Sunday, December 14, 2014

It's All Too Much vs Rain

It's All Too Much - Yellow Submarine, 1968 (recorded 1965) 
~written by George Harrison, sung by George Harrison
Rain - Single, 1966
~written by John Lennon, sung by John Lennon

Compare: Welcome to the turning points of The Beatles from early, swinging early 60s to peace and love, drugs haze later 60s. During this time, I think The Beatles produced some of the best of their music. It's All Too Much is a fantastic song made by George (which is one of my favorite songs ever made by him). Rain is a zippy, trippy song that of course came from the mind of Mr. John Lennon. It's All Too Much from its way to the soundtrack for The Beatles movie, "Yellow Submarine" and Rain has its own adorable, amazing music video, all decked out in hippie cuteness.

Contrast: The difference between them isn't too much, but there is still a clear difference. Even though It's All Too Much was realsed on the album "Yellow Submarine", it was recorded in 1965. Yes, it's close to the year Rain was made and realsed as a single (same as its double "Paperback Writer") but the way that they sound is completely different. George always made his music about someone changing their life, "it's all too much for me to think, the love that's shining all around you. Everywhere it's what you make, for us to take it's all too much". Rain is talking about when the rain comes, "let the rain come as they run and hide their head, they might as well be dead. Let the rain come." 

Likes: These two songs are two of my very favorite Beatles songs. From 1965-1967 produced some of my favorite Beatles songs. It's All Too Much is one of the songs that I always put on and listen to whenever I feel bad. The way that George puts his emotion into his music always seems to comfort me and make me feel safe/better. Rain has been one of my favorite songs from when I watched Conon O'Brien's late night show when Ringo was on there and he confessed that it was his favorite song that The Beatles made. He commented that the drum part made the song the way it is, along with a pretty amazing bass riff from Paul.

Dislikes: For me, it is really hard to choose things that I don't like about the songs. Really, the only thing that didn't make me happy was that It's All Too Much was moved all the way to 1968 on the "Yellow Submarine" album, I wish they could have just put it on the late 1965 album "Rubber Soul". Same kinda thing with Rain, I wish they could have just put it on my favorite album "Revolver" published in 1966 - Rain and Paperback Writer could have made the album more famous. 

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Remembering John Lennon

It's hard to think that John Lennon hasn't been with us for 34 years now. December 9th, 1980 will be a date that no Beatles fan, or even a music fan would ever forget. What John did during his life time in music will make sure his memory will never leave our minds. I know that I think of every day if John was still alive, what our world would be today.

Little things that go on in my life every day reminds me of John, some even emotional enough that I do end up crying. Sometimes I really don't understand why it makes me so emotional, it's so hard for me to really think about how he passed and part of me wishes in some way...I could have maybe helped him (that's impossible but hey I can dream).

My favorite show is The Monkees (which has an extreme Beatles connection...DON'T WORRY I'LL TALK ABOUT IT SOMEDAY) and back in the 60s when the show was on, John Lennon always said that he loved the show and watched it every week. Um. So that means that whenever I watch the episodes, there is an actual chance that I could be watching the ones that John Lennon himself watched. Wow. I know that I sound a little crazy, but this reason makes me so happy. 

It's also weird of people I associate John Lennon with. I love watching Beatles movies/documentaries, and forever the actors in the movies I call "John Lennon". Such as Christopher Eccelston, famous for being the 9th Doctor on Doctor Who and the bad guy in Thor 2. But to me, he will forever be John Lennon, after playing him in the movie, "Naked Lennon". The next person is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, famous for being Kick A** in the Kick A** franchise and playing Pietro Maximoff in the highly acclaimed Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. But yet again, I will forever remember him as young John Lennon in the movie "Nowhere Boy" (which is one of my favorite Beatles movie in general).

I bought a John Lennon book at this half price bookstore in Ireland called, "John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman", which gives you a lot of information into John's childhood, Beatles life and even after. If you want to learn more about John Lennon (with even some information that you read about and wish you didn't). Really, I totally recommend it and suggest it if you love John Lennon.

I'll finish up this post with the poem I wrote about John - RIP 

"Johnny see,
Johnny do

With his guitar, he played with his heart 
Always from the start

Made people stop and listen,
For every piece of music he made

"Living is easy with eyes closed" 
Is something I believe

And I can see, even with eyes closed
He cared"

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Freda Kelly - A Woman Just Like Us

Fan clubs have been famous since way beyond my own years. If you loved a certain thing, of course there was a fanclub for it! During the time The Beatles were famous in the 60s, fan clubs were on the boom. Every Beatles fangirl would dedicate themselves to their own fanclub where they could meet up with their fellow Beatles-lovers and talk about them and obsess over them.


But there is one woman that stands out the most: Good Ol' Freda Kelly.

Many young girls at the time was EXTREMELY jealous over her. At the age of 17, she became The Beatles Fan Club leader and their manager, Brian Epstein's secretary. Can you believe how lucky this girl was? It would be an honor to hold those two positions and I'm glad she was the one who hold them. 




I feel bad about this, but myself didn't learn about who Freda was until a short time ago. I had heard and read her name before, but I never really understood who she was. The one place I remember hearing her name was in one of The Beatles Christmas Album when John thanked her for all the work that she had done that year. 

I would love to see the new documentary that was made about her called, "Good Ol' Freda Kelly" - a little taste of what her job was and what she did during the 60s as working for The Beatles. Miss Kelly was known as "The Most Coveted Girl in the World" and is one of the last remaining people who stayed with The Beatles from the very beginning.

Just like The Beatles themselves, Freda is a little Liverpuldian girl who gained stardom that she never expected. She never wanted to be a millionaire, but after waiting so long to write her memoir, she fears becoming one.

If you want to learn more about Freda Kelly in this cute interview and how famous her signature is wanted and needed, check out this article! - http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/area_news/article_537bd654-6e52-11e4-887e-8380d915ad4d.html 
This article is also pretty good, it goes more into depth about Freda Kelly herself  - http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/17/beatles-secretary-freda-kelly-story

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