The Beatles "Rubber Soul" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissued, Remastered, Mono, 2014/1965

As a gentleman (if I may call myself that) born in 1954, The Beatles were truly a band that I grew up with, as the albums were released.   It's so odd for me to hear such a sophisticated album "Rubber Soul" when I was 11 years old.  How could I possibly understood "Norwegian Wood" at that age, yet, on its original release I played that song over and over again.  Even as a young child I like songs that sounded sad, that somehow I felt was a reflection of my being at the time.   Of all the Beatle albums, "Rubber Soul" is an album that I can listen to in my head by just reading the songs off the back cover.  They're etched not in color, but in black and white, just like the photos on the back cover of the album.  A very contrast black & white, compared to high definition images replaced by "Revolver" their next album. After that, it was all bright technicolor photos of The Beatles from "Sgt. Pepper" to "Abbey Road."

The sound I hear on "Rubber Soul" is four men, who seemed to be older (of course) and perhaps wiser, yet, in reality, it's a record of reflection of men still young.  Almost like a soldier who came from the front lines of a war, young, but bitter from the experience.   In reality, there is not one bad song on this album, yet, it's not my favorite Beatles album anymore.  I recently purchased the album in mono (all the Beatle records I own are in mono, except "Abbey Road") and as I played it, I didn't feel any emotional attachment to "Rubber Soul" whatsoever.  Yet, as a child, it had a huge impact on me by how it brought a sense of sophistication into my world.  If you think of the pop music (almost all great) being made in 1965, especially by the British Invasion bands of the time, "Rubber Soul" in comparison is a rainy day with thick clouds in the sky type of record.  "Michelle" is probably the first time I heard a song that is sung in partly French.   How could I possibly relate to that, except I loved how the language was sung by Paul in that song.  Not exotica in the sense of an American tourist in a foreign part of France, but conveyed a sense of bitter romanticism just by Paul's voice and instrumentation.  

"Rubber Soul" is an important album, and when you think of it as being released in 1965, the Fab Four were somewhat distanced from all the others in the music market at the time.  It reminds me image-wise of Fellini's early film "I, Vitelloni" (1953) when one of the characters at the end of the film moves on from his childhood/teenage friends to a new world, but traveling alone.  In a sense, The Beatles were waving goodbye to their contemporary fellow musicians and some fans, that they are moving on, to territory that is not yet formed or idealized at the time. 

Brian Wilson - "Caroline, No" b/w "Summer Means New Love" 7", Vinyl, 45 rpm, Single, 1966 (Capital)

A great song period.  The mystery here for me is why is this specific 45 rpm single of "Caroline, No"   under Brian Wilson's name and not The Beach Boys?    For one, none of the other Beach Boys are on "Caroline, No" and I wonder if Brian was thinking of life outside the Beach Boys?   One thing consistent with Brian Wilson is that he often composed music, even with a happy motif, often sounded sad.  "Pet Sounds" is a very dark album which hints of a troubled life.  The great irony of something like his masterpiece "Smile," which according to stories was a miserable time for him and the band, is very happy as an album.  On the other hand, even though the early songs were about cars/surfing, the melodies strike me as sad, which to my mind, makes the Beach Boys the greatest white blues band ever.  Mike Love likes to present 'his' band as happy-go-lucky lads in search of surf, sun, girls,  and hot wheels, but in fact, there is a desperation behind these recordings.  Beach Boys are one of the few bands that I can't listen to a lot because it really depresses me.

"Caroline, No" is one of those songs that I put on, just to reflect on life, or a meditation of sorts on what went wrong in one's life.   Even the b-side "Summer Means New Love" is not a happy melody. It's looking back at that summer that 'had' promise, but the romance didn't really happen.   I wished Brian Wilson at this time, ditched The Beach Boys and made more music under his name.   His main instrumentation at this time was really the recording studio.  The vocals of the lads are remarkable, but still, it is Brian Wilson all the way.  

