routinely amazing. In that sense, his voice certainly was versatile, and whatever John or Paul was doing, he made it work. He didn’t just allow John and Paul to overshadow him, he also made them better.
At the same time, I consider it a serious mistake to simply overlook George’s lead vocal work. His voice had weaknesses and faults, but he also taught himself not only how to control them, but how to use them to his advantage. Further, I think that if you approach vocals looking only at how large of a range a singer has and how long he or she can hold a note, you’re cheating yourself out of an awful lot. After all, “errors” are a part of the beauty. Singing isn’t only about sound; it’s also about communication and connection. And there, I cannot accuse George of any serious deficiency.
1. My Sweet Lord
This choice may strike many as either an odd or easy pick. It was George’s biggest solo hit, making it easy, and the vocals taken on their own aren’t that particularly spectacular, making it odd. But just like with my love of John’s Stand By Me,2 it’s not as much about the sound George makes while singing this song, it’s about the passion with which he does so. When George sings “I really want to know you, I really want to go with you,” I’ll be damned if you don’t believe him.
This song is praise, and it’s a prayer, but it’s also a plea. He’s saying, “Please, Lord, please, help me find my way to you.” And while not at all sharing George’s passion or path towards spirituality, I can’t help but be entirely moved by that devotion and that need. I think that all of us have likely, at some point, felt a deep and unrelenting need for something, a need that we didn’t quite know how to fulfill, but felt like we would be lost if we didn’t. George’s vocal here speaks to that.
Oct
9
Happy Birthday, Mr. Lennon
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun | 4 Comments
Today, October 9, is John Lennon’s birthday. He would have turned 69. It’s also my mom’s birthday, so Happy Birthday, Mom! (And let us not further forget Sean Lennon, and the fantabulous Giles Martin. Amazing people are born on October 9, that’s all I can say.)
Last year, in honor of this day, I posted Imagine. I considered posting Mother this year, but seeing as how it’s also my mom’s birthday, thought it might give a wrong impression about my relationship with her! So instead, I’m going to go with God:
Lots of people hear this song as John burning bridges and slamming doors. It is, in part — and I can also imagine that hearing the song when it first came out was probably traumatic for a lot of Beatles fans. But I tend to think that John needed to close those doors to open new ones. Many people logically hear all of the things that John doesn’t believe in; I tend to hear “I just believe in me, Yoko and me,” and I find that an incredibly hopeful message. Plenty hear John denouncing his identity as the walrus, but I tend to hear him claiming his true identity. I hear him announcing that he is John, and I hear him coming to peace with that.
I’ve also argued for a long time that while starting one of the Beatles was one of the best things that ever happened to John, breaking up the Beatles was one of the best things that ever happened for him personally, too. Whatever you think about the effect on his music, I think that it allowed him to grow and find happiness that staying with the Beatles never would have. With this song, John may in fact be smashing his public image, and a perception that many people held dear — but I think he’s also establishing himself. And I find that fitting on a day for celebrating his life.
Because I need it, you also get the bonus track of Hold On:
Happy Birthday, John. Also, for those who are interested, don’t forget to watch Yoko’s lighting of the Imagine Peace Tower. It goes on at 3:30 EST.
Sep
6
The Beatles: Rock Band Mega Post
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun | 7 Comments
Alright, Beatles fans. You might all be too busy practicing your Rock Band skills or attempting to nail Beatles harmonies to even read this. (My own mom, who has been mocking me for my excitement, called me yesterday from the middle of a car trip to ask me if a couple songs were in the game — she was using the time to practice her vocals.) But I couldn’t let The Beatles: Rock Band arrive in our living rooms — in less than three days — without just one more post.
So this is the mega-post. I said before that I couldn’t just make a top 5 or top 10 list of songs I’m most anticipating playing in the game, because there are just too many, and of course, so many ways of playing them. And what might the solution to this dilemma be? A list for each part in the game, of course!
