1960-1969

  The Beatles are, by now, bigger than rock and roll. They had taken all that rock and roll had to offer and fed it back to us in their own way. Now they were growing beyond that, going further. But how much further? Lennon would shortly proclaim The Beatles “more popular than Jesus,” and […]

“Eleanor Rigby” has no guitars and no drums on it. The track appears to be made up entirely of strings: violins, bass violins. It ignores all the previous basics of rock and roll instrumentally and lyrically, “Eleanor Rigby…lives in a dream,” sings Paul,  “Eleanor Rigby” is the first of a series of Paul McCartney portrait […]

I began to wonder why I’d been led to believe that marijuana was so harmful, addicting.  Marijuana just seemed to make things better. Simple things. Apple juice. Sex. The great sunshine days of California. Marijuana was a good time. Alice in Wonderland? You thought you understood Alice in Wonderland?  Read it stoned. Copyright remains with […]

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The Beatles release their second movie. Help! I see it multiple times. It’s not Hard Day’s Night but The Beatles are as captivating as ever, and it’s in color. The music is great, getting even better. John Lennon lying on the couch in The Beatles’ common house sings, “Here I stand, head in hand / […]

This video is a link from You Tube. All copyrights remain with the original copyright holders. FROM AN AMERICAN STORY

Every weekend there’s a party where the new music is played. Dance. Smoke a little marijuana. Dance. “Love, love me, do.” Beautiful, beautiful college women. John Lennon howling. Mick Jagger singing, “Time, time, time is on my side… Yes it is.”  (From AN AMERICAN STORY)

(This performance by Pearl Jam.) While The Beatles were singing: “Love, love me, do,” Peter, Paul, and Mary -along with Joan Baez – were spreading the Word according to Bob Dylan. While they paved the way with the, in retrospect, surprisingly gentle “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Dylan went on to write and sing increasingly angry […]

  “Aren’t those Beatles cute,” say the Moms. “Paul’s my favorite,” says Sis. Maybe even Dad likes them, though with some reservation. After all, there’s that hair. But then he would add, hopefully (perhaps remembering the fifties and juvenile delinquents),” Well, at least they’re clean.” The Rolling Stones, just around the corner, weren’t so clean. […]

“As it grew dark, the white MGA convertible roadster I drove slipped and slithered on the snow-covered mountain road. I was with a friend, and we were late getting back to campus. Still, I pulled into a roadside diner where a television set hung up in one corner because I really did not want to […]