I was only eighteen months old when The Beatles broke up in April 1970, so I never had the opportunity to see them live. Apart from a performance by Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band in 2006, my Beatles-related concert experience has been through the performances of various tribute bands such as "1964 as The Beatles" and "Beatlemania Now!".
Last evening, a local tribute band, "The Silver Beatles," (http://www.silverbeatlesband.com/) performed at Dos Lagos Amphitheater in Corona, CA as part of the city's Summer Concert series. I had not been familiar with them prior to the performance, but never being one to pass up anything Beatles-related, I was definitely interested in catching the show.
The group performed a two-hour set, covering material that ranged from "It Won't Be Long" to "Nowhere Man" to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." They also took on "A Day in the Life" - a surprising choice for a four-piece band considering the complexity of the arrangement and the sound effects, but it came off quite well.
Unlike other Beatles tribute groups I've seen, The Silver Beatles did not attempt to physically portray their roles via various elaborate costume changes or hairpieces; they chose instead to portray the band mostly through the music. Steve Anfinson, the musician portraying John Lennon, did not physically resemble John, but his voice had a definitely Lennonesque timbre and phrasing, and he did a convincing Ringo vocal on "With A Little Help From My Friends" as well.
An evening of Beatles music is always a pleasure, and the group gave an earnest, enjoyable performance. What really struck me, though, was the reaction of the audience, and how universally loved this music continues to be throughout the years. During "She Loves You," a fifty-something lady and a teenaged boy from the row in front of her went toward the front of the stage and danced together. A grade-school aged boy sang along gleefully to "Hey Jude," while a couple in their late twenties swayed and waved their hands in the air appreciatively. And on several numbers, another middle-aged lady sang and danced with much of the carefree abandon she must have experienced as a young teen, seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time in 1964.
There is a quote from the 1982 documentary The Compleat Beatles which states, "It had to be stoically accepted that the Beatles were, in the end, a phenomenon of the Sixties; the Seventies, and beyond, were only to feel their influence." And what an influence it was! Seeing generations and individuals of very different backgrounds and life experiences united together in love and enjoyment of music made between 39 and 46 years ago is a testament to the Beatles' enduring legacy.
Thanks, John, Paul, George and Ringo for all the pleasure you have brought, and continue to bring, to music fans everywhere.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
It Was 34(!) Years Ago Today
Each week, the XM Radio '70s channel airs a broadcast of one of Casey Kasem's "American Top 40" countdowns that originally aired in the '70s. These are wonderful to listen to, almost like stepping into a musical time capsule, and I make it a point to DVR them from DirecTv each week.
This past weekend, the featured countdown was from June 8, 1974. The number-one single in the U.S.A. that week was Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run."
Ah, "Band on the Run." If there was ever a defining song for me, as a lifelong music collector and enthusiast, that would be the one. Although I've heard thousands of amazing songs since the first time I heard "Band" in the spring of '74, none of them has ever quite had the same impact on me as that McCartney classic did. It's been my all-time favorite song for 34 (34!!! Where does the time go??) years now, and counting, and was the beginning of my ever-growing record and music collection (some would say obsession! ;-) ).
But why "Band on the Run"? What was it about that song that made such an impression on a then not quite six-year-old girl in 1974?
"Band on the Run" was not the first pop song I can remember hearing - far from it, actually. I have memories of hearing songs on the car radio and on my parents' record player as far back as 1971 - Lobo's "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" are two I recall most vividly. It also wasn't the first pop song I remember liking a lot, as in addition to the aforementioned two, there were others I enjoyed listening to on the radio when they came on.
But it was the first song for me that had, for lack of a better description, the "WOW" factor. That's the feeling you get when a song strikes a deep chord with you, and you find yourself wanting to hear it over and over and dissect all the nuances of the arrangement. It's when something about the melody, chord sequence, instrumental arrangements and/or the song structure really stands out to you and captivates you on an emotional level. I loved everything about the song, from the opening guitar riff to the smooth vocals of the "Stuck inside these four walls" section, from the great edginess of the "If we ever get out of here" segment to the build-up to the main song section.
Of course, in the spring of 1974 I was just finishing up kindergarten and wasn't able to articulate well what it was about the song that appealed to me so much. But I remember being ecstatic every time it came on the radio, and I began pestering my parents to buy me the 45 rpm single so I could listen to the song whenever I wanted.
I still remember the Saturday I finally got the 45. It was at a discount department store near where I lived, that always had a well-stocked display of the latest hit singles. My mom bought "Band on the Run" for me, and Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" for herself. When we got home, I played the song over and over (as well as the flip side, "Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five," a superb song as well). It continued to be one of my most-played 45s well up into my adult years.
