September 6, 2023 · 9:53 am

Online course on Sgt. Pepper, Oct-Nov 2023

PRESS RELEASE – Pepper! The album that shook the world like a universal sneeze: volcanic, thrilling and eccentrically pleasurable. In the years since its June 1967 release, Sgt. Pepper has always remained a high water mark of musical daring, ingenuity of audio recording, opulence of visual design, and overall artistic ambition and achievement.

Making The Cover for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (11).jpg

 

Join us as we investigate the creation and interpretation of this ground-breaking work of art.  This fall, RPM School will explore the album’s innovative recording techniques and delve beneath the surface of the songs to see what makes them great.

The first 45 minutes of each class will be devoted to All Together Now, a live multimedia presentation and discussion on Zoom, with Beatles scholar Walter Everett and multi-instrumentalists Jack Petruzzelli and Cameron Greider.  Afterwards, you have the option of staying on for a Seminar with Walter or a Virtual Band––a combination master class and remote recording project––led by Cameron or Jack.

Full information is found at https://www.rpm-school.com

RPM School is Jack Petruzzelli (The Fab Faux), Cameron Greider (Sean Lennon), and Walter Everett (The Beatles as Musicians). Participants range from those with no musical background whatsoever to those proficient as scholars, singers, or instrumentalists—we have several paths to joining in with our appreciation of this great music!

Leave a comment

Filed under Beatles College Courses

Tagged as , , ,

August 6, 2023 · 4:10 pm

Book Review: “A Dark Force: 20 Years with a Covert Narcissist” by Erin Riley

Book cover

The date was Friday, July 7, 2023, and I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a post from Angie McCartney saying their guest next week on their TeaFlix Tuesday show would be author Erin Riley. It listed a bunch of her accomplishments, but all I thought was, “Never heard of her!”, so I took a pass on tuning in.

Later that same day, I’m scrolling again, when I see a musician friend post that he’ll be doing an ‘author event’ on August 10th with Philly area author Erin Riley. At this point, I’m internally saying, “WTF? This is the 2nd time I’m hearing this woman’s name from two different friends on different coastlines and I’ve never heard of her in my life.”

Four weeks later, I ordered a copy of her book. I read the first chapter yesterday morning before running an errand and spent the drive with tears in my eyes as I flashbacked to my own childhood. Seems Erin and I have a lot in common…

It took me 36 hours to read A Dark Force: 20 Years with a Covert Narcissist by Erin Riley from cover to cover…the whole time, exchanging messages with her on Facebook messenger. She lived in New York City as a child, I lived in Rahway, NJ. Her family moved to Flemington, NJ, mine moved to Freehold, NJ. She spent time living in Downingtown, PA. I graduated from Downingtown high school in 1982 and spent 1o years living in that town. She’s lived on the Main Line…I live on the Main Line. Her mother called her ugly…my mother called me ugly. But between the high school and  marriage, our lives took different paths.

Erin Riley has led the rock star life through a very successful career in radio, at one time working for the #1 radio station in the country. She was the person in charge of which new songs would be played. She could make or break any new band she pleased. Check out her website (www.ErinRiley.com) and see all the rock gods that she’s met and befriended over the years. A young woman who broke the glass ceiling into the patriarchal business of radio in the 1970s! Unfortunately, those years came crashing down…but not by her own hand.

Growing up with a narcissistic parent, lends one into ending up in relationships with more narcissist in your adult years. Maybe it’s the familiarity…or maybe it’s the “I couldn’t fix my parent, but I can fix this one!” attitude. And Erin Riley leads you through a difficult and tortured 20 years+ of her life with her need to fix things and the men she loved…many times to the destruction of her own self.

This book is a real page turner. And it’s like warm blanket to anyone who’s in or survived a relationship with a narcissist. It leaves you with the feeling 0f – “I’m not crazy after all….” Thank you, Erin! And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

Erin Riley with be appearing along with author/musician John Faye at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA, on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 7 pm in the Berry Theatre as they share songs and stories from their respective memoirs. Click here for tickets and more info!

