Thursday, June 29, 2023

Okay, I Really Really Like the Beatles Just Like Everybody Else. Happy Now?

By way of a mea culpa for Monday's Rarities post -- here's the Fabs with the 2009 remaster of the early Lennon/McCartney classic "Misery."

That one's just killed me since forever. Especially the piano part, which if memory serves I played live with an old high school band of mine.

Hey -- those four youngsters from Liverpool may have a future in the popular music field, doncha think?

Coming tomorrow -- a particularly down home weekend essay question!!! Dont miss it, y'all!!!

11 comments:

daudder said...

I read you because you provoke, reveal and inspire. And your mea culpa's never disappoint (not that they are required...:)

Anonymous said...

You can hear the American girl group sound all over the song. The Beatles learned and were inspired by the best.

Captain Al

pete said...

Like most of us, I left the Beatles behind for a while. But when I started playing instrumental music at private parties twenty years ago I rediscovered how strong those tunes are. Now I've got maybe 30 of them in the book.

dorethyroad@aol.com said...

59 Years Old, let me repeat this.
Steve still has a fondness for a song that is 59 years old.
I wish that I still owned the one off of that Vee Jay issued.
The quality was more like a bootleg rather than a Capitol release.
rob

Anonymous said...

This is definitely not one of my Beatles favorites. I know Steve's fond of it and I hate to shit on anyone's biscuit, but it's hack writing that even Helen Shapiro turned down. They should have given it to Gerry & the Pacemakers. It'd be perfect for them. It's got that chipmunkish quality of the Hollies vocals, that is sometimes bothersome. Plus, I don't like the way they pronounce send as "shend." George Martin's piano? Kind of Liberace-ish. Be better as a guitar lick. As it is, this is standard beat group fare. Sub-standard Beatles fare. As close as the Beatles ever got to being a boy band. But that's just my opinion.

VR

pete said...

Yes, they were a "boy band." For about fifteen minutes. I love this record and love the way the remaster plays up George's guitar part. And with Elvis Beatle (the greatest rock and roll singer ever to come out of the UK, it says here) singing them sappy lyrics become heartfelt and convincing.

SteveS said...

I've always liked the Rarities album, but then I've always been something of a Beatles fanatic. I could see the argument that it was just a means to cash a few more checks, but I disagreed with your thoughts about "heroes." Imagine if you could go back and show young Steve one of today's deluxe boxed set? Anyway, as for this post...you somehow hit upon one of the very few Beatles' songs I never liked ("There's a Place" being another one off the top of my head.) I can't say exactly why, either, other than both always struck me as very corny and kind of sub-par fro L-M.

getawaygoober said...

Re: Anon - VR
Agree, don't care for it either. Sometimes Steve's "favorites" seem to drift more towards "Red Rubber Ball" than "Little Red Rooster".

Anonymous said...

getawaygoober:

"Red Rubber Ball" than "Little Red Rooster"

Good One. lol

VR

Anonymous said...

SteveS:

Rarities had the first stereo "Misery" on LP since Introducing the Beatles went out of print 10/64. So, there's that. But it's miserable in mono or stereo. Also, I don't hear John's vocal as heartfelt. I hear it as slightly flat and non committal. But that's just me.

VR

Squints said...

Not for nothing, but Gerry & The Pacemakers absolutely tore up "It's Gonna Be Alright." I love that one.