Now, when I listen to the song, it's as an almost 40-year-old woman, hearing it played via CD, a technology that was still far in the future in 1974. But it still brings a smile to my face, very much the way it did 34 years ago. I have a feeling it always will.
This past weekend, the featured countdown was from June 8, 1974. The number-one single in the U.S.A. that week was Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run."
Ah, "Band on the Run." If there was ever a defining song for me, as a lifelong music collector and enthusiast, that would be the one. Although I've heard thousands of amazing songs since the first time I heard "Band" in the spring of '74, none of them has ever quite had the same impact on me as that McCartney classic did. It's been my all-time favorite song for 34 (34!!! Where does the time go??) years now, and counting, and was the beginning of my ever-growing record and music collection (some would say obsession! ;-) ).
But why "Band on the Run"? What was it about that song that made such an impression on a then not quite six-year-old girl in 1974?
"Band on the Run" was not the first pop song I can remember hearing - far from it, actually. I have memories of hearing songs on the car radio and on my parents' record player as far back as 1971 - Lobo's "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" are two I recall most vividly. It also wasn't the first pop song I remember liking a lot, as in addition to the aforementioned two, there were others I enjoyed listening to on the radio when they came on.
But it was the first song for me that had, for lack of a better description, the "WOW" factor. That's the feeling you get when a song strikes a deep chord with you, and you find yourself wanting to hear it over and over and dissect all the nuances of the arrangement. It's when something about the melody, chord sequence, instrumental arrangements and/or the song structure really stands out to you and captivates you on an emotional level. I loved everything about the song, from the opening guitar riff to the smooth vocals of the "Stuck inside these four walls" section, from the great edginess of the "If we ever get out of here" segment to the build-up to the main song section.
Of course, in the spring of 1974 I was just finishing up kindergarten and wasn't able to articulate well what it was about the song that appealed to me so much. But I remember being ecstatic every time it came on the radio, and I began pestering my parents to buy me the 45 rpm single so I could listen to the song whenever I wanted.
I still remember the Saturday I finally got the 45. It was at a discount department store near where I lived, that always had a well-stocked display of the latest hit singles. My mom bought "Band on the Run" for me, and Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" for herself. When we got home, I played the song over and over (as well as the flip side, "Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five," a superb song as well). It continued to be one of my most-played 45s well up into my adult years.
Now, when I listen to the song, it's as an almost 40-year-old woman, hearing it played via CD, a technology that was still far in the future in 1974. But it still brings a smile to my face, very much the way it did 34 years ago. I have a feeling it always will.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Only the Beginning
Hello! Welcome to my blog.
I've been a reader of a number of blogs for some time now, but apart from a few scattered entries on my MySpace page, this is my first real attempt at it myself. I've always liked to write (although I'm admittedly not the most disciplined at making it a regular habit; I hope to change that with this blog), and hope you will enjoy reading my musings.
A little about me - I will be hitting the big 4-0 in a few months (a milestone which, strangely enough, I'm actually looking forward to - but more on that later), am happily married to a guy who can put up with all my quirks, and am an ardent fan of music and most things music-related. I am originally from Virginia but have lived in Southern California for the past two years.
My username "MusicGal" actually came about somewhat by accident. Years ago, I needed to create an account on a tech support forum to resolve an issue on a discussion forum I run, and my usual choice at that time had already been taken, so I was somewhat at a loss as to what handle to choose. I came up with "MusicGal" on the fly, and it seemed to fit well, so I've continued to use that handle since then. There are a number of "MusicGals" out there on the 'net, but if you see a post or writing by one of them who is an avid Beach Boys and/or Beatles fan, that may likely be me.
I've been a reader of a number of blogs for some time now, but apart from a few scattered entries on my MySpace page, this is my first real attempt at it myself. I've always liked to write (although I'm admittedly not the most disciplined at making it a regular habit; I hope to change that with this blog), and hope you will enjoy reading my musings.
A little about me - I will be hitting the big 4-0 in a few months (a milestone which, strangely enough, I'm actually looking forward to - but more on that later), am happily married to a guy who can put up with all my quirks, and am an ardent fan of music and most things music-related. I am originally from Virginia but have lived in Southern California for the past two years.
My username "MusicGal" actually came about somewhat by accident. Years ago, I needed to create an account on a tech support forum to resolve an issue on a discussion forum I run, and my usual choice at that time had already been taken, so I was somewhat at a loss as to what handle to choose. I came up with "MusicGal" on the fly, and it seemed to fit well, so I've continued to use that handle since then. There are a number of "MusicGals" out there on the 'net, but if you see a post or writing by one of them who is an avid Beach Boys and/or Beatles fan, that may likely be me.
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