The Beatles
I remember that my Grandma and Pop bought the Beatles, Red and Blue double albums for my parents back in Christmas 1978. The Red album is The Beatles greatest hits from 1962-1966 and the Blue album is The Beatles greatest hits from 1967-1970. For me 1978 and 1979 were the years in which I really enjoyed listening to those records. I remember really liking the song from the Blue album called “Here comes the Sun” (1969). At the ages of four and five I used to get my mum to play that song often and would listen to the song when I was outside in the backyard. Also when I was four and five I used to enjoy wearing long pretty dresses.
Cover photo of The Beatles Red Album
Cover photo of The Beatles blue album
I re-started my love of The Beatles music when I was in Year 10, which was in 1989. I remember in Year 11 that my brother bought for me a cassette by The Beatles called The Beatles Remastered, which contained The Beatles re-makes of songs by other artists, some of the songs included on the cassette were called? I used to play that cassette on my stereo system when I was living in a caravan in my parents’ backyard. The songs I really dug from that cassette were “Long Tall Sally” and “Twist and Shout”!! I used to feel good and like dancing around to those songs. I also used to constantly listen to The Beatles, Red and Blue albums when I was living in the caravan. (Today those records are a bit scratched) oops.
Also in 1990 I bought a poster book of The Beatles. Back in 1990 – 1995, I had some of The Beatles posters hung up on the walls in my caravan. These posters were of The Beatles from the years 1963-1965. Here are few photos of The Beatles from 1963 and 1965.
The Beatles in 1963
The Beatles in 1964
The Beatles in 1965
When music CD’s came out and in the years following I bought the
following Beatles CD’s: “Rubber Soul” (1965), “Beatles for Sale” (1964),
“Help” (1965), “Revolver” (1966), “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts club Band”
(1967), and “Abbey Road” (1969). What I like about their records is their
change in music style through the years and the way they used to dress
and have their hair. This meaning from the years 1964 – 1970.
In my opinion their radical change and altering of music styles is
what made them so appealing. Just from 1964 -1967, their change
from straight to psychedelic. They changed the face of music and the
way people write music. The Beatles made musicians want to and feel
more comfortable about veering away from writing and performing
conservatively.
The Beatles in 1963 vs The Beatles in 1967
Well if you would like to comment about my The Beatles blog feel free
to do so. That’s all from me today. 23/10/2007
Led Zeppelin
I have enjoyed and been a fan of Led Zeppelin music since around 1989. However, I first became aware of Led Zeppelin music after I was looking through my Auntie and Uncles record collection in the early 1980’s. The record that they had was Led Zeppelin 11. I remember someone at the time putting that record on in my Auntie and Uncles lounge-room.
Album cover of Led Zeppelin 11.
Photo taken from the Led Zeppelin album
At the time that Led Zeppelin record didn’t really impress me, but later on in life i.e. at the age of sixteen and later on I began to more fully appreciate Led Zeppelin music. This was when my sister bought the Led Zeppelin record called Led Zeppelin, in late 1989. This was the year in which I was in year 10.
When I was in Year 11, which was in 1990, I was living in a caravan in my parents’ backyard. Well, the caravan was more like a bedroom and study room. My brother actually bought the old 1960’s caravan in around 1985. He lived in it from 1985 -1988. Then my sister lived in it from 1988-1990. I was living in the caravan from 1990-1995. Back to Led Zeppelin. In 1990 or 1991 I bought two Led Zeppelin records, these were Led Zeppelin III and House of the Holy.
Cover photo of Led Zeppelin 111
Now they are really great records. I had a record player in my caravan at the time and would quiet often listen to both records. I especially liked The House of the Holy record. The House of the Holy record has got some really groovy synthesizer effects and the guitar playing in it is really good as well.
Photo of Led Zeppelin in 1969
When music CD’s started coming out in 1993 or 1994 I bought the Led Zeppelin CD’s: Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin 11 and Led Zeppelin 111. Led Zeppelin is the CD, which has Stairway to Heaven in it. I don’t know why but that is a really popular song. I don’t really like that song very much. The songs that I do like in the Led Zeppelin CD called Led Zeppelin include: “Rock and Roll”, “The Battle of Evermore”, “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Four Sticks”. Some of these songs like “Rock and Roll” and “Four Sticks” are rocky and upbeat tunes which liven your spirits up and make you feel alright.
Album cover for Led Zeppelin 1
Photo of Led Zeppelin taken sometime in the early 1970's
In 2004 my friend had her brother burn for me the Led Zeppelin DVD called “The Song Remains The Same”. This DVD contains footage of Led Zeppelin playing live in concert in New York’s Madison Garden in 1973. The DVD also contains:
1. Snippets of Led Zeppelin band members with family members or by themselves at the beginning of the DVD in England.
2. Led Zeppelin music videos from their House of the Holy record
3. Bad and good experiences with different people, which were carrying on during the Led Zeppelin concert.
What I like most about this DVD are these two things:
1. The music video footage from The House of The Holy record. These videos are: No Quarter and The Song Remains the Same .
2. Other part I like is the concert footage of Led Zeppelin where Jimmy Page the guitarist shows off his guitar talent in different parts of the concert.
