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Going forward, unless you're a musician, publicity agent, or record label that I've reviewed music for in the past I'm currently not accepting requests to write about your new releases. You can send any other questions, comments, compliments, or complaints below.


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Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

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Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen...
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The Case For The Beatles' "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"

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Yes, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" from Abbey Road (1969) is pure "granny music," as John Lennon called it, but that was part of Paul McCartney's intended joke. Here we have this silly sounding, almost kiddie-like arrangement, combined with the most perverted and darkest lyrics that a Beatle ever wrote for the group. As most people know, the track tells the tale of Maxwell Edison, a serial killer. I was 16 when the song came out and I immediately got the joke and the incongruity of it all.  Maybe the absurdity of marrying the goofy arrangement with the sinister lyrics is why McCartney mentions pataphysical science in the song's first verse. As it turns out - according to Oxford Reference - Pataphysics is   "the science of imaginary solutions"   invented by French writer Alfred Jarry (1873–1907). Was "Maxwell" a parody as well, and does it really belong on a record inten...
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The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1987), Expanded Edition (2006)

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For St. Patrick's Day here is a rerun of a post from 2012 about one of the great Celtic-rock albums of all time. ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ Until "Death to My Hometown" - the very Irish flavored track from Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball - you could say that he sounded nothing like The Pogues . I'm sure The Boss didn't have that great Celtic-rock band in mind when he wrote and recorded the song but its resemblance in spirit, if not in sound, to Shane McGowan’s famous group is uncanny. The folk-punkers do what Springsteen has always done so well over the years and that's what makes The Pogues third CD, If I Should Fall From Grace With God , (1987) one of the outstanding Celtic-rock sets of all time. This Emerald Isle classic is traditional in a lot of ways. It's full of tin whistles, acoustic guitars, banjos, and accordions. Also, McGowan's long history with drugs and alcohol that resulted in his firing from the band just a couple of years after...
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It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles - A Short Story, Radio Play And Full Length Novel By Paul Levinson (2022 and 2024)

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In a July 2023 blog post I discussed an alternate history of the most famous rock band of all time. It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles was written in 2022 as a short story and radio play by Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University. Since then, the author has expanded it into a full length novel that includes his original story as chapter one. Below my original post you'll find a link to a fascinating  podcast where Levinson discussed his book with NBC's Chuck Todd followed by an  intriguing  email question and answer session that Levinson graciously gave to Bloggerhythms. _______________________________________ In 2005, novelist, playwright and rock musician, Larry Kirwan - best known as the leader of New York City's renowned Celtic-rock band, Black 47  - used his vivid imagination to write  Liverpool Fantasy , a novel about what could have happened to each of the four Beatles if they hadn't hit the ...
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Paul McCartney & Wings - One Hand Clapping (2024)

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Growing up listening to my Mom's 78s made it easy for me to like Paul McCartney's excursions into what John Lennon often referred to as his " granny music. " Despite his semi-frequent visits to the sounds of his father's generation anyone who believes that McCartney can't rock is flat out wrong, and  One Hand Clapping -  Wings' live, in the studio, double album - proves it. These sessions were recorded over four days at Abbey Road studios while Band on the Run was riding high on the charts. They were slated to be released as a documentary with an accompanying LP, but neither officially happened. Some tracks turned up later on bootlegs and a few others were included on repackaged McCartney records, but 2024 was the first time they were released together as a complete set. McCartney, his wife Linda, and Denny Laine were the only permanent members of Wings. The other seats were filled by an ever-changing cast, and for these sessions...
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