Bands Come and Go – But The Beatles Are Forever

I don’t blog as much as I used to.

I’m not really sure why – maybe I don’t have the time, maybe I don’t feel the need, or maybe I came to the realization that I don’t have enough things to say that matter enough to enough people. That my thoughts and words don’t influence anybody enough to warrant sharing them.

Influence…that’s the word that got me to fire up the computer and offer up an opinion to anybody who might be interested.

The word “influence” doesn’t bring about the same connotations today as it once did.

Influence, by definition, means “to have an effect on someone or something.”

In today’s world of social media, apps, algorithms, likes and dislikes anybody can become an “influencer.” All it takes is a cell phone and a couple of popular 30-second videos. The internet will do the rest.

However – the fame, glory and free gear are far from long-lasting. Today’s influencer is quite literally tomorrow’s “girl (or guy) tending bar and driving a ten-year-old Escort.”

Such is the fickle nature of fame in the 21^st century.

But what’s on my mind today is not the influence of a catchy Tik-Tok video. It’s something a little more, dare I say, permanent.

It all began this morning while I was lounging about, perusing social media on my phone. I came across this meme which I promptly shared on Facebook.

I knew, as soon as I posted it, what sort of reactions it would garner, and, for the most part, from whom. I knew this because I often post things relating to my love of The Fabs.

The fact that I hold them in such high regard is often mistaken for a one-dimensional love. I assure you – it is much more than that.

In order to explain, I’ll have to give a little historical background.

I was born in 1960 (that was much more difficult to type than you can imagine!!). I was the fifth child of seven, having four older brothers – the youngest of which was six years older than me. It would be a gross understatement to say that music was popular in our home, so by little choice of my own I developed a love of music at a very early age.

In February of 1964, when The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show I wasn’t excited about it. I was, however, aware that something big was going on.

Over the following six years I became a Beatles fan, and the timing of it all, I believe, is a huge part of why they mean so much to me.

My formative years were spent learning their songs and watching them grow and change. When they broke up, I was confused. How could this be? The Beatles had been the most popular band in the world for nearly my entire life. I hadn’t known a time when they didn’t exist. It didn’t make sense.

Anyway – back to the point…

Influence.

As I said, when they broke up, I was around ten years old, and although I knew every word to every song, I was still too young to appreciate the enormity of their impact.

Throughout my life I have been exposed to, and developed great appreciation for all types of music. Quite often I tell people “I like all music, just some more than others.” And I stand by that statement. I do like all music, but I like rock and roll more than I like country. I like jazz more than I like rap. You get the picture.

In all those years The Beatles have always been my favorite.

I’ve read countless books about them, watched many documentaries, and listened to more interviews with them and about them than I can count. All of this fan-boying has, over the years, made me realize that they were so much more than a rock band.

And this is where my appreciation for them is often misunderstood.

When I post something like this…

…many people overlook the word important.

I try to explain it without offending anybody, but I think sometimes I fail – hence this blog post.

I felt I needed more than a sentence or two to get my point across. However, I don’t want to drone on for days about it (although I could) so I’ll try to wrap it up.

This post is not about whether the Beatles are better than The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Metallica or any other band. That is all subject to taste. But one thing is for sure…every band since them owes them a debt.

What this post is about, is how much the world was changed by them.

People who have grown up never knowing a world without the internet may have trouble understanding the significance of it, but the influence of The Beatles went far beyond their songs. It was more than changing the clothing and hairstyles of a generation, and more than being the band that nearly every other band imitated.

Musically, at a time when technology was, by today’s standards, primitive, they revolutionized the recording industry.

Today it is nothing for a band to play shows for tens-of-thousands of fans. But when the Beatles played to 55,000 people at Shea Stadium in 1965 it was absolutely unheard of.

Their songwriting matured at a meteoric rate in the short time they were together, which ushered in a literal revolution in music.

It has been said that The Beatles were largely, if not solely responsible for empowering the teenagers of the 60s and for being the driving force behind the “awakening” of a generation. For those too young to understand the significance of that, you’ll have to google it, but suffice to say a lot of shit happened in the sixties because The Beatles existed.

Timing is everything, and The Beatles’ timing was almost cosmic. For four kids to come together (no pun intended) at that particular time, and do what they did is almost the stuff of fiction and fantasy.

In my opinion, they were the right stone, thrown into the right pond at just the right time, thus creating ripples we are still feeling.

As always – thank you for reading

When Will We Ever Learn?

I really wish I didn’t have to write this.

I guess, technically, I don’t have to – but I really feel it’s necessary.

As far back as I can remember I’ve felt compelled to speak up when I see something that doesn’t seem right. Similarly, I also have trouble controlling the impulse to inform people that they may have their “facts” mixed up. I’m sure it’s an annoying trait which probably makes me seem a bit pedantic, but I assure you – my intentions are pure.

That being said – I repeat my opening statement…I really wish I didn’t have to write this, but being a lover of books, as well as an author, I feel the message is not only an important one, but one that is necessary if the USA is to continue being “the land of the free.”

Today’s rant is about, once again, book banning.

This is the third (maybe fourth) time I’ve done a post on this topic and, as in each of the previous times, this writing was inspired by an exchange on social media which began when I posted a meme featuring a quote by Stephen King…

Shortly after posting it, one of my followers (probably a former follower now) asked “So exactly what books have been banned?”

I provided him with this link which provides some pretty comprehensive data on the topic. To which he replied “Those books aren’t banned. Because you can still buy them. A truly banned book means you can’t get it at all. “Book suppression”? It means these books are not appropriate for children! Much like an R rated movie. The idea that these books are being “banned” is a lie.”

