With Love From Me to You

A new anthology of The Beatles music

Greetings, dear Sunny Buddies,

It has been a while since the writing muse has been upon me, and I periodically wonder if it will ever return. And then, something crosses my awareness that awakens my desire to write once more. One such 'something' was a recent book about The Beatles' music, which I loved so much that I decided to share it with you.

It feels good to be back in this Sunny Optimist space, where I posted weekly for over three years. I ran out of topics and memories to share, but once more, I feel joy in having something that captures my imagination.

Thank you for staying with me as I navigate this creative adventure.

When reading a post about a new book called ‘John and Paul: a Love Story in Song’, I was immediately catapulted back to 1963, when, as a twelve-year-old, I waited with bated breath to see The Beatles on TV on the show Sunday Night at the Palladium.

I was, and I remain, a fan of the Beatles. Their music is the soundtrack of my teenage years, and this delightful book has brought back so many happy memories. These memories range from saving my pocket money to buy each LP on the day it was released to playing the LPs over and over until I knew the lyrics to all the songs by heart. I still feel a stirring when I hear the opening chord of some of their songs.

Below is the performance that the 12-year-old little me remembers so vividly.

I am a baby boomer! I was born in 1951, and I am part of what is sometimes called 'the pig in the python' generation, namely people born from 1946-1964. We have been a very visible generational bulge that, as it moved through the decades, has had a significant societal impact economically, politically, culturally, and institutionally. The image below shows how my generation is like a huge meal passing through the python's digestive system.

The Beatles exemplify perfectly how the 'pig in the python' phenomenon helped create and amplify a cultural zeitgeist. I love the word zeitgeist, and it makes me feel rather sophisticated when I use it! It means 'the defining spirit or mood of a particular time' —This 'pig in the python' metaphor, for me, links into why the music of the Beatles has been such a significant part of the postwar era. Beatlemania was like a cultural tsunami.

The sheer number of boomer teenagers created an unprecedented market force that made The Beatles a global phenomenon. For boomers like me, The Beatles represented more than just music. Rather, they were emblematic of a generational shift toward questioning authority, embracing creativity, and exploring new ideas.

The Beatles' evolution from young pop stars into more experimental artists reflects the way 1950s youngsters like me became the counterculture of the 1960s. We were there right at the beginning. Then, as we Boomers entered adulthood in the 1970s and 1980s, ongoing renditions of the Beatles' music kept them perpetually relevant. Even today, we still hold The Beatles' music in high regard and often use it as a benchmark when discussing contemporary artists.

And so to the book below.

I loved it. 

What I so appreciate is how the author uses their songs to take us on a journey through their creative partnership. As a teenager, I loved their pop songs, but what becomes clear as I read the book is just how groundbreaking their music actually was.

I loved each album at the time, but what the book does is provide an in-depth analysis of how John and Paul worked as a creative partnership. They evolved together as teenagers who enjoyed experimenting together. And they naturally step away way and beyond the musical conventions of the time. What Ian Leslie does is help us to understand just how innovative, quirky and truly extraordinary their music was. One aspect for me was how an appreciation of the music of their parent's generation is subtly woven into their music. There is a haunting and lyrical quality to the songs that counterbalance the rock'n'roll numbers.

As a result of the book, I have taken the time to go back and listen to each LP again, which evokes memories of the fun and angst of being a teenager in the sixties. What is wonderful is how the author's insight, song by song, brings new meaning and appreciation to their creative genius. 

So, you might have come to realise that I truly commend the book to you.

Questions for this Week

Here are the questions that I offer this week.

• What music or artist reflects a period of ‘zeitgeist’ for you?

• Is there a particular soundtrack that accompanied your teenage years?

• Are there any favourite songs that take you back to a significant time in your life?

As always, dear friends, I would love to hear from you.

Ann

A Wee Addendum

Wishing you all a Happy Summer Solstice. By way of completion, for now, I thought to share my recording of a guided visualisation from the lovely little book by Dorothea Breitzer-Kings called Meditations Through the Year.

The June meditation is called Summer Solstice, Festival of Light. There is something extraordinary about the light at this time of year, and she delightfully captures the essence of a June summer’s day. On this longest day of the year, I invite you to take a moment to contemplate the bountifulness of your life and explore how your seeds of intention from the Winter Dreaming time are unfolding.

Click here or on the photograph above to listen. My gratitude, as always, to Tim Uffindall for the delightful piano accompaniment. Click here to

Enjoy!