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muzaktomyears · 22 days

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George Harrison remained an enigma to many people, even those who were close to him. For a man who lectured passionately about karma and the meaning of existence, he seemed self-protective and closed off. Witty when called upon, there were also moments when he could be quite boorish. Perhaps it was because he was only twenty years old when the Beatles became a global sensation. That might not seem particularly young in today’s world of social media fame, but at the time, it was uncharted territory for the kind of adulation he was experiencing.

It was also difficult living in the shadow of Paul and John. In the beginning, they were openly dismissive of him. Paul said he always thought of George as a little brother. At first, John pretended not to know his name and sardonically referred to him as “that kid’’. Ironically, one of George’s compositions, Something, became the most covered song in the Beatles catalogue.

This interview was conducted at George Harrison’s palatial home, Friar Park, in Henley-on-Thames, on November 5, 1980. George was gracious but cool. He made a pot of tea in the drafty, vast kitchen of his 120-room estate, and spent two hours lecturing about Transcendental Meditation and the details of a limited edition of his autobiography, I Me Mine, which is certainly how he must have felt getting out on his own.

In 2000, George was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer. George died on November 29, 2001, in the company of his wife, Olivia; his son, Dhani; musician Ravi Shankar; and Hare Krishna devotees who chanted verses from the Bhagavad Gita. He was 58 years old and left nearly $100 million in his will. George told Olivia that he didn’t want to be remembered for being a Beatle, he wanted to be remembered for being a good gardener.

‘It was a transcendental experience that was beyond the mind’

On taking LSD

LSD was just such a violent, big experience. Before it I was totally ignorant, and afterward I knew I was totally ignorant and I was now on my way to having some sort of knowledge. I related it to the childhood experience of Catholicism and going to church on a Sunday and seeing all that phoney baloney. The moment I’d taken LSD, it just made me laugh because I understood it inside, just in a flash. I understood what the whole concept of God or religion was just by seeing it. I could see it in the grass in the trees.

It was an absolute truth; like a light going ching. I took three very powerful trips — big, very important — and then it left me a bit unsure because I had to try and figure something out. By that time I had gotten into Indian music and spent time in India, [and] there was so much about it that felt like home to me. Not the surface that you see — all this poverty and the flies and the shit everywhere — [it] went beyond all that. Smells in the atmosphere and the people’s attitude and the music, the food, the religion, everything about it … home.

‘I’d hear his voice wailing at five in the morning’

On the death of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones

I liked Brian a lot, and later on, I realised it was probably because we were both Pisces. We both had similar natures. He was also similar in that he had a Keith and a Mick, whereas I had a John and a Paul. We both had that problem of two mighty egos to deal with in order just to try and survive. I was very susceptible to dope, and Brian [Jones] was even more susceptible. He’d come [to my house], and I’d just hear his voice wailing at like five in the morning: “George, Geeooorrgggeeee.” So I’d wake up, see what was going on, and I’d look out the window, and he’d be all white and just shattered walking around the garden — just looking for somewhere to be.

I would always meet him at that time of day and just try to calm him down. And I saw him a lot before he died in that sort of circumstance. The last time I saw him, I think, was when I’d been in hospital to have my tonsils out and he came to see me in hospital and the next week he was gone. He was like all of them who kicked the bucket — it was sad because there were too many pressures, really. Not just the pressure of being famous and having the press hounding you day and night and young fans hounding you day and night. Plus the drugs hounding you day and night.

‘F*** it — I could do better than that’

On his childhood inspiration, Cliff Richard

I remember being a kid of about twelve, dreaming of big motorboats and tropical islands and things which had nothing to do with Liverpool, which was dark and cold. I remember going to see Cliff Richard and thinking, f*** it — I could do better than that.

‘I think being Elvis was lonelier than being one of the Fab Four’

On fame — and Elvis Presley

We kept realising we were getting bigger and bigger until we all realised we couldn’t go anywhere —you couldn’t pick up a paper or turn on a radio or TV without seeing yourself. I mean, it became too much. We became trapped, and that’s why it had to end, is what I think … We were like monkeys in a cage. I think it was helped a bit by the fact that it was four of us, who shared the experience. I mean, there was more than four of us, there was Peter Brown and Brian Epstein, but there was only four of us who were actually the Fab Four — whereas Elvis had an entourage and maybe 15 guys, friends of his, but there was only one man having that experience of what it was like to be Elvis Presley. I think that was far lonelier than being one of the Fab Four because at least we could keep each other laughing or crying or whatever we did to each other. It was definitely an asset being in a group.

(source)

#george harrison #the beatles #brian jones

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wingsoverlagos · 1 month

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This is a fun collection of quotes from the Let It Be Beatles Interview with Mark Lewisohn conducted on August 20, 2018. This is mostly for @mythserene's enjoyment, but it's also a fun lil supplement to this comment by @talking-perfectly-loud on a post by @anotherkindofmindpod, which includes some revealing, deeply salty quotes by Lewisohn from an episode of Nothing Is Real.

The below soundbites focus on Lewisohn's feelings towards the Harrison estate, particularly Olivia, though Lewisohn also lets us know that he considered suing George at one point. Italics used to indicate tone; bold font is added emphasis by me.

This is from ~1hr8min into the interview, after a discussion of Mal Evans diaries. Here's a partial transcript:

"No, no, Olivia Harrison doesn't want anything to do with me at all. Yeah, so it's very frustrating because I just want to make the history better and better and better and more and more correct, especially more and more correct in terms of balance on all four Beatles, but whatever."

This is a longer clip (6:26) from ~1hr23min in the original interview. They're discussing Lewisohn's falling out with Apple/the Beatles/George in particularly, which came about because he was falsely accused of bootlegging, or something like that. He's told a few variations of this story.

The first 3ish minutes give some flavor and backstory. Some choice quotes (they're at about 2:50, 4:35, and 5:42 in this clip):

“To the day he died, George blocked me, and Olivia blocks me in George’s name, and so it still carries on.”

“I’ve never, ever leaked, and that was why it was so galling to be accused of being a bootlegger. George Harrison accused me of being a bootlegger to my face in front of a whole film crew, the bastard. I mean, really. A horrible, horrible thing to do. I really should have done him for slander, and in fact at one point I was tempted, believe it or not. Because, you know, I’m a professional, I’m on a shoot, I’ve got a whole unit with me, and he’s accusing me of being a bootlegger in front of everybody, which was- he had no evidence for because there wasn’t any, but that didn’t matter. He was accusing me without evidence, and it was wrong, and um, you just have to put up with these things. These people, they can get away with murder. Celebrities, you know?”

Lest we think George was wilding out solely because of the bootlegging, Lewisohn helpfully clarifies that it was also Paul's Fault:

“The irony of that was that I actually had started off really well with George. I knew George from ’87, personally, and we’d had nice times, and it was- one of the things that flipped it was when I began working regularly for Paul.”

This was the part of the podcast that really took me aback, from around the 1hr43min mark. There's some chatter about Let It Be (the film), and then Lewisohn goes off once again about Olivia Harrison. He's quite impassioned, and then seems to make a conscious effort to talk himself down.

“I don’t know Olivia Harrison. I’ve never met her, which makes her- just- [angry] blocking of everything I do so ridiculous, because she doesn’t even know me. But if, as it would appear, she’s taken it upon herself to perpetuate George’s wishes, which is something that you might expect a spouse to do when their partner’s died, if the partner says, ‘Don’t ever allow this’, then she would take it as her duty not to allow it.”

This is followed by some hedging.

There are several other choice tidbits in this two hour Lewisohn marathon, but Olivia Harrison was foremost in his mind. But don't worry, guys, he's not biased!

#george harrison's last words were fuck mark lewisohn. hare krishna #CONFIRMED #olivia harrison get behind me #next substantiative post coming soon #just a bit of fun for now~#mark lewisohn #tune in #lewi-sins

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prettygirlstothefloor · 1 month

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Cowboy Carter Review

sorry if i write a lot. i like to yap lol

Ameriican Requiem- i'm a huge sucker for a sitar so i was gripped in from the beginning. i grew up on country music (mainly 90s/early 2000s) and so when she showed up at the CMAs and performed with the chicks it was a childhood dream. but as a person who liked country music around the time 9/11 happened, it's only become even more racist since. the way they treated her that night even though she was one of, if not THE, best performer of the night was so upsetting to watch. even as the best artist on the planet, at the top of her game, she's always going to work a million times harder than any of her peers. i'm so proud of her being able to make a song like to this to put her thoughts out on the whole night that night.

