As I Write This Letter

 

I felt the need for a breakfast sandwich this morning after a long day of football on Saturday.

I pulled myself together and got out the door to head over to one of the delis that is actually open on Sunday morning.

Sandwich and coffee in hand, I moved onto the WGCH studios and set up. What might not be known is that I don't just sit down and talk. Depending on the show, I have to set up a mixer and connections (for music) and the cable to go to Mixlr for Robcasting.

That's when it hit me.

Look, I would have enjoyed being at home, chilling out with coffee there, especially after another night of questionable sleep. Instead, I was sitting in a (too warm) radio studio preparing to do "Meet the Beatles."

And that was the point.

I get to host a radio show -- one that I came up with* -- about the greatest band in music history.

OK, I actually get to host at least three shows ("Doubleheader," "Meet the Beatles," and "The Clubhouse").

* I realize that, conceptually, "Meet the Beatles" doesn't break new ground. But it's a show that was in my mind for several years, and the idea was to see what I could do with a Beatles show of my own. Overall, I wanted it to be about the discovery and enjoyment of the music. If we can find some different avenues we will.

For the first seven months of the show, I made it my own personal journey, picking different themes each week. Sometimes, I'd go with a "dealer's choice" show that allowed me to just play music. Some weeks, I'd highlight a single member of the band or an album.

I'm sure some weeks have been better than others.

Bennie Rose will be on this month

As October began, I had my first guest on as Mark Zelenz was on last week. This week was just me, so I honored John Lennon's birthday. Sun Kings will join me next Sunday, and Bennie Rose will be on the following week.

We're talking about more guests -- singers, historians, authors, and fans -- that I hope you'll enjoy. I'm still trying to convince Sean to come in for a show, for instance. He doesn't quite understand why but I want him to explain his journey with the music, and it's an example of how it gets passed through generations.

But that's where my mind was this morning as I was sitting there. A lot of radio stations wouldn't embrace this idea.

WGCH did and those in charge like it.

I mentioned it in passing to Bob Small, and he was all in. It took a few months to get it on the schedule but it's now anchored at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. Will it stay there forever? Who knows?

But there's been no interference. From time to time, I've had a few headaches about "Doubleheader" but that sound and fury has only come from one place, and, beyond that, it has gone away. 

I suppose what I'm saying is that, despite the lack of money the shows have been a joy to do overall. I'm not sure I can afford to do them much longer but I'm content to keep going while there is still the flexibility and hands-off approach. It fits in my schedule and that matters a lot.

WGCH is a gem. It's a gem that we need to make shine more. The website didn't work this morning but that's why Robcasting is always available as a backup. 

I want to make WGCH even better and shows like "Meet the Beatles" helps because it's locally produced.

That needs to be the approach.

We need to make more of that happen.

I Asked For This Schedule

 

The malfunctioning scoreboard

Always be ready.

Survive and advance.

Adjust as necessary.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat on the couch for a moment before "Meet the Beatles" this morning when my phone buzzed from one of the two people scheduled to be my first guest in the history of the show.

It turns out he wasn't feeling well and chose discretion, opting to stay home.

However, he was performing as part of a duo, so his partner was still going to come in and we'd also have him back another time.

I was fine with however it was resolved because, with the exhaustion of Saturday, I was all about having a peaceful day.

This worked out very well.

Mark Zelenz was my guest and he performed a variety of Beatles songs, as well as solo John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs, and, at the very end, even brought us part of one Billy Joel song ("Vienna"). Interspersed between songs, we chatted about influences, trivia, and more.

It was a success and I think the sound was outstanding.

As with all Robcasting audio, the show is archived on archive.org and Mixlr. Additionally, the WGCH archive page will be built soon. I happen to know the WGCH archivist in this case, as that has become one of Sean's duties.

With the show over, I stopped home for a few moments to grab some warmer layers.

My first hockey broadcast of the season was next on the agenda.

The commitment to Rockets Hockey Club means roughly a 90-minute drive to the Bridgewater Sports Arena in New Jersey.

It means the second time doing the drive down I-287, which has become one of the more boring jaunts that I deal with.

But, before I drove it, I found the new Wawa off NJ 17 in Ramsey.

I needed lunch. I also needed a cup of their coffee.

I worked my way out US 202 to cut off a bit of 287. The bigger reason to do that is because I used to have family out that way and we would drive 202 because 287 didn't exist yet. If I've never said this, my mother spent the first years of her life in Butler, NJ and we had members of her family sprinkled through that region.

So I enjoyed the few minutes of semi-nostalgia as things have changed quite a bit.

I rolled into the Bridgewater Sports Arena with plenty of time and found a full parking lot. I made my way into the red rink, where the Rockets play, to find that a game was already going on and it was being broadcast. As a result, I couldn't set up. Instead, I grabbed my notes, leaned on the top of a garbage can, and scribbled.

That game went into overtime and the Rockets won it (it was a different level than the one I'd be calling). But late in that game, I noticed the four-sided scoreboard overhead wasn't functioning.

Thus the broadcaster of that game said he'd be joining me to help with keeping an eye on the game clock (he was running the website also). So, thinking I'd be "Scullying" a hockey game, I instead wound up with an analyst I've never worked with and didn't know.

You know the drill with that. There's the whole thing of learning cadence as well as creating chemistry.

I'm not sure how smooth it sounded but we made it work. He (his name was Sean) brought a wealth of knowledge to the broadcast and that was a great advantage to have.

It was over a few hours later, completing my third call since Saturday afternoon, and I began my drive home.

Of course, Sunday night traffic slowed things up a bit in Rockland County for me but I was home by 8 p.m., in time for Steelers/Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

Which was delayed due to a thunderstorm.

Oh, you bet there was another trip to Wawa before I got home, as Sean (son, not today's broadcaster, was happy to get a sandwich).

Things will be quiet tomorrow but don't worry. 

Things will heat up.

More hockey and more football later this week.

If only I could work in a baseball and basketball call to complete the big four.

Adjusting on the fly, of course.

Paul the Photographer

 

The credit for this one belongs to Sean.

A photography exhibit by a certain Sir Paul McCartney debuted at the National Portrait Gallery in London in June 2023.

It opened a week after I left London, where I had been for a Hunt Scanlon conference.

Figuring it was a case of "Oh, well, sucks to be me," I laughed at the tough break and moved on.

But then it turned out that the exhibit was going to tour.

In late 2023, it stopped in Norfolk, VA. I considered taking a trip in January for a weekend to visit it. Sean and I discussed a fun getaway for Waffle House and Beatles photos, knowing we also had a drive to Florida in March. So common sense and financial responsibility won out.

Then I saw a post from Macca's Instagram page.

The tour was coming to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn, NY is certainly reachable but can also be a bit of a trip. Any longtime reader of this blog knows I frequented Brooklyn quite a bit at one time. You can drive but, well, it's New York City. You can use mass transit but be prepared for changing trains.

As I said, this story belongs to Sean. He insisted that we go because "I don't want you to miss this." Once in a while, he takes a stand and, in this case, he was resolute.

Obviously, we've had some things to deal with over the past few months. We've worked for the Renegades and I've worked multiple sporting events and so on. Then, of course, the move occupied our minds and time.

Our schedules have just been crazy.

The exhibit, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm, arrived at the Brooklyn Museum on May 3. 

It closes on Aug 18.

Time was ticking away. Or, to put it another way, "Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friends."

I had to include a song quote, even if it's from the wrong era.

But I promised we would go. I didn't want to miss it. It would simply be a shame to have this within reach and not see it. So I marked today as the day.

In the end, it became an adventure for father and son as we made good on the promise.

