Monthly Archives: December 2008

by

Song of the Day #133: ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ – The Beatles

whitealbumThe one and only George Harrison tune in my Beatles series, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ is also one of my all-time favorite songs by the band. It’s very different in style and feel than most Beatles songs, which is part of its charm.

The Beatles (or The White Album, as it’s popularly known) is ironically titled… the first album named after the band itself showcases the group at its most splintered. While past Beatles efforts were very much a collaborative effort, much of this album wasn’t even recorded with the full band present.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #132: ‘A Day in the Life’ – The Beatles

sgtpepperI consider Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band the most overrated Beatles album.

In one sense, it’s not overrated at all — it most certainly changed the face of popular music, redefined the ‘concept’ album and became the unofficial soundtrack of the Summer of Love. in the historic sense, the impact of this album can’t be questioned.

But when it comes down to the actual songs… eh.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #131: ‘She Said She Said’ – The Beatles

revolverFollowing the remarkable artistic success of Rubber Soul, The Beatles put the pedal to the metal and delivered what many consider their finest album, Revolver. This album was voted the best album of all time in a recent VH-1 survey of hundreds of critics and musicians, and it’s easy to see why. Revolver is a perfect blend of the pop-rock mastery of the band’s early work and the studio trickery they would indulge in more on future albums.

It also contains such classic tunes as ‘Here, There and Everywhere,’ ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ ‘Good Day Sunshine’ and ‘Got to Get You Into My Life,’ not to mention a host of lesser-known gems.

Continue reading →

by

Bolt

boltBolt promises to be the final non-Pixar computer animated film released by Disney, and it’s not a bad way to go out. Pixar films remain on a whole other level, cinematically and in terms of resonance, but there is certainly a place for solid family entertainment of a more pedestrian nature.

Bolt is certainly pedestrian, borrowing elements from everything from Toy Story 2 to The Truman Show, and there isn’t a moment you don’t know exactly where it’s going. But it’s also funny, exciting and charming and a perfectly nice way to spend an afternoon with your kids.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #130: ‘In My Life’ – The Beatles

rubbersoulFor this week’s theme, I will continue the Beatles album-by-album song selection I started a month ago. I’ll pick up where I left off, starting with the band’s fifth album, Rubber Soul, and continue through their final album, Abbey Road, which will be the focus on Sunday. I will dedicate two days to the double-sided self-titled album (popularly referred to as The White Album).

And what better way to start than with ‘In My Life,’ a leading candidate for Best Beatles Song Ever and, for that matter, Best Song Ever. This is one of the simplest yet most profound songs I know.

Continue reading →