Blackbiird- obviously everyone has heard this song before. i was unaware of the actual backstory to the song since i don't follow the beatles too much (i like george harrison but that's about it lol). i was not aware that the song the song was written for black women during the civil rights movement. i assumed the song was mainly written by john lennon who to my knowledge was kind of a grifter when it came to his activism. having this song come right after ameriican requiem is so poetic.

16 Carriages- shockingly i was able to avoid hearing this song in full until tonight. i tend to only do one single per release and so texas hold em was the one. this song is so heartbreaking because i think about all the kids in the entertainment industry who can probably relate to this song all too well

Protector- these songs she makes for her kids... i'm gonna need her to stop. not because they're bad but i straight up can't listen to blue and probably this song because i want a mom like this 😭

My Rose- i hate that this is an interlude. it's so beautiful and not to be dramatic should've been 10 hours long

Smoke Hour • Willie Nelson- idk what to say about this one lol

Texas Hold 'Em- i love this song. the only problem i have with it is it sounds too clean. like the production sounds too clean. maybe it sounds better on the radio where the quality is lower than streaming but its definitely a song that needs to be played not so isolated.

Bodyguard- there's something in this song. she channeled carole king for this on or something. it's so good instantly a top 20 if not top 10 song of hers through her whole discography.

Dolly P- once again idk what to say about this one its too short to say anything

Jolene- i mean i think the same way about her version as i do about dolly's version. why are we getting mad at these women when we should be getting mad at the men?? take away that beyonce is beyonce for a second. if she was a normal lady and this girl was unaware her man was taken, isn't that more on him than anyone? he's letting it happen.

Daughter- her voice in this song is insanity. the control she has is unmatched truly.

Spaghettii- the beat omgggg. i know this would hit so hard in a mashup with "my house" i'm obsessed.

Alliigator Tears- just from hearing snippets of the country music that's on the radio nowadays, i think this might be one of the few songs from this album that they will eat up. i'm not saying that as a diss at all. i love this song alot especially after a second listen.

Smoke Hour II- i guess i can add on here a random tid bit. i made a country playlist in preperation for the album to come out. i made it on valentine's day. tell me why i named it KNTRY. i didn't even know the "radio station" she has on the album was called that lol.

Just for Fun- i don't listen to lana del rey anymore. i had a small time during last year where i did but then she got real messy again and signed that letter thanking joe biden. that being said this song sounds identical to "norman fucking rockwell". which is a compliment because both are good songs. keep jack antonoff away from beyonce though. that's the good thing about beyonce is she doesn't sound like everyone else which he makes everyone do (yes i am a fan of him but i'm critical of his production lol)

II Most Wanted- i'm sorry i've never been a fan of miley cyrus (except for the song she did for black mirror and that one EP she put out). i want to like this song because i like aspects of the song but it being a miley cyrus song with a beyonce feature is not want i want.

Levii's Jeans- this is also a collab i'm not a fan of. i actually enjoy post malone but i would've liked to see them in a more upbeat song.

Flamenco- idk how to take this song. it's stunning as usual. my thoughts on the lyrics though is she's kinda talking to fans maybe like the OG like destiny's child fans who have started to leave because she's starting to experiment more with her sound and they miss her old sound. i would love to know her take on this song in particular. because i know so many artists who decide to change their sound throughout each release are terrified of losing fans because they're so stuck on a certain sound.

The Linda Martell Show- another one i can't say much on since it's an interlude

Ya Ya- now.... remember what i said about bodyguard??? easily top 10. idk where on my ranking but it's there. the interpolation of "these boots were made for walking" and "good vibrations". there's something about that old soul rock sound that gets me every single time. i know that it doesn't sound anything alike but "freedom" has that same vibe, where it takes alot from old 60s blues soul rock. this is gonna hit so good on tour!

Oh Louisiana- i will say i really like this interlude. second favorite out of the ones with actual music

Desert Eagle- another song she chose to make extremely short when it should've been hours long... come on B

Riiverdance- its a fun and cute song. i think the beat is good but i think i like it more on my first listen.

II Hands II Heaven- i'm hoping this will finally click for me. im seeing everyone really love this song but idk whats not clicking for me. i'll definitely keep listening to it though maybe someday.

Tyrant- someone said this is the thique of cowboy carter and yeah i can definitely hear it. it's a sexy song and it's a fun song. definitely like it alot more after a second listen

Sweet • Honey • Buckiin'- her sampling "i fall to pieces" in this song is so special to me. i do want someone to take this "honey" and add it to the end of pure/honey though i wonder if it would sound any good. i think sweet and buckiin are the best songs out of the three of these.

Amen- i love how this really rounds out the album, calling back to the first song. it feels and is a very emotional song. don't know if i'll go back to it only because i think it could make me cry lol

overall, i think it's a solid album. if we're comparing the acts, which idk how you can because they're two distinctly different sounds, i would probably still go with renaissance but there's still so many solid songs on this album that are now some of my top faves. usually i rate out of 10 but it feels too low tbh, so i'm rating it out of 100. it will definitely grow on me just like renaissance did. 89/100.

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heresmyfiddlestick · 30 days

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i've been meaning to do a short-by-shot breakdown of the trailers for the upcoming season of Doctor Who, and with full-length trailer #2 out today it seems like a good time.

this will cover the teaser trailer (dropped after the christmas special), trailers #1 and #2 (dropped March 22 and today respectively), and the YouTube short they've released with all the episode titles. I've previously looked at the premiere date teaser released March 15.

Title Drop Short

I'll start with this because it is the shortest and gives some helpful hints to identifying other clips.

The accompanying audio here is some babies crying as the lights flicker, showing the monster's shadow. Is the monster hunting the babies? Is it supposed to be protecting them?

What this screencap doesn't convey is the music notes lifting off the page on the far right. When looking up "The Devil's Chord" (aka the tritone) I find on Wikipedia that "George Harrison uses tritones on the downbeats of the opening phrases of the Beatles songs "The Inner Light", "Blue Jay Way", and "Within You Without You" - I'm clearly not big up on my George songs, and I think it would be hilarious if the Beatles-centric episode of Doctor Who winds up being specifically George Harrison-centric.

I can find no info on who Timothy Drake might be (besides Robin, but that feels like a long shot). There is a piece credited to Beethoven behind the book.

"Boom" - clearly The Moff trying to bring back the spooky one-word title steez of Blink and Hide and Listen and so on. This clip has falling rubble and a bit of lazer fire, and above the door we have written "Entrance 3"

We have a cawing corvid behind this one, as snow rushes past what looks like a sign for a pub. Pretty creepy sign!

The words appear in sequence with some electronic chimes here, before the whole thing glitches out. Social media episode?

Here we have the title for the episode that was provisionally known as "Regency", written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman. We have reference to "The Duchess of Pemberton", who is presumably "The Duchess" played by Indira Varma. 8 May 1813 is in fact in the Regency period, but I can't find any other historical significance to that date.

The multiple screens and tech set up here gives me the vibes of a television studio. Will Ruby turn out to be a Sam Jones situation, a companion orchestrated perfectly for the Doctor? I'd say that's unlikely but I'm not ruling it out.

Now THIS is a Doctor Who episode title. Go off king give us nothing!

Alright bearing those aesthetics in mind, let's move on to the teaser trailer that premiered after the Christmas special

Season Teaser

youtube

This trailer introduced us to the great, kinda creepy music that recurs throughout the rest of them. And a powerful gaze from Dr. Who themself.

I think I can connect this shot to a scene we'll see later.

We then pop to another stare, in a shirt we've already seen in the Christmas special - so this is probably Episode 1 ("Space Babies").

Lots of good stares this episode, as we also see him looking through a window in the premiere date teaser. Who is that behind him with Ruby?

Then he's running down a corridor, and I'm so glad they've chosen to give him loads of different outfits because that makes this job much easier.

This is undoubtedly in Episode 2. Is he racing to stop "The Devil's Chord" from being played? Or maybe he's going to find Ruby ensnared somewhere. More on that later.

Why is he wearing a whistle? Why are the lights so low?

Were they working out? I love it.

A TARDIS design has to have some good levers for yanking on. This one has that and a jukebox AND mood lighting. good for her!