With that said, the day began with "Meet the Beatles," because it's Sunday. We left immediately after I got home, walking from the new apartment to the Greenwich train station. It's a roughly 30-minute commitment for those wondering. I'll have to consider that in the wee morning hours of a September day when the next conference comes around.

It's best, however, to not worry about time in this case. The train took us from Greenwich to Grand Central and we boarded the shuttle to Times Square before taking the 3 train to the museum. 

I call this "Two Selfies." Also, I need a Beatles T-shirt

With all due respect to the Brooklyn Museum and the other fine works of art therein, we were there for Sir Paul, and we went straight to the fifth floor.

Now, Sean thought this was an art exhibit and didn't realize that it was a photography display with some artifacts. For him, that turned out to be a pleasant surprise as he is into photography.

For me, it didn't matter. It was Paul. John. George. Ringo. It was those in their world in 1963-1964.

And it was magnificent.

While it covered just a brief stretch of Beatlemania, it was a look at the insanity as the lads took over the world.

There are portraits and action shots. There are behind-the-scenes vignettes. There are views of Liverpool and London and New York and Washington and Miami. 

There are the four Beatles but also George Martin and Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall and Cilla Black and Brian Epstein and the other wonderful characters that participated in this seminal time. Also included were pictures of Jim McCartney and Mike McCartney (Paul's father and brother) as well as Jane and Peter Asher (Paul's one-time girlfriend and her brother) and George Harrison's parents as well as George's sister, who lived in the US.

There was plenty from the Plaza Hotel, where The Beatles stayed for their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

There were also some glimpses of other photographers, including album covers such as With the Beatles. Of course, with some changes, it was known as, ahem, Meet the Beatles here in the US.

There was a Beatle wig.

It was truly wonderful, especially for a fan of the band.

Sean was dazzled and I was overwhelmed.

And I'm beyond grateful to him for making sure this happened.

I wish I could say we came away with a souvenir but, alas, the options were sort of meh and a bit overpriced. I really liked the exhibit poster but couldn't justify plunking down $35, knowing I'd want to frame it also. The idea of carrying that home wasn't appealing to me either.

I looked at a few things but, hey, it's OK. I saw it. I took a few pictures. Not everything has to have a trinket.

I'll take the memories as a souvenir.

As we walked out of the museum, a band was playing jazz and I had to remark that I loved it but I came to Brooklyn for The Beatles. We both laughed.

Shake Shack said to pick a number. How'd I do?

With the day being warm but comfortable, we enjoyed a walk through Grand Army Plaza and out Flatbush Ave to find some food. We settled for Shake Shack, though admittedly it wasn't my first choice.

But the subway was across the street and the journey to Greenwich was awaiting.

Oh, but first we had to get black and white cookies at Zaro's in Grand Central.

With minutes to spare, we found two seats and chilled out on the train.

Nearby, four teenage girls giggled and talked about clothes and whatever else teenage girls discuss. 

Despite their occasional shrieks, I laughed at them. Sean didn't find them quite as amusing.

Maybe it's the dad in me.

Our journey ended a little over a half-hour after stepping off the train in Greenwich.

Sean is upstairs talking with friends online.

I'm watching the Yankees and Red Sox, with the Bronx Bombers reminding me of the roller coaster that is a baseball season.

But today was about Sean and Paul McCartney.

A day -- an adventure -- that I will be forever grateful for.

Yeah yeah yeah.

Really Happy to Be Home

 

He's happy we're home. At least I think he is.

Let's start this post with a "Meet the Beatles" thought. I honestly loved today's show. I was inspired by what I thought was a foolish social media post from a few days back.

Look, I let a lot of stuff go. I even bit my tongue on a post about Vin Scully broadcasting the 1985 World Series.

Nope. He did not. He did the '85 NLCS on NBC but the '85 Fall Classic ran on ABC with Al Michaels in the play-by-play seat for Cardinals/Royals. Before you say, "Vinny did radio," that too would be incorrect. Jack Buck called the Series on CBS Radio.

Vin was probably home in Hidden Hills, CA with his beloved wife and family.

But, I let it go. Some people also can't handle...well...the truth, honestly.

I also don't feel the need to be that person. I see it all the time. The person who has to correct everything.

But when the same person erroneously spoke about John Lennon and his lack of emotion, well, I took that as inspiration for today's show.

John Lennon was an enormously complicated soul. He was a difficult man. He was also enormously good-hearted and deliriously funny. That didn't mean he was going to bear his soul while chatting. At least, not publicly.

That was reserved for his music.

I started with "In My Life." I included "Nowhere Man." I could have thrown in "Mother." I also used "Jealous Guy," "I'm a Loser," "Julia," "How?" "Watching the Wheels," and even "Help."

Oh, there was also "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." Plus, I threw in George, Paul, and Ringo singing "Ain't She Sweet" from the Anthology sessions. The "Threetles," these "unfeeling types, sat together, singing and laughing and saying how wonderful it was to be together.

I mean, it was too easy. I added in things like "Eleanor Rigby" and "I Want to Tell You" and "Something" to show the sensitivity of Paul and George.

Oh, and then I went for Paul's "Here Today" and told the story of Paul and George holding hands as Harrison was ten days away from dying.

Honestly, the show should win an award. 

OK, maybe not an award but it's something I'm really proud of. I like that I gave it a lot of thought and, while there's always a spontaneous nature to my work, it came together so nicely. So fluidly.

Feel free to give it a listen.

There is no intended malice in this but there are those who are either too stubborn, stuck in their ways, or too arrogant. Sometimes it's nice to refute them a bit.

For the record, we're not talking about Toxic Positivity, whom I took the weekend off from. Yet he's still continuing to bloviate. If I go back in, expect shock and awe.

*****

OK, so I've really buried the lead here, but as the title implies, it's nice to be home. I bought a receiver for my old Sony amplifier to make it Bluetooth-compatible, thus bringing it into the 20th Century. As we speak, I'm playing a Sirius XM jazz channel though it off my phone.

Bliss, I tell you.

But I'm not kidding. I think I bought this amplifier (from Costco) in the late 90s. Probably around 1997. I added a turntable, cassette deck, and brought the TV and DVD/Blu-ray into it as well. It sounds pretty great through a pair of Polk Audio bookcase speakers that might date to the early 00s since I got them at Circuit City.

Yes. I'm that old.

But my two-plus weeks of baseball are over. As I wrote a few nights ago, that was (over*) 29 games of play-by-play. Now, three Renegades games on the public address have come to a close.

* I couldn't call a game but could see it from a field away, so I narrated that while calling the game I was at. I'm weird that way.

But I'm thrilled, relieved, and just happy to be done with everything for a moment. This was a grind, topped by a couple of stressful days and nights in the minor leagues. There were a lot of moving parts and it felt good to navigate all of it without incident.

Plus, if I may, there was supposed to be a producer in the booth both last night and today. But he was sick so that duty was left to me to do .... in addition to handling the PA announcing. It's no major hardship. It's just extra massaging of things, I suppose.

But I felt a good sense of achievement when it was over and, for the first time in a while, I'm home and can focus a bit on this place. I've hung just a few things, including the important spaghetti and meatballs recipe from my mother and my beloved Aunt Fay. One day I have to work up the guts to try to make it.

For tonight, the Adams boys had chili dogs. Tired after our day(s) at the stadium, we stopped at Wegmans and picked up dogs and rolls. Plus French fries.

And it was all delicious.

Now it's time for just relaxing, cooling down, hanging with The Cat, and getting myself ready for the week. For now, I only have Doubleheader on my mind. I will tell you that there is a pending play-by-play offer that is hanging around to be dealt with. I'm waiting to hear if we're approved to do it.

