Remembering Helen Reddy

Tonight I'm sad to learn that Helen Reddy died. I remember the Australian singer from her appearances on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Pete's Dragon. I later heard her famous hits like "I Am Woman," "You and Me Against the World" and "Angie Baby." Two weeks ago I saw her biopic named after her iconic hit, I Am Woman. May she Rest In Peace.

Week 5 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project

Week 5 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project has begun!

Vertical Man (1998) is Ringo's first album in six years. His follow-up, Ringo Rama (2003), includes a poignant tribute to George Harrison, called "Never Without You."

George, who had been living with cancer for several years, died on November 29, 2001. Brainwashed is his posthumous final album released in 2002.

Run Devil Run is a rock covers album Paul recorded in 1999. It is the first album he recorded after losing his wife Linda to cancer in 1998. Three originals are included. Driving Rain from 2001 was released after the 9/11 attacks.

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My 3rd nomination for best Beatles solo album released between 1981 and 2020

My 3rd nominee in my 2nd Beatles Solo Project is George’s Cloud Nine album from 1987. It was his first album in five years after the disappointing Gone Troppo. Cloud Nine was a remarkable return to form, and possibly his best solo album since All Things Must Pass (1970). I love all the songs on this one, including his #1 cover of James Ray’s “Got My Mind Set on You,” and “When We Was Fab,” “This is Love” and the title track. It also includes two songs rescued from Shanghai Surprise, the infamously bad movie he co-produced in 1986. (The 2004 reissue includes two other songs from the movie, including the title theme.) Unlike on his previous album, George sounded energetic throughout, jamming with his famous friends. Guest musicians included Ringo, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Elton John and Gary Wright. Not known to get nostalgic in public, “When We Was Fab” was George’s affectionate nod to his Beatles days, with Ringo on drums. “Got My Mind Set on You” was an obscure R&B number from 1962 that George always loved. Another track that deserves a mention is “Devil’s Radio,” his indictment on gossip and cynical talk radio shows. Cloud Nine was the last solo album released during George’s lifetime. His next two releases were as front man of the Traveling Wilburys supergroup.

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Week 4 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project

Week 4 of my Beatles Solo Project has begun! Four solo albums to listen to this week, plus George's final Traveling Wilburys effort.

Paul's Flowers in the Dirt, Off the Ground and Flaming Pie dominate this week's playlist. The Flowers album from 1989 includes collaborations with Elvis Costello, resulting in some of Macca's strongest '80s material.

Flaming Pie (1997) was recently reissued, and is one of Paul's most popular solo albums released after the Beatles' Anthology and partial reunion.

Time Takes Time (1992) is Ringo's first album in nearly a decade. He spent most of the 1980s dealing with personal addictions that kept him sidelined. His recovery began with this album and the launch of his first All-Starr band. 

My 2nd nomination for best Beatles solo album released between 1981 and 2020

 

My 2^nd nominee in my 2^nd Beatles Solo Project is Milk and Honey, by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It is John’s posthumous final album. Released in January 1984, it is a follow-up to their Grammy-winning Double Fantasy album. The album’s title, Milk and Honey, is lifted from several passages found in the Old Testament of The Bible (e.g. “the land of milk and honey”). It also refers to a slang expression made for when a Caucasian marries an Asian. Milk and Honey includes “Nobody Told Me,” a song originally intended for Ringo. This leadoff single peaked at #5 in the US. This song reflected John feeling more at peace and enjoying more of the simple things in life as a resident of New York City. John’s contributions to the album are low-key compared to the answer songs recorded by Yoko. Two songs directly influenced by the poems of Robert and Elizabeth Browning – “Grow Old with Me” and Yoko’s “Let Me Count the Ways” – showed how deep their love continued to be going into the ‘80s. Ironically, and painfully, “Grow Old with Me” is one of the last songs John recorded before he was killed on December 8, 1980.

