I'm a slayer, ask me how.

Star Wars and The Beatles. It’s weird to lump these two together. To an outsider, they have very little in common, apart from being major forces in shaping popular culture forever. But you probably wouldn’t think of the two in the same moment unless you were taking part in some kind of quiz show.

But for me, they are two of the BIGGEST obsessions I ever had in my youth. I memorized actor’s names in Star Wars and I knew the stories behind every Beatles song. And every time I think I’m done with them, that maybe I’m over them. They PULL ME BACK IN!

Case in point, this “not a trailer” released by Disney and Peter Jackson two weeks ago (that I am just seeing now??):



At first I was like “Huh, okay, Beatles thing, I guess I will watch this, it’s only 5 minutes.”

But then the images of the four of them, so clear, in color…the audio as clean as if it was recorded today…I could feel my heart swell and the 13 year old fangirl inside me began to jump up and down and slowly freak out with every new sequence – every snarky comment from John, every smile from Paul, George’s quiet presence (yet somehow judging us all) and Ringo’s antics.

If all 56 hours were remastered, I would watch all 56 hours so it is probably for the best that Jackson is going through and editing this down to a more reasonable amount of time.

It was the same feeling I had when the ‘Force Awakens’ trailer dropped. The cynic in me sat down to watch, but when it ended, I was fully on board with it. I will probably listen to The Beatles in my car tomorrow and hang on to that energy that they bring me.

I have a bootleg copy of ‘Let It Be’, the 1969 film that most of this footage originated from. I watched it once and I don’t think I can ever watch it again. It was painful to see these four friendships crumble under the pressure of the past ten years. So what did Jackson find in that “lost” footage that compelled them to create this new documentary? Will he manage to craft a happier story? Or at least a more realistic picture of what was going on inside and outside the studio at the time?

Does the world need another Beatles documentary? Probably not. Am I going to enjoy this and get emotional about four men I have never met? Without a doubt.

Jackson – don’t let me down.

trepkos asked "If you could only listen to five bands for the rest of your life, who would they be?"

I don't think this question was as hard to figure out as I thought it was going to be! While I enjoy listening to Spotify and finding new music, I definitely have a lot of go-to artists for days when I just need a certain something. My personal tastes lean towards bands that I can sing along with. I'm all about singer/songwriter and lean pretty heavy on the indie/folk/alternative styles.

So, here are my top 5:

5. "Weird Al" Yankovic



I've been listening to "Weird Al" since I was a kid and he always makes me laugh. If I'm going to be limited to 5 musical experiences, then having "Weird Al" in the mix guarantees I get laughs and also a wide range of musical genres. Because I wouldn't want to live the rest of my life without the occasional accordion solo during a polka based on overplayed top 40 hits.

4. Sting



I had a habit of stealing my Mom's music and Sting was definitely her guy first. But it is hard to deny his talent and ability to write catchy songs with smart lyrics. Always lots of good allusions in Sting songs. I could probably survive just on Ten Summoner's Tales for awhile, that whole album is perfect. Love songs, story songs and everything in between. If you have never heard it, hop over to Spotify now and make sure you listen past the "singles" tracks and get to those deeper cuts - the one about the seven brothers that save the town, the other about the nerdy guy trying to best the muscle-bound suitor, and the kinda creepy 'St. Augustine in Hell'.

3. Bastille



Another band that both my Mom and I like, though I think I found them first! Maybe? At any rate, we found them on our own and then both realized we liked them. Even saw them in concert!

It only makes sense that I would be a fan after being raised on music like Sting's. Bastille's lyrics tend to tell stories and also are full of references to other works, everything from 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' to 'Twin Peaks'. And I feel like they do work with an ALBUM mindset, which I also appreciate from bands nowadays. We are so used to streaming singles and thus a lot of groups just make albums of singles, but I feel like both 'Bad Blood' and 'Wild World' have a flow to the songs when you listen to them from start to finish. With only TWO albums out and neither of them new, Bastille was still my top band of 2018, so clearly I like going back to them when I need to rock out.