Leave a comment

Filed under Rock and roll, rock n roll, Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

May 26, 2023 · 3:59 am

Book Review: “Emerald Wren and the Coven of Seven” by J.J. Barnes

Again, a book has moved me enough to post a review of it. I started reading this book on Monday and finished it by Wednesday. In fact, I was trying to get yardwork done and failed miserably because I had to keep picking the book back up to see what happened next. My bookmark was a hang tag from my new raspberry bush! This book should be on everyone’s Beach Book and Summer Reading List.

And before you ask, the “Beatles” appear on page 54, making this review on topic.

Emerald Wren and the Coven of Seven by J.J. Barnes is a 338 page novel that was first published on February 20, 2018. It’s self-published, but I think a publishing house might want to take a good look at this story. It’s got it all…witches, genies, faeries and werewolves….and Guinevere the talking cat! It’s so good, it would be banned in the state of Florida!

As a child, Emerald Wren’s grandfather gives her a magic lamp and a promise that she will change the world. As an adult, she is working as a waitress by day and leading a crime fighting coven of witches by night.

When the time comes to live up to her promise, things get dangerous.

A murderous man on a mission is hunting down a mysterious prophecy girl and leaving the burned bodies of women in his wake. Emerald and her friends set out to find her and save her. But who will get there first?

This book deserves a large audience…it deserves to be talked about and read! Anyone that knows my reading habits knows that I’m not usually oriented towards reading fiction, so when I do come across a novel that moves me, it must really be worth checking out. You’ll also be excited (I know I am) to hear that there is a sequel in the making! And while you’re at it, be sure to look into J.J.’s other books on Amazon.com.

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 BEETLES!

 

 

 

 

1 Comment

Filed under Book Review

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

April 25, 2023 · 5:04 pm

Book Review: “Might As Well Be Dead” by Mark Goldblatt

Sometime last year, I decided it was time to break away from Beatles Freak Reviews and start moving in another direction with my life. Writing reviews just wasn’t making me as happy as it used to do. It seemed as if I needed to get back to listening to the Fab Four instead of reading about them day in and day out. I was still getting emails from various publicists and authors asking me to read their books, but nothing really caught my eye until an email about Might As Well Be Dead by Mark Goldblatt hit my inbox last week.

 

Thirteen-year-old David Salmon is getting over his mom’s sudden decision to pick up and leave. He seems to be adjusting fairly well, but then a strange thing happens. He meets a middle-aged Englishman named Winston outside his house. David suspects that Winston may not be real, but he seems harmless enough, as hallucinations go, and the two of them become friends. If nothing else, Winston is a welcome distraction from the mess at home; David’s dad cannot seem to cope with his wife’s decision move out.

Winston also proves a valuable advisor in navigating the trials of middle school-best friend problems and a budding romance. Eventually, however, Winston confesses the real reason he showed up: he needs David to deliver a message. It’s a journey David desperately doesn’t want to make…because it takes him somewhere he desperately doesn’t want to go.

Might As Well Be Dead is a story about a boy in crisis. Be ready to laugh. Be ready to cry. Be advised: all you need is love.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…it’s fan fiction…and yeah, yeah, yeah…I’ve said I don’t like fan fiction, but there was just something about the synopsis that intrigued me. And I’m not sorry I read it. There is always something enjoyable about reading a young adult novel. Maybe it’s the innocence in it that takes me away from the adult worries of the day that makes me relax into it.

Goldblatt keeps Lennon’s wit and dark humor throughout the story, along with describing his walk and dress as if John’s really still with us. And you got to love that the author named a teacher Mrs. Pang and a guidance counselor Mr. Ivan after two real people who were part of John Lennon’s life.

Might As Well Be Dead was a joyful 210 page read, that will be released on May 5, 2023…but you can pre-order it now at Amazon.com. Buy it for your kids, but read it yourself!

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

Leave a comment

Filed under Fan Fiction, young adult

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

June 20, 2022 · 5:00 am

Book Review: “Forever Young: A Memoir” by Hayley Mills

Forever Young Hayley MillsBefore you discard my review of Forever Young: A Memoir (Sept. 2021) by Hayley Mills as an off-topic book review, try to bear with me for a few minutes before I get to the link between her and the Beatles.