If you visit my facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/BlindoggBooks ) you can read the entire exchange, but suffice to say that his position was basically a regurgitation of right-wing/FOX news talking points.

So, in his opinion, keeping certain books out of classrooms and school libraries is not the same as banning them. He may be technically correct, but this isn’t about semantics (in my mind) it’s about the potential for this sort of thing to escalate into something much bigger.

It starts out small…a few school districts enact bans on a few books. The opposition fails to put a stop to it, and after a little while the public forgets about it. Then a parent in another district (one parent – that’s all it takes…  https://www.weareteachers.com/parent-complaint-amanda-gorman/ ) learns about an “objectionable” book available in her child’s school and goes full-Karen at the next meeting of her town’s school board. This prompts said school board to follow suit with the others, and another ban is enacted. The opposition gets a little more vocal, but still fails. After a while the public forgets about it. The snowball keeps rolling and eventually turns into an avalanche. Soon everybody is wondering how it got so out of hand as they try to dig themselves out of the snow.

Don’t say it isn’t possible, because it’s happened before.

I live in Florida so I see the effect up close and personal because currently Florida is second only to Texas in the number of instances of book banning in schools. It wouldn’t surprise me if Florida passes Texas in the race to be the new fascist elite since our governor (the man who wants to be your president) has sworn to abolish leftism and destroy wokeism. I don’t mean to get political – but let’s face it…politics is the horse pulling this particular buggy.

Of course, lawmakers insist these bans are for the protection of the children. You read the right…lawmakers are trying to protect the children…while they’re in school…from books.

Take all the time you need with that one.

Hypocrisy aside – let’s be realistic…in a world where children have immediate and unfettered access to the entirety of the world’s knowledge on their cell phones…what exactly is accomplished by banning books from classrooms and libraries?

In all honesty, I’d rather have my child viewing anything “controversial” (and I use that term ironically) in the presence of a teacher or librarian than with one of their friends who has figured out how to access the dark web.

I only have one question for those who would ban books:

What are you afraid of?

Here are the links to a couple of my other rants about book banning if you’re interested:

Banning Books is NEVER the Answer

Another Sad Chapter in the Story of Mankind

As always…thank you for reading

It’s Only the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…

Don’t you hate it when you look forward to something with great expectations, only to end up supremely disappointed?

As a life-long Red Sox fan I have lived through more than my share of “April hope and October heartbreak” seasons.

The Star Wars prequel movies (for me) failed to meet the hype, along with countless Super Bowls.

And then there was MTV. Video truly did kill the radio star.

But perhaps one of the biggest let downs I can remember has got to be The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

To say I was excited when the announcement came in 1993 about the construction of The Hall would be a huge understatement. They hadn’t even broken ground yet and I was already looking forward to visiting.

The inductees in the years leading up to the construction of the Hall were, let’s face it, predictable. Every R&R staple from Chuck Berry to The Beatles to Van Morrison was a member, and rightfully so. Nobody could be disappointed about such legends being enshrined, even if only on paper.

This tradition continued for the first five years after the hall opened, and there were very few surprises.

It wasn’t until the class of 2001 was announced that I began to question the decisions of those in charge of selections. Don’t get me wrong…Aerosmith, Paul Simon and Steely Dan were no-brainers.

But Michael Jackson???

I know the king of pop has a ton of fans out there, and most of them probably think I should just shut up and go home, but I’m sorry…Michael Jackson?

It’s the “Rock and Roll” Hall of Fame…not the “Catchy Pop Tunes for 12 Year Old Girls to Dance To” Hall of Fame.

For the record, I am not – in any way, saying that Michael didn’t make good music…there are a few of his songs that get my toe tapping. However – it is not the stuff of legend nor is it rock and roll.

Subsequent inductees added to my bewilderment…Madonna, ABBA, The Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton…How are any of these people inducted before the likes of Jethro Tull, The J. Geils Band, Mott the Hoople, The New York Dolls and Warren Zevon???

The answer is obvious, (well, at least to me) they (the people who make the decisions at the hall) know that they have to appeal to the post-MTV generations. They know that that the number of classic, relevant, legitimate rock and roll legends worthy of induction is dwindling rapidly and they know that there are more people who recognize the names Madonna and Whitney than those who remember Mott and Jethro.

So, they’ve done the only thing they could think of…they’ve gradually shifted the requirements for eligibility from a performer’s contribution to rock and roll to their mainstream popularity.

Which brings us to this year’s nominees…

Eligible for induction in 2023 are:

• Kate Bush
• Sheryl Crow
• Missy Elliott
• Iron Maiden
• Joy Division/New Order
• Cyndi Lauper
• George Michael
• Willie Nelson
• Rage Against the Machine
• Soundgarden
• The Spinners
• A Tribe Called Quest
• The White Stripes
• Warren Zevon

I know I’m going to alienate people, but right off the bat – Missy Elliot, George Michael and Willie Nelson should be eliminated based on the fact that their music is not rock and roll.

Also undeserving are Kate Bush (let’s face it – she has one song and it just won’t go away), Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest and The White Stripes – based on the fact that they just aren’t that great.

The Hall of Fame should be filled with game-changers. Legends. The ones whose absence would leave a void in the rock and roll landscape.

That leaves us with Sheryl Crow, Cyndi Lauper, The Spinners, and Warren Zevon.

Of those nominees, if I were on the selection committee, Warren Zevon is the only one I’d vote for. Maybe Sheryl Crow. I’d be on the fence about The Spinners too. Cyndi Lauper had a couple of catchy tunes, but she was largely a product of MTV, so I’m sorry…maybe next year.

