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”
Being in a popular band is tough. Your fans are constantly demanding that you evolve your sound, but if the departure is too radical, they may revolt. So I understand the temptation to play it safe and follow a formula.
But while the Beatles found success Continue reading “#211: Dizzy Miss Lizzy”
While I’m definitely a rock fan at heart, you’ll see as the list goes on that I also have an affinity for Paul McCartney in balladeer mode. It’s something he’s excelled at in every stage of his career, but “A Taste of Honey” was not the most auspicious beginning. When you listen to the Beatles’ debut album Please Please Me, there are some immediate, unmissable signals that there’s Continue reading “#212: A Taste of Honey”
The Beatles almost always felt obligated to give Ringo one lead vocal per album, and since he only wrote two songs for himself during the band’s tenure, he was basically stuck with the leftovers–Lennon/McCartney dregs or mediocre country/western covers like this one. Nothing against the Carl Perkins composition itself, although there’s nothing exciting about the music or lyrics, but the entire band Continue reading “#213: Honey Don’t”
This traditional Liverpudlian sea shanty about a robbing prostitute provided some much-needed levity for the lads during the tense Get Back sessions, but that didn’t mean it needed to show up on the eventual Let it Be album. Granted, it’s just 40 seconds, too short to be truly offensive, but surely they could have Continue reading “#214: Maggie Mae”
This is pretty much universally considered the worst Beatles track ever (I can’t bring myself to call it a song), and it’s not hard to see why. Diplomatically, it’s considered a “sound collage.” More accurately, it is the auditory equivalent of seeing a dog Continue reading “#215: Revolution 9”
Anthony Cusumano 