IT WAS AROUND 40 YEARS AGO, TODAY

Shoulda really been The End

It is interesting that in many quarters, the newly remastered version of Abbey Road was the fastest off the shelves and outta the bins on Sept. 9.

Many of us so-called all-thing Beatle watchers were predicting that shurely, the winner(s) would
most likely be Sgt. Pepper and The White Album.

Any bloody ways, there is no argument that AR was/is a great recording, and it should have been the Fabs' swan song LP in the early fall of 1969.
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Instead, the good but mish-moshy Let it Be was cobbled together by now jail-bird Phil Spector in 1970, and so LIB stood as the Beatles final offering.
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Which is really too bad cuz the looseness of Let it Be would have fit in perfect for '69, whilst the more polished Abbey Road was surely a harbinger of things to come for rock in the more production-value/style of the early 70s.
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Still, I would place Abbey Road at number 4, in the Beatle big-top.

RS+YO=ART CRIME

Nice cover, (some) bad inside(s)




No secret that Yawn Weiner's rag has been up close and personal with YO's arse for over 40 years.
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Now, when John Lennon was this us, I can pretty much understand why.
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But now?
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Well, you better think fourself if you can, and click on the scan at left wherein some
poor RS sluggo assigned to the new YO Platex Onon Band outrage actually gave it
FOUR BLOODY STARS!!!
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I mean, it was bad enough when they credited Her Nibs with "inventing" New Wave before it even existed, but my gawd, this, this, is beyond the shit pail.
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YO as "empress"? Yech.

NME WANKFEST,FABS SELL OUT & BEATLES HELD PRISONER

Text by twit(s), pix rich

I suppose the very tarty hipsters at the UK new Musical Express must show a certain trendy disdain for olde geezer rockers like the Beatles, but some of the rubbish reviews in their new "Collectors' Issue" on the remasters, are, well, rubbish.

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But what saves the whole lot is great and rare pix of the lads through the years, and a fresh interview with Paul McCartney on what he thinks of the digital do-overs.

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Pick up a copy of this mag, if you can find it, in 13 cover variations, if you dare.
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Rolling Stone's latest issue is banging the Beatle drum, as well.
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Click on the scan at left for news on the Fabs' success at the CD cashbox, and how the
whole seemingly terminally sick music industry may get a temporary stay with these

new discs.
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Unfortunately, the piece repeats the myth that the Mono Box set is a "limited edition."
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As previously noted in this space, even Apple Corps own website does not so assign the box, but rather describe it as being at present unavailable due to overwhelming demand.
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Finally, many Beatle fans are old enough to have been around for The Prisoner, the English TV series that ran in North America from late 1968 on, and on and on in perpetual syndication.

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A bizarre tale of (seemingly) a secret agent who quits, and then is abducted

to a weird "Village," where he is tormented by a succession of sado-masochists, who try to get the agent (Number 6) to spill the intel beans.
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Whatever they, the beans would be is not entirely clear, yet all in good fun. And in the (anti)climactic final episode, not only is the Beatles All You Need Is Love used in satire, but the jukeboxes playing it display American album covers like Second Album and Help! Strange, that.

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For much more on The Prisoner 40th Anny DVD box set, be seeing you at:

http://www.boomermediareview.com/ThePrisoner40thannyDVDBox.html

JOHNNY "C" LENNON and BEATLE TREASURES

Oi vey!

Hey, here's a little twist (and wank) to the frankly, quite tired talk

about what John Lennon really meant when he opined that the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus." (Click on scan to enlarge.)
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Although brushed off by Lennon as words taken out of context and flamed by the lunatic right-wing in the US, the recent auctioning of a signed copy of the teen mag Datebook, may provide yet more fodder for whichever side you're on.

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Lennon, who at that time rarely signed a middle initial, scribbled a "C" which knowing John's sense of humour was most likely a take the piss out of those who had gone nuts over the affair.
(If in fact the "C" was short for Christ.)
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The magazine fetched about 12 large.
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Hey, Fabs' fans, a great new book authored by Terry Burrows could make a fab gift for any true

Beatlemaniac.
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It is chock-full of reproduced Beatle mementos, and has a full album by album track annotation, as well as some solo effort stuff as well and other interesting tidbits.
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For much more on this new coffee-table extravaganza, please go to: http://www.boomermediareview.com/TreasuresBeatlesBook.html

COME UNCUT TOGETHER

Cor, blimey!