"I have the whole universe at my fingertips" - this is only part of a quote, which we'll get more of in a later trailer. I like this spot on a cliff's edge that they end up on, and I've just noticed the silly little tree near the TARDIS. The Doctor fell deeply in love with Dingle's Door when they regenerated from 13 and now their go-to spot is gonna be precarious rocks overlooking the sea. Just my prediction. This is likely Episode 1 "Space Babies", given other clips we've seen of them popping out here in their Christmas special outfits.

A door opens, casting a shadow on Ruby as she looks somewhat dumbfounded at what lies on the other side. Judging by the costume, this is probably Space Babies too, and yeah it looks like there might be babies in jars behind Ruby there...

It really looks like he has fangs in this screencap. Again, probably Space Babies given the costume. But who knows!

He's slamming on a button. Possibly to "Reset Port B"?

Here is the Doctor dancing with Jonathan Groff in Episode 6 "Rogue", and nobody seems too interested in them, but then:

The Duchess (and those around her) have taken note of something.

Mr Groff glancing at the Doctor's lips lmao

I love his wig! Everyone has taken notice now, and there's clearly something that has interrupted their dance.

Here we've got the pair strutting along the TARDIS walkway, probably having just changed into these sweet outfits before heading to:

"Abbey Road Studios" in Episode 2 "The Devil's Chord"

They're freaking out I love them. This is a great second-trip in the TARDIS historical. The Doctor has fallen back on their old tricks, but at least they didn't end up in Cardiff again. They're in the recording booth here during a Beatles studio session.

Where is Ringo?!!!

There he is (:

The Doctor has stepped on something he shouldn't. This is presumably is "gonna be a minute!" in the other teaser I've looked at. Shot in the dark, this is from Episode 3 "Boom". Because of land mines. (And the rubble and lazer blasts in the Short seem to match the "warzone" vibe)

"I've really stepped in it now". This looks like similar lighting to the very first "intense stare" shot from the start of this trailer.

Continued in reblogs...

#doctor who #doctor who trailer #doctor who speculation #fifteenth doctor #ruby sunday #Youtube

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short-wooloo · 5 months

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From Jediism to Judaism: Star Wars as Jewish Allegory, by Daniel Perez

A look at some of the Jewish elements – coincidental or otherwise – of Star Wars.

A long time ago in a place far, far away...

It is a period of civil war. A new government has declared the practice of the old faith a crime punishable by death, disbanding an ancient order of sages and sending many into exile. Rebel fighters, striking from a hidden base, have won their first major victory against the evil Empire, stirring a spirit of defiance among the populace. Outarmed and vastly outnumbered, the ragtag band of rebels – aided by an all-powerful, all-permeating Force that binds together all life in the universe – remain the only hope for restoring peace and freedom to their people.

It's one of the greatest epics known to mankind. No, not Star Wars. The above synopsis is actually the story of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates a miraculous victory of Israelite insurgents against the tyrannical Seleucid Empire roughly 2,200 years ago.

With Star Wars Episode VII set to premiere in just a few short weeks, I got to thinking about how certain aspects of the Star Wars universe are eerily similar to the history, beliefs, and teachings of the Jews. Now George Lucas did not set out to create a fantasy universe full of Jewish references, but the connections are nevertheless there. So let's put the “Han” back in Hanukkah (Harrison Ford, by the way, technically a member of the tribe) and look at some of the Jewish elements – coincidental or otherwise – of Star Wars.

A Galaxy of Hebrew Names

The heroes of the Star Wars series are members of a “rebel alliance,” basically Maccabees in outer space. It's right there in the name: Jedi. The Hebrew letter yud is often anglicized as a “J,” and syllables occasionally get dropped in translation. Hence, a Biblical name like “Yehoshua” makes its way into English as “Joshua.” It's not much of a stretch to see how “Jedi” can be derived the original Hebrew word for Jew, “Yehudi.”

Remember Luke Skywalker's Jedi rebbe, Grand Master Yoda? Is it just me, or is his peculiar syntax reminiscent of someone whose first language is Yiddish (“Yodish”)? More to the point, his name sounds a lot like “yada,” the Hebrew word meaning “to know.”

And how about those Skywalkers? Luke Skywalker might sound like a gentile name, but that name was clearly chosen to alliterate with his twin sister Leia (Leah). Also keep in mind that their parents were an interfaith couple. The father, Anakin Skywalker, played by the unmistakably un-Jewish Hayden Christensen, tried to convert to Jediism, but as we know he ultimately turned to the Dark Side instead. Their mother was Queen Amidala, portrayed by the beautiful and talented Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman. Suffice it to say their marriage did not end well, and it wasn't until much later in life that their children discovered their Jedi-ish identity.

Learning Academy

When an aspiring Jedi Knight goes to the Academy, he or she must complete what is essentially an apprenticeship with one more learned in Jediism than they are. Similarly, a future rabbi's yeshiva experience will consist largely of chavruta learning (studying with a partner – lit. “friendship”). Fun fact: The name for a young, unmarried yeshiva student, “bochur,” actually means “chosen” (as in “The Chosen People”). The idea of a foretold “Chosen One” who would “restore balance to the Force” was a theme running throughout the Star Wars films, wherein Anakin Skywalker was recognized for his extraordinary potential as a Jedi. As mentioned above, he went “off the derech” and became the villainous Darth Vader. In Return of the Jedi, however, Vader/Skywalker fulfills the “prophecy” when he does teshuvah (our term for repentance, which literally means “return.” Whoa. Return of the Jedi!), thwarting Emperor Palpatine to save his son's life, and ultimately, the galaxy.

Of course, if you tell a young rabbi-in-training that he is the “Chosen One,” it sounds cool and dramatic and is technically true, but then, the same can be said of all of his classmates.

While the Star Wars films don't feature Jedi trainees delving into sacred texts (it doesn't make for the most exciting movie montage), some of the greatest rabbinic books of ethics and Jewish philosophy would be right at home in any Jedi library. “Duties of the Heart,” “The Path of the Just”....tell me these don't sound like the reading list for a hero of the Light Side.

The Force

While Jediism isn't a theistic religion per se, its practitioners do teach of a Force that, in the words of Reb Obi-Wan Kenobi "...is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." That almost sounds like some sort of Chasidic teaching – just replace “energy field” with “entity” or “consciousness,” and “created by,” with “that creates,” and what you have starts to come across less like new age hippie talk and more like an introduction to Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism.

One idea that devout Jews of all stripes share, is that God, the creative “Force” that sustains all, is the source of a Jew's power. “Ein od milvado,” there is none besides Him. The Jew expresses his or her connection to the universe by striving for an ever closer relationship with its Creator.

Another aspect of Jedi belief is the notion of balance, the idea that the Light Side and the Dark Side are both aspects of the same Force seeking equilibrium. The religions that branched off from Judaism tend to show the Creator and Satan, or “The Devil,” in an adversarial relationship, almost a sort of de facto dualistic theology with a God and an anti-God, if you will. Judaism maintains that the Satan (lit. “Accuser”) is the angel associated with temptation, and prosecution in the Heavenly Court. He's basically Slugworth to God's Willy Wonka. He's got a dirty job to do, but in the end, we're both serving the same Boss.

Judaism also teaches that the source of Light and Darkness are One and the same, as it says in the prayer book: “Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates all things.” The source for this line of liturgy can be found in the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 45:7: “Who forms light and creates darkness, Who makes peace and creates evil; I am the Lord, Who makes all these.”

Incidentally, one of the traditional names for God – invoked particularly by the Jewish mystics – is HaMakom, literally “The Place.” The deeper idea conveyed by this name is that the Creator does not exist within the universe; the universe exists within Him. It sounds a lot like The Force. The key conceptual difference between the fictitious all-uniting Force of Star Wars and the Shechinah or “Divine Presence” is that the former is impersonal and passive, the latter is an omnipotent consciousness that actively intervenes in human history, speaking with Prophets and working miracles until this very day.

So if you see the new Star Wars movie, directed by Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (who couldn't sound more Jewish if his name was Saul Cohen or Herschel Rosenblatt), perhaps you'll be able to seek out and appreciate the surprisingly Jewish flavor of the Star Wars universe.

Happy Hanukkah, and may the Force be with you!

#wooloo-writes #wooloo writes #star wars #sw #jedi #jedi and judaism #judaism #✡️#article #chanukah #hanukkah #happy hanukkah #happy chanukah

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mysweetgeo · 1 year

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“This reminded me of you.” with george harrison please? if possible 65/56 era, shaggy haired geo supremacy 😫

i’m thinking reader is single on v day and so is george, so they both plan to surprise each other with gifts (mutual pining slay) but accidentally bump into each other while buying said gifts at a shop.

or literally just write any cutesy fluff i absolutely adore your writing😭

Picture Perfect

Request: I'm thinking reader is single on V Day and so is George, so they both plan to surprise each other with gifts (mutual pining slay) but accidentally bump into each other while buying said gifts at a shop.