Before you leave a comment telling me that I sound like a cranky old boomer, save it. I already know this. I don’t deny that my opinion of rock began dwindling in the 90s, and in the last ten or fifteen years there has been very little to get excited about.

I guess when you grow up in an atmosphere that produced the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc – where it seemed that there was no such thing as a bad band – you get a little spoiled.

I won’t apologize for being raised on a diet of steak and potatoes – then complaining when they try to serve me a big mac and fries.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should be an exclusive night club with a velvet rope and a huge bouncer at the door. Instead it’s turning into a dive bar with a $5 cover charge. Pretty soon the only requirement for entrance will be having played music in a bar.

Ignorance is Far More Expensive Than Education

True story:

About two months into my senior year of high school I was in my Architectural Drafting class reviewing one of my drawings with the teacher. After we finished, he asked me what my plans were for after graduation.

I didn’t think it was necessary to tell him that my plan was to buy a Harley Davidson and tour the country, so I told him I didn’t have any.

He suggested I go to the guidance office (it’s probably called something like the “career center” these days) and speak to my guidance counsellor about college. Specifically, one in Boston called Wentworth.

That night I came home from school and announced to my mother that I was going to college.

I will never forget the look on her face when she said “Who the hell is going to pay for it?”

Ahh…memories.

I couldn’t really blame her. After all – she was a single mother raising seven kids. I’m sure she had mixed emotions since I was the first (and only) of my siblings to go to college directly out of high school, but somewhere in her mind she was probably trying to think of a way to tell me not to bother applying because we simply couldn’t afford it.

She didn’t do that.

Instead, she found all sorts of scholarships, grants and low-interest loans – and the following fall I was off to Boston for a higher (literally, but that’s a whole different story) education.

Fast-forward about 9 years.

It’s a chilly day in February. I go to the bank and hand the cashier the check for the final payment on my student loans. Then I went outside and got into my 12-year-old Toyota and drove home, hoping I didn’t run out of gas because I didn’t have any money on me.

I was certain the feeling of pride I felt walking out of that bank would carry me for years. I was surely invincible.

That feeling lasted about a half-hour.

Because when I got home, I realized that the rent (which I could barely afford) and daycare for my seven-year-old son (which I couldn’t afford) still had to be paid. Along with the phone bill and the electric bill. Then there was the matter of all the basic necessities of life…which I mostly did without because I couldn’t afford most of them either. To say I was struggling would be a gross understatement.

You see, even though I landed a job at the top Architectural firm in the state only three months after graduating college…I was still living well below the poverty line.

There was a popular saying around the office back then…”If your name isn’t on the door…you’re poor.”

So here we are, many, many years later. My college loans are a distant memory. Hell, my son has probably finished paying his off by now. Yet college debt is one of the hot-button topics of the day.

Personally, I have trouble understanding how anybody can be opposed to the idea of college debt being forgiven – at least partially, if not totally. Yet some people are so against the idea you’d think you were asking them to donate a lung.

Some of the top reasons I hear are:

• I paid my debts, everybody else should pay theirs
• My tax dollars shouldn’t go to your kid’s education
• If you want to go to college, then you should pay for it
• It’s a ploy to buy votes

There are many more, but those are just a few of my favorites.

Regardless of the story you read at the beginning of this post – I am totally fine with helping people overcome the mountainous debt a college education creates. In fact – if somebody had offered to relieve me of that burden all those years ago, I would have jumped at the chance. Because you know that “pride” I talked about feeling? News flash – it wasn’t pride…it was relief. I didn’t feel any prouder for paying off my loan then, than I do paying my cell phone bill today. So don’t tell me if somebody offered to assume your debt you would refuse it…I will call bull$hit so fast your check will bounce.

Then there’s the tax dollars argument…

People seem upset that their tax dollars should pay for somebody else’s education.

Tell me how you feel about the VA college tuition programs. Where do you think that money comes from? Oh…but those people are heroes – they deserve it. Sorry…they were paid for their service – why should they get a free education on top of it? And if they want to go to college – don’t join the military just so you can go for free…pay for it like I did. (I hope the sarcasm of those replies came through on screen…)

Also worth mentioning is the amount of money our government uses to bail out banks and other multi-million (in some cases billion) dollar companies. Why is that okay? Why should an oil company who is raping all of us every day get one single penny of my tax dollars?? Why don’t people complain about that? Please – explain it to me like I’m six.

As for the “ploy to get free votes” thing – that argument is straight outta FOX news and doesn’t even deserve a response.

There seem to be only two ways to get a college education these days:

Either you are born into money – or you assume crippling debt.

And the word crippling is hardly hyperbole. Some college grads have more debt before they start their first job than most homeowners do. Then to add insult to injury – they’ll be criticized for living with their parents until they’re in their thirties.

And whether those grads are doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers or architects – guess how they have to pay their debt. They have to pass it on to their customers. That’s right – one way or another you are already paying their student loans.

Education benefits all of society. It should be one of our top priorities – instead we treat it like some sort of luxury only available to some.

When did it become fashionable to wish hardship on others?

In the long run, paying to educate people is much less expensive than the alternative.

As always – thank you for reading

PS – Here is a great article written in 2012… https://verdict.justia.com/2012/03/29/an-educated-population-is-essential-to-a-nations-prosperity-yet-some-politicians-are-demonizing-our-educational-system-for-political-advantage

Guest Review of “The Beatles – Get Back” by Chris Turchetti

When I stated in my last post that “The Beatles – Get Back” was all the rage I wasn’t kidding.