Frank Sinatra - "In The Wee Small Hours" Vinyl, Album, LP, 1955/2009 (Capital)

This, I believe, is the first full-length Frank Sinatra album that I purchased in 1986. As a man who was in his 30's, it seems liked the right moment or time to get into the blue funk of Sinatra at the time. Sinatra, I believe, or at the very least, one of the first artists to use the album format as a theme piece or dare I say it, the concept album. Being a sad boy/man, I was immediately drawn to Sinatra's skills as a ballad singer. In other words, these recordings, especially this album "In The Wee Small Hours" is my version of the goth album. 

I re-lived my entire romantic life at that point and time with this album. The disappointments of love have never been expressed in such highly poetic and brutal terms before my ears. The album cover fully reveals what's inside the packaging, which is 16 songs of begging and acknowledging being on the losing side of a sexual/romantic relationship. "Can't We Be Friends" is the ultimate song of a partner just grasping any straws of hope that somehow you can still be part of someone's life. We can gather that this is not going to be the case. Failure lurks on this album like a cheap after-shave lotion. 

Sinatra had the knack of getting right into the emotion or the physical pleasure of being in love or with a loved one. Through his vocals, he was a sonic poet, and here he had his brilliant arranger Nelson Riddle adding spices and elements of Wagner like heights to Sinatra's series of pleadings and reporting of love gone wrong or gone. There are no bad cuts on this album. Sinatra took the great American Songbook and cherry-picked the brilliant songs that make this album. The one song I play over and over again is the great Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo." Perfection was never so painful to hear. Yet, it pleases the troubled soul.

Tracklist Hide Credits

A1	In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning Composed By – David Mann (3)Written-By – Bob Hilliard	3:00
A2	Mood Indigo Composed By – Barney Bigard, Duke EllingtonWritten-By – Irving Mills	3:30
A3	Glad To Be Unhappy Written-By – Rodgers & Hart	2:35
A4	I Get Along Without You Very Well Composed By – Hoagy CarmichaelWritten-By – Jane Brown Thompson	3:42
A5	Deep In A Dream Composed By – Jimmy Van HeusenWritten-By – Eddie DeLange	2:49
A6	I See Your Face Before Me Composed By – Arthur SchwartzWritten-By – Howard Dietz	3:24
A7	Can't We Be Friends? Composed By – Kay SwiftWritten-By – Paul James (4)	2:48
A8	When Your Lover Has Gone Songwriter – E. A. Swan*	3:10
B1	What Is This Thing Called Love? Songwriter – Cole Porter	2:35
B2	Last Night When We Were Young Composed By – Harold ArlenWritten-By – E.Y. Harburg	3:17
B3	I'll Be Around Songwriter – Alec Wilder	2:59
B4	Ill Wind Composed By – Harold ArlenWritten-By – Ted Koehler	3:46
B5	It Never Entered My Mind Written-By – Rodgers & Hart	2:42
B6	Dancing On The Ceiling Written-By – Rodgers & Hart	2:57
B7	I'll Never Be The Same Songwriter – Frank Signorelli, Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck	3:05
B8	This Love Of Mine Songwriter – Frank Sinatra, Henry Sanicola, Sol Parker	3:35

The Beach Boys - "Don't Worry Baby" b/w "I Get Around" 45 rpm vinyl single, 1964 (Capital Records)

"Don't Worry Baby" is a great and kind of a sad song as well.  In fact, everything Brian Wilson wrote has that touch of sadness or tainted with failure.  Even the classic Beach Boys rocking tunes has a sense of regret or loss of innocence.  Roger Christian wrote the lyrics to this song, and in its narrative, it's a guy who is going to race his car, but there is a hint of either an accident or even death that may take place.  His girl tells him "Don't Worry Baby, Everything will turn out alright."  Yet, is that true? 

Kenneth Anger had the genius to capture the death aspect of hot rod culture.  A mixture of eros and death are partners in crime with respect to the teenage drag race pop song.   Brian & company were experts or the poets of that genre.   The song works as a beautiful statement regarding faith and believing in love.  Yet there is the flip of the coin where disaster can enter the narrative.  The listener can choose their own narration to "Don't Worry Baby."  Popular music works best when there is that cloud of mystery or the story being not totally clear.  We're invited to put our two-cents into the mix, and that is how the song sticks to the listener. 

