Paul McCartney & the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize

The baby-faced Beatle himself is being honored with a prestigious award from the Library of Congress. This a definite cause for celebration and we can take part in the festivities alongside PBS:  July 28, 2010 at 8:00pm ET. I’ve long been a Beatles fan and the rare occasion when Beatlemania and libraries come together you can bet your Aunt Lucy’s lucky dentures that I’ll rave about it.

A little blurb on the award:

The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song will honor either a songwriter, interpreter, or singer/songwriter whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of artistic expression and cultural understanding.

The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize is relatively new and having Paul McCartney as recipient is another step towards it’s validation and maturity.

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The Beatles Return!

The Beatles make you cooler.

Yes, The Beatles have returned to my blog for more yet another post. My buddies Dylan and Dan left me comments that warrants action. When it comes to musical taste, those who know little of The Beatles, don’t like them, or simply aren’t understanding of how fantastic their music is- are to be discounted when it comes to musical appreciation, intelligence, and recommendation (and perhaps in many other sectors in life as well). IF you are one of the unfortunate souls being dealt an unfortunate lot in life, PLEASE visit your local library for ANY Beatles album.

If you are new to them altogether then I would recommend a starter set: Beatles 1967-1970 (blue album) and Beatles 1962-1966. You can get these sets surprisingly cheap online. Once you have a few songs that stand out, find out what albums they are on, and check those out. Nothing compliments a Beatles song like the whole album.

Need help finding your local library and checking their catalog- see worldcat.org and/or contact a librarian at the Library of Congress.

One last tip: Please, whatever you do, stay away from cover music. I mentioned the Canadian Brass band in my last post, and that was less a cover and more of a musical orchestra of a Beatles tune (instrumental only). No one can imitate The Beatles or improve their songs.

The Beatles will make your life better and happier. The most repeated word in their songs is ‘Love’, with that: go, listen, and love!

Also, The Rolling Stones are not better than The Beatles.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!

My first audio tape, a Christmas gift from my pops, was The Beatles’ A Hard Days Night. My first vinyl record was The Beatles’ Meet The Beatles. My first CD, I picked it up at Target in the 7th grade, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. During my undergrad years Cristina and I took a Beatles course. We saw Love and continue to love all things Beatles and never tire of their work. Today I’ve been listening to Beatles radio, playing not only songs but interview material, movie sounds, and more:

http://www.beatlesradioshow.com

 http://www.beatlesarama.com/

If you haven’t had a chance to get into The Beatles it comes highly recommended not only from this librarian but people and generations across the world to:  GET INTO THEM! If you are already a fan, congratulations, now go listen to them! Oh and The Canadian Brass band playing “When I’m Sixty-Four” is pretty awesome, 1920s brass band style.

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