Here with a guest post review of Get Back is my friend Chris Turchetti.

Chris is a Rhode Islander, and a lifelong musician, he is also the composer for both film projects of Blindogg Productions – I hope you enjoy his take on Get Back…

I was born in 1965. I’m a lifelong Beatles fan.

The Beatles broke up in 1970.

I didn’t actually fully “discover” The Beatles until around 1975 though…

Fifth Grade was when I also started studying drums with a private teacher.

For better or for worse, my Dad was a lifelong “real” musician… So, I basically had the advantage of having a teacher live in my house with me!!  Two years later, I was so advanced, that I was reading out of  Berkeley College Drum Books. Reading Rhythms came easy to me.

~~ I FEEL FINE ~~

To me, my opinion is that drums aren’t about technical abilities, they’re all about “feel”.

And when you talk about the Feel of a Drummer, we all learned it from Ringo both as players and as listeners!

Well, you either had it or you didn’t. you can’t fake feel.  It’s like faking passion, and being in love. Your partner will notice!!

Musical feel can happen on any instrument, but on instruments other than drums, it gets better with technical ability. Paul was a master of the bass, but none of the other Beatles were really technically proficient at all, but it didn’t matter because they defined the word band. And as a group, they made each other better. They even pushed each other. John & Paul especially. John wrote Strawberry Fields, Paul’s answer was Penny Lane. That kind of thing.

On to the Documentary Get Back:

~~ TOMMORROW NEVER KNOWS ~~

Let’s face it, as a lifelong Beatles fan , a documentary is going to be watched and at least liked…A lot. Just for the content itself. It’s a sure thing. They can’t go wrong with that subject matter. But after seeing the trailer, I was hooked! This looked unbelievable, awesome, interesting as hell, long lost footage, something brand new to my eyes and ears. And it was all of that and then some. Sixty hours of footage broken down into almost 8 hours, separated into 3 parts. Ohhhhh….  I couldn’t wait…

The first part was on Thanksgiving Day. A Thursday, and as much as I was looking forward to it, I got Covid the previous Monday and couldn’t have cared less about this coming Thursday! But fortunately, I was well enough to watch all 3 parts – Thursday, Friday & Saturday.

~~ ROCK N’ ROLL MUSIC ~~

The thing about the Beatles is that , somehow, both Paul & John were prolific songwriters! Even though at this time, Paul was 27, George was 25, Ringo & John were 29. And by the next album, Abbey Road, George was right up there with them. They all sang and had very different distinctive voices that somehow blended absolutely perfectly together. They were so so far ahead of their years. So mature. So experienced.

And yet, so normal. 

It was great to see them in this time frame during the writing and recording of the Let It Be Album because we got to witness so many songs that ended up on their solo albums and even Abbey Road. This wasn’t their last hurrah even though it was their last release. This was their 2nd to last album. 

~~ WE CAN WORK IT OUT ~~

Get Back shows The Beatles being pressed for time as they had 22 days to write and record an entire album!

 I found the whole thing very moving. But I also found that it could have been about 6 hours instead of 8. Watching them fiddle through tunes that they don’t even remember doesn’t lend itself to their legacy. Nobody wants to see that. And some parts sounded awful as they fooled around on way too much, even on their own songs, like singing Two Of Us with their teeth clenched. I get that it depicts them being playful and all of that messing around sure did amuse the lads. It’s a release, it’s needed, I get it, all work and no play, yes I get it, but there was sixty hours of footage and I’m sorry Peter Jackson but you included way too much crap filler, even for the biggest fans. It actually got, dare I say it, boring. It didn’t last, but it was just a disappointment. And they had a deadline!! I was thinking “Do they have no sense of urgency?! Why do they continue to procrastinate?! Time is wasting away!!  C’Mon boys, I thought you were professionals!” But I was torn between yelling at the Beatles to get their butts in gear, and screaming to Peter Jackson “We Don’t Want To See Or Hear This , Through 60 hours of footage, you couldn’t find a better 6 minute segment?!” 

~~ TELL ME WHY ~~

Then there’s the inclusion of Yoko, ummmm…. screaming????

How is this a documentation of how the Beatles overcame an incredible deadline and wrote yet another classic album, and all in 22 days ? I know some people call it art, but there’s no inclusion of Linda, who Paul asked to sing  the high parts on Let It Be and she did a fine job and later became a key part in Paul McCartney & Wings‘ sound. But this documentary does prove that Yoko did not break up the band because she sat on an amp, as Paul joked.

~~ THINGS WE SAID TODAY ~~

I’m still not sure how I feel about when John & Paul go to the cafeteria for a private lunch & in the flower pot on their table, there’s a hidden microphone to record their personal & private conversation talking about how George felt and why he left the band and how Paul is too dominating sometimes. I mean, it’s great to hear them speak privately and we’re all glad that we were a fly on the wall over fifty years ago, but, that’s an invasion of their privacy, I don’t care who you are, it was wrong to do that to them & I’d love to know more about how they both felt when they found out. By the way, when did they find out? Fifty years later through this documentary?

~~ I WANT TO TELL YOU ~~

Highlights for me are too many to list, but even though I know that McCartney was a genius, he really shows it in this film, along with his excellent playing abilities on Bass, Piano, Guitar & Drums, his ideas come quick and he just has that natural ability to create from nothing.  There was a moment when Billy Preston was playing these songs with the boys and their faces just lit up like they just tasted sugar for the first time, and they were absolutely inspired by such a great player and what he was adding to the songs.

Then there’s the famous argument between Paul & George… Classic.