2. Paramore



Another band that I keep going back to. Hayley Williams' voice is so unique. And I love how they keep trying to grow and change with each album. If you listen to their very early stuff and then to the newest songs, you can see that they are progressing as musicians and writers. It's a scary thing for a band to do but it gives them a lasting power that I don't think a lot of their peers will have. The latest album, After Laughter, had this fun retro vibe, with hints of the 80s and 90s music that I'm sure they listened to while growing up, but it was still Paramore through and through. And, again, the stories in the songs keep maturing too. Hayley even pointed this out at the last concert we went to, prefacing 'Misery Business' by saying that it really isn't a healthy attitude and she has grown as a person since then...but damn it is fun to sing along.

AND NOW, MY NUMBER ONE CHOICE
----- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DRUM ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!! ---------

1. The Beatles



I fell in love with The Beatles back in Middle School and it is a love that lasts forever. In fact, I just had them on this morning because I needed something to start the day off right. There is a Beatles album for every mood, every time of day. They are always there for me. They were my first music based fandom. I don't think I've ever hit the same level of obsession as I did with them for any other band. I learned so much about life, love and music from these four lads from Liverpool. If you told me I could only listen to one band for the rest of my life, I'd have all of their albums in my arms before you could finish the sentence.

YOUR TURN! What are your top 5 bands/artists?

LEGO YELLOW SUBMARINE!!!!!!!!



Oh I want it so bad! And for a LEGO, it isn't too ridiculously priced - only $60! Some of my Star Wars kits have reached $100+

I'm going to email Santa now... a.k.a. my Mom. ;)

Usually I wait until the end of the next month to post the books I have read but this book...this book needs it's own entry.

I had already had it on hold because BEATLES and then it won the Eisner Award for best non-fiction graphic novel. And let me tell you, it DESERVED IT.

First of all, the story. I'm a HUGE Beatles fan, I know who Brian Epstein was. But this story, which was both well researched but then also elaborated on in ways that the author admits are fiction since he has no way of knowing what the exact conversations were like between Brian and other people. This isn't The Beatles story, this is Brian's story, with the Beatles as a backdrop. It's the story of a young man, trying to find his place in the world. But it's not just as simple as being successful. Brian Epstein was gay and in the 1960s, being gay in the UK was ILLEGAL. So here is a man who is in charge of the band that becomes the symbol of "All You Need is Love" and he feels like he can never be loved. It's heartbreaking.

And then the artwork. Oh my god, it is just beautiful. There is nothing more to say, it is just so gorgeous, so well laid out. The colors are perfect. The imagery...

This book has so much to offer. Even if your knowledge of the Beatles is just a few songs, the basic history, this book is worth looking at to see the social and cultural issues that are the same and that have changed (or have they?). It's a look into that world, a peek behind the curtain of the man behind Beatlemania. Of the naive and innocent man who tried so hard to dive into a business he knew nothing about, and how it pulled him under.

Go get this book now. You can read it in an afternoon. But it will stay with you long after.

OMG BEATLES' FANS! Check this out, so cool!!! Pop Chart Lab Beatles Song Chart, Volume 1

It's one of the must beautiful infographics I have ever seen! GLORIOUS!

ALSO, if you're not aware, the MST3K/Rifftrax guys are taking over National Geographic channel today and riffing documentaries? I'm hoping some of the clips will pop up online as I don't think we have that channel in our line-up. But it makes me happy to see them getting such a huge gig! Still debating whether or not to see the live Riff of Sharknado...

Cannot wait for the crazy Internet that is April 1st. Please share any cool links you find on your LJ so I can partake in the laughter. I know my first stop will be ThinkGeek as they always have some hilarious products for "sale".

OH OH OH we started True Detective, just finished the second episode. Disturbing, twisted but also a good, dark sense of humor. WTF the south is a creepy place though. I'm glad they are testing out the whole American Horror Story style of series making with these 8 episodes being their own "series" and then coming back next year with a whole new story and set of partners. That's making smart TV right there.

Okay, bedtime now. It was so nice today that we took a walk around Kinder Park, which is a little over 2 miles, and all that fresh air has WIPED. ME. OUT!

Toodles!