For those of us of a certain age and generation, there will forever be only one real version of the movie ‘The Parent Trap‘ and it will be the one put out by Disney in 1961, starring a young, 14 year old, English actress by the name of Hayley Mills. Maybe some of you will even remember her in her first Disney movie, Pollyanna, in 1960! Truth be told, her movie career was one that was fast and furious, as you will obviously notice while reading her book.

Hayley Mills is the daughter of actor Sir John Mills. Granted, I had no idea who he was until I read this book, but to make a long story short, he played the father in the Disney classic – The Swiss Family Robinson. And though he was a well-known actor and household name in the 50s and 60s, he only got that part because Walt Disney was so determined to sign Hayley to a 6 year, 6 film contract, they offer him the lead in another film project they were developing.

Hayley is also the younger sister of Juliet Mills – the actress who played the nanny in the 1970-1971 television series Nanny and the Professor (I feel  embarrassed that I didn’t know that!). One of the major themes throughout her life (and this book), is how much Hayley adored her sister and at the same time,  the guilt she felt when she shot to fame ahead of Juliet.

George Harrison Hayley MillsSo, where’s the Beatles connection? Well, like all the girls of her generation, Hayley was a huge fan of the Beatles and talks often of it within the context of her life. By the time, she became famous, she would occasionally run into them (and other famous rockstars) at exclusive clubs or parties around London. It was during one such party, in 1964, that a 17 year old Hayley would spy her mother in conversation with George Harrison and watch in horror & surprise as her mother asked (and received) George’s phone number! But if she thought that wasn’t embarrassing enough, when a charity event presented itself where Hayley would need an escort, her mother was so bold as to call up George and ask him to take her daughter! You’ll need to read this book to learn all the juicy details of that night and breakfast in the morning!

There’s cute story Hayley shares of the night she saw the Beatles perform at the Hollywood Bowl and the unbelievable after party in the Hollywood hills! Another great tale for the Beatle fan that absolutely needs to know every detail of the Fab Four’s whereabouts.

Though Hayley spends a lot of time talking about her costars and their personal history in this book, I couldn’t help but get drawn in by her story of a young girl swept up in the Hollywood movie star life, surpassing her father and sister’s stardom and still coming out the other side unscathed and squeaky clean. And at 76, she’s still acting today. And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Book Review

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

June 13, 2022 · 5:00 am

Book Review: “Wham! George and Me: A Memoir” by Andrew Ridgeley

Wham!, George Michael and Me: A Memoir by Andrew Ridgeley released October 2019 was not at all what I was expecting…but in a lot of ways, that’s a good thing!

I’ll let you all in on a little secret as to how I pick some of the books I read – when I see a suggestion for some music related book on Amazon, I’ll click on it to see when it was released. After that, I click on the Kindle version, then click on “See Inside” (above the picture). Usually, there is a search button, so I enter in “Beatles” to see if there is any references to our Fab Four. So before you judge me for reading the story of Wham!, know that “Beatles” was mentioned at least 3 times and Paul McCartney at least once.

If you had asked me to tell you about Wham! before I read this book, I would have gotten the story all wrong. I was in my early 20s when Wham! hit the charts and I was one of the many clubbers dancing to their music. I even have a very distinct memory of sitting at a bar with a friend and watching the video of ‘I Want Your Sex’ playing on a television in the corner. I would have guessed they were just two semi-musically literate, pretty boys from England that were discovered by some A&R person from a record company looking for the next big MTV hit. Not quite…

There was a sudden change in mood in the classroom. Conversations regarding Pan’s People, David Essex and those awkward summer kisses were shushed when our form tutor, Mrs. Parker, entered the room, trailed by a nervous-looking  boy. Dressed in a pristine, box-fresh school uniform, he wore a pair of oversized steel-framed specs. His hair, which looked like a dressing-up wig, appeared to have been made from coarse man-made fibre. And the pressure of facing down a room of new classmates had clearly shaken him.