Otherwise, the equipment is all sitting in the living room a few feet from where I'm typing.

There are plenty of other things to be done, such as car work.

Oh, and back to the Bluetooth receiver. So, I ordered it on a whim yesterday (it was quite affordable) and set about my day. Later in the day, it struck me.

I had it delivered to Bruce Park. You know, as in the apartment we no longer live in.

Ah, oh well. Our old landlord would have shot me a text had he seen it, but it wasn't necessary. We ran over after stopping at Wegmans tonight and that was that.

I did love the grind of these two weeks. The hours were long and the toll was physical and mental. But I'm drained. I need ... something tonight, but for now, chili dogs and jazz will suffice.

I'll be back on the radio tomorrow.

Talking sports.

Which is what I do.

*****

I'm aware of the news of the day, with the President announcing he would step aside from running for reelection. It's sad that we simply can't discuss such things without rancor. Friendships get destroyed and blood pressures rise.

Thus, I think it's simply best for me to keep my thoughts on the topic to myself until the time I think I can compose anything coherent.

For now, I'll stay out of it except to say I worry about this great country.

Sunday, Pizza

 

I had an epiphany about "Meet the Beatles" this week.

After several episodes of different themes, I told myself to chill out.

"Stop thinking," I said.

This show, as I've said before, is supposed to be a labor of love, much like "Doubleheader." Oh, sure, there's still a business side to it all and it needs to be compelling radio, much as I try to make my "talk show/podcast."

And, for sure, I'll have guests on. In fact, we're at the point where I'm ready to do that.

I asked someone if they'd like to come on and the answer I got was, essentially, "Why?"

I'll get that guest to come on one morning but I didn't feel like pushing it today. His feeling was that he wouldn't be a compelling guest before I reminded him that his parents RAISED him on The Beatles and perhaps he'd like to talk about the songs he liked and what about them appealed to him.

I'd love to get family and friends to come on and talk about the lads and play their favorite songs. All of this will keep the show fresh.

Yet, once in a while, I need to play songs that make me happy.

So instead of overthinking, I decided to have a show that I called "Dealer's Choice." Thus, I'd play whatever I wanted to play.

I played "Magical Mystery Tour" and "I'm Down" and "Happiness is a Warm Gun" and "It Don't Come Easy" and "We Can Work It Out" because I could. 

Instead of worrying about what I was going to play next, or what fact I'd present, I simply sat back and enjoyed the music. Oh, I prepared for each song but I didn't worry about doing intros to each song.

The goal was to just enjoy the songs.

The only common theme was that I picked songs that were upbeat. They didn't have to be happy messages. They just needed to rock a bit.

The guests will happen. Then again, I'll also take a few shows off I suppose. 

But a show like this was a reminder that I could stay fresh by just enjoying it.

There have often been attempts to take the fun out of "Doubleheader" by those who simply don't understand. 

Well, this was my attempt to make "Meet the Beatles" low-stress, especially useful when tired and worn out on Sunday morning.

In that way, it was perhaps my favorite show yet.

I learned that I-95 had reopened completely in Norwalk while doing the show and thought it might be nice to go grab a later lunch/early dinner.

We had said we'd like to get Frank Pepe's pizza in Fairfield. We do this as a way of honoring Mom, who loved it. We couldn't get there for her birthday so opted to do it today as a late birthday/early Mother's Day gathering. Making it nicer was that my sister and niece could both join us, thus adding to the Mother's Day vibe. 

It was relaxing and it's nice when family time is like that.

It's also nice when traffic moves.

We were home in time to watch most of the Rangers game and were pretty pleased with the result.

A big week awaits.

It Takes Time

This is what (or who) I'm dreading moving the most

Patience is necessary.

A virtue even.

As many of you have read, we have to find a new place to live.

We don't have a definitive move date so we're not panicking. We're being proactive but that's all we can do.

We have a real estate agent sending me listings as they come up.

We're looking for (preferably) a two-bedroom place that allows a cat. In a perfect world, it has a washer/dryer and storage and a deck.

Oh, wait. That's what we had here.

And parking would be nice.

And affordable.

So far, we have found nibbles and not much sustenance. 

Clearly, we need some things to fall our way but, so far, nothing has yet.

It's been just over a week.

I look at things every day. I've spread the word among friends and here on this thing.

Remember, we got our current home out of the blue just around this time two years ago.

Actually, I was heading to London two years ago right about now and the apartment came my way just after I came back.

That was pressure. That was stressful.

I'm not feeling that this time and I'm not in any rush to feel that.

Oh, and to be clear, Sean will almost certainly be moving with me, thus "we." Overall, he has moved in with me though he's still legally at his mother's.

However, I'm also keeping an eye on any one-bedroom options with a living room that could be a bedroom. I don't love that option -- not even slightly -- but I did the same thing when I was looking around in 2022.

Then again, I thought it was going to be just me and occasionally Sean in the apartment. In the end, that was not the case. I'll leave it to you to connect the dots.

So, this post is to update you, my friends. We don't have an answer yet but it's important that we're keeping our heads about us, thus allowing us to sleep.

And I've started looking at things for the cleaning and packing process. 

We're OK. I suppose that's the message here.

But we're still looking.

*****

Watching the lads with Yoko dead-center

We head to Beatlesland. Or Pepperland, if you will.

With the news that Let It Be (the movie) is getting a proper release (finally), I felt it was time to rewatch Get Back.

The Let It Be news is pretty great in that The Beatles once again prove that, like it or not, they won't be going away anytime soon. 

But, assuming Peter Jackson is only cleaning up and restoring the film and otherwise leaving it alone, I'll warn you that Let It Be is dark. It deals with the harsh reality of the supernova known as The Beatles is coming to an end.

Get Back, on the other hand, shows the good and the bad times of the hectic month of writing, recording, and performing the album that became known as Let It Be. There's no question the time they spend rehearsing at Twickenham Studios isn't great, though there are some pleasant moments.

Moving to Savile Row changes the mood, especially as Billy Preston comes aboard to play keyboards. There's actually plenty of laughter.

By the time the "Rooftop Concert" rolls around in Get Back, there's an obvious joy to it. First-time viewers of Let It Be likely won't be as quick to recognize the joy.

So be it. I'm fired up to see it remastered.

The more Beatles, the better for me, and the better for "Meet the Beatles," Sunday mornings at 9 on WGCH.

There's Always Next Week

 

Rudy Gobert touches microphones as a "joke"
four years ago this week

I was looking forward to today.

The games were over, the clocks were changed, and the Beatles were the only thing on the agenda.

I got home around midnight -- or 1 a.m., given the eventual time change -- and actually passed out.

I slept. Legitimately slept, at least for a few hours.

Then I dragged myself out of the apartment and went to WGCH.

The theme of today's "Meet the Beatles" was underappreciated songs.

Now, hold up. I realize there is basically nothing about the Beatles that is underrated. I've read the myriad comments over the years that called them overrated, overplayed, etc.

I get it. Believe me.

Yet, my idea on the theme was to highlight songs that perhaps don't get the attention that others do.

You've heard "Hey Jude" and "Here Comes the Sun" and "Yesterday" so many times.

I played "She Said She Said" and "I'm Only Sleeping" and others.

I felt this was a show that was a little easier on my brain in that I didn't need to stress it. I could also play a few songs together, giving my voice a break.

Oh, I put my usual all into it.

But it just didn't feel like it connected.

I don't know how to explain it but there's a feeling.

I didn't sense a buzz. I didn't get many comments.

I mean, it happens. 

I've written posts that I've poured my heart into and the readership or reactions were minimal.