"I Get Around" is a gang song.  A hot-rod or car culture gang.  One of the best songs about boredom and moving on.  It has that Mike Love swagger, and he's very much an underrated lyricist. He conveys a world /landscape where one has to conquer the others to keep his stance as number one.   It's interesting that he makes the distinction that they are the good guys and not the bad kids in town. Interesting piece of work.  My love for this song is the organ that gets a tad louder toward the end.  It's the little things that give me the greatest pleasure. 

Bobby Troup - "Bobby Troup!" Vinyl 10" Album, Mono

Bobby Troup - Bobby Troup!

vinyl 10” LP, Mono, 1954

Capital Records

Bobby Troup reminds me of a jazzy Alex Chilton, and if there is any law of pure chance, Chilton must have been a fan.  The lazy cool approach he has to his music seems to be as natural as a child playing in the sand.  Half conversational, you expect him to get near your ear just purring out the words from his mouth to your auditory opening. 

The beauty of his work is not only his conversational style of singing, but also he is quite a wordsmith.  Playful, yet romantic and truly a perfect package.  Troup, even though he wrote the great “Route 66” became better known in his life time as a character actor.  Listening to his music it makes perfect sense that he was married to Julie London.   They both share that intimate vibe.  Smothering passion galore.  

The Beatles - "The Beatles" (White Album) Vinyl Canadian

The Beatles – The Beatles

2 x vinyl LP, Reissue, Canada, 1976

Capital Records

The first thing I think of when I hear the words “White Album” is Rutherford Chang, who is an artist that only collects The Beatles' The Beatles, better known as the White Album. He even opened up a shop in Soho New York featuring his record collection. The beauty of it is that he doesn't sell his copies, but buys them from people who come to his shop/gallery. What a wonderful way to pay tribute to The Beatles.

Beyond that this is another iconic album cover from the Fab Four. British to the core, they had Richard Hamilton design and make the artwork for this incredible minimal package. If Sgt. Pepper was the maximum of packaging, then this album will be the totally opposite, but here less is way more than Pepper or any other Beatle album.

And since it is a minimal package (of sorts) it is ironically the largest Beatle album, because it's a double vinyl album with 30 songs. The Beatles is a supermarket of Beatle sounds and concerns. It's a shame that this wasn't their last album, because it says everything that is possible regarding a Beatle world. Let It Be and Abbey Road always represent a house cleaning of sorts. Just getting the left-overs, and of course The Beatles' left-overs are someone else's gourmet meal. 

<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F79470361"></iframe>

The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band"

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Vinyl album, Mono, 1967

Capital Records

Around the summer of 1967, a cultural bomb went off that was called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Was it the greatest album ever made, no I don't think so. But it was the album of that year just by its presence. Either the stars were alined perfectly or there was a cultural shift happening, this became the soundtrack of that moment and place.

I knew of the album maybe a few months before it was released, because my dad Wallace Berman is one of the faces on the cover. I was home alone and in the mailbox was a giant envelope from London England. I opened it and out came this black n' white photograph of the album cover. At first I couldn't make out what this was a photograph of. With the image was a letter from Brian Epstein asking for my father to sign a document, within the envelop, and to send it back as soon as possible. I called my Dad who was at a friend's house, and told him about the package. While I was talking to him that I realized that it came from The Beatles, and they were asking his permission to use his image for the cover. It took me awhile to find the image of Wallace, because the letter to my father wasn't really that specific. Also keep in mind that The Beatles were rarely or never publically photographed with beards or mustaches on their faces. So that too took me awhile to figure out the four figures out front were The Beatles themselves.

It was one of the first albums I heard where it seemed that the songs were not separated from the rest of the package. In one sense it was a musical or even a narrative of sorts, so it had a beginning and an ending. At least that is how I read the album when it first came out.

The dream quality of the music and the so-many cultural references on the album cover made people's head swim in those days. 45 years later it is still an iconic piece of work that is still debated whatever it is a masterpiece or not. For me personally it is not my favorite album by them, but at the same time it is foolish not to accept it as a major 20^th century iconic piece of art.

