Pages

Saturday, October 9, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. L

And, to mark the occasion, here's one of the greatest Lennon tracks of all.  "We all shine on," indeed.

10 comments:

  1. So many classics! This is a really nice to sum up a positive feeling--especially for Thanksgiving (in Canada) and my Birthday! 10/10/10. Is there a prophecy of doom for that date? Thanks for sharing J.M.
    And I agree with your comments on Superman--no teenthrob. Jon Hamm's name has been tossed around in the rumor mill. I could see that as long as the movie implies Supe's has been around for a number of years. And yes, Darkseid!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy birthday, A. Jaye! Hope the year ahead brings you only good things.

    "So many classics" is right. Past few days I've been listening to the new DOUBLE FANTASY STRIPPED DOWN tracks and they're amazing. Also listening to the newly-remastered PLASTIC ONO BAND -- one of the greatest albums in the history of popular music -- and lots of other classic Lennon.

    I like the idea a more mature Superman. George Reeves was certainly no twenty-one year old when he starred in the old TV show; and even Christopher Reeves, who was in his twenties when the first Superman movie came out, had a more grown-up vibe about him. When you look at the old Wayne Boring/Curt Swan Superman stories -- and those are the first Superman comics I remember -- Superman absolutely looked like a GROWN UP.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You know, I always thought Bill Campbell (from THE ROCKETEER) would have made a good Superman, or Tim Daly, who voiced him in the animated series, and was great on WINGS. It's a little too late for either of those picks, but they both had the charm, maturity, and likability to make it work.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love John Lennon's solo work. Instant karma is great and I really enjoy his Christmas song. I love how he is able to make great music while still sending a message of peace and hope.
    A few years ago, I spent Christmas and New Year's in Italy with my family. A few nights before Christmas in Italy, there was a choir of people singing Christmas songs. It was so wonderful to hear them sing "War is Over".

    Three other songs I really like of his solo albums are Imagine, Jealous Guy and Mind Games. Although with Jealous Guy I find it hard to like the lyrics as they seem to indicate that he has hurt his significant other. I still respect that Lennon is willing to get it out there and try to get better.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really wouldn't mind Tom Welling in the role. though he's more than likely ready to do anything but Kal-El at this point. It's pretty challenging for any actor, bringing something new while retaining the aspects we all love about him.
    Can't wait to hear the Double Fantasy un-mix. It's great how there's been "new" Lennon product every few years. Kind of like how the Kirby Collector tabloid feels like Jack's still putting something out every so often. How can it be 30 years since John died?? How strange is it that he never saw/listened to a CD? Would've been so wonderful if he'd lived to be part of the Beatles Anthology.. just if he'd lived.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey J. M., been looking for you at NYCC, what table are you at? (...kidding...)

    Anyway, saw this on Twitter, thought you might like to see, if you hadn't already;

    Here are pictures from last night's LENNONYC screening at Central Park. (film airs 11/22 on @PBS) http://go.pbs.org/2Rdez

    That's direct from PBS' Twitter account, and leads to their Facebook page, but I think you and Manu of your readers will be interested.

    Hope all goes well

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Charm, maturity, and likability" are the keys, David. Please, please, please -- no angsty teen Superman!

    ReplyDelete
  8. To me, Quique, the beauty of Lennon -- especially solo Lennon -- is the fact that he's NOT just the idealistic dreamer of "All You Need Is Love," "Imagine" and "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)." (Not that I don't treasure those songs.) He's a man on intimate terms with his demons and he's unafraid to sing about them. There's a line in "Scared," a great song from WALLS AND BRIDGES (an album you should absolutely own), that says: "Sing out about love and peace...don't wanna see the red raw meat...the green-eyed, goddamn, straight from your heart."

    It's the tension between the in-the-clouds dreamer and the flawed, struggling man -- along with his fearlessness in revealing that tension for all to see -- that made Lennon's solo work so interesting and memorable.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I haven't seen more than three or four episodes of SMALLVILLE, Jeff, but I think Tom Welling would be an excellent choice. Plus, he's been around for a decade: he's grown up -- and into the role -- before everyone's eyes. He'd bring some real maturity to the part.

    The "naked" DOUBLE FANTASY tracks are terrific. (And I'm a huge fan of DF in its original form.) I was amazed, listening to "Clean Up Time" -- which I always thought of as the weakest Lennon track on the album -- by just how fantastic it sounds. It's like hearing the song with new ears.

    I had the same experience with some of the remastered Beatles tracks. I was driving in the car a few months back, listening to the HELP album, and "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" came blasting out of the speakers. I'd heard that song hundreds of times over the years but it suddenly went from "fun, but minor track" to one of my favorites. In fact the entire HELP album, in its remastered form, has become one of my all-time favorite Beatles albums.

    Lennon would have brought some real bite and cutting humor to the BEATLES ANTHOLOGY...although, credit where credit's due, George Harrison brought some healthy skepticism and sharp wit to the project. For all their differences, it sometimes seemed that Lennon and Harrison were far more alike than Lennon and McCartney.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for the link, Ken -- and please check back in after the convention and let me know how it went!

    ReplyDelete