Author: Anthony Cusumano

#127: Taxman

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Money can’t buy me love, and fun is the one thing that money can’t buy, but still, nobody wants to give away 95% of their income to the government. But that was the situation for the Beatles in the mid-1960s thanks to Britain’s progressive tax laws, and George Harrison was none too pleased. “You are so happy that you’ve finally started earning money, and then you find out about tax,” he said. One would hope that he was familiar with the concept of taxation before the age of 23, but the point stands.

I can only imagine what listeners must have thought when Continue reading “#127: Taxman” →

#127: Taxman

#128: Good Day Sunshine

Anthony Cusumano, ,

It’s impossible not to smile when you hear “Good Day Sunshine.” This simple, happy-go-lucky song is probably the least interesting component of Revolver, an album that saw the Beatles tackle new sounds that no mainstream band had ever attempted before. “Good Day Sunshine,” meanwhile, sounds like it could have come out of a 1920s vaudeville show. That’s not a criticism, mind you, and I still rank it over four other songs from that record. But it’s never registered with me as anything more than an enjoyable yet totally lightweight recording.

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Then again, Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity was also considered lightweight. Ah, a science pun! Pip pip ho ho ho!

 

I think one of the issues is that Continue reading “#128: Good Day Sunshine” →

#128: Good Day Sunshine

#129: It Won’t Be Long

Anthony Cusumano, ,

You know what’s funny? I’m sitting here listening to this song and enjoying it so much that I’m asking myself, “Did I really rank this all the way down at #129?” But then I look at the list of remaining songs and I don’t know what I would switch around. We’re basically in the stretch of the list where things could change on a day-to-day basis due to my mood or how long it’s been since I’ve heard a song or the current stage of the moon.

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If Yom Kippur falls on a full moon, there’s only one song I listen to.

 

“It Won’t Be Long” starts the Beatles’ second album with a bang, and the rise in musicianship is immediately apparent. Granted, their debut was hastily recorded when John Lennon had a cold, but Continue reading “#129: It Won’t Be Long” →

#129: It Won’t Be Long

#130: One After 909

Anthony Cusumano, ,

That the Beatles transformed over the course of their career is hardly news to anyone. In the relatively short span of 1962 to 1969,  their personalities, relationships, and songwriting evolved, but ultimately they were the same four people: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. At the core of that line-up was the legendary Lennon/McCartney partnership, an often exceptionally complicated pair who undoubtedly brought out the creative best in one another.

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Unlike the ill-fated duo of Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder.

 

The sessions that eventually led to the Let it Be album and film were designed to bring the band back to its roots–“as nature intended,” according to an ad campaign–mostly in that the resulting music would be free of overdubs and “electronic watchamacallit.” (This eventually proved to be far from the case, but that’s a story for another write-up.) But the frosty, on-camera rehearsals Continue reading “#130: One After 909” →

#130: One After 909

#131: Blue Jay Way

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Undoubtedly one of the most ominous-sounding recordings ever released by the Beatles, it’s hard to believe that “Blue Jay Way” was inspired by such a mundane event of George Harrison waiting for a friend to arrive at his house. Or, I mean, it would be hard to believe if the lyrics weren’t so literal. I have mixed feelings on songs like this; on the one hand it’s kind of a neat diversion to hear an artist steer away from being poetic and just describe something so matter-of-factly. On the other, one of the best things about any work of art is its inherent ability to be interpreted and judged based on the encompassing and unique life experiences of everyone in its audience. When there’s not a whole lot left to the imagination, it isn’t as much fun.

But fun is not the aim of “Blue Jay Way” in any aspect. From its haunting organ fade-in to the monotonous thump of the drum that underscores the first verse to the swirling psychedelic instruments that fly in and out, it’s a pretty trippy four minutes. If you really want to get transcendent though, check Continue reading “#131: Blue Jay Way” →

#131: Blue Jay Way

#132: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

Anthony Cusumano, ,

It’s really difficult for me to switch allegiances once I discover a song. By that I mean I become so accustomed to the first version I hear that, most of the time, any other version or cover (or original) just sounds wrong to me. I can appreciate and often even enjoy different renditions, but I’ll usually return to my initial introduction. It’s why I always get stoked when one of my favorite artists releases a massive box set filled with demos and alternate takes, which I subsequently listen to one time and then disregard in favor of the album versions I’ve known all along.

Ah, but there are exceptions, and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is very much one of them. I blame Continue reading “#132: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” →

#132: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

#133: Good Night

Anthony Cusumano, ,

One of the most gorgeous and endearing songs in the Beatles’ catalog, “Good Night” not only serves as a palette cleanser from the atrocious “Revolution 9,” but caps off the entire White Album so perfectly. After a chaotic ride through 29 songs that run the gamut both stylistically and qualitatively, we finish with this lovely lullaby written by John and sung delicately by Ringo.

As a result of singing songs like this and “Yellow Submarine” (not to mention hosting Thomas the Tank Engine), Ringo is an obvious choice to be the preferred Beatle of children, but most people grow out of that. That doesn’t mean we should Continue reading “#133: Good Night” →

#133: Good Night