A few songs make more than one appearance, because they kick so much ass in more than one aspect. I have to say that I pretty much shocked myself with the revelation of what song I am apparently looking the most forward to overall, based on its number of appearances.
I know that usually I include a video for each song, but I assumed that most people would find 20 videos embedded in one post to be a bit of an overkill. So I’ll embed the videos for the number one slot in each category, and just link the rest for those of you who feel the urge to refresh your memories on the parts I’m talking about, or simply listen.
Aug
29
The Beatles: Rock Band: Top 10 Desired DLC Tracks
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun | 9 Comments
With less than 11 full days to go until 09.09.09 (OMG!), you shouldn’t be surprised that I’m inundating you with The Beatles: Rock Band coverage. Especially having played the Best Buy demo on Tuesday (unfortunately only on guitar — stupid Best Buy only having one instrument), I’m more excited now than I’ve ever been. Because playing that demo Was. Fucking. Awesome. And, in fact, I’ve got a massive post coming at you on the last Saturday before the game’s release!
I’ll admit that I’m still a little hung up on songs that aren’t going to be in the game. But I’m also in high hopes that in addition to doing full album downloads, they’ll also do some plain old single song downloads and/or download packs! After all, that would be the smart thing to do, yes? So I’m giving my disappointment as positive a spin as I know how — by making a list not of songs that should have been in the game, but of songs that I desperately hope will eventually be available as downloadable content! It’s a bit heavy on early Beatles, even though when forced to choose I’m definitely a late Beatles kinda person, because I think that early Beatles songs totally got shafted in terms of song ratio. (Hey, something had to get shafted, but I’m just saying!)
Here we go:
1. She Loves You
Again, enormous sin to not have it in the game. As it was recorded on two-track tape, a part of me almost wants to say that Giles Martin implored them “please, no more than these five songs!” — but that’s hardly an excuse. Come on, now. If you are going to make time to separate out the tracks on Boys, you can do it for She Loves You. It’s one of the Beatles’ most signature tunes, and certainly one of the most exuberant, not to mention a great drum track from Ringo.
Aug
15
The Beatles: Rock Band Track List Reactions
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun | 10 Comments
In the past several weeks, and with a mere 24 days left until the release date, we’ve received a whole ton of information about The Beatles: Rock Band. We’ve seen a preview of story mode, and learned some more about the drums and vocal trainers. We’ve seen some extra graphics, which just keep getting better. We’ve received the awesome news that in addition to Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Rubber Soul will be eventually available for full album download, with the implication of more to come. We’ve been floored with the reveal that the entire very rare The Beatles’ Christmas Album will be an unlockable bonus.
And we now know 44 of the 45 on disc songs. The list has been released through Game Informer magazine, and confirmed, though it’s still not posted on The Beatles: Rock Band official site.
If you don’t want to see it, I strongly suggest that you don’t go past the jump.
Jul
31
Birthday
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun, personal and self-promotion | 8 Comments
For The Beatles: Rock Band fans.
How my husband got this video, let alone on my birthday, I do not know.
But he did, and it is.
ETA: There are three more The Beatles: Rock Band videos up at VH1. Check them out.
Jul
7
Top 10 Ringo Starr Drum Tracks
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, fun | 27 Comments
Today is Ringo’s 69th birthday. Happy Birthday, Ringo!Ah, lovable Ringo. The most overlooked Beatle. John, Paul and George have all received their own top 5 posts by now, so it is long past due for Ringo to get his.
Ringo doesn’t get his due in a lot of ways. He was stacked against the talent of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison — admittedly, it’s a little hard to measure up. But that doesn’t mean that he deserves all of the snide remarks, mean-spirited jokes and outright insults that are thrown his ways. It’d be pretty damn hard to not be the least talented in a group otherwise comprised of John, Paul and George. That doesn’t mean that the man doesn’t have talent.
But it’s exactly what you’ll hear. The “Ringo is a horrible drummer, and so lucky that the Beatles even gave him the time of day” bullshit meme is almost as common as the “Yoko is an evil bitch who broke up the Beatles” bullshit meme.