Without a doubt there's beautiful music here, that reinforce The Beatles as major players in the pop music format. In a sense they built a wall with this album, and ever since then people have been trying to either tear it down or climb over it.

The Beatles - "Revolver" Vinyl LP, Mono

The Beatles – Revolver

Vinyl LP, Mono, 1966

Capital Records

The emotional favorite for a lot of Beatle fans, but for me there are few surprises on this album anymore. The only songs that are fresh to me is “She Said She Said” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

Also keep in mind that there are no bad songs on this album, even “Yellow Submarine” is imaginative and witty. But, this is one of the few albums where I can just look at the cover and all the songs come to mind – recording, voices, just everything. Most of the Beatles albums have that affect on me. I grew up with them, and after awhile I just say 'ta-ta.'

But the funk of “Tax Man” and the two Lennon songs still give me that goose-bump feeling in the back of my neck. Also this is a very sophisticated album with respect to where they were two years ago when they recorded this material. It is kind of amazing to me that bands or artists these days make an album every four or five years or even longer, and it basically has the same sound as their last album. But The Beatles changed so radically over their career, that what they did was really unique. Beatles For Sale turns to Rubber Soul and then Revolver. How did that happen?

If someone came up to me and told me that Revolver is the greatest album ever made, I wouldn't disagree. But funny enough the visuals of this album is stronger than actually listening to the record. Similar to Proust eating that cookie that brought up memories, this album does the same for me.

The Beatles - "For Sale" Vinyl LP, Mono

The Beatles – For Sale

Vinyl LP Mono, Reissue, Remastered, Gatefold sleeve, 1995, Europe

Apple Records

As a child I was a Beatle fanatic, but now an adult I can barely listen to them. Not because I dislike their music, but because it was so much part of my personal soundtrack while growing up. I think there are people like me out there, but still, I do have some faves from this band, and For Sale to me is a masterpiece that still delivers the goods.

The emotional punch of “No Reply,” “I'm a Loser,” and “Baby's In Black” still hits me hard. It has to be one of the best sequencing of songs ever on an album. And three songs about being a loser on top of that – how can a child not be affected by such pure honesty in an aural way? The other two songs that nailed me down to the wall is their version of Buddy Holly's “Words of Love” and their great “Every Little Thing.” Their vocals are so superb on this album, but especially John Lennon. This is the ground zero of Lennon's angst that showed up on his first solo album. In fact this is the first Beatles album where I felt the music was cutting me deep. The others were fun, but here I was introduced to depression via the Beatles world. Perhaps this is their first grown-up album.

Also recently I became obsessed about getting Mono editions of their recordings, because I believe this is what the guys heard in the studio. I'm trying to capture the original sound or approach, but it is hard to capture a memory that way. In the end it is all illusion.

The Beach Boys - "U.S. Singles Collection: The Capital Years 1962-1965"

The Beach Boys - U.S. Singles Collection: The Capital Years 1962-1965

16 x CD, Compilation, Limited Edition, 2008

Capital Records

The packaging by Tom Recchion is the real star of this Beach Boys collection of early singles.  You almost get the feeling you're buying a collection of E.P.'s but alas, you're not!   They're CD's and it is also in mono and stereo mix.  To be honest this is a great selection of Brian & Company's music.  In many ways the music fits better as a single.  "Little Honda" is a beauty of a song, from the first word 'Go!'  

But by far the most interesting and my favorite of this package is the Christmas songs.  "The Man With All The Toys" (almost sounds like a David Bowie title) is a superb song.  It's Christmas but with a sense of dread.  I can't imagine what Christmas was like at the Wilson household.   I don't need to go there, but I will go to this song on a regular basis and on any day besides Christmas.

The Beach Boys - "The Beach Boys Today!" Vinyl album Mono

The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys Today!

Vinyl Album, Mono, 1965

Capital Records

The Beach Boys Today everyday! At this time they're walking towards their more complex future arrangements, but saying that, one can hear a Ramones type of minimum sound on “Good To My Baby” that has a riff that is so incredible. In fact at this time and earlier the Boys had a remarkable minimal thing going with the guitars, piano, drums, and god knows what else. It is sort of like a wave that comes to the shore and then leaves. If there is rhythm in life, then the same for The Beach Boys. The introduction to “She Knows Me Too Well” goes in and out like a wave.