Trivia: Another song Ringo intended to record by (and with) John was called “Life Begins at 40.” This and “Nobody Told Me” were going to be part of Ringo’s 1981 album, Stop and Smell the Roses. Both songs got shelved following John’s death. (John’s demo recording of “Life Begins at 40” was released on the Lennon Anthology box set in 1998.)

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My 1st nomination for best Beatles solo album released between 1981 and 2020

 

My 1^st nominee in my 2^nd Beatles Solo Project is Paul’s Tug of War album from 1982. It is regarded by many as one of his best solo albums. I believe it is also the best of a trilogy of albums to come from his reunion with Beatles producer Sir George Martin. Recording began for this album a few days prior to John Lennon’s assassination in 1980. There was a recording session scheduled the day after his death (Dec. 9), and some of the material reflected Paul mourning the loss of his friend and former collaborator. The song “Tug of War” metaphorically depicts the complex relationship between Paul and John. “Here Today” address their musical partnership more directly by way of a fictional conversation between them. “Somebody Who Cares” was a song Paul wrote for John’s sons, Julian and Sean, who were still adjusting to life without their dad. The two biggest hits from the album are “Take it Away” and “Ebony and Ivory,” one of two duets with Stevie Wonder. “Ebony and Ivory,” a song calling for racial harmony, spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Take it Away” is one song by Paul that he has never performed live (I wish he would). Ringo Starr, Wings guitarist Denny Laine and Carl Perkins are guest musicians on the album (Paul and Carl do a fine duet called “Get It”).

Pipes of Peace (1983), the follow-up to Tug of War, was recorded concurrently and unfortunately is not as strong or as memorable. Paul’s “Say Say Say” duet with Michael Jackson and the title track are the two best cuts. Then George Martin produced the soundtrack to Paul’s box-office and critical flop, Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984).

Week 3 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project

Week 3 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project has begun! Today I revisited Paul's Give My Regards to Broad Street, the soundtrack to his almost-forgotten movie from 1984. The soundtrack is the best part of the film, featuring mostly remakes of Beatles and Wings songs. "No More Lonely Nights" is the best of the three originals on the soundtrack.

Paul's Press to Play from 1986 is next. The 1993 reissue includes "Spies Like Us," the title theme to the 1985 comedy movie (and his last top 10 hit to date).

George's Cloud Nine from 1987 is an album I've always loved. After its release, he formed the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys with Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, the late Roy Orbison and the late Tom Petty. Both of their albums are included in the project playlist.

The last album this week is the most obscure, an album of rock 'n' roll oldies Paul recorded for the Russian market in 1988. Known as The Russian Album, it became more widely available globally in 1991, just weeks prior to the fall of the Soviet Union.

RIP Dame Diana Rigg

I loved Dame Diana Rigg. Many remember her as Emma Peel on the UK Avengers TV series. I remember her from films On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Great Muppet Caper and the ITV production of King Lear. She was also great on Extras and Game of Thrones. RIP Diana. ❤️

Week 2 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project

Week 2 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project has begun! Only four albums are being played this week, one per member. It is unfortunately the only week where all four Beatles are represented equally. John Lennon's one posthumously-released album, Milk and Honey, was released in January 1984, just over three years after he was killed. Milk and Honey is going to be one of the nominees for my final top 10 list.

Another album up for consideration is Paul McCartney's Tug of War. One of Paul's best post-Wings albums, it includes "Here Today," his personal tribute song about John.

To elaborate on this listening project, the format for this second one is much like the first. One difference is that I'll be listening to 34 studio albums instead of 32. The two Traveling Wilburys albums with George are included, even though they aren't officially considered solo albums.

Week 1 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project

Week 1 of my 2nd Beatles Solo Project began yesterday. Like with the first era of solo albums, this series begins with George Harrison. I listened to his Somewhere in England album from 1981 yesterday afternoon. This is the album that has "All Those Years Ago," his tribute to John.

The other two albums I'm listening to this week are Ringo's Stop and Smell the Roses and Paul's Tug of War.