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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The Fool On the Hill vs Yesterday

Here comes another round of compare and contrasting songs! If you're not familiar with me doing this, basically I put my Beatles songs on shuffle on my phone and pick the 2 first songs and compare and contrast them, then talk about some of my likes and dislikes on them. Remember, THESE are my own opinions and they may be totally, 100% different than yours so no hate please!


The Fool on The Hill ~ written by Paul McCartney - Magical Mystery Tour, 1967


Yesterday ~ written by Paul McCartney - Help!, 1965


Compare: Here is another round of Paul McCartney songs. If you listen to songs written by Paul (and the same thing with John), you can always tell who the writer is by the style. Yesterday is a CLASSIC Paul McCartney song that is one of his most FAMOUS Beatles song to date. the Fool On the Hill tells a story about a man who everyone doesn't like and how he goes through his life without anyone's help. Both almost tell a story as well.


Contrast: There are two completely different styles to these songs. Yesterday is a 100% a love song, a love cry from someone who wants their love back and regrets what happened between their love and will do anything to have that day back "I long for yesterday...". The Fool On the Hill that tells about a man who sits on a hill, no one ever wants to talk to him, but he enjoys being alone anyway. He always seems to be off into a distant land, forever lost in his own mind , "well on the way...head in the clouds...".


Likes: Both of these songs are very enjoyable to listen to. Whenever you have heartbreak and need a good love song to listen to, I'm pretty sure any Beatles obsesser/anyone who has ever heard Yesterday, would go right to that. The Fool On the Hill reminds me of The Beatles movie "Magical Mystery Tour", a memorial scene in the movie where you can see Paul running around a mountain (that was shot in France which is so beautiful).


Dislikes: I have listened to Yesterday so many times (it is also one of my mom's favorite Beatles songs so she listens to it all the time) so I actually don't like the song...it kinda bothers me. The Fool On the Hill is also one of those Beatles songs that I have listened too so many times that I just cannot listen to it anymore.


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Beatles and Charity Work

With all of the fame The Beatles has received over the years, it makes their position very easy to help out with communities and even with some different charities. I find this extremely heartwarming to know that even though they are such big stars that they will do anything to help people out.


In 1970, George Harrison did a charity concert called, "The Concert for Bangladesh" in which he got a group of his famous musical friends and had a concert to raise money for Bangladesh. He first found out because of this cause from his good friend Ravi Shankar and from that point on, he tried his best to help out. I actually own the DVD for the concert and it is one of my favorite videos ever and the music is fantastic.


Another thing I remember reading about a couple of years ago, that Ringo signed a boys drum set for charity and then got to spend the rest of the day drumming with him. During this time I was in a band as the drummer, and I told my mom that I would give anything to have Ringo sign my own drum set and even get to be in the same room with him! Who knows, maybe someday I will get that chance (I would probably die on contact if I did).


A lot of Beatles things are sold for a lot of money when it comes to charity work. I know that lately some rare pictures of The Beatles were sold for charity along with a piano that both Paul and Ringo signed. Imagine being able to own something that The Beatles gave to a charity and go to help out for a fantastic cause and get to keep and own a piece of history for the rest of your life (unless you decide to sell it...if you do, I'll take it!).


If you want to learn more about Paul and Ringo's new charity work with signing the piano that I referenced in this post, check it out right here! - http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2014/11/beatles_paul_mccartney_and_rin.html

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Remembering George Harrison

On November 29th, 2001, we lost one of the greatest humanbeings ever to live. George Harrison sadly lost his battle with lung cancer on that day. I will never forget that date and it will always haunt me for the rest of my life. George means a lot to me and it's hard to wrap my mind around it that he's forever gone. 


Even though my favorite Beatle is Ringo, I have found myself closer to George and with his music. I went through a really hard time in my life where my depression was really hard and it was a daily battle to keep going. During this time, I started listening to a band called The Beatles. On the first Beatles CD I got, I became close to a song called, "Within You Without You". As I got more Beatles CDs, I found more songs that really helped me feel better such as, "Think For Yourself", "It's All Too Much", "If I Needed Someone" and "I Need You". George helped with my depression, helped me get out of my daily rut and to this day I tell everyone that if it wasn't for George, I wouldn't be here today. 


When you think of Beatles that are no longer alive, the first one that of course comes to your mind is John. George wasn't one of the most famous Beatles, but he will for sure never be forgotten. I hope George will forever be remembered for being so kind and sweet and keeping the world safe with peace and love. Sometimes I think that George and his close friend Ravi Shankar (who recently died) are together, playing the sitar and being happy. 


My favorite late night TV host is Conan O'Brien who has his own show on TBS, and recently he had a week on his show called "George Harrison Week", in which for a week he had musical guests come every night and sing some of his songs in honor of new CDs coming out called "George Harrison: The Apple Years". I wouldn't lie to you that I started crying when Dhani Harrison was on the show. His band 'thenewno2' is one of my favorite bands and he reminds me a lot of George, whichs also adds to the emotional factor. 

If you want to read more about George and his memorial; check out this artical - http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/2014-george-harrison-memorial-Hollywood

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I Feel Fine vs I Am The Walrus

I I Feel Fine - Single, 1964 

~written by Lennon/McCartney, sung by John Lennon

I Am The Walrus - Magical Mystery Tour, 1967

~written by John Lennon, sung by Lennon 

Compare: I feel like these songs changed generations of music because of the styles they were both made. Featured in 'I Feel Fine' was the first mono Beatles track that had double backing vocals that was one of the songs that made The Beatles signature "sound". 'I Am The Walrus' is one of The Beatles most famous songs. Both of them do a job by almost telling a story about 2 people's distinct part of their lives. 

Contrast: Even though both of the songs are very John based by the difference of years, it's basically like 2 different Beatles. The 1964 Beatles were way, way, WAY different than 1967 Beatles and that's primarily because of the change of the years and just how music changes in itself. Which is very understandable why both of these songs sound super different. The amount of drug references that is made in I Am The Walrus is definitely a contrast to the amount that is made in I Feel Fine (and for what I know, I don't think there is any).

Likes: I love how both of the songs show how different music can change just in a matter of 3 years. I Feel Fine was odd for people in 1964 but how amazing it sounds for having been made in 1964. I Am The Walrus has a pretty awesome music type video in the 'Magical Mystery Tour' movie with The Beatles dressed up as animals (and just acting over all ADORABLEEEEE). 

Dislikes: I Feel Fine is very repetitive, some of The Beatles songs during that time was (I can think of one on the top of my head, Eight Days A Week) and after awhile it does kinda seem annoying. I Am The Walrus, for some people, seems too odd in the style the song was made *I enjoy it* and it does reference some drug like themes that is off putting for some people. 

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