On Air — Live At The BBC Volume 2.
Non-stop fun, non-stop joy.
These BBC recordings, mostly done live in a studio without overdubs, feature The Beatles in a transitional stage — moving from inspired garage band and veteran club performers to sublime pop craftsmen.
Every step of their journey was, in its own way, miraculous.
My dreams are made of iron and steel . . .
Bob Dylan working on one of his steampunk-like metal sculptures.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Click on the image to enlarge.
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You couldn’t overstate Oscar Hammerstein II’s influence on the American musical if you tried. He wrote the book and lyrics of Show Boat in 1927, the most important show in the modern history of the American musical, as well as the book and lyrics of Oklahoma! in 1943, which firmly established the dramatically coherent book musical as the primary form of musical theater on Broadway from then on.
His lyrics were often simple and sentimental, or simple-minded and treacly depending on your taste, but sometimes they were perfect, the way the simple, sentimental lyrics of early Beach Boys songs can be perfect.
The lyrics below are from the song “An Ordinary Couple”, a last-minute addition to the Broadway production of The Sound Of Music, the last musical Hammerstein worked on, which wasn’t included in the screen version of the show. They’re perfect.
An ordinary couple
Is all we’ll ever be,
For all I want of living
Is to keep you close to me,
To laugh and weep together
While time goes on its flight,
To kiss you every morning
And to kiss you every night.
We’ll meet our daily problems
And rest when day is done,
Our arms around each other
In the fading sun.
An ordinary couple,
Across the years we’ll ride,
Our arms around each other
Our children by our side;
Our arms around each other.
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My family had a console record player like this in the 60s and 70s. When I look at the picture I’m taken directly back to moments spinning Bringing It All Back Home, Rubber Soul, The Sound Of Music, Funny Girl (the original Broadway cast recordings of the latter two), New Morning and Let It Be. I spun lots of other records on the machine, but those are the ones that the picture brings back most vividly.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Click on the image to enlarge.