The key part is when Paul says to George “I Can Hear Myself Annoying You.”  These words cut deep because now, it’s all back on George. But George got him back, though unknowingly,  when we see Paul, all teary eyed after George left the band, and John hadn’t shown up when he said he would,  Paul is sitting there staring into nothing and says “And Then There Were 2” referring to himself & Ringo.  Another highlight was when George says “Maybe We Should Have A Divorce”, and Paul says “Well, I said that at the last meeting, but it’s getting nearer”. Something that I noticed afterwards is when Paul says “And Then There Were 2”, he had no idea that as of today, he’s more right than he knew as Paul & Ringo are the remaining 2 Beatles. It’s eerie to watch him say those words now.

~~ CARRY THAT WEIGHT ~~

The official Fifth Beatle, George Martin,  who was so important to them right up until Let It Be, wasn’t a key factor in his usual presence musically speaking, mostly because this album was supposed to be a straight ahead band playing live with no overdubs, meaning that George Martin wouldn’t be scoring any orchestral parts for this album. But then, Phil Spector did. And Paul told him ” Don’t Ever Do It Again!” But good ole George Martin would Get Back to his forte on the next album, Abbey Road.

~~ ALL TOGETHER NOW ~~

The rooftop concert? Well, for me, I have to say that it was an obvious publicity stunt and it came off that way.

That being said, it was still a fun time for all of the people in the streets, on the rooftop, and the Beatles themselves, and you could see that they had a great time.

~~ THE END ~~

So, to wrap up, all in all, I loved watching this. It was informative and kept my interest all the way through. The Beatles were a magical time and we will never see anything like them again. Whatever band you like today will admit that they were (are?) influenced by the Beatles. Jump ahead 50 years and tell me which band is that relevant today and will be this popular 50 years from today and all of the current bands will say they were influenced by ? If you have an answer, your answer is irrelevant.

~~ HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE ~~

All over the globe, The Beatles just continue & continue to inspire generation after generation. I feel lucky to have lived in the years that brought the Beatles to the world and I know that I’m a better person and player because of them.  Peter Jackson has done a very fine job, but humans have to find the fault in everything, it’s in our DNA, plus, you can’t please everyone, well, unless you’re the Beatles!

22 Days in the Life of The Beatles

The recently-released documentary “The Beatles – Get Back” is all the rage these days.

As a lifelong Beatles fan I couldn’t wait to see it. Now that I have, I’d like to offer some thoughts on it.

*SPOILER ALERT* The band breaks up…

First things first – I said in a Facebook post the other day that people who know how much of a Beatles fan I am might be surprised at what I have to say. If you saw that post and came here expecting me to say that my love of the Beatles has been misplaced and I’ve suddenly come to the realization that they aren’t all that – you may as well stop reading now because that just ain’t happening.

The Beatles are still the greatest band that ever was and ever will be. Did I need 7+ hours of behind-the-scenes footage to reinforce that belief?

No.

I appreciate Peter Jackson’s efforts, but I think he may have gone a bit overboard.

Editorial decisions aside – let’s talk about the content.

WARNING – if your musical taste was stunted by MTV – you probably won’t like this.

The one thing that this documentary proves beyond a doubt is that the Beatles were, are, and always will be the greatest rock band in the world. If your taste in music forbids you from acknowledging such…look at it from an analytical point of view.

In less than 10 years the Fabs released 17 albums in the US, 13 in the UK, 3 in Canada and a few in other countries.

They released 64 singles, practically all of them were in the top 10 and an obscene number of them were number 1.

On April 4, 1964 (only two months after their first American appearance) they held the top 5 spots on the Billboard chart – with seven other songs also in the top 100.

They were the first band to release a double A-side single.

Even though most of the singing was done by John and/or Paul – all four of them sang lead at one time or another.

Equipment (both for playing music and recording it) was invented to duplicate things they did without it.

Then let’s not forget starting the whole British invasion thing.

And on and on…

The fact that this documentary is getting so much attention more than 50 years after the band’s break up should also tell you something. Hell – the fact that it was made at all is pretty telling. Name for me any other band who is – or will be – still relevant fifty years after breaking up.

Take your time…I’ll wait.

It’s difficult (but not impossible) for people who weren’t alive at the time to really grasp the significance of this band. Never before, and not since, has a band had such an overwhelming impact on, not only music, but on…well…everything.

I’ve had many conversations with people who weren’t around at the time and who don’t get it. I find myself saying the same thing over and over…”You had to be there. You had to actually see it develop and grow and expand and mature, until the bubble burst and an entire generation was left with their jaws on the floor…unable to grasp the concept of life without them.”

It is commonly accepted in the scientific community that children begin to form memories as early as 4 years old. Since I was born in 1960, and they made their first American TV appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, that puts them right there at the front of my “early memory book.” This, along with four older brothers who baptized me with the music of the Woodstock generation, led to a terminal case of Beatlemania.

I was 10 when they broke up. They were so ingrained in my world, that the news of it didn’t seem possible. It was like learning that Santa Claus wasn’t real, only worse.

So, with all that said – here are a few of my thoughts/observations on Get Back.

Billy Preston’s presence in the studio possibly saved the band from disintegrating sooner. Not only did the music benefit from his contribution, it looks as though the boys needed somebody to show off for.

At times during the documentary, it appears as though John and Paul considered George and Ringo as mere backups. Then at other times it seems the exact opposite is true.

The footage proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that once these guys sat down and focused on the music, they were like a well-oiled machine. It’s so easy to see how they cranked out so much great music so effortlessly over the years. There was an undeniable chemistry when the four of them worked together and this documentary gives us a rare glimpse at it. For me, it was like pulling back the curtain and seeing that the wizard really is a wizard.

