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The conclusion of the discussion Gary Wenstrup and I had in rating individual tracks on the albums named here, as well as the 1966 Capitol release, “Yesterday”…and Today.
I think, is so overlooked, both message-wise and musical construction-wise. It’s one of those songs, first of all, musically, based on piano. Not a lot of guitar, except those little stabbing, which was a 1965 sound in other people’s records that year. Nice block harmonies. Then John breaking out his own for the verses, starting this implicitly spiritual song, the first words out of his mouth of the verse in the beginning. Nice touch. That’s beautiful. It’s this precursor to certainly, All You Need is Love and Give Peace A Chance. It’s him. It’s messianic John for the first time, really wanting to use his platform to promote something good. They’d said that they’re all potheads at this point. I mean, they’d taken acid a couple of times at this point, but not the full immersion by the time of Revolver.
That has to be what’s informing his wanting to evangelize on behalf of love at this point. It’s interesting that they didn’t use this one for Yellow Submarine, because that whole love thing at the end in pepper land, in the face of the mayonnaise, it seems like it would be enmeshed right in there. I guess, they had All You Need Is Love. That was what they went with. I think, it’s a great message, a great performance, nice arrangement. I love that organ. Then there’s that whole musical, we’re going to build a song around one note and it’s got that drone throughout it, so you’ve got that musical experimentation going on at the same time.
Not a song that got a lot of airplay. I don’t know if anybody ever covered it. One, they never seemed to look back at it, but it’s an early clue to the new direction. It’s just this forerunner of lots of things that would come and they just pull it off. They don’t sound like you’re being preached to. It works as a pop ditty, but also, it’s like, wow, it’s got a really good message to it, that’s bigger than boy-girl relationships.
That “The Teachings of Don Juan” guy was Carlos Castaneda, and I can assure you that an entire sub-culture of youth in the 1970s were captivated by these books. Partly because the author described the most incredible drug induced experiences that anyone could imagine. And you didn’t have to be taking drugs to be blown away by reading his accounts. And, partly because the author convincingly insisted that his experiences as an apprentice shaman were real. It was so compelling that the first book was required reading for a University Sociology course I was taking in 1973. However, the first few books were not very well written but the third book “Journey to Ixtlan” is an illuminating description of life lessons, aside from everything else, and is worth a read.
Rings and things:
Paul has very recently told the story about the rings for Drive My Car in more than one interview. I believe it was golden rings and he says that he and John threw out the entire concept, made a cup of tea, started again, and came up with drive my car instead.
The other rings song you were searching for was probably Can’t Buy Me Love and fits the same theme of the other ones you mentioned with the ambiguous “if” it makes you feel alright.
I agree with Gary that Yesterday and Today is an unlistenable hodgepodge of random songs. Even in its day I could not get into listening to that album.
In spite of all the danger when stating your opinions about Beatles’ songs it’s another great show Robert.
That “The Teachings of Don Juan” guy was Carlos Castaneda, and I can assure you that an entire sub-culture of youth in the 1970s were captivated by these books. Partly because the author described the most incredible drug induced experiences that anyone could imagine. And you didn’t have to be taking drugs to be blown away by reading his accounts. And, partly because the author convincingly insisted that his experiences as an apprentice shaman were real. It was so compelling that the first book was required reading for a University Sociology course I was taking in 1973. However, the first few books were not very well written but the third book “Journey to Ixtlan” is an illuminating description of life lessons, aside from everything else, and is worth a read.
Rings and things:
Paul has very recently told the story about the rings for Drive My Car in more than one interview. I believe it was golden rings and he says that he and John threw out the entire concept, made a cup of tea, started again, and came up with drive my car instead.
The other rings song you were searching for was probably Can’t Buy Me Love and fits the same theme of the other ones you mentioned with the ambiguous “if” it makes you feel alright.
I agree with Gary that Yesterday and Today is an unlistenable hodgepodge of random songs. Even in its day I could not get into listening to that album.
In spite of all the danger when stating your opinions about Beatles’ songs it’s another great show Robert.
Paul McCartney wrote “Yesterday” when he was 22. Years ago when I heard that fact I was blown away.
Still am.
Paul McCartney wrote “Yesterday” when he was 22. Years ago when I heard that fact I was blown away.
Still am.
This episode got off to a pretty iffy start.
This episode got off to a pretty iffy start.