Regular readers of the PPC will know what regard we hold the Brit music mags in.
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So no exception this month for UNCUT, which features a rather inventive use of multiple pages devised around the Sgt. Pepper model/phenom.

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Click on the scans provided here to see: 1) the mag's front cover shot with a Pepper cover modern reprise, and 2) the cheat sheet for all the "celebrities"-all 69 of 'em-featured.

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An interesting concept this, as all 69 are tied to some sort of Beatle theme and/or wankable.

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Some of it is a bit marginal, but all is in good fun. A-O!

Pick up the magazine, if you can.

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http://www.boomermediareview.com/

MS DB JERRIES v APPLE/EMI PPM LIMIES

Heil, but no cigar!






Last time out we awarded a close decision to Mirror Spock's Mono
Sgt. Pepper over the new Apple/EMI mono remaster of same.
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But even the most wile Vulcans can not emerge victorious, all the
time.
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Case in point, a ear-to-ear of the MS, Die Beatles (Please Please Me) stereo needle-drop CD, and the new PPM from Apple.
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Previously, the MS DB kraut special blew off its competitors with a nice full sound, but an inherent weakness in the original recording has forced me to place Die Beatles as second best, now.
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All previous recordings of stereo PPM-in two track "stereo" with vocals on one channel, and instrumentation the other-suffer from bleed-through from one track to other. (Panning hard to one or the other speaker, you can hear remnants of the other channel as well.)
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Now, unless listening on headphones this defect is not that noticeable.
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But the new Apple stereo PPM has eliminated almost all of the bleed-through, and one would need a Brian Wilson ear to hear it on speaker. Even on headphones it is barely audible.
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So, the score at the end of two rounds is: MS 1, Apple/EMI 1, round three to follow.

MMT or LIB?

You wot?

Thanks to fellow Kanuckistan Beatle fan Richard, for pointing out
another in a long, long, long-very long-line of Apple et al FUBAR's.
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It seems that a printer or such had some of the bad green tea when he or she placed a graphic on the stereo Magical Mystery
Tour CD. (Click on left to enlarge.)

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You'd think that after 22 years they could get it all right, but no.
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The MMT track listing ends with "Let it Be Mini Documentary"

which should come as a surprise to those who worked on the MMT

mini doc!

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They should have had all the bloody CDs made in Japan!

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MEANWHILE...here are the new Boomer Media Review Beatles Stereo and Mono Box reviews:

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STEREO- http://www.boomermediareview.com/BeatlesStereoRemasterBox.html

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MONO- http://www.boomermediareview.com/BeatlesMONOBoxRemaster.html

"LIMITED" MONO WANKING?

Why is it always fooked up?

One more time....on the "limited" status of the Beatles Mono Box.

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We here at the PCC told you'se long ago that the set would be

shorted at first, but that the "limited" moniker was hype.
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Well, as far as Apple Corpse is concerned, which is it?

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Click on you upper left for a scan of a full pager in the Sept. 13 NY
Times, and note on the far right, the term, "Limited Edition."

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Then, give a click on the scan at left of the "Official Beatles Store" scan, where no such "Limited" claim is made.
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Cor, these guys can't even wank straight!

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Yet the good news is that if you are one of many who always thought that Only A Northern Song

as released in all previous forms sounded, well, like sheit, then you will be thrilled to hear the mono mix prepared in 1969 that is included in the new Mono Box set.

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Seems that because Only A Northern Song was originally recorded on two 4 track recording machines that engineers could not get to sync up for stereo mix for the Yellow Submarine album, all previously released versions were fake stereo-and bloody sounded like it.
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Really, the difference between the two versions is really noticeable. Like, really. Really.

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Finally, as many are curious about specific mono mixes-but don't fancy dropping around $300 bucks for the privilege- look for individual mono CDs to be available within a year, probably at first as imports from Japan for about $25 per.

AND THE (MONO) WINNER IS...

MIRROR SPOCK, by a (MONO) ear!

The new Mono Beatles box is a great piece of work, with painstakingly reproduced replica's of the original vinyl albums, right down to label, and with all paper

inserts, some not seen for years.

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BUT, how do the mono remasters sound?
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Well, I always thought that the best test for at least one title-Sgt. Peppers-would be to do an A-B with Mirror Spock's EMI/Odeon

Japanese needle-drop+ bag of audio tricks, and let the best piece of plastic be the winner.

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And guess wot, mates?