The Beatles functioned much better as a band than they did as four individuals. Their solo work didn’t hold a candle to their combined efforts and even though Paul is technically still making music – the percentage of really good music in his post-Beatle catalogue is pretty small. John was very preachy in his solo stuff. Rock and Roll and Imagine were the only two standouts (and one of them was a collection of classic covers). George’s solo work never struck a chord with me (no pun intended) because it always seemed as though he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to make money or spread his spiritualism – and let’s face it, those two things don’t generally walk hand-in-hand. Ringo’s solo career has been the one I’ve enjoyed the most, but mostly because of the rosters he has put together for recording and touring.

I have read many books and articles which describe Paul’s desperate attempts to keep the band from self-destruction…watching him in this footage confirms those stories. It also confirms his need for the spotlight. According to practically every account I’ve ever read, Paul loves being a performer – which is a required element if one wants to be a frontman. But this is where we see the difference between Paul and his bandmates. John seemed more interested in the music than the accolades, George had no use for spotlights and Ringo was just plain humble.

Paul craved the attention and adoration being a Beatle offered, which is why, in the last few years he resisted the inevitable breakup. He introduced all kinds of “new directions” for the band in attempts to rekindle their working bond. His logic being that if they had something to focus on as a group they could work around their personal differences.

The whole “Sgt. Pepper” concept was his idea (granted – that one was a bullseye), as was the ill-fated movie/travelling side show “Magical Mystery Tour” (which yielded some great music, but nothing else worthy of them). Filming the Let It Be sessions was another attempted life-line.

It’s really easy to watch the documentary, knowing the final outcome, and criticize Paul for fighting a losing battle – but there is one thing this footage reveals which helped me understand Paul’s motivation.

Paul believed (and says so several times in the documentary) that the group needed something to focus on, “a target”. He felt that the loss of manager Brian Epstein was like a ship losing its rudder. Regardless of his reasons for wanting the band to stay together – he seemed to be the only one who was willing to do whatever was needed to make it so. And when you see the pleasure they all took while working, even with the personal crap bubbling beneath the surface, you can understand why Paul wanted to keep it going.

I will be the first to admit – this entire documentary project could have been whittled down to one 2-3 hour episode. As it stands the only people who will fight through all 7+ hours are hard core Beatles fans. The casual fan will get bored and the non-fan (yes – they’re out there) won’t bother with it at all (as one would expect). Even I could have used much less of the pointless banter and a little less of the clowning around.

To those out there who still harbor the delusion that the Beatles were over-rated I can tell you this…whoever your favorite band is, not only do they not hold a candle to the Beatles, but they owe everything they are to them as well. This documentary is a small bit of proof…

Consider this: It has been fifty-plus years since The Beatles broke up and yet the demand for anything Beatles related was high enough for Disney (the same people who bought the Star Wars franchise for 4 billion dollars) to release this film.

Let’s face it…Disney doesn’t throw money at things if it’s not going to pay dividends.

Watching these guys create an entire album from nothing (plus come up with material to be used on a future album – that being Abbey Road) in just 22 days (20 if you deduct the two days lost to George’s absence) is incredible. It not only showcases their incredible knack for songwriting, it also gives a bird’s eye view of their talents and skills as musicians as all four of them play every instrument in the studio at some point.

I have mixed feelings about the famous rooftop concert…

It was cool watching them perform. It was cool seeing the crowds gather in the street and on the roofs of nearby buildings. I thought it was funny that the police came to break it up and the staff at Abbey Road studios delayed them long enough for the band to play five or six songs. I loved the comments of the people on the streets who, for the most part, loved the whole thing. Even the woman who was pissed because the concert interrupted her sleep was funny. What I didn’t like was that they only played a few songs and repeated them several times. It isn’t clear how the set list was determined, but they could have thrown in a couple of other songs from the fourteen they had rehearsed.

My favorite moment in the whole thing (and I know this is going to seem weird) was when they’re sitting around rehearsing and somebody says it’s time for lunch. So, John, Paul and Ringo all get up to go eat – but George, as calmly as if saying ‘I need a drink of water,’ says “I’ll be leaving now.” When asked what he means he casually says, “I’m leaving the band. See you ‘round the pubs.” And he walks out…

Another point worth mentioning – this series isn’t structured like those cookie-cutter music documentaries with the narrator telling us how the band rose to prominence before tragedy struck and how they came back from it and blah, blah, blah. In fact – there is no narrator and the only story is “you have four (sometimes five) guys in a room with a ticking clock and they need to write, rehearse and record an album worthy of the standards they have set.”

The bottom line:

I loved the documentary for giving us a peek behind the curtain, but unless you are a serious Beatles fan, you’ll most likely have trouble getting through the first episode, let alone the entire thing.

For the serious Beatles fans out there, I’d say you really need to watch it. At the very least it offers closure to those of us who were left hanging all those years ago.

As always – thank you for reading

Happiness is a cold gun?

Because it’s Friday and I feel like arguing…

Although much of the uproar over the Alec Baldwin gun mishap has died down, there is still some “discussion” about it on social media. Perhaps the most recent school shooting has rekindled it – I don’t know, but I have some thoughts on the topic and I’m pretty sure they’ll start a fire because, like many things happening in the US these days there doesn’t seem to be much willingness to compromise. Everybody has a stance, and they’ve dug in.

With that being said…let’s get into it.

A quick recap:

On Oct 21, 2021 Alec Baldwin fired a weapon while rehearsing a scene for the movie “Rust”, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

The set of Rust where the accident occurred.