Watching the "Grammy's Salute to The Beatles". The banter is pretty damn painful but I am enjoying the music. And holy shit Eric Idle looks so old. But I guess he is.

Dhani is the spitting image of George and it's so wonderful and weird at the same time. He sounds a lot like him too, when he speaks and sings. andy_wolverton and I actually saw him play a few years ago with Joseph Arthur and Ben Harper as part of the group Fistful of Mercy, which was fantastic. Intimate setting, in a synagogue actually, but it felt like a full on rock concert by the end, everyone up and dancing in the aisles/pews. I hope they make another album together.



Ed Sheeran is singing now and this would be my favorite song so far. I love hearing Beatles stuff stripped down and I think he is pulling it off.

Holy shit, Keith Urban is SHORT LOL! Well, John Mayer is also kinda tall. At least, I remember him being tall though maybe he was just doing that on purpose. Quit being taller than me! (so many mixed emotions about that man, not going to go into it now...bastard knows how to play guitar though). "Don't Let Me Down" is such a great song, something so raw about it, so pure yet at the same time kinda dirty...but the honesty of it all makes it less dirty? I dunno, love that song.

Katy Perry's Yesterday was okay, she didn't really do much to make it her own. Right now I'm gonna say Ed Sheeran wins this show.

oh damn, this is a fun version of "Revolution" - nice job Imagine Dragons!

OMG Dave Grohl, why are you so great? I wish more rock stars were like him. And "Hey Bulldog"??? SO RANDOM! But I have no problem with that because it really captures that weird middle sound when the Beatles were trying to figure out what was next. (OMG could his daughter be any cuter LOL)

ANY song Annie Lennox sings sounds amazing, period. Her voice. HER VOICE. I would be happy listen to her sing every single Beatles song. (her dress kinda looks like it was made out of duct tape though...). I wonder if the artists got to pick which songs they would perform or if CBS was like "you play THIS! NOW!" I love "Fool on the Hill" but I know most of the Magical Mystery Tour album is low on people's favorites list. If Annie picked it, it makes me love her more. (LOL okay Ringo just gave Paul a look, I wonder if Paul is singing along sorta loudly...you know, the way you would expect your 70 year old grandpa to sing along) (he's such a clean old man).

Alicia Keys has more style then EVERYONE IN THE THEATER. That hat. Awwwww yeah. Also, omg was John Legend a little bit nervous there? He was shaking. Aaaaw. Oooh I am digging Let It Be with two voices like this.

Just did a search on Amazon and I don't see any sort of collection of these songs available yet. Really, CBS? Actually didn't even see a DVD up or anything either. I'm surprised.

Aw, let Anna Kendrick sing! TEASES! Brad Paisley and Pharell Williams? Hm, okay.

My friend heiland_coo took me to Vegas for my birthday several years ago and I got to see LOVE. It was amazing and, I won't lie, I was crying by the end. So beautiful. If you ever get a chance, go see it. The album is fantastic, but the visuals of the show are just a crazy journey through the Beatles entire career.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps -- oh when I was a kid, I just didn't get this song, it freaked me out, the rhythm, the lyrics. They seem so simple but they are really so clever and complex. I love this song now.

Ringo's turn. He sounds pretty good considering his age and, ya know, the smoking etc. Boys seems a little slower but then again, so is he. :) Love ya Ringo.

OMG there was Sean...looks just like John.

LOL looks like Paul is already bouncing behind Sean Penn, ready to play. What a goof. I've seen him live twice and he was a lot of fun.

Sgt. Pepper - had to be played. And, yeah, Paulie it IS weird to tribute yourself. But that never stopped you before LOL. <3 Ringo does seem a bit out of breath. But this is awesome. I'm a sucker for a huge Hey Jude sing-along, I won't lie.

Aw, it's over? Well, it was fun while it lasted. I hope they release a few of the covers as mp3s or something. Wouldn't mind having them in the mix.

Look what appeared on my desk this week! It's the brand-new Beatles: Live at the BBC, Volume 2!! I'm about halfway through the second disc now and I love it. I need to buy it for my collection (no surprise there).