Often cited is John Lennon’s statement that Ringo wasn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles. But here’s what you need to know in order to fairly assess said statement:
- John was a dick.
- John was known for telling really mean-spirited jokes. Ugly, but undeniable.
- John was a liar, especially with regards to Beatles lore. He also once claimed that he and Paul never wrote songs together.
- John loved Ringo’s drumming. Period. When he could have literally had any drummer in the entire world work with him on Plastic Ono Band, who did he ask along? Ringo. In Memories of John Lennon, the drummer from the Double Fantasy sessions talks about John not liking his drumming and imploring him (to the drummer’s delight) to “play it like Ringo.”
- Paul, allegedly the best drummer in the Beatles, is certainly competent. But he’s nowhere near as good as Ringo. If you need evidence, look at Back in the USSR and The Ballad of John and Yoko. Fine, yes. Even good. But if you think it’s anywhere near the quality of Ringo’s drumming, I don’t even know what to say to you.
- Though Paul was rather well-known for giving Ringo drumming “advice,” everyone in the Beatles was quite used to taking Paul’s “advice.” In criticizing George Harrison’s guitar playing in Let It Be, Paul can also be heard saying “I’m just trying to help you.” So used to it, George was, that Paul did not end up strangled with a guitar string.
Indeed, the reason that Ringo’s drumming so regularly gets a bad rap is precisely because of what makes it so great. Ringo is not flashy. He hates drum solos. He hates drawing attention to his skill. His drumming blends into the song. It doesn’t distract from the song, it’s a part of it.
Jun
6
I imagine that since these came on out Monday, anyone who cares a whole lot about the two Beatles Rock Band trailers have likely seen them by now. But I just can’t forgive myself for not having them stored somewhere in my archives. (As the videos will likely be inevitably removed from YouTube, you can see both trailers in full at the Beatles Rock Band website.)
So, obviously this week we got a whole bunch of news. For example, three-part harmonies are confirmed! (*Cue jumping up and down*) And, for another example, we learned ten of the tracks that will appear in the game:
* I Saw Her Standing There
* I Want to Hold Your Hand
* I Feel Fine
* Day Tripper
* Taxman
* I Am The Walrus
* Back In The U.S.S.R.
* Octopus’s Garden
* Here Comes The Sun
* Get BackJudging from the opening cinematic, I’m going to guess that A Hard Day’s Night and Paperback Writer are pretty surely in there as well. I at least hope so, as they are both on my list of songs I definitely want. And I don’t know about you, but I am certainly pleased with this first list. Every song but three (Back In the U.S.S.R., Octopus’s Garden and Here Comes The Sun) is one that I desperately wanted to appear. And now that I know they’re there, I’m rather excited about Octopus’s Garden and Here comes The Sun. (Back In the U.S.S.R. wasn’t on my list, but will do fine, I suppose.)
We also got the news, which for me is probably as exciting as the first glimpse of the game if not more so, that Abbey Road — the entire Abbey Road album — will be available for download after the game’s release. Which means that I get not only I Want You (She’s So Heavy), which I always thought should be in the game and desperately wanted but never expected to get, but also the fucking Abbey Road Medley. There are no words for this. None.
Anyway. When we factor in the fact that Abbey Road will be available for download in full, that’s two of the songs from my original top 5 list of most-desired Beatles songs for the game already in there. And there’s still 35 left (33 if we assume that AHDN and Paperback Writer are actually in there, if yet to be announced).
What do you hope they will be? My top 10 — excluding any additional tracks from Abbey Road (such as Something and Come Together), as we know they will be DLC if not a part of the in-game 45 — are below.
1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Of course I have to start out with the leftovers from my previous top 5 list. And this song just has to be in there, right? I mean, right? Because if not, there will be a mutiny.
May
23
Target Women: Laundry
Filed Under feminism, fun, marketing, media, sexism | Leave a Comment
(Click here if you can’t view the embedded video.)
Oh Sarah, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . .Subscribe to The Curvature
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony