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While the new EMI mono CDs definitely sound better than anything else they have ever released on CD in mono, I'd vote for the MS Sgt. P over EMI's.
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Now of course this is an admitted very subjective test, but, compared at the same volumes, on the same sound system, Spock
noses out EMI.

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In my mind, what it shows is that there is only so much one can do with 42 year old mono master tapes, and that a well-mastered
Japanese record, transferred to CD properly with the right
equipment can yield professional, or better, results.

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Remember, the difference between the two versions is slim, but it

sounds to me that Mirror Spock has more vibrancy, less flatness,

even less harshness and brittleness on the highs, especially noticeable in the opening guitar notes

of Getting Better.

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Other differences I noted were fullness of bass and overall musicality of the MS Sgt. P, compared with EMI's.

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Even some vocals, for example on Lucy in the Sky, seem fuller as

well, from the pointy-eared re-mix master.

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So, by all means buy the new Beatle Mono Box-if you can find one.

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But don't even think about selling or trading in your Mirror Spock stuff. Cuz I suspect you will regret it.

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www.boomermediareview.com

BEATLES FOR FREE, BEFORE SALE

Torrenting, 04, 09, '09

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Well, with promo copies of all the new remastered Beatle CDs out there since early last week, no surprise that ALL of the tracks are already being torrented.

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But since getting the tunes in anywhere near CD audio quality would tie up my computer for days, I'm waiting for the real thing.

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I guess the biggest surprise for me is that although Beatles: The Rock Band video game has been in the hands of some reviewers for weeks-the NYTimes guy gets downright orgasmic about the game-none of the iolated tracks have widely appeared like previously for other video game applications.

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At least one story I read said that when EMI gave the 40 odd tunes to be used in mocking up the Rock Band game, there was a low hum put on them so as to make them unattractive to a back door outting.

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But once stuff is out to reviewers, well...Bob's yer Uncle Boot to bet!

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Interestingly, Beatles Rock Band seems to be getting the bulk of the commericial time on the major networks, with lots of spots run during ABC college football coverage on Sept. 5.

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Bummer, man.

TWIST&(Mono)WANK

Money, that' wot they want!





After receiving reports from local retailers-many large chain-stores and some independents- that they had been short-shipped or shipped not at all for Sept. 9 Beatles Mono Box Set, we done smelled an (Apple) rat.

And according to the Sept. 5 edition of the NYTimes-click on upper left for story-the Apple money-changers claim they are now pushing all production elf's into overdrive to make up for the "shortage," which according to my info, was a red herring all along.
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The Times article sez EMI sez they can't say how many more "limited" Mono Boxes would be made.

Limited? Yes. "limited" to when the orders run out!
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Oh well, as this writer has reminded all of you wonderful Beatles fans over the course of 6 years or so, that's showbiz.
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And thievery!
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FOOTNOTT: As to a question posed earlier in this space about when the first pre-embargo Beatle CDs will leak out, a story we heard lately may prove prescient.
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Apparently, a major retailer in New York state actually loaded their shelves with multiple copies of the individual CDs on Sept. 3.
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When an excited Beatle fan scooped up some and tried to purchase them, they failed the scan test, and all were removed from the racks!
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But as it is obvious now that many stores have been pre-shipped about a week before the official release date, and that means not only that some employees will already have them, and other stores not caring about incurring EMI's wrath, will start to sell early, as well.

BEATLES FOR SALE, WEEKLY

Let the wanking begin!!!!

Roight.

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(Some of) the early, pre-release reviews of the Beatles' remastered CD catalogue are in and despite some differences of opinion-oh, what a surprise!-it seems that both the stereo and mono versions of the original UK albums, plus the Past Masters singles collection(s), are for the most part getting a Macca-like thumbs up.

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Me mate Allan Kozinn of the quite esteemable NYTimes hath weighed in with quite a generous review,and now Entertainment Weekly, dated Sept. 11, has devoted quite a dozen or so pages to not only the reissues-click on scan at left-but also that confounded Beatles Rock Band, a-sure-to-be-wankable "50 Best Songs (and 5 worst) feature, as well as how much the Fabs are worth, plus some "rare" photos. Quite.

(More on the "50 Best" in following post, but for now, let's just say that John Lennon figures in at least 26 of "the best," and even one of "the worst."

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EW writer Jeff Jensen has a good, big-picture insight on the remasters, writing, "the Beatles catalogue has a way of turning everyone anal retentive." (His italic.)