Subsequent eye-witness accounts say that several of the strict firearm safety protocols required on set were not followed and that Baldwin was handed the weapon by an assistant director who shouted “Cold Gun” – meaning the weapon had been checked and contained no ammunition – not even blanks.

To quote Kevin Bacon from the movie “A Few Good Men” – “These are the facts, and they are undisputed.”

The ultimate question in this tragedy is – Who is responsible?

One person is dead and another injured…somebody has to be held accountable.

From what I’m seeing, the majority of people seem to think Alec Baldwin should get that particular distinction.

Oddly enough – a year ago I probably would have been one of those people. It’s a very simple and straight-forward argument…the person who pulled the trigger is responsible.

In the interest of full disclosure – I am not now, nor have I ever been a ‘gun person’. I don’t have anything against guns, and I support the second amendment, however, I choose not to own a gun. In other words, you do your thing and I’ll do mine…just don’t point your gun at me. So along with my position on guns comes a very simple stance on gun related deaths – if you point a gun at somebody and pull the trigger – you are responsible for what happens.

However, I find myself on the other side of that fence with this case – and I’ll tell you why…

About a year ago I began working on a film adaptation of my novel Unfinished Business. Recently we (Blindogg Productions) have also begun work on a mini-series based on my novel Backseat to Justice. Since embarking on this mission I have learned more than you can imagine about the way movies are made and, more importantly, how things are done on set (and believe me –  the sum of my new-found knowledge is only a fraction of what it could be).

A film set is an extremely organized place. Like a bee hive.

Every person there has a job to do – and that’s what they do.

The sound person doesn’t tell the light guy what bulbs to use. The set designer doesn’t try to operate a camera and the person in charge of script supervision doesn’t sit in the director’s chair.

Period.

It is literally that simple.

You do your job and everybody else does theirs.

On sets where firearms are involved there are people with very specific functions related to the safety of weapons, among them are the prop master and the weapons master.

Since the 1993 accidental death of Brandon Lee, there is a long list of safety protocols that must be followed as well.

According to numerous eye-witness accounts, not only were many of these protocols not followed, but the weapons master and prop master were not on set when the accident occurred. That in itself is a violation.

Instead – Baldwin was handed the gun by an assistant direct (who has since been fired) and told it was a “cold gun” – meaning it was safe to use.

That act is also a gross violation of protocol. Nobody but the weapons master should ever declare a gun safe to use.

There are also (unconfirmed) reports that the weapons cart was left unattended during a lunch break and that some crew members were using the gun in question during a break to shoot targets behind the set – with LIVE ammunition. This raises a plethora of questions, not the least of which is how in the name of all that is holy was this allowed?

So, picture yourself as Alec Baldwin…you exist in a world where each person has a job to do – a rule which is practically sacrosanct.

Your job is to act.

As part of your job, you want to rehearse a scene which requires you to draw a gun and point it at the camera. You are handed a gun. You are told, in no uncertain terms, the gun is safe. According to the rules of your world, you believe what you are told and go about rehearsing the scene…

And tragedy strikes.

As I said – before I became involved in film-making I had a much more hard-lined stance on things like this, but now that I have a little more understanding of the situation, I am not so convinced that Alec Baldwin is to blame. There was a chain of events, not of his doing, which led to him holding a loaded weapon.

At best he has a small share of the blame.

Ahead of him should be (in no particular order):

The weapons master whose sole function, and the reason she (on this particular set the weapons master was a female) is paid piles of cash, is to make sure that all weapons on set are constantly monitored, maintained, cleaned and stored in a safe manner as well as to make sure that any weapon handed to an actor has been cleared for safety.

The person who handed the weapon to Baldwin and shouted “cold gun” for all on set to hear.

The idiot (and I’m being kind) who inserted a real bullet into a prop gun.

The prop master whose responsibility is the handling and monitoring of all props.

And probably a few others.

So, there it is…my take on the Alec Baldwin shooting fiasco.

Bottom line, Baldwin is not some kid who took a loaded weapon into a school with the sole intention of killing people…he is an actor who was doing his job and counted on others to do theirs.

Please feel free to tell me I’m wrong, as long as you can support your argument with facts.

As always – thank you for reading.

Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter (sometimes)

You are reading this post on an electronic device because of science – not because of your opinion.

The microwave popcorn you eat while watching your TV are both made possible by science – not by your opinion. Even the alcoholic beverage you use to wash down said popcorn is a product of science – not your opinion.

When you board an airplane – the plane does not care whether you believe in physics or not – it will fly because of science.

The gun you have the right to own is the result of – you guessed it – science.

If you were to jump off the Empire State Building because you thought you could fly…science (ie the law of gravity) would quickly bring you to the realization that you couldn’t. Chances are you won’t like that finding – but that won’t make it any less true.

If there are aliens somewhere in the universe, and they do a fly-by of Earth – they are using science too.

Science has impacted your life in every way imaginable. From the bed you sleep on to the food you eat, the car you drive, the clothes you wear and the music you listen to, they have all been made possible, or at least made better, by science – whether you believe it or not.

In fact, whether you believe it or not is irrelevant…science is what it is (period)

Especially when it comes to medical advancement.

Since the beginning of the 20^th century the average life expectancy of humans has more than doubled because of one thing and one thing only…science.

Science has eradicated polio, smallpox, the plague and a host of other things that used to be death sentences.

And sometimes science is wrong, but when it is – it invariably leads to more knowledge and better science. Unlike most humans, science learns from its mistakes.

You may have your opinion about science – but guess what…science doesn’t give a lab rat’s ass.