I've told jokes -- I'm not a comedian nor am I funny -- that I had to explain.

And, of course, the old "it was a joke," which is so uncomfortable.

I thought I put together a good show this morning. I liked the topic in that I knew it would take a little effort to pull songs that might be a touch off the radar.

I found some song suggestions online that worked.

Yet, sometimes, you just know when it doesn't quite jell.

I have that feeling today was that day.

I don't expect to explore too much new ground with this show. I know that. The Beatles are the most dissected act in the history of music. 

So much of their music exists and has been played and examined.

I'm hoping people might  -- might -- discover something they've never heard or haven't heard in a long time. As always, I hope to inspire.

Of course, I know the possibility exists that I'm overthinking it. I understand it.

But I also know my gut on these things.

And it's fine. I'm not disappointed or down about it.

I have other topics to try out as the show grows. I'll get right back to it next Sunday.

*****

I saw in my memories that today is the fourth anniversary of one of the strangest times I've ever experienced.

Heck, we've ever experienced.

It was four years ago on March 7 that I called Brunswick's last game of the 2019-2020 hockey season. It was a playoff loss to Loomis Chaffee.

That day, people milled about in the lobby of the Hartong Rink as normally. 

Mostly normal.

A dad I ran into gave me an elbow to tap when I offered him a handshake.

Two nights later, I did a basketball doubleheader at Trumbull High School. There was a hint of concern in the air about this thing -- this virus -- that was getting talked about.

I had a text from my mother telling me to get her from the nursing home she had been staying in since February. She was coming home.

That Tuesday morning, March 10, I drove to the home and sat in the lobby. I wasn't allowed to go to her room -- a new rule given the concern over the virus.

As I sat there, the CIAC announced that the Connecticut state playoffs -- the same ones I broadcast just the night before -- were over. An abundance of concern for the virus was the cause.

There would be no championships. No quarterfinals or semifinals either. It was all just ... over.

I'll always feel the kids got screwed but of course, it was also the beginning of a long road. The Class of 2020 got a raw deal in so many ways, including graduations that were virtual or in a parking lot, such as Sean.

The good news was that Mom was out of the hellacious nursing home, though she would face many challenges over the next six months. It's easy now to look back and see she was sent home to die.

Healthcare in this country. That's a whole different, disgusting post. Many thanks to Big Pharma and our government. If you don't have health insurance you're screwed and Babe Ruth forbid you need mental health care.

But I got Mom out of the nursing home, drove her to get an egg and cheese sandwich, took her back to Mahopac, and picked some stuff up at the grocery store or the house.

And I continued to rage over the CIAC situation and, worse, the way some journalists in Connecticut openly mocked the athletes who were angry at what had transpired.

Even now I feel my blood pressure spike. 

I did "Doubleheader" from home and do it almost exclusively from my home studio now.

A day later, I hosted "The Clubhouse" and "Doubleheader" from Mount Kisco.

That night, while eating dinner with "The Clubhouse" team, the world effectively stopped.

NBA player Rudy Gobert tested positive for this thing called Coronavirus or COVID-19. Games were immediately halted.

Soon after, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced they had the virus.

Eventually, it would hit my family, as my nephew fought it. In those early days, there was something quite scary about that news. He's fine now.

That Thursday -- Thursday, March 12 -- I called a Brunswick lacrosse game from the LocalLive offices in Stamford while the Bruins played in Pennsylvania. I confidently said I'd talked to everyone for the next game -- the home opener -- in early April.

Yet, as I prepared to start that broadcast, the Big East basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden closed after the first half of the first game.

When I walked out of LocalLive that night, downtown Stamford was eerily quiet.

There would be no lacrosse game that April. No baseball either.

I wouldn't broadcast another game until July. That lacrosse game was the last sports event broadcast from Connecticut as COVID-19 grabbed on.

"The Clubhouse" and "Doubleheader" were broadcast from home.

Yet, we never completely shut down. We couldn't. Mom had dialysis appointments and doctor visits. She needed me to get her to the grocery store or do the shopping for her.

Even though she bought a car after she got home (yes, true story), she only drove it a few times. She had me drive her the rest of the time.

One night I drove her to a parking lot in Danbury just so she could see my sister. We shared a pizza outside of the closed movie theater.

Thus began the long, strange trip of COVID-19.

Stories we will tell for a long time.

In so many ways, it began four years ago today.

*****

I don't think I have it in me to watch the 96th Academy Awards tonight and that's sad.

Let Me Take You Down

 

Abbey Road, 2022

We're now through five episodes of "Meet the Beatles," my Sunday morning passion project to examine the universe of the Fab Four on WGCH and Robcasting.

Through the first five, we've played a lot of music, have generally not repeated any songs, and gone through a sort of "Beatles 101" history lesson.

I completed that part this morning, with the band's breakup and a look into what the 70s were like concluding with John Lennon's death in 1980. I followed that up with George Harrison's tribute to him, "All Those Years Ago" which included Ringo, Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine.

To be honest, and I'll get there, but I couldn't bring myself to play "Here Today," Paul's gutwrenching tribute to John. Thankfully I ran out of time. "All Those Years Ago" speaks to George's personality, where he didn't mourn as much, though I find the line "I always looked up to you" to be quite poignant.

"Here Today," on the other hand, is the emotional journey of two brothers, and Paul wears his heart on his sleeve.

With "Beatles 101" completed, now begins the fun. The show will evolve and, I promise I'll get around to guests. I'll also get towards making it more interactive. To that end, I try to post on social media every week, and that can be a forum for comments. So long as I'm in the studio, the phone number will be active and it's 203-661-5051.

But, selfishly, this is my journey right now. I asked for an opinion about this the other day. The question was, to paraphrase, what do you want to hear? Should I have guests, etc?

The answer was, for now, a resounding no.

I need to keep building this. At the moment, I want the audience to just sit back and enjoy my take on this band that has been a part of my life from the day I was born, as "Hey Jude" was the number one song that day.

I've already laid out next week's show in my mind because I realized next Sunday is a Beatlesque date (check the calendar or just wait until next Sunday at 9 a.m.)

There will be other shows that might take on a particular theme and I'm up to hearing what others want to hear for sure.

I also asked my muse if the audience will be OK if some weeks you don't hear any Beatles tunes, but are things related to the lads. The answer was yes to this and I hope that's true.

This is my magical mystery tour and I'm the bus driver, I suppose.

There will be a show related to artists that were on Apple, the Beatles' label. There might be episodes dedicated to bands like that or those who were inspired by The Beatles. It's all a work in progress.

But I want to feel free right now.

Eventually, I know Dan Murphy, for instance, will join me. Dan and I have talked about a couple of Beatles-related projects as a podcast, so it's only natural that I'd want home to come on.

Maybe Sean will come in one morning since he's been hearing their music for his entire nearly 22 years.

And there are others. Many others. One of the exciting things about this is that it is a very wide world and there are so many who can talk about their impact. Their staying power remains just breathtaking. Consider there is an entire satellite radio channel dedicated to them and their width of programming is inspiring. I often wonder if I can have some of their hosts on for interviews.

Most of all, I want this to be fun. I wouldn't volunteer (yes, that's a keyword in this) to do this show otherwise. I wouldn't volunteer (there's that word again) if I thought this was going to be overwhelming. 

Eventually, I can also prerecord shows in my home studio or even at the station and I suspect that could happen as soon as next month when I'll be away. Then again we could just run a repeat. That's all to be determined.

So much of what I do at WGCH is about keeping the station active, alive, and fresh. Thus, it has to be enjoyable, otherwise it's "work." When I'm cranking myself out of bed on Sunday morning to go deal with shoddy equipment it doesn't seem like much fun.