Prompts: "This reminded me of you."

Pairings: George Harrison x F!Reader

(SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY !! I’d written 99% of this prior to V Day and fucked off to England the weekend after and forgot about it entirely 😭)

You and George had known each other for a few years, you’d initially met entirely by accident on the set of one of their photoshoots back in ’63. You’d been a photography assistant and had been asked to do a mundane task and had wound up spilling coffee all over George while retrieving coffee for the group.

While George had found the situation hysterical, your boss had found it quite the opposite and fired you on the spot.

This had led to you and George becoming great friends and you had made it a point to visit with him at every chance you got.

You couldn’t help but feel something more than just a friendly adoration for the man, and what you had thought was just a platonic attraction had bloomed into something much more.

It was hard to watch girlfriends come and go, but you stuck with him through all his heartbreaks. Always providing booze and jelly babies—which you knew he adored.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, and George’s most recent girlfriend having just broke up with him last month, you decided a surprise gift would be an ideal way to help cheer him up.

You’d stepped into the candy shoppe which was filled to the brim with Valentine’s Day paraphernalia. So much so that it nearly made you gag.

You looked through the candy, grabbing several packages of jelly babies artificially colored with red and pink hues. You’d also grabbed a few packages of digestive biscuits to stuff in there as well.

You were looking through the card section of the store when you heard a very familiar voice call your name.

“George? What’re you doing here?” You asked, clearly taken off guard.

“I reckon I should ask ye the same,” he said with a gentle smile. “What are you doing here?”

You shrugged nonchalantly, playing with a card in your hands, “Getting a gift for someone.”

George leaned an arm on the shelf to give himself a cool persona, “And who’s the lucky fellow?”

Your face tinged pink and you looked down at your feet, “Someone,” you managed to whisper.

He laughed softly, “Do I know him?”

You flitted your eyes to see George’s amused face, “You could say that.”

“Well, any man who likes jelly babies and digestives is good in my book. How long have youse been seein’ each other?”

“We aren’t seeing each other, I’m just buying these for a friend,” you answered. “You never answered my question—why are you here?”

It was George’s turn to blush, “Well, y’see, I have this girl I know, right. And she’s a real good friend to me and I think I might like her, y’know. So I’ve just gone and gotten her a present that she’ll hopefully like and I needed a card to go along with the present. Somethin’ romantic-like.”

“Ahhh, so who’s the lucky lady this time ‘round?” You asked softly.

George’s face turned even more red and he scratched at the back of his head. His hair had gotten much longer since you’d known him and his natural curls left his ends just above his shoulders.

“Well—it’s erm, it’s complicated, y’know,” he huffed a laugh, “'cos I’ve known her for a few years now but I haven’t known how to say what I feel for her, y’know?”

Your heart fluttered in your chest, “I know exactly what you mean.”

George’s eyes narrowed on yours, “You do?”

You nodded, “I do, I really do.” You stopped yourself for a moment, did you really want to tell George how you felt in the middle of a convenience store?

“George I—“ You began but were cut off by him.

“I think I love you,” George blurted.

You heard something fall to the floor, not realizing it had been all of the gifts for George you were holding on to.

“George, I love you too,” You closed the distance and hesitantly touched his arm.

“Oh thank God, I thought you were talking about someone else,” George laughed as he looked down at you.

“Who else do you know that has an unrealistic obsession for jelly babies and chocolate digestives?” You said with a laugh.

“Thought you might’ve cloned me without my approval.”

You shook your head before leaning up to press a kiss to his lips, which were just as soft and full as you had imagined.

When you pulled away for a breath, George’s eyes were still closed and his face mirrored your own—pure bliss.

“So what’d you get me?” You asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Well I was walkin’ past this shop in the city centre right, and they had a couple real nice cameras. And I saw this *real* nice one and I dunno, it just y’know,” He paused and pulled a box from the small gift bag in his hand. “This reminded me of you. You said you’d need a new camera soon so I thought I’d help. I hope you like it.”

You could only bring your hands up to cover your mouth in reaction. “George—Oh my God,” You reached a hand out to take the box from his hand, “this is too much, this must’ve been so expensive. Look at you, you’ve gotten me a new camera and all I’ve gotten you is a card and some candy—I can’t accept this, its too much—“

Your ramblings were interrupted by George pressing his lips to yours once again.

When you pulled away for a second time, George was grinning, “You’ll accept it and I’m sure we can work something out as repayment if you really think it’s necessary—which is completely unnecessary in my opinion.”

Your hand was wrapped around his bicep for stability, “You’re too much you know that?” You asked.

“Obviously, must be why I’m the ‘Quiet Beatle,’” he said with laugh.

After scooping up the items you’d dropped, you made quick work of paying for them and heading off with George for some more impromptu lip-locking and candy eating.

And if a few photos were snapped of him eating said candy, well they were in good fun and great quality.

#george harrison #george harrison fic #the beatles #1965 #1966 #george harrison x reader #female reader #george #beatles

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thestarsarecool · 2 years

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“A funny story is that one of the first times I ever got to hang out with Paul when I was young — I think I was 12 or 13 — one of the first times I ever actually spoke to him for more than just a hi or a handshake … I was very precocious as some teenagers can be. I really regret saying this, but I said something like, “What do you think of ‘How Do You Sleep?'” With this crazy, maniacal grin, because I’d always loved that song musically. And still to this day, it blows my mind. It’s funky, it’s groovy, it’s sexy. George Harrison’s solo is incredible. I just regret saying that. I was like, “The lyrics might have been mean, or whatever, but isn’t it musically a great song?” And looking back, I just feel like, “Why did you say that?” It was, like, the one thing you shouldn’t say. But he was very nice about it. I still worry about talking about this song because I don’t want him to think that I’m trying to be provocative. I don’t know what their personal disagreement was exactly.”

— Sean Ono Lennon, 2020, Rolling Stone (source).

#the beatles #sean ono lennon #sean lennon #paul mccartney #john lennon #how do you sleep #george harrison #my quotes

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rodeoromeo · 11 months

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This might sound mean but in all honesty it's embarrassing for a lot of Beatles fans how ignorant they are of George and the wider world of rock music. It's so obvious how many of them have just not bothered to read anything beyond clickbait when it comes to him and then they are shocked that everything they see him say sounds negative and irrational. No shit, maybe consider you don't have the full story and that the article titled "Here's why George Harrison despised Paul McCartney" isn't where you should be getting your info.

I don't even consider George to be overly bitter. So what if he threw a few digs out there? Do Beatles fans have any idea what the relationships between most band members are like? How many of them openly despise each other to the point where they couldn't be in the same room together? If Beatles fans whined about George to fans of bands like Pink Floyd, Cream, The Police, Oasis, etc. they'd laugh in their faces.

"Wait, you're telling me your guy was annoyed but basically let John and Paul do whatever they wanted and didn't say anything until the band broke up? He was still giving them credit for his career, wouldn't allow other people to insult them, and was on friendly terms with them? Then when he was dying had an incredibly touching ending with the guy he'd been rivaling with? And you haven't shut up about this for like 50 years?"

"Yeah but you see the tone he was using in Get Back? What a nasty character."

"My faves literally tried to murder each other but go off."

honestly people focus really hard on the few quotes of George's that tend to get pulled out in which he's more critical of Paul and of the whole Beatles experience. and I want to clarify once more that this isn't about Paul or what he has said- it really isn't- it's the way that people react to George and who he was as a person that is frustrating. I honestly think he was a little unfairly portrayed and framed in Get Back but that's another discussion.

people tend to for some reason ignore the great amount of love and respect that George had for John, Paul and Ringo, and instead seem to only be informed on the period of time where he wanted to leave the band and the way he felt immediately following that. the truth is ALL of the guys had their own issues with each other - the lawsuits, the public beefs... but you're right, its NOTHING compared to what a lot of other band members go through.

also, if people were familiar with George's music they would know that he wrote a LOT about his struggles with forgiveness and his lost connections- always reaching for clarity and unity and peace between himself and these people in his life.

it is just a lack of awareness of George and who he really was OUTSIDE of the beatles. it's hard for me to understand because I have spent SO much time watching his interviews, reading his words, listening to his discography.... in complete honesty to learn george all you need to do is listen to his music.

honestly, George responded to this best himself- "the problem with talking is that the more you say the more you bury yourself. it's very difficult to express what you feel in your heart. in a song though, because you have the addition of the music and the value of sound, it touches places that other things don't touch, and it can stir you from a much deeper, subtle level. I try to do my music about what my experiences are" X

#george harrison #the beatles #op #b talks

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harrisonarchive · 2 years

Photo

George Harrison and Ringo Starr working on “Octopus’s Garden” in the studio, January 1969. Photo by Mal Evans or Tony Bramwell, for The Beatles Book monthly.