This was Andrew Ridgeley’s first impression of an awkward and chubby, 13 year old Georgios Panayiotou (aka George Michael). On that day, he would volunteer to show the new kid around and meet his lifelong best friend. The two would become inseparable and later become Wham! despites George’s parents best efforts to keep the Andrew away because they felt he was a bad influence on their straight A son who they dreamed of going on to a university.

Brooke Shields The “Michael” Popstar Groupie (Jackson, George & Bolton) | FeelNumb.comThis book is Andrew Ridgeley’s story of his friendship George Michael and how they created Wham! He respectfully avoids any controversy about George’s sexuality, dating habits or history. He does disclose when George came out to him and his response. Andrew does reference George’s autobiography, Bare, a few times to clear up some varying points of view, but stays true to respecting George’s story and estate.

They were best friends until the end. And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Beatles influence, Bonus Book Reviews, Book Review

Tagged as , , , ,

June 12, 2022 · 7:45 am

Documentary Review – The Lost Weekend: A Love Story

The Lost Weekend A Love Story May Pang John LennonFriday night (June 10th) was the premiere of The Lost Weekend: A Love Story at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film is a documentary about the love affair between John Lennon and his (and Yoko Ono’s) 22 year old personal assistant – May Pang. The tickets to the online screening event sold out weeks in advance. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, I would recommend that you follow May Pang on Facebook, since she will be letting her followers know when the movie will be available to the public.

So…I’ve started, stopped, cut, pasted, typed and deleted this review several times over the past 24 hours. I’ve finally realized I need to be honest and just say what I need to say about this film. To whitewash any of the flaws would be dishonest. And let’s be honest here, no one is sitting around waiting for the Beatles Freak Review opinion of this documentary. That being said…

Every Beatle and Lennon fan should see this film. Yeah, it’s that good. If you’ve read May’s 1983 book – Loving John, even better because you’ll already know most of her story, but there will still be some surprises to be found in the film. But…you’re also going to find some things missing. Like Sid Bernstein.

Loving John May Pang 1983The film opens with a shaky clip of John Lennon from a home video…and I admit that my first thoughts was, “Oh, please don’t let the rest of the film be shaky!” Rest assured…it’s not. It’s filled with so many photos and videos of John, May, Yoko, Julian, Cynthia, Elton, Alice Cooper, etc. and some wonderful animation sequences inspired by John’s drawings.

The next thing you’re going to notice (if you know May or have heard her interviewed in the past), is that her heavy New York accent is toned down. I have to say, I was okay with that. What I didn’t care for was the way her narration some times came off as if she were reading directly from a script or times when her inflection/tone would go higher like a younger version of herself. I don’t think it added anything to the power of her story.

Instamatic Karma May Pang 2008So what did I love? As I said, I loved the animation…I loved the never ending pictures (a lot of which came from her book Instamatic Karma) and videos of her, John and Julian. And of course, I loved seeing Julian talking about his experiences growing up with May and his father.

And the most touching part…the tear that rolled down her cheek at the end. And for that reason…

 

I rate this film, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Comments

Filed under Documentary, May Pang

Tagged as , , , ,

May 30, 2022 · 5:00 am

Book Review: “Shake it up, Beverley” by Suzan Holder

You know that beach book you’ve been looking for this summer? Well, I think I found it thanks to Roag Best and The Liverpool Beatles Museum!

Over the past week or so, Roag has been posting on Facebook about the first ever book to be launched held at the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. I don’t know why it took me a week to look it up on Amazon, but when I finally did, I immediately ordered myself the Kindle version of Shake it up, Beverley by Suzan Holder. It’s only $2.99 and I didn’t feel like waiting for the paperback edition that’s not deliverable until June 10th (not sure why that is).

I know I should be reading more non-fiction Beatles related books for this blog, put for the past week or so, I’ve really needed a distraction…something I could enjoy without having to actually think about it. It was then that the posts started popping up on Facebook about this book. I knew then that it was meant to be reviewed for my site.

What a fun, relaxing read this was! How could I not love a novel where the protagonist, Beverley Wilson, is a fifty-something year old, mother of three, like myself? I think every middle-aged, female Beatles fan will be able to relate to her mild-manner, ordinary, ‘careful’ life that gets turned upside down when she decides to re-enter the dating world after the death of her husband. Her kids are all grown…what could possibly go wrong?

