Author: Anthony Cusumano

#201: Tell Me Why

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Ladies and gentlemen, we have hit a landmark with this one. “Tell Me Why” is the first original Beatles composition on the countdown that was not tossed off and given to Ringo like a bag of moldy tangerines. In his later years, John Lennon was notorious for denouncing many of his Beatles songs as throwaways, but he was spot-on in this case. “They needed another upbeat song [for the movie A Hard Day’s Night] and I just knocked it off,” he remarked in 1980.

Some speculate Continue reading “#201: Tell Me Why” →

#201: Tell Me Why

#202: Please Mister Postman

Anthony Cusumano, ,

In an alternate universe where the Marvelettes’ definitive original recording of “Please Mister Postman” didn’t exist, the Beatles’ version would serve as a totally adequate substitute. John Lennon delivers a solid vocal and the musicianship is more than competent…but the lads brought nothing new to the table here, aside from swapping the gender in the lyrics.

mrspostman

Well, for the narrator at least. A female mail carrier would have been a little too progressive for 1963.

That said, while I’m fantasizing about alternate universes, I wouldn’t mind living in a world in which Continue reading “#202: Please Mister Postman” →

#202: Please Mister Postman

#203: Cry for a Shadow

Anthony Cusumano,

Inevitably an instrumental can’t compete on an even playing field with vocal tracks, but “Cry for a Shadow” is charming enough. The only known Harrison/Lennon co-write, it was given the working title “Beatle Bop,” but earned its eventual title because of its similarity to British singer Cliff Richard’s backing group The Shadows, and the wordless ‘cries’ at various points during the song (“Yelp for a Shadow” would have perhaps been more accurate). This really catchy little number boasts some of George Harrison’s strongest pre-1965 guitar work but there’s nothing separating it from the multitude of other British instrumental records from the era.

Forrest Gump Tom Hanks © Paramount

And that’s all I have to say about that.
#203: Cry for a Shadow

#205: Chains

Anthony Cusumano, ,

The slaughter of Please Please Me covers continues. In order to properly describe “Chains,” the only thing I could really think to do was head to thesaurus.com and decide on my favorite synonym for “pleasant.” I am settling on “congenial.” Also, did you know that “bland” is synonymous with “pleasant”? I mean, I get it but I’ve never really thought of those words as amiable.

So…”Chains.” It’s hard to really get excited about this song. It’s not all that different from the Cookies’ original. It’s just another in the line of Continue reading “#205: Chains” →

#205: Chains

#206: Baby It’s You

Anthony Cusumano, ,

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la” may not be the most profound lyric of all time, but it can make for a heck of a hook. It’s safe to say that “Baby It’s You” does not suffer for lack of being catchy by any stretch, which is hardly a surprise considering it was composed by Burt Bacharach. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to come across a version Continue reading “#206: Baby It’s You” →

#206: Baby It’s You

#207: Anna (Go to Him)

Anthony Cusumano,

It’s gone down as one of the most laughable blunders ever made by a record label: on January 1, 1962, the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records and were turned down, purportedly because “guitar groups are on the way out.” But the truth is, if you listen to those recordings, it’s not the Beatles you know and love. For one thing, Ringo had yet to join, with drum duties handled by inaccurately-last-named Pete Best.

petebest.jpg

Pete Passable-For-The-Time-Being didn’t fit on a marquee.

The 15 songs they recorded that day were selected by manager Brian Epstein and did little to showcase the group members’ personalities, which were just as critical a component of their early success–if not more so–than their musical ability. And that doesn’t even account for Continue reading “#207: Anna (Go to Him)” →

#207: Anna (Go to Him)

#208: Matchbox

Anthony Cusumano, , Leave a comment

The best thing I can say about “Matchbox” is that it’s short, clocking in at just under two minutes. Somehow, though, this Carl Perkins cover still manages to outstay its welcome. Listen to the first 30 seconds and you pretty much have the gist of the whole thing.

sting

Also an accurate description of every song Sting has released after The Police.

 

Apparently “Matchbox” was recorded Continue reading “#208: Matchbox” →

#208: Matchbox

#209: I Wanna Be Your Man

Anthony Cusumano, ,

In 1960, Dr. Seuss made a bet with his editor, challenged to come up with a children’s book using 50 or fewer different words. The result was the kindergarten classic Green Eggs and Ham. Three years later, John Lennon and Paul McCartney used just 18 unique words to create “I Wanna Be Your Man,” and if their challenge was to get the worst original Beatles composition out of the way early in their career, mission accomplished. (“Revolution 9” is not a song. To quote Ron Burgundy, if you disagree, I will fight you.)

Of course, if you want to get really pedantic Continue reading “#209: I Wanna Be Your Man” →

#209: I Wanna Be Your Man

#210: Slow Down

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Larry Williams may not be a household name like Chuck Berry or Little Richard, but his influence on the Beatles, especially John Lennon, cannot be understated. The group tackled three Williams compositions on record, which ties him with Carl Perkins as the most frequently covered songwriter in their core discography. (Berry likely holds the title if you expand the territory to include BBC recordings and early concert repertoire.)

So if you’re keeping track Continue reading “#210: Slow Down” →

#210: Slow Down