A look at some Harrison-Starkey musical collaborations.

“This next song is called ‘It Don’t Come Easy.’ I wrote this song with the one and only George Harrison.” - Ringo Starr, VH1 Storytellers (1998)

“So George taught me C, which was so damn hard. That’s how [‘Photograph’] started. I love the sentiment of ‘Photograph.’ When we did The Concert For George, I told the audience that ‘Photograph’ now has a different meaning just because of the fact that George has left.” - Ringo Starr, liner notes, Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr (2007)

"George wrote that one. I was watching a lot of TV then [1981], as he writes in one of the lyrics in the song. Also I was probably going insane too. George thought this song would be good for me. It’s a song I knew he’d never do. So it gave George some freedom and it was a bit looser than something that he would do for himself." - ibid

“When Ringo asked [George]… to compose guitar music for a new song, ‘King of Broken Hearts,’ George put his own heart into it. One reviewer would later describe his beautiful slide-guitar work as ‘sharing a little of his soul… [a] moving musical statement [that] spoke of the musician’s inner peace.’ George sent the tape off by mail. Ringo took the package to his recording studio and sat with his hands behind his head, listening to an unexpected poetry of notes. 'You’re killing me, George,' he mumbled. 'You’ve got me crying, you bugger.’” - Here Comes The Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison (2006)

Ringo Starr: "'Never Without You,' the tribute track to George - or the love track. I don't really like the tribute - you know, the word 'tribute.' It's just to let George know we loved him." [...] Q: "You mentioned 'Never Without You.' That's the next song we're going to hear from Ringo Rama. You said, not a tribute. What did you say?" RS: "It's just with love." Q: "With love for George." RS: "Yeah. [...] [The 2002 Concert for George] helped with the closure, I felt, that we all sort of... we had this focus of the show, but we could hang out with each other and, you know, deal with the loss of George, who, you know, I still miss." Q" "The song 'Never Without You' didn't really start out purely about George, did it?" RS: "Well, it started out just as a band. And then I thought, wow, this would be great, after the first verse, that we were brothers through it all. It just became natural that it was about the Beatles, in a way. And, of course, George had just left us then. It was like four months after he died. And so then I thought, oh, that would be great. I can say this about George. Then, oh, well, I can say this about John. Oh, and I can say this about Harry Nilsson. And so it just got too cluttered and too crazy. So I had to stop everything and say, 'Now, where are we going? Okay. This is just for George. And that way, I - you know, I could use some of his lines in the song itself, never - you know, 'within you, without you' is his line. Sometimes you just go mad and you've got to stop and look at what you do and then you do it right. And I think the song says everything that I ever want to say." Q: "Why was it so easy for you to write with George on classics like 'It Don't Come Easy' and 'Photograph' so soon after the Beatles split?" RS: "Well, you know, George was my good friend. And I was very good at two verses and a chorus. And then I would take it over to George's and he'd finish 'Photograph.' And he finished 'It Don't Come Easy.' And also, you know, I'm not the best guitarist in the world. I have to admit that. I might be a great drummer, but I'm not the best guitarist. And so he would put in all these chords that made me sound like a genius and tie the song up. [...] So George was always great. We always had a lot of fun in the studio, you know." - Ringo Rama Radio Hour, 25 March 2003

“['Never Without You’] is all about George. The song is still very poignant for me, and I tried not to do it on the last tour, but I had to do it because it’s a beautiful song and expresses what I felt for the man. […] He had just gone and I wanted to express my love for him.” - Ringo Starr, liner notes, Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr (2007) (x)

#George Harrison #Ringo Starr #Harrison cowriting #George and Ringo #quote #quotes about George #Octopus's Garden #It Don't Come Easy #Photograph #Wrack My Brain #never without you #et al #fits queue like a glove

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steelycunt · 1 year

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im so sorry in advance bc this is a lot. but.

top 5 bands r loves

top 5 bands r hates

top 5 bands s loves

and top 5 bands s hates

hi omg no problem!! love talking about them love talking about music love talking about seventies music so this is great xx in regards to the bands they love, and particularly s, i generally imagine this changing depending on the era? as in the bands that he is into as a fourteen year old are not the bands he's into when he's twenty. so that will sort of affect my rankings xx this got very long! especially due to my long-winded and unnecessary explanations. so it's all going under the cut xx also i know it says bands but i interpreted that as just artists in general hope thats okay xx

top five bands that r loves

5. the kinks

4. small faces / harry nilsson.

3. the beach boys.

2. the beatles.

1. steely dan.

him!! my stuck-in-the-sixties boy!! the specific order isn't necessarily accurate, but these are the sort of groups/artists i imagine him liking--as well as special mentions to the velvet underground/bob dylan/donovan/joni mitchell/kate bush/pink floyd probably some of the beatles' solo careers in the seventies--e.g. wings/paul mccartney's ram/george harrison's all things must pass. i tend to imagine his tastes being more suited to the sixties than the seventies in general, though (think he'd prefer it to the glam + punk rock of the seventies although he may have liked some early bowie xx). i think he'd enjoy new wave in the late 70s/early 80s possibly more than he'd enjoy punk, but also he's spending that time being utterly depressed so i don't know how on-it he is in regards to following the latest cultural trends and movements.

top five bands that r hates

okay i'm not sure i have a ranking for this one--it's harder because i can't imagine him actively hating much. and i feel like if he didn't like a certain type of music he just wouldn't engage with it. but thinking about bands in the 70s i can't imagine him having an awful lot of time for your AC/DCs, ur aerosmiths, slade, kiss, led zeppelin, black sabbath...metal as a genre.

top five bands that s loves

5. rolling stones / sparks

4. new york dolls/velvet underground/t.rex

3. stranglers/modern lovers/the specials

2. sex pistols/ramones/buzzcocks

1. david bowie/roxy music

right i know this is a bit of a cop-out of a list. and the order once again doesn't really mean anything more than what came to mind first because honestly again it would all depend on the specific era/year you're talking about but. i've said before i imagine him moving from glam rock + proto-punk into punk + especially british punk as the seventies progresses...i do think artists like bowie and roxy music and t. rex would've had pretty big effects on him at a young age, and i think though he wouldn't have much time for most of the sixties the rolling stones might still be of interest to him. the thing is by the time he's old enough to get into glam rock its being going on for a bit, which is why the fact that he's around for the very start of punk would make it so exciting for him, because its something that belongs to his age group and its something he can actually get involved in. if he'd managed to stay out of prison for just a few more years i probably would've also included xtc (though he would've been around to enjoy drums and wires and black sea which are both good albums xx) but i think glam rock and punk are the main two genres for him.

top five bands that s hates

5. ABBA

4. the beegees

3. elton john

2. queen

1. the beatles

out of all four lists this was. probably easiest honestly although its less a ranking and more just a list as they came to mind but. i think he would enjoy hating the beatles--they're done, they're yesterday's news, they're old-fashioned and i really can't imagine any of their discography being of much interest to him personally. although he'd make allowances for how much r likes them. unlike r, i think s would sort of revel in being a bit of a hater (like me) so a lot of the rest of this list is just big seventies artists that while he would have been exposed to, he wouldn't have liked. i've talked b4 about the queen thing but in the interest of being thorough here i'll once again make my argument that he would not have liked queen xx if you think s liked queen its probably because he actually liked sparks instead. sparks sound like what i think a lot of people seem to think queen sound like. queen do not fit the rock n roll/punk rock image that he gets given a lot and while i absolutely love good old fashioned lover boy as much as the next person i do not think he did xx he was not a good old fashioned lover boy i promise you xx he was a cunt xx

#shame r wasnt a teen in the 1980s. he wouldve loved the smiths. i actually think as a decade the 80s would be more suited to his #tastes than the 70s tbh but idk #this is soooo much longer than anyone wanted it to be and i know no one will read it but. this is my favourite topic so i dont mind xx #it was fun for me to do xx and ive definitely forgotten some names thank you for the ask xx #music #r #s

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ambitionsource · 1 year

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since you guys did the voice casts for the front nine, which singer(s) would fit jack and eric?