If you leave out “Bull Session With 'Big Daddy'” you would have a classic Beach Boys album. Why is it on this album? Nevertheless Beach Boys Now is a bridge between the old world to another.... perhaps world?

The Beach Boys - Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) Vinyl LP

The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

Vinyl LP, Reissue, 2010

Capital Records

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)reminds me of The Beatles Rubber Soul album or maybe Beatles For Sale, not in the sense of sound but in maturity due to the themes on the album. Also for an odd reason it reminds me of New York City more than Southern California. Beyond their cover of Phil Spector's “Then I Kissed Her” it has that master's touch over these recordings. It is almost if The Beach Boys re-invented themselves as the male Ronettes. This and The Beach Boys Today are my favorite early albums by the mighty five. The songs are between child-like and adult. So maybe this is their most teenage album of them all!

We know the famous cuts here “California Girls” and “Help Me Rhonda,” but my favorite songs are “Girl Don't Tell Me,” “Let Him Run Wild,” and “You're So Good To Me.” Those three songs are masterpieces. For one, the singing on these cuts are incredible and so emotional. Great performances from the studio band, and it is just a beautiful production. But there are no bad cuts on Summer Days, it is basically a perfect album doing what it does best, which is capturing the inner-world of The Beach Boys.

But saying that there is one song here that is extremely disturbing, now that we know the facts between the Wilson boys and their father. That of course is “I'm Bugged At My Ol' Man.” Humorous till you realize that they must be singing about their grand ol' dad. The Beach Boys biography is a very sad one. When you come to think of it, it's amazing that Brian Wilson is still with us, and still working!

The Beach Boys - "Pet Sounds" Vinyl Album Mono

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

Vinyl LP Mono

Capital Records

The mature masterpiece from The Beach Boys, or one should say Brian Wilson. While the band toured the world, Wilson slaved in a studio with the top L.A. Session players in making a work that is both emotional with that 'gee-wizz how great is that' type of feeling. If there was ever a white blues sound from the suburbs , Brian Wilson should have patented it, because the angst has never felt so dreamily personal and one-so-of-a-kind.

What works and totally fascinating to hear is the many layers and parts that's this record. On one level you have the great melodies, and on another is the arrangements that seem to be complicated but effortlessly done, and third, the brilliant and beautiful voices of The Beach Boys. What we have here is perfection which is technical but has a lot of feeling and tenderness. Very rarely does one hear a sound that is technically perfect in an aurally sense, but the emotion behind it is just a wow. The only thing I can compare it to is Bach. For the reason that Bach seems to add layers, and each layer builds and builds. Or supports another layer. Brian Wilson does that with this album.

For those who are obsessed with the sound of this album there is the Pet Sounds box-set which obsessively documents each take or layer that is put on this LP. Never boring because each piece itself is beautiful. So listening to it is very enjoyable.

Everyone should at least hear this album from the beginning to the end. Hating it is not a sin, but not to acknowledge its greatness is weird to me. It is like seeing a beautiful work of architecture and admiring the structure and how one feels inside that environment. That's Pet Sounds in a nutshell. 

The Beach Boys - "Cabin Essence"/"Wonderful" 7" vinyl single

The Beach Boys – Cabin Essence/Wonderful

7” vinyl single, clear yellow, given free with an issue of Mojo, 2011

Mojo/Capital Records

One of the insane cuts from a great album Smile by The Beach Boys. Bach like with melody on top of another melody, which strange enough now reminds me of Associates' “Kitchen Sink,” As in everything in the kitchen sink, and this is one dense noise that is beautiful. Both songs. The flip side “Wonderful” is a gorgeous melody and with the layers of vocals and that beautiful piano that traces the song so wonderfully. Brian Wilson's orchestration couldn't be better. For an album that was troubled, it is amazing how it turned out. Total joy, like these two choice cuts from the album.

Also getting this single from Mojo, was a very nice touch.