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Ben Hestir's avatar

Barry Miles' McCartney bio "Many Years From Now" is at the top of the large pile of Beatles books I've absorbed over the years.

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David Poindexter's avatar

Not apropos, but reactive, as the shock of David Johansen’s death hits me.

I adored him. Idolized him. Met him once: he hit me in the chops with a towel, I’m 70% sure inadvertently. I had his names.

I idolized him.

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Paul Tatara's avatar

"Revolution in the Head" by Ian Macdonald is a terrific Beatles book.

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Joe Yanosik's avatar

And I think our host also forgot about Hunter Davies' Beatles bio, which he highly recommended in a recent Xgau Sez post.

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calirad's avatar

Joe, in a fairly comprehensive search of Bob's website, including the Xgau Sez section, I can't find that recommendation. Can you post a link to its page here?--thanks.

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Joe Yanosik's avatar

I was mistaken. It didn't appear in a Xgau Sez post. Instead, it appeared in his book review of Stephen Deusner's Where the Devil Don't Stay: Traveling the South with the Drive-By Truckers. Here's the link:

https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/dontstop/deusner-24.php

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calirad's avatar

Thanks so much. I'd read that Truckers book review but completely forgot about this particular aside (and the vaunted Google Search within site doesn't pick up this instance of "Hunter Davies").

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Joe Yanosik's avatar

Ian McDonald’s “Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties” is another great Beatles book. And if Emmylou’s Roses in the Snow isn’t an A-, I’ll eat my hat.

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Paul Tatara's avatar

You beat me to it on Macdonald's book.

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Steven Manning's avatar

I had an ablation a few years ago, not sure I totally understood what it is either. But while waiting for the procedure I wandered into an exhibit on the history of heart surgery in the New York Presbyterian Heart Wing where I learned that the first ablation was performed in 1929 by a 25-year German doctor named Werner Forsssman who dreamed up the idea while hunched over a drink in a Berlin bar. He performed it on himself--without anesthesia--by snaking a catheter into his wrist and and up into his heart. The rest I guess is history. On behalf of both of us I thank that guy.

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Robert Christgau's avatar

My Wrecking Ball review as published, which suggests I don't have it on CD. Nor is it in my A-Shel vinyl. Opinions do have a way of differing. "The reason Harris's instant comeback is an irritation, not a tragedy, is that the inspired collaborator and nonpareil backup singer has no vision of her own for Daniel Lanois to ruin. Her artistic personality has always been coextensive with her miraculously lucid voice, which now that it's fraying with age is ripe for Lanois's one seductive trick: to gauze over every aural detail and call your soft focus soul. I doubt she would have nailed the songs anyway--often she doesn't. But she would have come closer than this."

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Ronald's avatar

I think you responded to the wrong comment, Bob.

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

I wouldn't trust any discussion of Emmylou Harris that doesn't include the epochal Wrecking Ball...just saying!

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frederick herrmann's avatar

i was at the bottom line for the rounders concert ,I was a regular at broadway charlies, felt bad that the show wasn't gonna propel them like we had hoped.

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Pete Shanks's avatar

The BEST Beatles book is “Love Me Do! The Beatles Progress” — say I who am old enough to have read it on first publication (in 1964) and kept it. Michael Braun, an American journalist, got onto them very early, hung out with them in English hotels in 1963 and then accompanied them to New York, with backstage access. It is human. Lennon liked it because it showed The Beatles as they were, “which was bastards.” I heard that years ago but hat-tip to a pretty good review online: https://freeasahub.wordpress.com/2022/06/12/love-me-do-the-beatles-progress-1964/

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John Magnuson's avatar

I LOVE the answer to the question about "evil".

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David Poindexter's avatar

Adepts—which I assume you all are—should revisit the Inspirational Coda to Bob’s review of Emmylou’s Pieces of the Sky.

Nb also: I saw her play in 1977, and while there are plenty of artists I prefer, she was thrilling.

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walter cherrette's avatar

As a recommendation by a female fan(born under Cancer) she could have asked Rodney Crowell if those songs on her "Ballad Of Sally Rose " album really worked..I don't think they do,not as good Country songs.And i think she realised that by now.Love her voice,but that's nearly all.

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John WB's avatar

I would like to recommend The Beatles:A Hard Day's Write (The Stories Behind Every Song) by Steve Turner. It’s lightweight in a good way and includes many great photographs.

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