Pearl I am so sorry, you sent this 100 years ago lol so forgive me for the delay. As it turns out, shockingly, trying to vocally match older men is a lot harder than the young adults of our main cast LOL. Still, I want to do them justice so I've done the same as I did previously in this post, along with a couple others who have since emerged as more common singers in our ensemble:

ERIC | Eric is the one of the two of them that does have an actual musical theater background, so I do think that makes a difference. His voice would without a doubt be more trained, have a broader range, and probably have more inflection in terms of emotion and emphatic delivery (that's the theater kid edge). I also think that Eric's voice would be deeper than maybe one would assume off the cuff, at least when singing. So as requested, a couple of comps:

Hugh Jackman – This might be partially because we had him perform "A Million Dreams" in Season 2, but I think it fits. Jackman has voice that's like, sturdy and baritone, but it's not overbearing. It doesn't eat up all the oxygen in the room or feel like it's so deep it's coming from the pits of hell. Additionally, I like that he does have a decent range -- see him going for Valjean songs in Les Mis -- so I think that point is important. Example track: A Million Dreams

Christopher Jackson -- Whoop! Didn't see this one coming did we, especially since Jack tends to be the one singing Washington songs from Hamilton... but I do think this tone of voice fits Eric better. Again, it has that rounded, well-balanced, sturdy vocal quality and can emote without a doubt. Example track: History Has Its Eyes On You

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) -- For a non-Broadway or film take, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is a fitting enough comp range and tone wise. Example track: exile (with Taylor Swift)

JACK | I think Jack, much like his not-son Lucas, has an edge to his voice that is distinctly unpolished and rough. Even though he's an appreciator of the arts, and works at an arts school, a big part of Jack's whole thing is that he isn't from this world instinctively, and he for sure wasn't honing his range or vocal ability all through his youth. So his early 40s man voice is not Broadway ready, but there's a charm to that as well. I also imagining him having a bit of a husky, Southern quality to the edges of his singing voice because of his upbringing in Virginia. As such, comps to go around:

The Avett Brothers -- Obviously this is a bit unspecific because... there are three brothers in this band and only one Jack, LOL, but you can kind of get the vibe of the like slightly rustic quality, emotive without necessarily being good at channeling emotion, etc. I think this also fits that I picture Jack's singing voice a bit higher in tone than Eric's, and that register works here. Example track: I And Love And You

George Harrison -- I know my Beatles nerd is showing, but I stand by this. George was never the standout vocalist of the Beatles (not that I think any of them were tbh lol, they were much more about music composition and arrangement than like being the best singers ever), but his almost soft-spoken delivery just hits right for Jack to me. Example track: Something

James Taylor -- This is veering almost too much into the twangy territory, but I think it helps serve what I mean by sounding a bit more unpolished and husky while still being more in the baritenor range. James Taylor has had a long career, so there's option abound for sampling, but I went with a cover song from his latest album because he is. Well. Older lol. Example track: God Bless the Child

YINDRA | I would argue Yindra is the most defined singer in our new crop of elevated mains, so she needs a section here. When it comes to her, I want you simply to think of the most talented vocalist you know -- that artist you think is just unbelievably talented and you can't believe they have a range like that. You wonder how they're not a huge star already if they aren't well known. That's Yindra. I feel like there are genuinely so many talented female vocalists that could make this comp list, but since I'm keeping it concise, a top-of-my-head sampling:

SZA -- I think sometimes people think of SZA more as a rap-adjacent vocalist (i.e. more about rhythm and delivery than vocal range, to a degree, which is an equally impressive skill), but I love her voice from a tonal perspective too. Have you heard her jump the octave in tracks from ctrl? An immediately slay. In this case, I will reference one of my favorite tracks from that album and that I think lets her vocals really shine due to the stripped nature of the track. Example track: 20 Something

Tess Henley -- If I haven't made it clear yet by how I slip her songs into the series here and there, I love Tess Henley. She is severely underrated. Why I bring her up for Yindra is two-fold: she has an incredible belt range, and also has a somewhat scratchy quality to her voice in certain octaves that I think is such a unique sound and makes her sound so... authentic and evocative. I think Yindra would have qualities like this too. Yindra's vocal talent is raw, untamed, a force to be reckoned that is bursting out of her -- it wouldn't be polished to pop perfection like Maya. It's just against her nature. Example track: Boomerang

Alicia Keys -- Okay is this a basic answer. Maybe. But I think Alicia's vocal talent speaks for itself, and so does Yindra's. Not to mention, her range alone is blockbuster. Case in point, example track, we all know it's coming: Girl On Fire

NIGEL | Nigel doesn't sing as much as some of the other characters (he's an actor at his core), but he's picked up enough performances this season to warrant mention here. I think of his voice as a gentle, somewhat level tonal tenor, and while I don't have much to say beyond that, a few comps nonetheless:

HONNE -- I can't tell the two members apart so don't ask that of me please lol but the vibes are there. Example track: Location Unknown - Brooklyn Session

Hippo Campus -- Again, don't know who is actually singing here LOL but again, the sound will tell you what you need to know. Example track: Golden

JOSH | Same goes for the above for Josh -- he's not a singer in the explicit sense of the word, so to a degree, his vocals would just sound like some guy. But he's a guy who has a deep, intrinsic understanding of music, and I do think that colors his vocal delivery. He's no Farkle, or even Charlie, but it doesn't hurt your ears to hear him chime in on a tune every now and then (especially when he's splitting with someone like Maya). Comps:

AJR -- AJR are basically just some guys, but some guys who know how to craft a good song, so they're kind of my go-to sound comp for Josh. I also think they sing pretty well about both young adulthood what-am-I-doing-with-my-life angst, and the battles of the industry, so their emotion shines through in that way. Example track: The DJ Is Crying For Help

Glass Animals -- Same sentiments. Example track: Solar Power - Spotify Singles

VANESSA | Unlike Zay, Vanessa is less of a triple-threat than she is more consumed with dance, but we know she can carry a tune competitively. And unfortunately, unless you're going into ballet, it helps to be able to sing to get more performing opportunities that include dance (see: Broadway), so she has most certainly honed those skills. In terms of skill vocally, I would plot her somewhere on the scale between Maya and Riley -- she's more polished than Riley, from all her training and overworking competitiveness, but she lacks Maya's raw natural vocal charisma. But that doesn't mean her voice can't be a showstopper when the moment calls for it. Comps:

Jasmine Cephas-Jones -- The oft overlooked third Schuyler sister of Hamilton, Jasmine has vocals that can cut right through you. I love how much energy and power you can feel in her delivery. Vanessa definitely has that quality. Example track: Little Bird

Normani -- Goes without saying, since we gave her the bop of all bops with "Motivation." And also unfortunate how Normani despite being talented got kind of celebrity eclipsed by a fellow former bandmate (Camila), which is something I'm sure Vanessa would relate to. Example track: Motivation

Billie Eilish -- This one is a bit out of left field, but something about the somewhat flat inflection and lower range (definitely alto) that Billie's voice encompasses has always struck me as a bit Vanessa-like. So I'm including her. Example track: Getting Older

-- Maggie

#aaa supplementaries #yindra amino #nigel chey #vanessa johnson #eric matthews #jack hunter #josh matthews

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dollarbin · 6 months

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Dollar Bin #22:

Ringo Starr's Goodnight Vienna

Pop quiz time. Open your Dollar Bin exam booklets and begin:

True or False: Ringo Starr was and still is the oldest Beatle. He's older than my father, your father, Bob Dylan and even Bernie Sanders. And that means he's way older than Biden or Trump. What do you think: true or false? Answer: True! Ringo for President - he'll be 88 at the end of his term.

True or False: Around the time the Beatles were collapsing Ringo bought a mansion from Peter Sellers while they were making a film together (The Magic Christian) which is dedicated to exposing the evils of capitalism. Answer: True! Ringo and Peter were perfectly content to savage the very same economic system that had turned each of them into mansion owners. The film climaxes with the ignorant masses jumping into a giant vat of blood and feces in order to get their hands on ready cash. Ringo and Peter don't jump in; they already had plenty of cash in hand and they understood the evil nature of capitalism. Such savvy gents. Again, Ringo for President!

