The Beatles’ new song, the final entry in their extraordinary songbook, is a thing of beauty. Entitled “Now and Then,” it reminds us, above all else, that the narrative of the Beatles is a love story. And as with the finest romances, it is chockful of buoyant beginnings—think about Beatlemania and the world falling in […]
Channel Swimmer!
Had he lived into old age, Beatles roadie Mal Evans would have been 87 now. In August 1963, the 28-year-old giant of a man began the adventure of a lifetime when he joined the British band’s cozy entourage, which included manager Brian Epstein and fellow roadie Neil Aspinall. With the release of their “She Loves You” […]
Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” Docuseries Is a Mesmerizing Feast for the Eyes
Peter Jackson’s Get Back is a mesmerizing feast for the eyes, a veritable time machine that transports viewers back to the Beatles’ heyday in January 1969. New fans and diehards alike will revel in the carefully restored images of the Fab Four as they bring such classic tunes as “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” […]
Paul and Linda McCartney’s Ram Still Shines Brightly at 50
It may be an overly lofty thing to say, but Paul McCartney was born to compose popular music. There is no better living document to his gift for concocting pop confections than Ram, his 1971 album with wife Linda. Coming on the heels of his eponymous debut LP with the classic “Maybe I’m Amazed” as […]
Everything Fab Four: Reassessing John and Yoko’s “Double Fantasy”
Released on November 17, 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy had scarcely been in stores for three weeks before the former Beatle’s senseless murder on December 8. In spite of the incredible buzz surrounding their first new album release in more than five years, the early reviews were lukewarm, if not outright caustic. Writing in the […]