Then I get there, the coffee hits me, and the music inspires me.

Oh, and the equipment works. And it worked especially great this morning as I figured out how to have two devices available to crossfade between songs, which I'm guessing no one picked up on. I moved from "My Sweet Lord" to "Photograph" without talking between the two.

A small thing to you. A big thing to me. 

The show is coming along. Hope you enjoy this ticket to ride.

Huzzah, Beatle Buddies.

Sick Of Everything (Or "Are You Ready For It?)

 

I don't have it in me to tell you the same story that I've told you before.

And, frankly, you don't want to read that.

You know: Go to Brunswick and call basketball. But, before that, I also set up for hockey.

Then call the basketball game, break down quickly, go upstairs, and call hockey.

Five hours or whatever on the air, break down again, drive home, pick up cat food on the food.

I mean, you get it.

You're also quite right to be sick of it.

No wonder reads are way down on this page. I suck.

So, instead, we can talk about an act so famous that people got sick of them! It's a case of being constantly on TV and other media.

Charming, yes, but also tiring.

So, am I talking about Taylor Swift or The Beatles?

Sixty years ago tonight

The Beatles made their U.S. debut on The Ed Sullivan Show 60 years ago tonight. A whopping, ridiculous 73 million people watched, which was a monstrous audience for 1964. We can prattle on about how they changed literally everything of course.

Music. Fashion. Marketing. Movies. Merchandise. It was a total pop culture explosion and started The British Invasion.

But, inevitably, there was pushback. People got tired. Certainly, there was the "more popular than Jesus" stuff of 1966 and that might have been a breaking point. 

One had to exist.

If they had attended a soccer (football) game to watch their loved one, it would have attracted attention. TV directors would have had their camerapeople zooming in on the Beatle in question.

Does any of this ring a bell?

Let's flash forward to 2024.

(Found online)

You might know a certain T.A. Swift, formerly of Wyomissing, PA has taken a stronger interest in football due to her dating one Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mass hysteria has of course ensued and any director worth their time has covered it with a few reaction shots.

Frankly, it's been no worse than shots of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones or New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. 

The reaction shot has existed for years, dating back to the likes of player's wives and families. I mean, for what it's worth, I saw countless reaction shots of Derek Jeter's parents.

But, as it often happens, a certain exhaustion creeps in and then the complaining begins. 

I've heard the moaning about basically all of the above reaction shots I just mentioned and so I wasn't the least bit surprised when Taylor Swift found herself in the target.

If you want to believe it's some "MAGA/Trump/Conservative/White Man" thing, rock on. That's your business. If you think it's "white men afraid of powerful women," have at it. Who am I to say otherwise?

Seems kind of sad and petty if that's your take but so be it. That's how this all works.

But, perhaps, just maybe, you know, it's people are just tired of seeing Taylor Swift -- even for 30 seconds -- because they're just tired of seeing Taylor Swift? That it isn't some GRAND conspiracy or hatred of women or whatever else? 

That maybe posting a picture of her every day is 1) unnecessary and 2) pandering to your trusty collection of social media enablers who pat you on the head?

Look, I don't want to listen to Taylor Swift's music. I have nothing against it necessarily. "Shake it Off" is fine and there are a few other things that I've heard that I appreciate. I own one album because my niece gave me her music collection and that was in it. I've never played it.

Go see her in concert? Politely, let me just say no. It would require certain incentives. I'll leave it at that.

But she's charming and harmless and funny and kind and wonderful to her fans and seems -- what do I know? -- pretty down to Earth (as much as one can be in her shoes). Seems like she'd be fun to just talk to.

She sort of seems like a female Paul McCartney.

(Rolling Stone)

Honestly, if she somehow makes it to Las Vegas for super-duper whatever on Sunday, who is being harmed? 

It will be covered on social media and TV and it might seem insufferable. But a lot of people will enjoy it and it has brought new eyes to the screen. I mean, can we get her involved with baseball (preferably, the Yankees)?

Frankly, I'll get a laugh out of it all. 

But I also might roll my eyes.

It's OK to suffer from Taylor exhaustion. Nobody gets to be the gatekeeper of that. Given I'm the home office for being tired of overplayed songs (looking at you, "Jack and Diane"), I totally get that.

When Taylor announced at the Grammy's that another new album was coming out, I asked to be put out of my misery. Not because I have anything against her. Far from it.

I'm just tired of it. 

And that's sort of what I feel detractors of the Liverpool lads must have felt. Whether they were putting two or three albums out per year or some record company was releasing compilations, Beatlemania was very much a supernova.

And, in some ways, still is. After all, they won a Grammy last Sunday and two members are dead.

So is it really that hard to just watch the game Sunday and ignore her? Root for the 49ers if that brings you peace.

Maybe make it a drinking game or an eating game every time she's on the screen?

Or maybe just embrace it as these two people are on whatever journey they're on, leading to the possible breakup song one day?

My advice would be that you're on your own, kid.

Don't be a hater.

Shake it off.

Help Me if You Can

Today's show needed, well, help

 

Not every show is gold and I know that.

Things go wrong, no matter how hard you prepare.

This is the story of today's edition of "Meet the Beatles," which didn't live up to my standards.

Of course, part of the tale is in how things ended. We'll get there.

I was planning to tell more of the history of the band, picking it up with The Ed Sullivan Show appearance on Feb 9, 1964.

I had decided that I would pack all of their CDs into a backpack and utilize the CD players in the studio as well as my computer.

I should tell you that while we have a two-deck CD player, CD 2 doesn't work for some reason. From what I can tell, it doesn't read the CD in the deck. But given my show and another live music show have both recently started, the need for working CD players has become necessary.

As such, a portable CD player has appeared in the studio to serve as CD 2. 

So, cool. We're covered.

I cued up what I wanted to play, which was "Till There Was You," the 1957 Meredith Wilson-penned show stopper from The Music Man. For Paul McCartney that had become a bit of a tender spotlight moment during Beatles shows in the early days.

However, I wasn't playing the studio version from With the Beatles and I stayed away from playing the version they did on The Ed Sullivan Show because the Sullivan estate is a bit protective of such things. I've been working hard to avoid running afoul of any copyright concerns.

So I used the commercially available live version from Anthology 1. OK, good. We're set. I listened to it in cue and was ready. In fact, I had it cued up to a particular spot where McCartney makes a little Beatle pun.

I had a second song ready on CD 2 just in case.

The show went live at 9:06 and I did my introduction, setting up everything for "Till There Was You" to play.

Then I hit play. We'd be waiting a bit longer till there was you or anyone else. No sound came into either my headphones or the monitors in the studio.

Stay calm was my first thought. Thus, I pressed play on CD 2. That also didn't play though that could have been a wrong button pressed on my part.

The most important thing to do in these spots is not panic. I wouldn't say I panicked this morning. I was ready -- prepared if I do say so! -- but nothing was playing. No sound.

And so I fumbled and tried to fill all while maintaining a sense of humor. Plan C was to play "Till There Was You" on my computer.

Except, somehow, the song wasn't on my computer.

Yes, we had a perfect storm on our hands. 

I pivoted to -- seriously -- Plan D, which was to recognize Buddy Holly's passing this week in 1959 and play one of his songs. I was going to do that anyway, and I figured if I could get anything going, I could catch my breath and we'd be fine.

Finally, I was able to cue "Not Fade Away" up on my computer. Eventually, I played a Beatles cover of Holly's "Words of Love," and that was the tie-in to today's show.

The show, which was wildly careening into a ravine, was back on the tracks. Above all, I remained calm.