Well that’s all I have to add about my thoughts on Led Zeppelin music and my past and present likes of their music. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog! Frances 17/10/2007
I found out last week that Led Zeppelin are reuniting to play a special gig in London on Dec. 10 and they have supposedly also signed on to play at Bonnaroo in 2008.The Who
I really hated all of my High School years (1986-1989) and that had made me start getting turned off the music of the time. (I went to a Catholic High School). My turning off the music of the time began in 1989. Also in 1989, I remember that my sister or brother bought a record called “Who’s Better, Who’s Best” by The Who. I’d listened to this record and was really impressed by the music from that record. Later on The Who’s music made me feel good and made me think less about how much I hated everyone and everything about my High School. So I finally started to feel better about life, when I started and after I’d begun listening to The Who’s music! Also with listening to The Who I used to wear 60’s psychedelic dresses!
Photo of a 1960's Psychedelic dress
I really loved that record Who’s Better, Who’s Best! Not long after that I bought the video of the same title of the record. They have some great music clips in that video. My favourite music clips from the video “Who’s Better, Who’s Best” are: My Generation (1966), The Kids are Alright (1966), Happy Jack (1967), Pictures of Lily (1967), and Magic Bus (1968).
Cover photo of The Who's record: Who's Better, Who's Best
Video clip taken from "Who's Better, Who's Best" video titled "My Generation" (1967).
On TV back in 1989 or 1990 they aired a couple of old school rock festivals on TV, which I had tapped. These were Woodstock (1969) and Monterey International Pop Festival (16th - 18th January 1967). In these rock festivals The Who play numerous of their hit songs. Those being “Summertime Blues”, “See Me, Feel Me” and “My Generation”. Back in 1989 and the early 90’s I watched those tapping’s many times. Keith Moon was The Who’s drummer from 1963 – 1978 and from watching those tapped rock festivals, in my opinion his drumming was absolutely fantastic.
THE WHO at WOODSTOCK SUMMERTIME BLUES 1969
From all of these The Who, music clips which I watched I thought that Keith Moon just rocked. His carefree, rebelious attitude and great drumming in them were a real turn on for me! My utter obsession for this man went for about five years! By the Way, Keith Moon died in September 1978 from a overdose on alcohol prescribed drugs.
Photos of Keith Moon
Keith Moon smashing up a hotel room in the late 1970's
Also in about 1990 I bought a video called The Kids Are Alright. The Kids Are Alright is a rocumentary film, which includes live performances, promotional films, and interviews from 1965 to 1978. This film is widely hailed as one of the best rockumentaries ever created.
Photo of an Interview segment with The Who taken from the video The Kids are Alright. (1974 or 73)
Also for my 16th birthday I received the records Sell Out and and A Quick One from my parents. I can honestly say that their music videos and live performance footage are much better than their records! Oh an exception is the record I have which I bought in about 1990, which is called Live at Leads (1970). That record has some really superb drumming and guitar playing in it.
Record cover of Live At Leads
Video footage of the song Young Man Blues from Isle of Wright Festival
I really enjoy old 1964-1978 live video footage of The Who. This is mainly because of Keith Moon’s presence on the drums in them. He had a captivating and wild behaviour whilst playing those drums in most of the music clips. He was also extremely good at playing the drums. In addition, Keith Moon was acknowledged as being one of the best drummers in the world during the 1960’s and 70’s. I also really like the clothes he used to wear in the old live video clips.
Photos of The Who playing live in concert during the 1960's and 70's.
I also bought the record, called Tommy in either 1990, or 1991. Tommy surrounds the story of a handicapped child who is abused by family members and others and goes on to become a spiritual leader. Its story covers murder, trauma, bullying, child molestation, sex, drugs, illusion, delusion, altered consciousness, spiritual awakening, religion, charlatanism, success, super-stardom, faith, betrayal, rejection and pinball. The album chronicles the story of a boy who becomes deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing the murder of his father. Through his mastery of pinball, he is cured, elevated to prophet status and then turned on by his followers. Without his major senses, Tommy is left to feel everything through rhythms and vibrations. In later years I bought the movie Tommy.
The rock opera record was made into a movie In 1975. The director of the movie was Ken Russell and he released his film version of Tommy, starring the Who, Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, and Jack Nicholson. The film also featured appearances by Eric Clapton, Tina Turner and Elton John. The following is a scene from the Movie Tommy.
Then in Christmas 1990 I received a cassette tape from my brother of The Who’s called Who’s Next (1972). I really like the songs Behind Blue Eyes and Baba Oriely in this tape.
Photo of The Who in 1972 or 1973
Also back in 1989, 1990 and 1992 I bought different books about The Who and poster books. I used to live in a caravan in my parents back yard and had my Who posters stuck up there. I mainly had posters of Keith Moon stuck up there. He was so cute!! Well, my utter obsession kind of ended in 1995 when I found another rock star to idolize about. That person is David Bowie!! I hope you have found my entry on The Who entertaining. Well I must go now. Bye for now Frances.
As an end note, Mike Myers is supposed to be staring in a movie which is about the life of Keith Moon. The movie is long overdue.