True or False: Starr turned around a year later and sold that same mansion to none other than Stephen Stills; Starr would go on to play on Stills' first solo record under the deeply undercover nom de guerre "Richie". Answer: True. Stills had somehow already made enough money at that point to buy a Beatles sized mansion. You can't make up stuff like this!

True or False: That same mansion's ancient caretaker was named Johnny. Stills, who surely had no idea whatsoever that his band mate, Neil Young, had just written and recorded a song entitled Old Man all about the caretaker of Young's own new home, just so happened to have the inspiration (where it came from no one knows) to write a song about his own new caretaker. Stills' song, Johnny's Garden, is not in any way whatsoever plagiarism of Old Man and is a truly wonderful piece of music. Answer: False, obviously. Stephen Stills sucks. The sections above in bold, however, are all true.

True or False: Ringo and his wife Maureen, who started dating when she was 15 and Ringo was 22, are the only two people I'd actually enjoy spending some quality time with in the entire 6 hour Get Back film. Answer: Totally true! After all, the Lennon-Ono's were on heroin; the McCartney's would have asked me to stand bloody well aside so they could gaze deeper into one another's souls; George would have made me talk with his terrifyingly silent hare krishna stalker dude; and Glyn Johns might have made me smell his fresh kill fur coat:

How are you doing on the test so far? Need extra credit? Okay, here's your final, bonus question: True or False: Ringo, although he would later report that he spent all of the 70's blind drunk, somehow did not fall off the top of the Capital Records building while filming of this video for his 1974 album Goodnight Vienna.

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Answer: Totally True. Only you, Ringo, could have made anything this ridiculous while your lovely wife was at ground level, having an affair with George Harrison (yes, that detail is also true; being a Beatle, or a Beatle wife, sounds like it was one big incestuous joy ride).

Okay, pencils down. Please report your scores to your nearest loved one. I'm sure they totally appreciate you reading this instead of paying attention to them.

Now, let's talk about Ringo's ridiculous, but not ridiculous enough, 74 record, Goodnight Vienna.

Listen: I'd love to tell you that Goodnight Vienna is Ringo's masterpiece. I can assure you that he's not the second best drummer in the Beatles (he's not; listen to A Day in the Life) but I cannot, in good conscience, advise you to participate in the evil system Ringo tells me is capitalism so as to buy Goodnight Vienna. Nor can I, in good conscience, advise you to stop reading this, continue to ignore those loved ones and instead get busy with the presale for yet another, inevitable, Ringo's All Star Band tour, even though "the last" Beatles song is currently captivating us.

(I really like Now And Then despite the terrifying Forest-Gump-meets-the-Beatles-as-remade-by-a-14-year-old video that accompanies it).

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Simply put, Goodnight Vienna kinda sucks.

Yes, it's got one of the goofier covers in my entire collection (and maybe that alone is enough to justify your dollar). But nothing on the record has anything to do with Ringo in a cheesy spacesuit and it's pretty clear that Ringo's warbling atop that Tower Records Building wasn't the only period of drunken and coked up self-indulgent buffoonery that took place during the making of this record. When things could be funny on the record, they're either dull or off the mark. The rather tasteless vibe of the No No Song permeates things.

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Sure, James Newton Howard makes his recording debut on this record (you know James: he's the guy responsible for the soundtracks of a zillion terrible films including My Girl, The Postman and Waterworld, and a few sublime ones: Michael Clayton and The Dark Knight come to mind). But he plays a synthesizer you can't even hear on one single track of this record so even soundtrack geeks can skip on this one.

And yes, there's a veritable list of big names on this record, from Lennon himself, who wrote the almost-catchy but ultimately head throbbing title track, to Elton John, Robbie Robertson, Dr. John, Steve Cropper and Billy Preston. But at the end of the day I think there are just two tracks worth your time and consideration.

The first is Snookeroo. Elton brought this track to the Goodnight Vienna sessions and it's an odd one from his catalog. I'm no Elton John buff (I'm afraid I don't own a single record by him; feel free to advise on if/where to start), but I like Tiny Dancer as much as every other reasonable human being on earth and I respect his chops; the guy, after all, was the first to cover Nick Drake, turning Drake's brooding, worshipful closer Saturday Sun into a fervent, stand at the keys and pound on them, white soul track. Is Elton's version any good? Well, let's listen.

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Sure, I guess it's alright, and I can certainly understand why a guy like Ringo wanted a guy like Elton in his cacophonous studio instead of inviting poor Nick, who at that point had just a few months left on earth with us all. Just imagine Drake standing in Goodnight Vienna's darkest, most awkward corner while Lennon shouts incoherent directions. Nick's trembling and mortified, like Jane Austen at a pro wrestling event...

Snookeroo is obviously written for and about Starr himself. Starr's dad was the kinda drunk described in the chorus and Ringo had clearly given Elton and his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, back of the napkin bullet points from his Dickensian childhood.

The third verse is where things get weird. Did Ringo like this description of himself? How did a gay songwriter like Elton feel about a guy who eagerly and triumphantly sang about needing a factory girl to cook for him and turn him loose at night? Was Ringo proud to embody toxic masculinity in this song or was he making fun of the sexist character he plays here? Hopefully the later. After all, he was born in July, not on the eve of Halloween, as he claims in the song. But maybe he was too wasted to get his birthday straight on the cocktail napkin? Who knows!

But listen to Robbie Robertson and Elton leapfrogging each other in the song's second half. This is a song worth your Dollar Bin buck, right? Or at least your dime... Maybe a nickle?

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The second song from Goodnight Vienna worth your slight attention is Husbands and Wives. It's the one straight-up country song on Goodnight Vienna and, if you're like me, and you only own this one single Ringo record, you'll wish you had Ringo's second solo album, Beaucoups of Blues, in your own personal Dollar Bin instead of it. That's because Beaucoups of Blues is the "Ringo goes to Nashville" album from his career.

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You know the "(insert the pop/rock artist of your choice) Goes to Nashville" genre: think Almost Blue; think Jonathan Goes Country, think all the great Joan Baez albums between 68 and 72. For that matter, think Harvest, the Neil Young album Stephen Stills has still never heard. Apparently.

I suppose Dylan invented the genre, in a way, with Blonde on Blonde, though the Dylan record that most truly fits the genre that I'm suggesting here (rock star of your choice sends themself temporarily to Music City to a) go on a bender and b) make a slightly or fully voyeuristic country record at the same time) is Nashville Skyline.

So if Beaucoups of Blues is Starr's Nashville Skyline, maybe that's what we have left to get excited about after listening to Goodnight Vienna: at least we now have an excuse to buy yet another Dollar Bin record. Even so, I can't say I'm totally on fire to get it. Happily, Neil Young regular Ben Keith plays steel guitar on the record, and I'm always game for any record with Keith on it. But bizarrely, Kenny Buttrey, the Chewbacca of Nashville records, does not play on Beaucoups of Blues. Very weird. Maybe Buttrey was faking imprisonment on the Death Star at that point or something.

Okay, that was supposed to be the sputtering end of this post. But hang in there a moment longer Dollar Binners: I just turned our time with Ringo into something way more exciting: suddenly and unexpectedly I have just discovered a far more worthwhile Dollar Bin quest.

Had you turned the tables around and quizzed me five minutes ago, not on Ringo's second marriage to a Bond girl or his decision to quit the band during the White Album, but instead on details about the song Husbands and Wives, I would have initially failed the test. Never heard it before, I would have responded, and while I like the melody whenever Ringo finds it, that's all I've got to say about the song.

But, just now, I dug deep into my pea sized brain when I saw on the Ringo credits that Roger Miller is the songwriter, and I remembered that Cousin Kris digs Roger Miller, just like he digs Charlie Pride. Take a listen:

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Once I remembered that Miller has the Kristofferson seal of approval I fired up this new website I've been experimenting with lately; it's called Google and it handed me a nugget of Dollar Bin gold: Roger Miller is the guy behind the greatest moment in Disney history:

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My famous brother and I loved this movie as kids, watching it over and over again in our parents bed from a cutting edge, bootlegged off the TV, VHS copy. Remember all the foxy romance? The flying arrows shot into the lake that pierced Robin's cap? Remember the giant dancing nun chicken?

Of course, my famous brother, I now ashamedly remember, has urged me more than once to get into Roger Miller, explaining patiently to me that he's the guy largely responsible for our childhood love of the film and that he's worth my Dollar Bin buck many times over. But did I listen to my famous brother's wise sage counsel? No. I went and bought a Ringo record instead. One would think I was the one who was drunk for all of the 70's.