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And, as an example, Jensen writes that although "the remasters employ compression, which makes the CDs louder but sacrifices dynamics (but) somehow though, these discs achieve both volume and subtlety."

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Whilst Kozinn notes quite rightly and righteously that ALL of the Beatles albums-save for the White LP-could have appeared stereo/mono on a single disc, similar to the Capitol Albums Vol. 1&2, Allan also put a lot of effort into A-B'ing the 1987 CDs with the 2009 versions, noting that limiting has been utilized to smooth over some louder passage clipping. (See, we are so anal!)

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But hey, regardless of the audio upgrade, doing the right thing retail value wise would make too much sense, and lose the conniving Apple ruttlers ability to viciously milk the collective recorded Beatle teat to nearly spent, upon number 09, 09, '09.

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Yes gentleman, commence yer wankings! And open ye wallets.

3 DAZE OF PEACE & MUSIC; MANY RECORDED VARIATIONS THERE OF

Take your pick, man

On www.boomermediareview.com , we featured the many different Woodstock reissues and first-time offerings.

For the non-hardcore Woodstockonians-and even for some of them-the various incarnations of the music from the storied festival can be rather confusing.

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I hope I don't make it more so.

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First this year we had a newly remastered Woodstock 1&2, identical to their 1970 album releases.
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The 21st century remastering certainly made them sound better than ever before. And as produced and edited by Eric Blackstead, are the versions that most people know, and love.

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Next came 5 versions of "The Woodstock Experience," featuring the full sets-never before released-of Santana. Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Jefferson Airplane, and Sly and the Family Stone.

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These are mostly warts and all mixes, although some editing has been done as well a good remastering.

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Then, the granddaddy came on August 11, 40 Years On: Back To Yasgur's Farm, a 6 CD extravaganza featuring at least one track from all but 3 of the 30 odd performers.

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Producer Andy Zax took a quite different approach to previous Woodstock mixing, dropping the studio spit and polish, whilst restoring the rawness and truth to the performances. (Listen closely to how many of the vocals lack any kind of limiting.)
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And going back to 1994, we have the 25th anny Woodstock 4CD box, which was sort of a stiff,

even if it did have previously unreleased performances from the Band, CCR, and Mountain, most

Woodstock music fans did not like the mixes which was rather muddy, and contained unedited versions of songs-eg: Soul Sacrifice and I'm Goin' Home-that suffered some of their original sloppiness.

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So, what is the best way to listen to Woodstock?

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Well, although the original Woodstock 1&2 have somewhat flat sounding mixes, Eric Blackstead did do a yeoman job at editing together the raw tapes into multi-golden albums.

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The Woodstock Experience series is also a good bet as hearing the full sets of these to say the least iconic performers seem to give new life to their performances, and the mixes are quite good.

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Finally, if one wants to get as close as possible to actually being there, 40 Years On, with it's honestly flawed version of the music at Woodstock-and as a bonus, this limited edition is nearing a sell-out-may be the best one to partake of.

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Yes, far out, man.

RFK, PC, AND THE BEATLES, BAD?

...and mud in yer "Beetle" eye




I've been messin' around on the WWW for over 10 years, and I done seen some pretty bizarre shit.
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Yet a book I recently came across in a used store competes with anything I've seen-so far-on the Net.
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Blood in the Face, a scholarly work by former Village Voice journo James Ridgeway on racist/extremist groups in the US, contains one of the most bizarre pop culture references this writer has seen-so far.
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A right wing lunatic-tool by the name of Gerald L. K Smith opining in around
1965, wrote a piece as a "revelations" that best that I can decipher
accuses Bobby Kennedy of taking up a "scandalous...Beetle" haircut,
which in turn, the Beatles themselves copped from Prince Charles(!),
whose hair, writes Smith, grows out of his eyebrows!
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Click on left for Smith's full fantasy.
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Any olde ways, history students of the Fabs shall recall that the
KKK, and other paranoid schizophrenics urged Beatle fans in '66 to renounce the group and burn their records, when John Lennon made a comparative opinion regarding religion and pop music and the popularity of both at the time.
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Actually, when one comes to think of it, the Beatles, for all their earth-shaking cultural change got off pretty easy when it came to attacks from these hate-groups.
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Luckily for the lads, the sheet-wearers were more concerned with US internal politics and race-relations than cheeky long hairs from England.
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Still, a very interesting window into a time when obviously insane propaganda was not always seen for what it was.