The thing I love about the BBC sessions is that they are really the closest we have to an official "live" album. The music sounds so fresh, the boys sound so alive. And the talking tracks, the ones filled with giggles and snarky comments between each other, just make me so happy.

At the end of both CDs are solo interviews with each of the Beatles that happened around 1965-66. I listened to John's and George's this morning. John's just broke my heart because the interviewer asked him about being a dad and I'd never really heard John talk about his son at all. Most of the interviews you see, the pretend that both Cynthia and Julian don't exist. John talks about trying to pick out which schools Julian will attend that would be the least traumatizing for him. He also talks about his huge house he bought to sorta get away from people. George makes similar remarks about his much smaller home, though of course has no interest in children yet as he was the youngest of the bunch (which is hilarious because I get the feeling maybe he was the best Dad of the four).

Anyway, if you're a fan, I definitely recommend this set. I think there are a few duplicate songs from the first collection, but they are different takes from different shows. Most of the tracks sound fabulous though they did try to resurrect a few that have a little bit of hiss still but I assume Martin or McCartney or Starr must have had some sort of love for that particular cut to bother to include it with the CD.

Previous Beatles blogs here

The Beatles' Defiining Moment (Hint: It's not 'Sgt. Pepper')

I have to say, this article really made me think a lot about the BBC Sessions collection. It has always been one of my favorite un-albums from the boys. For those who are not familiar with it, the Beatles' did a regular special on the BBC in 1963, before they hit it HUGE in the States. They are so fun to listen to because they are all still so young and a bit naive, a bit of that arrogance that you have when you're in your early 20s and think you know it all. Then again, they already had a few years of performing live under their belts so they had a reason to feel that way. And, being the Fab Four, they just come off as totally charming.

As the article points out, they did some really ballsy stuff during that session - like covering Elvis and other American rock and roll and R&B songs that we would probably think of as sacred cows, not meant to be touched. But they didn't care, they were giddy and wanted to try it all. And they pull it off most of the time, showing that they were more than just studio musicians but live performers that knew how to mix their new songs in with some sure-fire hits. While obviously toned down from their German stage days,

Oh look, someone appears to have put the entire thing up on Youtube (shocking, I know). It's worth a listen, though it's almost eerie how clear it all sounds, like they were recorded yesterday instead of 50 years ago...

That reminds me, I was pondering doing a Beatles Anniversary program at the library next year as it will be the 50th Anniversary of their Ed Sullivan appearance. Anyone have suggestions for activities for all ages (besides Beatles Rock Band, which I have).

I feel like I've posted this memory before but I'm gonna post it again because who the heck besides me gets bored enough to go read my past entries????

So, one of my strongest Thanksgiving Day memories to date is, oddly enough, not about the big meal or family goofiness. It was back in 1995...we had eaten around 4-5 and now it was getting to be 7-8 so I wanted more food. I made myself a turkey sandwich, slathered in delicious mayo, a bit of salt and pepper...anyway, I took my tryptophan filled feast downstairs to where the TV was while all the adults talked it away upstairs. I settled in front of the set and started flipping through in hopes of finding something to amuse me...and I stumbled upon a rerun of the 'Beatles Anthology'. Too lazy to keep flipping (I wanted to get down to eating!) I left it on there but was quickly sucked in to the story of the Fab Four.

That was the day my Beatles obsession started.

The day that led me to go to the library on a regular basis, searching for music CDs and books about these 4 guys who changed the face of history. It led to me actually *talking* to the librarians at the Maryland City Branch and asking for help finding books. Which led me to the discovering the joys of Inter-Library Loan - ah, the day they had a book sent from CALIFORNIA just for little old me...it planted the seeds of "hey, this job seems cool".

And, of course, they asked me if I wanted to work there while I was in high school and so began my journey as a library employee...

and if I hadn't sat down that evening and been more interested in my sandwich than what channel I stopped on...who knows what I would be doing today!

:)

Eliza Dushku posted this on her Facebook page and I thought maybe it would help me get out of my all-Beatles-all-the-time mode I seem to have slipped into recently!

Day 1 - Your Favorite Song

Oh well, I'll stop listening to the Beatles...tomorrow because this will always be in my top list of songs...



( the rest of the days )