One of the fantastic elements about this book is that the author mixed in so much Beatles history and plenty of the Fab Four’s Liverpool landmarks into the story, including the McCartney’s home in Speke. And no wonder the book launch party was held at The Liverpool Beatles Museum, when the main character not only visits the museum, but also spends an evening at the Casbah Coffee Club!

I read this book in less than 2 days and the only bad part about it was that it had to end. I thoroughly enjoyed Beverley Wilson’s exploits, adventures and mishaps. Just when you thought you figured out one mystery in this book another one pops up to keep you entertained throughout. And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Beatles influence, Book Review

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

May 2, 2022 · 5:00 am

Album Review: “Songs From the Green Couch” by Seth Swirsky

I got an email from Seth Swirsky‘s people asking if I’d be interested in reviewing his latest album – Songs From the Green Couch. For those who have been reading my blog for awhile, you may remember me reviewing his book – 21 Ways to a Happier Depression in 2018 and his album Now It’s All This by The Red Button in 2017. For those who don’t following along, Seth wrote the Grammy nominated song “Tell it to My Heart” for Taylor Dane. He is also a painter, so he’s quite the talented fellow!

There’s no denying Seth Swirsky’s talent for writing great songs with nostalgic melodies. Songs from the Green Couch will invoke memories of tunes from the 50s through modern day. You can hear the Beatles influence in several songs. Cashmere Sweaters is a beautiful (though a bit corny) song with an undeniable Beatles imprint. What Was I Thinking feels very McCartney/Wings-ish, and Dead has that dark John Lennon feel to it.

If you’re a fan of The Monkees, you’ll probably dig the first track – Sunny Day. And for the 70s soft rock fans there is the sweet sound of Every Time…that reminded me of Gilbert O’Sullivan.

Don’t let the early rock influences fool you…this is a great 15 original song album for putting on shuffle to mellow out with it’s really sweet love song – You Kind of Mood or what I like to call Seth’s laundry list of chores – New Painting! And then there is the power pop song I Don’t Wanna Lose You…

I rate this album, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Filed under album review, Beatles influence

Tagged as , , , , , ,

April 25, 2022 · 5:00 am

Book Review: “Fab4 Mania: A Beatles obsession and the concert of a lifetime” by Carol Tyler

Fab4 Mania Carol TylerAnother Amazon suggested book that I bought back in February is Fab4 Mania: A Beatles obsession and the concert of a lifetime (Fantagraphics Books, 2018) by Carol Tyler. Don’t know why it took me so long to read…are my readers as tired of my excuses as I am of making them? 😉

It almost seems to go without saying that one of the major trends in Beatles books over the last decade is for mostly women to write their memoirs about their love for the Fab Four. A Date with a Beatle by Judith Kristen, Confessions of a Beatlemaniac by Dee Elias, Diary of a Beatlemaniac by Patricia Gallo-Steadman, Do You Want to Know a Secret by Pat Mancuso, and My Ticket to Ride by Janice Mitchell are just a few of the books that have passed over my desk or been reviewed here on this blog.

And that’s just fine with me…keep them coming!

So what makes Fab4 Mania any different than the rest? Why should you want to read another teenage diary obsessing over John, Paul, George and Ringo? Well…for one reason, it’s filled with fabulous drawings and artwork by the author herself, Carol Tyler, who grew up to be a well known cartoonist. Carol’s work has graced the pages of such publications as: Weirdo, Wimmen’s Comix, Street Music, Zero Zero, Mineshaft Magazine, Prime Cuts, LA Weekly, Drawn & Quarterly, and Tower Records’ Pulse!

Like most memoirs by Beatles fans, Carol’s story comes straight from the pages of the diaries she kept as a teenage girl. The pages are fill with her bubbly stories of her friends and love for the Beatles, and also, teenage angst at the antics of her parents, siblings and teachers. The whole story culminates to her finally attending her first Beatles concert! The whole book is just wonderfully fun! And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Book Review, graphic novel

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,