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Tag: Beatles

  • Beep beep!

    Beep beep!

    Our cars are finally here! Beep beep! Time for a few automotive tunes!

    We shipped our two cars from Texas to Germany in late July. It’s now September 23 and supposedly our cars are finally ready for us to collect them. In retrospect, we probably should have just driven up to Bremerhaven in northern Germany and picked them up. We would have had them a lot sooner. But that would have involved about six hours on a train or flying somewhere and finding our way to the port. Our dogs would have had to go into a kennel. We opted to have them shipped to southern Germany and now they’re finally here.

    Since we have maybe another week or two of weather that might be agreeable to driving with the top down, I decided today’s post would be about cars and the many songs that have been written about them. I don’t mean driving music… I’ve already done a post or two about that. This is a post celebrating cars and how glad I am that we’re finally getting ours. I just hope that I don’t have an accident trying to drive again after two months.


    Believe it or not, it was Martha Stewart who introduced me to the great singer-songwriter David Wilcox, who contributes a great guitar laced number, “Rusty Old American Dream”. This is a great song about a classic car waiting for the right last owner.

    Some years ago, I bought a CD of songs compiled by someone in Martha Stewart’s company. It was full of adult friendly songs that are gentle enough to soothe babies to sleep. One of the songs on the compilation was by David Wilcox. I liked it so much that I bought one of his live CDs and “Rusty Old American Dream” was on it. Neither of our cars are American and I doubt either is made of much chrome. But we’re glad to have them back, anyway, as long as neither was damaged in transit.


    Gary Numan joins Nine Inch Nails at a concert in London singing his classic hit, “Cars”.

    This song from the late 70s always reminds me of roller skating or watching shitty movies on HBO. But given that the song is called “Cars”, I think it belongs in this post. Besides, how cool is it that Gary Numan is doing this song live with Nine Inch Nails? This is a pretty great live clip. Sometimes YouTube makes me so happy!


    Paul McCartney sings a classic Beatles hit, “Drive My Car”.

    Actually, I think the greatest version of “Drive My Car” I ever heard, aside from the original, was done by Melissa Etheridge. And here I’ve found a video of a bunch of stars singing “Drive My Car” and Melissa Etheridge is among them, belting out the chorus…


    This video is fun, though a little odd…

    Speaking of Melissa Etheridge…


    “Baby, You Can Sleep While I Drive” is quite sexy. I like Melissa’s original and Trisha Yearwood’s cover, too.

    And finally, there’s the very annoying yet whimsical 50s era song, “Beep Beep” by The Playmates.


    Does anyone drive a Nash anymore?

    Today, as we collect our vehicles, I imagine we’ll be dealing with Germans beeping at us. I look forward to taking my Mini Cooper, which I bought here in Germany five years ago, on the autobahn with the top down… the car’s, not mine. Have a great Tuesday!

  • The Magical Mystery Tour Is Dying to Take You Away!

    The Magical Mystery Tour Is Dying to Take You Away!

    Win your own copy of this sweet new Beatles DVD!

    Free stuff! Win it!
    Earlier this month, one of the last great, still-missing, missing links of the Beatles catalog finally found its way into stores. Roll up (!) for the band’s 1967 BBC holiday special Magical Mystery Tour, now out on DVD and Blu-Ray. Watch the trailer below and check out our review of this quirky, and improbably influential piece of musical film-making.

    Then go to our facebook page and tell us what your favorite Beatles song is. When you do, you’ll be entered in a drawing to receive your own free copy of this lovely little DVD – a must-have for any Beatles fan. Make your facebook post by 11:59 pm CST November 2. A winner will be announced the following day. Goo-goo-ga-joob!

  • American Idol’s Top 4 Revealed

    One might think that the amount of screen time Henry Connick, Jr. received over the past two nights has positioned him as a candidate to judge the show next year. That would be a terrific lineup with a strong performer and arranger who also has credibility as a young star and a history with Ellen DeGeneres. But meanwhile, he likely helped his album sales tremendously this week. I know that he spent most of the day as a trending topic on most Internet sites.

    The video packages continue improving as Idol’s producers look for anything to generate interest in the show. This week, Ryan tell us that 32 million votes were cast and seems pretty smug about the situation. The judges remain strangely silent and even when Seacrest tries to draw out Simon, he gets nowhere.

    The Idolettes sing a Sinatra medley while Bowersox rocks a Fedora and suit like the guys. Everyone gets their obligatory solo although The Manhattan Transfer called and want their charts back.

    How cool was it tonight that Harry Connick, Jr. actually referred to charts and called the judges out for inventing the term “pitchy”. Go ahead. Look in a music theory book prior to Idol airing in the U.S. Good luck finding pitchy.

    Ryan teases out next week’s theme (Songs from the Cinema) and mentor (Jamie Foxx).  Jamie got the Rat Pack last year during the Top Five week, and Kris Allen and Adam Lambert both made the bottom three so it’s still anyone’s to win. Yes, Mike, exhale.  Oh, you did?  BTW, AI directing team, we’re really tired of audience shots of Michael’s family every episode.

    Gaga performed Alejandro. She was her typical push-the-envelope brilliant self.  Live leads on acoustic guitar, piano and violin mixed in with the catchy chorus.  She is on her way to being this generation’s Madonna and may even take it further.  Her live performances are events.   Less of an event was Harry’s take on And I Love Her.   I liked his crooner phrasing, which sounded more like Tony Bennett than Frank Sinatra.  It was a nice enough piece and after two decades, Connick knows how to command a stage and hold an audience. He really is a funny guy.  The judges gave him a standing ovation so they at least showed respect.

    Lee was declared safe between the performances so Ryan had Crystal on one side with Mike and Aaron on another.  Then he sent to Casey to join Crystal, and Lee declined to play the “Guess Which Group Is Safe” game.  Holy Cow, I thought.  The Clashers playing in the contest got it right again, and Crystal is in the Bottom Two!

    As if.

    Casey and Crystal are safe for some reason while Aaron and Mike face the music again.  This time Aaron, who belted Fly Me To The Moon both nights, gets the boot.  Look for his album to sell big at Christmas.  And as a true gentleman, Harry Connick played for him as he took the last bow.  (Anyone else notice Ricky Miner was absolutely marginalized this year, even before he took The Tonight Show gig?)

    So your Final Four are Crystal, Casey, Lee and Mike.

    Who goes to the finals?  Who goes home next week?

    What do you think?  Good show?  Bad show?  Boring show?