FROM RUSSIA, WITH ILLICIT LOVE

Something borrowed...

Found yet another superbly reproduced Russian knock-off of a Japanese vinyl album, this time, it's Something New.

-
Regular readers will know that I have come across about 10 of
these "releases," in the past couple years which obviously all come from a competent CD manufacturing plant, and all of the same high caliber, with packaging and audio quality rivalling legitimate releases. They usually range in price from $15 to $25.
-

And I just love the little cheeky, "Remastered From The Original Vinyl" sticker on the front cover! To say nothing of the Apple logo.

-

Sometimes these CDs show up on e-bay and other on-line emporiums, and some time they are removed due to the tried and true, "cease and desist" from Apple/EMI. I got mine in a second-hand CD shoppe in southern Ontario.
-

In any event, I'd reckon that even with the Capitol Albums sets
out there for some time, the rep and allure of Japanese imports-with the all-important OBI-even fake ones, are too much for real Fabs' fans to pass up.

-
And besides, the legit release of Something New-an LP that John Lennon commands, with 8 of the 11 songs featuring his lead vocals- did not come with a unique gate-fold sleeve, nor the sometimes baffling and hilarious lost in translation lyric sheets that accompany this series.
-

Plus considering that if you are looking to find this title on LP-and

that's if you can find it-expect to pay about $30 for the record which come from a Japanese collection entitled The Beatles 18, which were all expertly mastered.

-
In addition, this series of Russian digital bonbons include LP transfers that Capitol/Apple/EMI have so far in their finite wisdom not bothered to release. Yet.

-
They are: Beatles Story (Oh alright, we can do without this one),

Yesterday and Today, Rock and Roll Music, Love Songs, and perhaps the most blatant missing title, Hollywood Bowl.

-
For a country that did not even allow Beatles records into their
country until 1990, the comrades are certainly making up for

lost time, and most importantly, rubles.

ROLLING STONE "GREATEST SONGS" MAG JUST STONED

Lottsa ka ka





Of course these "greatest" lists are mostly bullocks, but Rolling Stone may have hit a new balls, low.
-
Because according to the new "Collector's Edition Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time," the Beatles do not place until #8, and then with Hey Jude!
-
Hey Jude is a great tune but I'd say in most Beatle fans' opinion, it is not their "best" work.
-
Then, the list makes another bad decision placing Yesterday at #15, a song no other Beatle but Paul McCartney wrote and played on!
-
I Want To Hold Your Hand at #16 and Let it Be at #20 rounds out the Top Twenty.
-
And if you can believe it, A Day in the Life makes just #28, whilst some Nirvana noise hits #9!
-
The index of the "Greatest" issue states that the Top 500 was compiled from several reader polls, as well as the RS editorial staff.
-
Although the Beatles place the most songs on the list with 23, RS figgers that
Abba's Dancing Queen should be #174, and the Beatles' Something, #278!!!!!
-
That, my friends, is a huge load of sheit.
-
And while it's true that you can't make everyone happy with these lists, this one is just fundamentally, wrong.
-
I mean only one song from perhaps the Fabs' finest effort, Revolver, and
then that is perceived by RS to be Eleanor Rigby, when many other
tunes from that platter were more worthy.
-
Or Strawberry Fields coming in at #76???
-
Are they bloody nutters?
-
But in any event, the mag is worth picking up if for nothing else to see that living is easy with eyes-and ears-closed.

ALI IS GOAT!

An amazing volume...

It is almost 50 years now, since a young Cassius Clay returned to Louisville, Kentucky as the 1960 Olympic Gold Medal winner in light heavyweight boxing.
-
Clay would quickly turn pro, and compile an undefeated record,
regularly fighting in the US and even over in England, against so-so to good opponents.
-

Yet young Cassius was still considered by the boxing "experts" to be nothing more than a showman with a big mouth and small punch, Clay was not taken seriously when he met Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in Miami on Feb. 25, 1964, and Rocky Marciano actually said before the fight that, "Clay should see a good psychiatrist."

-

But "crazy" Clay beat up the fearsome Liston, shortly thereafter became known as Muhammad Ali, and the rest, as they like to say, is h-i-s-t-o-r-y.
-
And the book, Ringside Ali, compiled and edited by John Miller and Aron Kenedi has some absolutely delicious words and eye-candy in it to further the legend.

-
Such as, an interview with Ali conducted by Alex Haley in which Ali describes
in intimate detail his victory over Liston, an insightful essay by Norman Mailer

on the Rumble In The Jungle, and an introduction by James Earl Jones.
-
As someone who was fortunate enough to have watched many mid 1960s Ali fights live on television, and then beginning with the first Joe Frazier fight on
closed circuit, I'd have to describe this book as beyond a stroll down memory lane.
-

Ali was the archetype hero to the counterculture and Baby Boomers.
-
My father and his friends hated Ali, and dearly wanted to see him punched
out and vanquished.
-

Hell, Ali was so far from a Joe Louis "credit to his race" figure as to make
him from another planet.
-
So of course my friends and I all loved Ali, first for his skills and second for

his ability to piss off our parents.
-
Oh, how "The Greatest Generation" hated his guts for not going to 'Nam!