It’s Dog Eat Dog Ear for Many Independent Authors

For those who don’t know the story – I began writing my first novel, Living the Dream, on a whim in 2007 the day after I had a strange dream. When the first draft was finished, I let a few people read it and the consensus was – with a little polish it would be worth publishing.

So, I commenced to polishing.

I couldn’t afford to pay an editor so I just kept going through it and going through it, modifying, tweaking and adjusting.

Eventually I finished – either because I got to a point where I thought it was done, or because the thought of reading it one more time was just too much!

The question then became – what do I do with it? I had never thought that far ahead.

I started doing research on how manuscripts become the books you see on the shelves in Barnes and Noble. What I learned was that in order to get a major publisher to release your book you basically had to, first, beg an agent to take you on as a client. Once you had an agent, the agent then tried to get your work to the big publishing companies. I don’t recall the exact numbers, but the number of new clients taken on by agents was far from encouraging, and the odds of said agent getting your book in front of a representative from any of “The Big Six” – as the traditional publishing companies were known at the time – were somewhere south of the proverbial snowflake in Hell.

At the time, independent publishing was a fairly new market, but since I wasn’t willing to play a game with such long odds of success, I decided to give it a shot.

More research.

I bought a book called “The Fine Print of Self-Publishing” by Mark Levine.

It was a treasure trove of information which took nearly all of the guess work out of the process.

Mr. Levine even rated the top self-publishing companies based on a number of criteria.

Using this guide, I chose a company called Dog Ear Publishing to turn my dream into a reality.

Shortly afterward, I was holding my first novel in my hands.

I won’t lie – it was nearly as exciting as the first time I held my son.

By the time my second novel, Water Hazard, was ready for release I had secured an editor, who, as luck would have it, was just starting her own self-publishing company.

We worked together for a few books until I reached a point where I knew enough about how things were done to go solo.

I formed my own company, Blindogg Books, and purchased a block of ISBNs.

Since then – I have been my own publisher.

Living the Dream was still in the hands of Dog Ear, however. So, whenever I needed copies, I had to buy them from Dog Ear, at their price which was much higher than the price Amazon was charging me for the rest of my catalog.

Out of mostly sentimental reasons – Dog Ear held my hand throughout the process of making the manuscript begun on a whim into a reality – I decided to leave Living the Dream with them.

In early 2020 I had three people ask me for copies of Living the Dream.

Unfortunately, I only had two left.

No problem, I thought. I’ll just call Dog Ear and order some more.

After several unanswered calls to Dog Ear I decided to call the president himself – Mr. Ray Robinson. They were that kind of company where the president gave out his personal cell phone number.

I left several voice mails for Ray – never receiving a return call.

I sent a few emails to people I had dealt with, but never got a reply.

At the time, COVID-19 was just rearing its ugly head and much the country was on lockdown. I attributed the lack of response to that, and ordered a few copies of the book on Amazon, paying the full cover price.

A few months later I was contacted on LinkedIn by a woman who was also a Dog Ear author.

Long story short (I know – too late!) Dog Ear was apparently out of business, Ray Robinson was in the wind, and authors were unable to get copies of their work or even get the files of their work in order to have books printed elsewhere. Worst of all, Dog Ear had also stopped paying authors the royalties they had earned.

There is a facebook group dedicated to Dog Ear authors who are trying to resolve the issue, which I have joined, but so far efforts have been fruitless.

A Google search of Dog Ear shows article after article detailing Dog Ear’s demise along with hundreds of stories similar, if not nearly identical, to mine.

I wish this story had a happy ending…

Unfortunately for me and every author who chose Dog Ear as their publisher the outlook is bleak.

The ones I feel for the most are those whose entire catalog is with Dog Ear. Whether one book or ten – not being able to get copies of your work, or the royalties to which you are entitled, just plain sucks!

Bottom line, the status of my first novel is in limbo.

Ordering through Amazon will get you a copy because the printing company still has the files – which they cannot surrender because their contract is with Dog Ear – not the authors.

In the meantime – I can no longer get copies in bulk.

With the recent release of my latest novel, Fool’s Gold Rush, I will probably be doing book signings. Inevitably somebody will ask me for a copy of Living the Dream…

At which time I’ll have to tell them that, for me, Living the Dream has become a nightmare.

As always – thank you for reading

Fool’s Gold Rush Arrives Just in Time for Hurricane Season

Two years ago, almost to the day, I began work on my twelfth novel (my 17^th book overall).

Unlike all of my previous works, this one took an exceptionally long time.

What’s different about it, you ask?

Nothing really.

Like most of my other novels it takes place in Flagler Beach, Florida where our hero Ike is tasked with saving the day from the latest collection of ne’er-do-wells. I didn’t have any unusual trouble with the plot or the characters or the ending (although that did change a few times).

The plain and simple truth is, I just got busy.

It seemed like I always had something else to do…and when I didn’t have something else demanding my time, (okay – demanding is a strong word…more like suggesting alternative uses for) I wasn’t all that jazzed about sitting down at the computer.

So – here we are – two years for one novel.

It had better be worth it.

Personally, I think it is.

In my opinion it’s a fast, fun read with a bit of a comically-bizarre story line – but, like I said, that’s my opinion.

The real test will be what you think about it.

So, what’s the name of this book?

The working title had been “Rising Tide” – which never really thrilled me. After much deliberation, I have settled on the title Fool’s Gold Rush.

And without further ado – I’d like to show you the cover…

 

There you have it.

Fool’s Gold Rush – available NOW!!

Click here for the paperback

Click here for Kindle

 

As always – thank you for reading