Monthly Archives: March 2017

“It was really very much a nod to The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Daydream,’ the same traditional, almost trad-jazz feel. That was our favourite record of theirs. ‘Good Day Sunshine’ was me trying to write something similar to ‘Daydream.’ John and I … Continue reading →

“If anyone was doing the hanging on, it was John. He hung on to me, always had done. He always made me feel special, made it clear he was desperate for my company, especially when he was depressed and fed … Continue reading →

“I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.” – Jane Austen Various news sources, both here in America and elsewhere, are claiming that Jane Austen, doyenne of … Continue reading →

“If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry’.” – John Lennon I had planned to write an essay this week about George Harrison’s brilliant synthesis of rock and Indian music, “Within You, … Continue reading →

“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” – attributed variously, most likely by Martin Mull As I have explained previously, my 2017 reading list is devoted to reading books about music. I have covered only three books so far, … Continue reading →

Hank: a Storyteller’s Story tells a tale of identity theft of the most literal kind and how, as victims discover their true identities how much our pasts inform our futures. Rick Burnham’s brief novel Hank: a Storyteller’s Story is an exploration of … Continue reading →

“It was my version of Silhouettes: I had that image of walking down the street and seeing her silhouetted in the window and not answering the phone, although I never called a girl on the phone in my life. Because … Continue reading →

…so we beat on, boats against the current, borne ceaselessly into the past. – F. Scott Fitzgerald I watched a couple of documentaries (thank you Open Culture) this week featuring rock stars from the classic era, one about a living … Continue reading →

“It was a throwaway. The only two versions of the song were Ringo and the Rolling Stones. That shows how much importance we put on it: We weren’t going to give them anything great, right?” – John Lennon The composers … Continue reading →

“You can be a nonconformist and not be a rebel. And you can be a rebel and not be an outcast. Believe in what you believe in, and don’t let anybody, I don’t care who it is, get you off … Continue reading →