-
Man, those were the days.
-
But perhaps Malcolm X summed up Ali the best:
-

"Not many people know the quality of the mind he's got in there.
-
He fools them.
-

One forgets that though a clown never imitates a wise man, a wise man can
imitate a clown.

-

He is sensitive, very humble, yet shrewd-with as much untapped mental
energy as he has physical power."

-

IN THE 'HOOD WITH FLYNN & CROWE & LOAF

"Robin Hood, was an English fag."
-Archie Bunker



So, the very estimable Russell Crowe shall open his interpretation of Robin Hood at Cannes this weekend.
-
And I think Crowe is the perfect fit for Robin H, seeing that Russell seems to channel Errol Flynn from time to time, be it drink, or trouble with the gendarmes et al.
-
But the thing is, sacrilegious re-make or not, I think the 2010 Hood will do very well, indeed.
-
Why? Because the themes that made the Flynn version in the 1930s a hit-a depressed economy wherein criminal bankers (still) make out like concrete cavern bandits whilst main street peeps get not even crumbs-is surely upon us this dark day.
-
Hopefully, the theme of taking righteously from the rich to give to the cornholed poor will catch on.
-
FINALLY, and in other, other-worldly thinking, Meat Loaf has a new album out.
-

You recall Mr. Loaf, don't you?
-
The Bat Out Of Hell, produced by Todd Rundgren in 1977 was, as
they say, big time.
-
See for yourself what Meat is up to now:
http://www.boomermediareview.com/MeatLoafHangCoolTBSpecial.html

FABS IN THE MIRROR

Only in Britain, you say?




Ah, courtesy of the magic of modern air-transport, we have upon this month received a fab new
magazine from the UK, namely, the Daily Mirror's trib to the
Beatles, 40 years after, The End.

-
Yes, this 82 pager is a fine one, "packed with rare and unseen images," according to the front cover.

Entitled, Hello...Goodbye, this pic-packed magazine will be a

welcome addition to any Fabs freaks collection.




Ringo Starr, strolling through Admiral Grove, Liverpool, 1963

Daily Mirror story, Nov. 11, 1966

Smog masks adorn the lads faces before a gig in Manchester, 1965

John Lennon behind the wheel of an Iso Rivolta S4, Oct., 1967

A puzzle

Whilst making Help!

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

BEFORE, the Fabs, there was THE KING:

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

GUITAR WORLD WON'T NOT LET IT BE & THANKING MR. CHURCHILL FOR SPANKIN' NAZIS

40 years ago today, approx.

Roight; another trip down fading memory lane, with an anniversary
look at the Beatles' swan song-ger, Let it Be.

-
Well, actually inspired by the June ish of Guitar World mag, which is

also upon this an um celebrating 30 years in the six string biz.

-
And while some Beatle freaks will find the GW-LIB piece to be old-

hat, there is still enough rather obscure renderings to hold attention.
-

Especially a side-bar interview with LIB (Apple Studios) sound engineer, Alan Parsons who says that engineer Glyn Johns and de facto producer of the original Get Back concept, instructed him just
before the infamous Jan. 30, 1969 rooftop concert to hurry to the

store and purchase several pairs of women's hosery, with which to

affix the microphones to dampen wind noise.
-
Parsons recalls that he got weird looks from the sales girls, and

notions that they either believed him to be a cross-dresser, or a
bank robber.

-

The work of Phil Spector on LIB takes quite a pranging, and the reader is reminded that the producer is currently incarcerated for murder, something he is also accused of in the production of LIB

-
Finally, and in other Limey larkings, check out the link below to the BMR review of Peter Frampton's new release, Thank You Mr. Churchill.
-

Besides having a rather interesting cover, the CD is quite listenable,with many of the tasty, melodic guitar licks PF has come to be known for.
-

And for those looking for more on Mr. Frampton, the above mentioned Guitar World June issue has a fine feature on him.
-
http://www.boomermediareview.com/PeterFramptonThankYouMrChurchillCD.html

STONES FLOG "NEW" EXILE FIRST ON DOWNLOAD, SECOND ON CDs & SUCH

A rip-off joint?

If you are a Rolling Stones fan-and probably even if you ain't-you may have heard about the Stones' iconic Exile On Main St. being reissued with loads 'o' goodies on

May 18.

-

The folks who choose the "Deluxe Edition" of Exile, a two CD set, will be treated to 10 bonus tracks from the Exile sessions, and a DVD.

-

But heer's the deal: as of May 2: Neither Amazon.com, or Barnes and Noble have any sound samples from the "new" Exile.

-

Despite the fact the Stones have three-count 'em-CD variations of

Exile coming out on May 18, the only place you will find any 30

second tastes of the bonus tracks come via i-Tunes.

-

And when you see what the Stones are doing with their website-heavy duty product shilling-then one wonders where Mick Jagger thinks the sales bread and butter will be.

-

Perhaps Mick is just taking the CD buyers for granted, but in any event, it don't, as they say, look too good.

-

Mr. Jagger; most of the folks on the Internet steal your music, not buy

it.

-

COOL before the Stones:

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