But realizing who Roger Miller is has me ready to strike out on a new Dollar Bin quest. There's nothing quite like leaning into a Dollar Bin in hopes of finding a specific artist you know you should be in there, because they were popular 50 years and are now forgotten by people like me. You've passed them up for decades with sneers or indifference because you failed to hearken to your famous brother's earnest directives. But now things have changed: you are ready, at long last, to enjoy Roger Miller.

So, somebody, please summon Starr's spaceship pronto. I need to get my drunken ass off the top of the Capital Record building and into a Dollar Bin fast. I have the sense that Roger Miller will be more trustworthy than good old Ringo when it comes to Husbands and Wives.

#Youtube #ringo starr #roger miller #kris kristofferson #bob dylan #neil young #stephen stills still sucks

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inspiteallthedanger · 2 years

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Have you thought about that moment in Get Back where Paul says ''Good try that, Johnny'', and George says something immediately after to John, addressing him ''John'' pointedly? Like very pointedly. I mean it might have been discussed on Tumblr, but I just rewatched it on Youtube (it's in the beginning of a short video there called ''George's admiring Eric Clapton & Billy Preston'') and that moment always makes me smile and wonder. It's just a tiny second of interraction between the tree of them but a mess of so many possible feelings. It definitely sounds like George is either mocking Paul or in otherwise responding to the fact that Paul said ''JohnnY''. Like he's acknowledging that that petname sounds affectionate and is annoyed by that fact. It's also interesting to me that apparently it DID sound special/affectionate, it wasn't common for people to call John that, if George payed attention to it. It's like.. George's reaction in a way for me confirms Paul's affection which is why the moment makes me smile mostly. But also... they're not teenagers anymore but George is annoyed/jealous? That Paul likes John? That John's ass is kissed by Paul? That they were an annoying petname-calling team like that still? I mean it's kinda hilarious but also like our weird fanfictions are not so far from the truths. Sorry for that long rant over one second of Get Back, what do you think? :D

Hello. This is interesting, isn't it? My following response is assuming that this dialogue is presented in Get Back as it was (more or less) said in real life. Which, we know might not be the case. So, for a start, I’m ignoring the visuals in this. But, anyway, with that aside:

I do totally agree that George's 'John' does seem a pointed moment in response to Paul's ‘Johnny’. And yes! I think Paul's trying to create some sort of short-hand/intimacy with John there too. I think, overall, George is trying to win John over to his way of thinking in his on-going argument with Paul. I think it’s pointed because he’s sort of saying “Oh, no you don’t, Paul. You don’t get to win by pulling on your weird ass relationship with John.”

I’m not sure, entirely, why he’s annoyed. Because I don’t think it’s wildly unusual for Paul to call him Johnny in that context.

I wonder if it’s possible George's annoyed because Paul says it was good. Then sort of pauses and only calls out John as being good, and George takes that to mean Paul thinks George wasn't good? I can’t remember what they’ve just finished playing, so assuming they’ve all just done a song, that could be part of it?

But overall, I think he’s annoyed because he's trying to win the argument that he's been having with Paul since the start of the sessions i.e. how they should go about crafting these songs. So, he's mostly disagreeing with Paul that the take was good.

I do think this is part of George's on-going issues with the whole idea of the project. Specifically, he's talking here about why he can't do what Paul wants him to do: stop and fix each wrong note as they go (by which George thinks Paul thinks he should just automatically know how the song ought to go), or allowing them to play through it and figure it out once they have the overall shape.

I'm not sure if George is just very insecure during these sessions or what, but it's a clear through line from this chat to "You need Clapton for that" where John says, "We need Harrison". And likely why John jokes they should just bring him in when George leaves.

None of the Beatles were good at just jamming - when they tried it, apparently it was often terrible. Paul's dismissive, "That's jazz, man," is meant to say, "So what if Eric does that? Doesn't make him better than us, or what you do." Anyway, I think this is all part of them trying to get John to weigh in on one of their sides. Which is interesting, because by all accounts that isn’t what he ever did. Let alone by this time in their relationship.

Anyway, none of this takes away from anything you’ve put here. I just think it’s more about them more directly fighting for John’s approval/agreement. Which John is resolutely not about to do...

It’s also funny/sad that George thinks that Paul and John still likely have that bond. I mean, they do but the very timid sort of way Paul says ‘Johnny’ sort of suggested that he’s not even sure of his place with John currently. Like, he’s trying to get John engaged and in doing so is excluding George. The dynamics are wild and painful to behold!

#beth rambles

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all-or-nothing-baby · 2 years

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Every night you dream that you talk to a genie, when you wake up you can't remember what you wished for. One morning you wake up with a giant crab pincer replacing your right arm. What do you do?

I call Kafka on his mobile and ask how best to proceed. Only Kafka doesn't answer, the shit. He never answers.

So. I phone in sick to the garage—thanking Mexican baby Jesus and Philip K. Dick for the invention of the speaker phone because, you know, only one hand—and try to get dressed without hacking off any skin with the new serrated limb. But then it hits me: why on earth am I getting dressed? Am I really going to leave the house like this? No, I realise, I most certainly am not.

Instead, I call up my good buddy Cate Blanchett, because she gets the best dope. Cate is filming but I ask her assistant if they can drop me off some Salvia, pronto, which they do; I have to get high af if I'm to figure out what to do next.

Smoking with a pincer is actually easier and cooler than you might imagine.

While off by tits and talking to a chair, I realise that I'm talking to a chair, and it then tells me to get my damn shit together. Thinking really, really hard (honestly it almost hurts in this state), the solution to the issue of WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DO I DO NOW?! hits me: dreamwalking. Obviously.

Humming like George Harrison playing a sitar, I manage to drift off...

"Nanu-Nanu!" says Mork of Mork & Mindy fame when I open my eyes.

I smile and answer, "Wrong Robin Williams character! Sorry, Dream Robin Williams!" and swim away through the dream to the next realm...

"Oh captain! My captain!"...

"To Live would be an awfully big adventure!"...

"Make your life spectacular!"...

Floating, floating.

Until, finally, "To be my own master..."

"Genie! It's me, Crab Dream boy!"

The genie sighs, deep and audible. How very out of character, you think.

"Oh, yay. You're back. What do you want this time, hmm? Knees of an ant? A snake's chin?" He laughs to himself, a little cruelly.

Something is very wrong.

"I don't remember how I remember but somehow, I know this: you tricked me into asking for the pincer, didn't you?"

"Why, watever do you mean, child?"

A sick feeling washes over me. "You're not him, are you? " but it's not really a question, and the so-called genie, they know it.

And it's at that moment that Thor, the God of Thunder (MCU version) arrives on the bifrost, wielding Stormbreaker which, yeah, is cool af and everything, but in all honesty you'd be lying through your perfectly straight teeth if you said you weren't just a little disappointed it isn't Mjolnir.

He looks at me. Looks at my pincer-hand. Looks at the 'genie'.

Then, like a lightning bolt slicing through the atmosphere, it clicks.

The genie tricked me. The genie is mean. The genie is blue (and yeah, okay, that last bit tracks but still).

"Loki!" both Thor and I exclaim simultaneously.

... and that's where I wake, the sound of maniacal yet loveable laughter already fading like the sound of ocean the crab pincer came from swooshing in an invisible seashell.

A dream within a dream. How very Inception of me.

Blinking furiously, the laptop comes into still blurry view.

"Back in the walking world I see, Parrish."

Ronan.

"Barely. Ego had mirabilem somnia..."

Ro looks at me like I'm a clown.

"You had the strangest of dreams. Really."

Ronan had up dreamed live crabs only last month, filled my dorm room with them. Along with my new motorbike. Being the boyfriend of a dreamer who actually brings back the objects he drabs shit does have its advantages, as well as the opposite.

"Do you think it's possible my dreams feel more real when I sleep next to you?"

Ronan scoffs. "If they are, that has to be the least weird thing about us, Adam."

I smile. "The least weird thing about us, Ronan Lynch, is the combined amount of time you spend on Tumblr while in a magical farm yard, and how many times I can half-consume the Marvel movies while studying for never ending tests and at the same time manage to low-key vibe with local leylines," I tell him.

"Touché."

As Ronan texts Gansey, Blue and Henry, I attempt to get back to my trifecta of unrelated tasks, trying my very best not to fall asleep again.

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