I wasn't able to complete Beatles history this week but I realized I needed to let up and control what I could control. The technical stuff was out of my hands and this show is a wide-open slate, so who cares how many weeks it takes me to get to 1970?

The years I covered today -- 1964-1966 -- are as pivotal as ever in Beatles history, let alone music history. Consider these are the years that included Rubber Soul and Revolver. There was a lot to cover when you add in the Shea Stadium concerts, John meeting Yoko, and so on.

Needless to say, 1967-1970 will also be monstrous.

I don't want to rush it, of course.

But I do pride myself on running a fairly flawless show. Thus today gnawed at me.

There's nothing I can truly do except to make sure I've done everything in my power to make the show right. There's still a bit of a learning process and I'm growing the show in terms of balancing with an outline but not a script. That's enormously important. There still needs to be some play for ad-libbing.

And boy did I need those skills today.

My expectation is that listeners will always think any presentation of mine is professional and upholds a high standard. In short, I want listeners to say, "That would sound great on a network or as a distribution."

A syndicated show!

I don't expect that to happen ever but it's a good level to reach for.

Keep striving. Keep grinding.

Sometimes, that standard won't quite be met.

Today was one of them.

For the record, I kept testing out the CD players after the show ended and they still didn't work. So, while it may be operator error, there is something that I need to figure out.

In the meantime, I'll just keep playing music off my computer, like it or not.

We'll try it again next week.

Things We Said Today

9:02 am. Four minutes to air

I was up early.

Anxious, I figured.

I wasn't exactly singing "Good Morning Good Morning" at that point.

No, I didn't sing "Good Day Sunshine" either.

But I went through the motions. Shower, breakfast, and pulled the equipment together.

I felt ready. Really, I did.

And yet...

I've decided to work off my computer for the music I'll present on "Meet the Beatles." We don't have a turntable and while we do have a CD player, I'm not really high on lugging CD's to and from the station every week.

That's fine and we have the ability at WGCH for external sources but ... wait for it ... only for one external source.

So regardless of which source -- iPhone, iPad, Macbook, or even a flash drive, I can only plug in one, or I have to come up with a solution to split the signal.

Sure, I can plug in my computer. Heck, that was created for me, because I liked playing sound files of sports sounds off my MacBook.

But how could I work in a second? There wasn't enough time to load all of the music on the station's hard drive.

So I had one of my ideas.

Ah, the idea. It can be great. It can be a game changer. It can also cause an absolute train wreck. 

In this case, keep in mind that time was a factor.

In fact, I considered all of that as I conjured the concept for today's debut show. Initially, I was going to dive right in, covering the history of The Beatles. But I was encouraged to make the first show a bit more personal. 

It was the right call. But that also made the content a bit more free-form.

Before that, I had to work out how to present that content.

The idea was to use a little Behringer mixer that I bought a few years ago. That, I thought, might handle the two computers I was bringing to be able to crossfade between songs if I wanted.

I plugged everything when I arrived at the hyper-warm WGCH studios, which was drastically different than the 16 degrees outside.

It didn't work. I didn't like the volume or lack thereof. It wasn't going to sound right on the air.

Drat.

OK, I thought, I'd still be fine. I'd use the one MacBook.

But, hold on. I had my Zoom PodTrak P4 with me. Maybe?

I tried. 

Again, the sound was off. Even though it's a music show on an AM radio station, there are still people listening on the internet and, for what it's worth, I'm listening in the studio. I'd like everything to sound right.

Even my MacBook (the one I'm typing on now) wasn't giving me stereo sound.

The heat in the studio was helping to build sweat on my brow.

I took a deep breath. Thankfully, the building was quiet and so was my phone.

I fixed the MacBook sound issue in settings and decided there would be no crossfading this week.

I'd have to play one song at a time interspersed with my jibber jabber.

I started Robcasting just around 9 a.m. and waited the interminable six minutes for the national news to end, rolling my eyes at the slanted presentation that we sadly run. Can anyone report without an agenda?

Finally, a Frank Sinatra show promo ended and the theme music began.

It was show time.

As I often get, I was nervous with what I call "good nerves."

I stammered a bit over the next 54 minutes as I found whatever groove I could get.

I plucked songs on the fly, after deciding that "Eleanor Rigby" would be the first offering. Full credit to Susan for the suggestions. Her idea was that it should be personal so the audience could learn why I was doing this show. Eleanor Rigby strikes on a few levels, including a connection with Sean as well as my great-niece Eleanor. I ask her about "the lonely people" every time I talk to her.

The technical issues didn't hurt the show and I have other ideas on how to fix the crossfading concern. It would be nice sometimes to just go from one song to another.

Overall, I pulled the show off without anyone knowing too much "inside radio" knowledge. I did acknowledge my nervousness on the air. It's just how I get.

I thought the show might have been a bit disorganized and that I rambled but all reviews I received were quite favorable.

As the closing song, "Cry For a Shadow" from Anthology 1 concluded, I faded the song into the 10 a.m. news and took a deep breath.

It had been a quick and emotional hour. Ever the softie, I swelled with pride that I was doing this and I suppose a tinge of sadness over who wasn't listening. But my heart felt good with the kind words of support.

The first show is over and I know it will immediately get better. I needed this first one to be mine to work out the cobwebs and the kinks.

There are so many ideas. I didn't fret over playing anything off the beaten path on this first show, opting for songs that are universally known. I stepped away from a studio version just once, playing a live version of "Got to Get You Into My Life."

We can get into the timeline of the lads next week.

We'll "come together" again next Sunday at 9 a.m.

(Today's show is archived here)

Junior

 

Kevin Devaney Jr announced the passing of his father, Kevin Sr, today on his social media accounts.

I've known Kevin for a bunch of years, first as an outstanding multimedia journalist in the region and now at LocalLive.

With his announcement, and considering I was working for him tonight at Iona Prep, I sent him a quick text to express my condolences. He told me about choosing to use Jr as part of his professional name when he first became a reporter.

The exchange with him and his pride at being a junior reminded me of the pride I've always felt of being a junior.

It's never been quite clear if my father wanted or didn't want to name me after him but I don't think it bothered him in the long run.

I don't know. Professionally, I'm nothing like him, as he was a truck driver and I talk. Then again, he never wanted me to do what he did.

But I am like him in terms of my diplomacy, smile, and I think his overall personality. Let's not discuss temper.

I never considered using junior professionally. In some ways, being "Rob Adams, Jr" wouldn't have worked because my father was never known as "Rob."

He was Donald/Don and Bob.

But I'm mighty proud to be named after him regardless.

I suppose it's selfish that it struck me today as I spoke with Kevin, but then again, I like talking about my old man. I like keeping his memory alive.

Sean, of course, isn't a junior but is partially named after my dad thanks to his middle name.

So, despite not having the full matching name, he has a lot of the same personality traits (and looks) to be just like me and my dad.

I miss the man every day but I'm fiercely proud of my lineage of being a junior.

And I know Kevin is also.

May Kevin Devaney Sr rest in peace.

*****

Today worked out really well, despite my concerns about the weather.

It snowed but it didn't stick too badly so I never missed a beat today. I made every stop in my day. 

I was even able to stop back at the apartment to host "Doubleheader" before heading to New Rochelle for the basketball game.

I'm pretty fond of a day like this in that, you know, I love it when a plan comes together.

The basketball game was a definitive win for Iona Prep but not every game can be a classic.

The plan moves into Saturday, in which I'm calling basketball at Brunswick at 2:30 and then walking over to the hockey rink to call that at 4:00.

Oh, and then Sunday. Have I mentioned I'm starting something on Sunday morning?

At 9 a.m.?

I think I've worked out the details of the first edition of "Meet the Beatles" and have even picked the first song.

