56: Beatles ’74

SATB 56

In this episode, Richard and Robert provide an overview of their greatest post-break-up year: the music – the collaborations – the possibilities. Includes a special segment from our guest, Bob Ward.

Songs include “You’re Sixteen” and “Junior’s Farm.”

Check out this detailed 1974 timeline here.

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0 thoughts on “56: Beatles ’74”

  1. From your timeline I see that Ravi Shankar took ill on the Harrison tour in Chicago. Did he appear at the Chicago performances? I was at the evening show, and for the life of me can’t remember. I do have to say that to this day Shankar Family and Friends remains a great listen. IMNSHO.

    1. Hi Ed,

      Best I can tell, Ravi played the two Chicago shows on November 30 at the Stadium. But there were a few days off before the tour resumed in Detroit on December 4; this was the day that he was admitted to Chicago’s Henrotin Hospital. The December 6 Chicago Tribune announced that he would be kept there for a week.

  2. Very good episode. Makes me wish that the stars had aligned and something meaningful was put on record. Quite a magical year.

    Again, though, Buskin doesn’t even BOTHER to open his mind about the explanation of the lyrics of Junior’s Farm. How freakin ridiculous. I’ve always found the lyrics to have some meaning. But of course Buskin doesn’t want to try to think about it. Takes a big man to admit he’s wrong, but Buskin proves he is very small.
    But I would expect nothing less from him, taking *any* opportunity to bash McCartney.

  3. Great show, as always. ’74 was not as grand as 73′ for me for obvious reasons. Tin Man Was A Dreamer was in ’73. Anyway, had I been Paul, I would have taken the “take me back” ending of Junior’s Farm and made it into a complete song. It’s the best part of that song. Goodnight Vienna was not as good as the Ringo album. Not having a Paul album for the entire year of ’74 was a real downer. The McGear album was difficult to get for a 16 year old (me) back then, but I do remember hearing The Casket on an FM station that year and thought it sounded like Paul. I didn’t buy that album until years later. I don’t think it sounds like a Wings album at all, song wise, that is. After ’73, ’74 felt like a let down year, still, it was an active one. The summer of ’75 would make up for it in Venus & Mars.

  4. 1. yes, ravi played both Chicago shows on 11/30/74–I was there.
    2. I disagree with some of your guests interpretations of ‘junior’s farm’ lyrics, but most seem to make sense. I have ALWAYS also thought the ‘bag of cement’ line was about Nixon–it makes perfect sense. Richard, not being American and living thru the Nixon years first hand, simply has no frame of reference for them. same with the ‘why is it more?’ line–Whip Inflation Now! but when paul says ‘I had a honey and I bet a grand’–he is not referring to a woman (‘a honey’) but instead a great hand. that’s why he bet a grand!

    thanks for the fun show.

  5. Todd jacobson

    Fantastic episode! I was in junior high during this era and remember it well.
    A few comments: regarding Junior’s Farm, I love the tune but find the lyrics weak. If Paul had tightened them up, it coulda, shoulda been a top 5 hit. From ’73-’75, Paul had several outstanding guitar-driven songs from Helen Wheels to Jet to Juniors Farm to Listen to What the Man Said. While Jet’s lyrics aren’t the best either, it still gets AirPlay because the guitar if is so compelling. With better lyrics, junior’s Farm would be comparable to Jet IMO, whereas today you’ll rarely here it played on radio.

    My favorite Ringo tracks are Photograph and Oh My, My (along with It Don’t Come Easy) The first has such an elegant grace to it that is timeless, while the second is just a pure fun track.
    Wish you were Here is an amazing album, though it lacks the classic songs (day after day, baby blue, name of the game) that make ‘Straight Up’, well, a classic album.

    Anyway, I love your show–great commentary and fascinating audio!

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