It could all change.

But I hope to be in the studio, with breakfast in hand, sending you a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine.

Sorry for the overkill (aka "promoting").

Love Your Preparation

The Quarrymen, including two guys named McCartney and Lennon

Once I get involved in something, it's a commitment.

I'm pretty firm when it comes to commitments.

The latest is "Meet the Beatles," my new show on WGCH, beginning Sunday morning at nine.

To that end, last night I assembled the theme music and created a promo that will begin running on WGCH tomorrow.

I've played it for Sean and everything is receiving his approval.

Today, I began researching bits and pieces of the lads' past as that will be part of the opening show.

Or, should I say I'm reconfirming the myriad things I've read over the years. I've read plenty and have so much more that I can read.

If you know who Ivan Vaughan and Pete Shotton are, then you're on the right page.

If you know Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best, well, you probably should have a vague idea, but you're still in the right place.

It's a fresh canvas and I've been thinking over the things I want to talk about. To that end, I'm also thinking about the songs I want to play on the first show.

And that helps explain the extent of what this show will be like. The Beatles emerged from the likes of Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers and Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry and, of course, Buddy Holly and the Crickets (think about it).

But they also came from Lonnie Donegan. Ever heard of him?

I'm sure many of you have, and that's good. This is all part of the journey.

This is the same way I'm feeling about the Hudson Valley Vipers hockey team. I learned that Saturday night's broadcast was very well-received and we're going to consider doing more games.

That led me to dig deeper into learning more about the players and the league. As I mentioned at the time, that's a challenge because information is seriously lacking as of now. In fact, the initial schedule that I had has vastly changed.

With nothing set in stone yet, all I can do is plot the games on my calendar and wait to see if the pieces come together.

But, of course, it's so gratifying to hear that the broadcast received good reviews given it was truly not my best. I'd like to think that will only get better.

It's fun to get fired up and go into that "all-in" frame of mind to start researching and preparing.

With "Meet the Beatles" I'm thinking about the first song to play and how to present it. I'm thinking about potential guests and stories to tell. 

It's all exciting. 

It's all new.

And I'm hoping it will be a show that will be way beyond compare.

A Splendid Time is Guaranteed For All

 

Let me take you down...

My first job in radio was as a DJ, playing Whitney Houston at midnight to six in the morning on Majic 105.

While I deviated and played a few things that I liked, it was never really my taste in music. Adult contemporary could be rather bland. I'm all for "Yacht Rock" but that time of night could be brutal.

I've worked almost entirely in sports since. Obviously, I've done a lot of news and some other stuff but sports has been the vast majority. Of course, I've had the pleasure of hosting the Greenwich Town Party on WGCH for several years now.

Once in a rare while I'd get to dabble in music on the radio but I often thought about doing a radio show.

Now, it's happening.

Roughly a year in discussion, I'm thrilled to say I'm starting a Beatles radio show this Sunday morning at nine on WGCH.

The working title, which Sean likes, is "Meet the Beatles" and it will be a one-hour, er, magical mystery tour to examine the songs of the Fab Four and the world around them.

"Across the Universe" was in fact one of the many titles I bounced around as this will be a show about The Beatles' music but also their solo careers and the music of their influences and those they influenced. With that, there is much to examine, and I love that feeling. In other words, it's The Beatles universe.

Like "Doubleheader" I hope the show can be interactive and I do hope to welcome some guests. At the very least, I have friends who are Beatles fans and I know that can be a jumping-off point. Perhaps we can get other guests as well.

At first, I just want to find a rhythm so the first show will stick to the basics. It will be an introduction. 

But, as you can imagine, there will be a lot of ways this show can go.

I realize there are so many shows about the most famous band ever and, as with anything else, I'll have to find my way.

My first love in broadcasting will always be sports. Always. But I'm thrilled to do a music show and a show about a band that has meant so much to me.

Join me beginning this Sunday on WGCH (no Facebook live due to copyright issues) at 9 a.m. We'll figure out an archive if that is possible.

I'll be some days in preparation.

That should make some happy.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

*****

(Photo: Paramount Plus)

The Steelers just lost to the Bills in the AFC Wild Card round. They got behind 21-0 and while they made it a game, the better team won. I congratulate the Bills and wish them well. They'll be tough through these playoffs.

See how easy that was? There were no cutesie names to put Buffalo down or 35 social media posts to mock or berate.

I think I posted once during the game and I said, "Welp."

Because that said it all.

Being a fan isn't often an easy thing because knowing how to win gracefully is every bit as tough as losing with dignity.

I hate to lose. Oh, I hate it.

But I thrive on trying to hold my head high. To do it any other way just makes sports fans look bad.

The team I root for got waxed but it also ended one of the most memorable seasons for me.

We got to Pittsburgh back in July, as training camp was rolling along. We visited Acrisute Stadium, checking out the Steelers' Hall of Honor.

We returned in early November and I went to my first game in almost 20 years. I also got to go with people that mean so much to me.

And I went because Sean wanted us to go. Now it could become an annual thing. We've already talked about next year.

But I feel no harm in losing to the Bills. I respect them and their fan base and I like Josh Allen. 

The reaction to the Cowboys losing last night reminded me of what it's like to be a Yankees fan.

And for the Green Bay Packers, all they need is Love (I'll see myself out now).

To that end, I'm ready for baseball.

Nonsense

 

It's another Monday.

Another day in a year.

Another 24 hours of digging through the cobwebs of my brain to find a topic to write about as we turn toward the end of the fifth year of this writing exercise.

This means that while I hope there have been many meaningful posts there have also been posts that have been, at best, "filler."

In other words, for every "A Day in the Life," there's also "Good Morning Good Morning."

In some cases, filler can be quite good and, as such, using The Beatles is a bad example but I think you get the idea.

This rolling around in my brain led me to think about the amount of dreck I've written.

I also thought about what I could write tonight.

Like pretzels.

A completely silly topic that I'll treat with complete sincerity.

I've probably mentioned how much I love pretzels.

They have been a staple in any kitchen I've lived in for as long as I can remember.

Originally, I remember getting hot pretzels back in the day when department stores had a snack bar.

So we'd get them at a store called White's in Yorktown Heights and Caldor.

There was nothing like a hot, soft pretzel with just enough salt. A good one melts in your mouth.

At home, we were all about hard pretzels.

Rods.

Bachman pretzel rods.

People in my family still associate those with me and I can understand why. To keep them fresh and in one piece, my mother bought a special tin that we kept in the kitchen.

At one point Backman had an outlet store near Reading, PA and you better believe I bought plenty of bags.

They've always been the perfect snack and the quick answer when I didn't know what else to eat.

I picked up a bag when I was in Mahopac for football; they're not as readily available as they used to be.

As our Wegmans doesn't carry them, we grab the barrel of Utz (full disclosure: Bachman is owned by Utz) and they're good but not quite the same.

But, yeah, these are the types of things that enter my brain on a night when I need a topic.

I spent most of "Doubleheader" ticking people off today so it's probably best to stay away from that.

So this is what you get tonight.

I probably owe you an apology.

I could, however, rhapsodize about Paul McCartney's book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present. I got the book as a birthday present last week and I've begun reading it. OK, full disclosure: I bought it for myself.

Or a review of the first episode of the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. Short version: love the story and, of course, the chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate. 

But I figure those items can wait for another time.

More filler, I suppose.

I just hope the filler leans closer to being hits.

Perfect Records

It's another one of those classic music questions:

What's an album you listen to from beginning to end?

Now, some will say that they never skip a song but, let's be honest, I'm guessing most of us do.

Thus, it's the question of a "perfect" album, if you will.

For me, it's easy to say The Beatles and, well, are there any songs I skip?

If you know, you know.

I do think Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a fairly perfect album, but I'll admit that I've often been guilty of skipping George Harrison's "Within You Without You." But, with age and wisdom comes a deeper appreciation of George and, by extension, the song. Thus I'm not so quick to bypass it anymore.

But let's head over to the album officially called The Beatles, shall we? There it sits -- all eight minutes and 22 seconds of sonic stuff.

"Revolution 9."

You know it.

"Number nine. Number nine. Number nine."

As one might say, "Rubbish."

So, yeah, basically everything else but that can be played from beginning to end. Specifically, A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, and Let It Be are all effortless.

And, yes, basically every step of the Huey Lewis and the News catalog falls into this world as well for me, but I'll especially note Picture This, Sports, and Fore!

Billy Joel chimes in as well, with high marks for The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass House, and The Nylon Curtain. As much as love Turnstiles, the song "James" is just too much of a 70s curio for me.

In the jazz world, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis is perhaps the most magical trip one can take. The Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out is as smooth as butter.

I should mention that this list is not meant to be perfect. I'm sort of cherry-picking the albums that I can listen to from beginning to end and know I'll forget many.

I'm hoping it will get you to consider the same.

I'll also add, as always, that this is all subjective. I've grown over time. Some albums are here that wouldn't have been here at one time while others have fallen. Tastes change.

The world has lost the art of the album to a large extent and I suppose that makes the question -- asked by Eric Alper on X (Twitter) so pertinent to me.

The album still matters in its own way, much as batting average does to a segment of sports fans. It matters in its own place, I suppose.

Is Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys in this category? To some, yes. Where others might pick a different Rolling Stones album, such as Exile on Main Street, I'd pick Let it Bleed, which finds the Stones in an interesting time before the insane excess of the 70s.

The Globe Sessions by Sheryl Crow remains a deeply important album to me and I spun it from beginning to end just recently, inspired by the documentary of her that I watched. Radiohead's The Bends and OK Computer take me back to the turn of the millennium.

Then there are what one might find as difficult choices. Making Movies by Dire Straits is a fantastic album but ends with a bit of a clunker in the song "Les Boys." It's a song that I don't automatically bypass given it's the last song. But if lyrics rattle you then you're best to skip it. "Run For Your Life" at the end of Rubber Soul is another song that can produce eye rolls.

I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't also include two Pink Floyd entries: The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. Both just go places and, at least for me, are an excuse to check out (and no, that doesn't involve any herbal assistance to do so). But Floyd can also be polarizing between often being overplayed and Roger Waters' sheer narcissism.

Duke by Genesis, almost inarguably the best and the peak of their post-Peter Gabriel era work, is an excellent listen. While I overall prefer the art rock of the Gabriel days, Duke is solid from end to end.

I must also throw in Tapestry by Carole King. An album that came out in 1971, I feel like my sister raised me on The Beatles and this record, and fifty-two years later, it stands up as great as ever.

So if it's Rumours by Fleetwood Mac or something else, an album is meant to be a journey. The concept album mostly began with Frank Sinatra's work on Capitol Records in the 1950s, with In the Wee Small Hours being a masterpiece. For the record, one wants to check on a friend who is playing his Only the Lonely record for what I think are obvious reasons. 

In the live album department, Sinatra at the Sands is basically perfection. One might groan at the spoken  "Tea Break" segment but I find it to be a comedy act from a museum. Also basically perfect is Johnny Cash's At Folsom Prison.

So I'm quite certain I'll press "publish" on this and regret not mentioning some album that I enjoy every piece of.

I hope -- even if you don't say what it is -- you'll consider some options of your own as we give the art form of the album some well-earned respect.

It's All Because of You

 

I'm no Beatles expert.

I'm knowledgeable, yes, and can hold my own in many conversations, but that's where it ends.

So when the Fabs released what's being called "the last Beatles song" on Thursday, I was obviously interested.

OK, I was actually refreshing my phone constantly, waiting for the song to load into my Apple Music app.

Finally, along I-80 in Pennsylvania, shortly after 10 a.m. on Thu, Nov 2, 2023, I pressed play.

Still, I managed my expectations appropriately. I didn't expect anything that could be found on Revolver, for instance. I expected something along the lines of the curios that were "Free as a Bird" and "Real Life," released in the mid-90s as part of the Anthology series.

"Now and Then" is a perfectly lovely song that was originally written by John Lennon in the late 70s. He put it down on a cassette tape with him singing and playing piano.

The "Threetles" or "Threatles" (Paul, George, and Ringo) took a stab at it in the 90s but, thanks to the technology of the time, it didn't quite work. George was dismissive of it.

Here, in the 2020s, technology advanced to where John's vocal could be lifted from the tape without the piano drowning him out. Some guitar parts that George recorded in 1994 were also included, while Ringo and Paul laid down new parts to complete the song in the past year.

The reaction has been exactly what I expected and feared.

It's all too much.

As I mentioned, my expectations were appropriate, if not lowered. Expecting a new "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "I Want To Hold Your Hand" or anything truly classic is simply not fair. These guys made some of the greatest music ever and continued to do some tremendous work into the 70s as solo artists. 

The late 70s were an interesting time for John Lennon, given he was out of the public eye musically. He was the dad strolling around New York with his wife and son who would go back to their apartment in the Dakota and play some music.

I personally don't think Double Fantasy -- John's final album in his lifetime, released just before his murder in 1980 -- was a masterpiece. "(Just Like) Starting Over" was a good song. But, being fair, it isn't "Imagine" or ""Instant Karma!"

So, given the track record, it's fair to say that a quality song was expected. No doubt had he finished it, I suspect John might have tweaked the words and perhaps more. We'll never know.

I find myself simply happy to have this addition to Beatles Universe. So many armchair critics have been heard from since Thursday and I suppose I'm throwing my thoughts in as well.

The song -- big shock -- rushed to the top of the streaming and download charts and will be a huge seller. 

And it's OK if you want to say I'm biased because I like both the song and video (directed by Peter Jackson). The melody of the song has been stuck in my head since a little after 10 on Thursday morning. 

The video -- predicted to be a tearjerker -- didn't have that effect on me. I like it, of course. I love seeing the four in any form, but I appreciated the archival footage of John and George with now 83-year-old Ringo and 81-year-old Paul. And, of course, plenty of footage of the four of them together on the long and winding road back to their youths was a nice touch.

I made sure to watch the video alone to see exactly how it would impact me and, while I was touched, that was it. That's no crime.

I guess the critics fall into a couple of camps. Some just want to criticize because that's who they are. Some just want to criticize The Beatles because of course they do. Some simply expected too much.

I got what I wanted and, bias or not, I'm happy. Content even. The band that I grew up with -- the one I first remember hearing -- has produced a form of "new" content, 53 years after breaking up and almost 43 years after a member died. It's not garbage. It's not awful.

It's -- if you allow yourself to feel it -- quite good.

"Now and then, I miss you," the chorus goes. Isn't that what we all feel? Or at least all fans feel?

The song doesn't tarnish their reputation and it is a fine gift to all of us. For sure, we're talking about The Beatles and that's also a good thing. Then again, we've never truly stopped talking about them and that is the power they have held on us since 1964 (or even earlier).

Everyone is entitled to their opinion (me included) and I understand all of the takes in their own context.

Yet I'm reminded of Paul's response to the question of if The Beatles (aka "The White Album") was too long or too self-indulgent.

"It was great, it sold, it's the bloody Beatles White Album… shut up."

That's the way I'm feeling as well.

It's the bloody Beatles and I'm happy. 

That's enough for me.