Beatles Dental Care

Two minutes. That, I've long understood, is how long you ought to brush your teeth. Yet how can you know you've accomplished that?

It was suggested to me that an easy way to do it was to listen to a song in your head which was about two minutes long while brushing. So I 'play' the Beatles' Can't Buy Me Love in my mind as I take care of my twice daily dental chores. That's not a terrible earworm either.

I wonder if Sir Paul ever imagined that his rock standard would be used for the health of an old Detroiter in 2026? Hmm...I bet he doesn't give it a second thought. Or first for that matter.

Uke-elar Power

I love the Beatles. They are the greatest pop-rock group. The consistency they displayed in the short time the band was complete is incredible. 

It isn't a surprise then that musicians want to emulate them. Such desire can lead to things which I wouldn't have expected.

Take the ad which came up on my Facebook feed (oh, algorithms, you know me so well) which offered a transcription of 20 Beatles songs adapted for baritone ukelele. 

Really. It's right here on Amazon. I never even knew, the thought had never crossed my mind that you can play greats such as Hey Jude and Twist and Shout on your baritone ukelele. Not to trip the triggers of my fellow baritone uke players, but try in your own head right now hearing Hey Jude on a uke. Okay, a deep sounding uke. I didn't even know such musical beasts existed. But then, I wouldn't have known about piccolo trumpets either without Penny Lane.

I don't honestly mean to make a joke about this. Well, all right, I do. No offense to aficionados of the instrument, but baritone ukelele? It sounds like something you'd hear in a comedy sketch. "All right, we're forming a band. Ron, you got your guitar. Great to have you on drums, Nick. Marty, what have you got?"

"Baritone ukelele."

"Get out! Now! Mocking our dreams like that. Someone get Phil and his cowbell."

I mean, can you see The Who smashing their baritone ukes on stage? Some things rock just isn't ready for.

Bad post Beatles

Yesterday I mentioned my favorite songs from each of the Beatles as solo artists. Today I will tell you my least favorites.

I don't actually have any George Harrison or Ringo Starr efforts which I don't like. They have some bland things out there but nothing which makes me wretch. But there are two, one each by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, which are simply bad songs.

Sorry Lennon fans, but Imagine is a cloying tune with an insipid and banal message. He's basically saying there's nothing to live for. End of story.

For Sir Paul, it's Temporary Secretary.  It's McCartney's attempt at technopop, and it's embarrassingly bad. Stomach churning bad. Not even bad enough to be good. No. Where. Close. It's awful.

There you have them. My work here is done.

Post Beatles

My favorite John Lennon post Beatles song is Instant Karma! 

George Harrison? I would go with his cover Got my Mind Set on You.

Band on the Run for Sir Paul.

And with Ringo Starr, it would be Oh My My.

I just thought I'd share that with you this morning. I know you've been curious.

Rain, I don't mind

I like bright, warm, sunny days as much as the next guy. I especially like them on vacation, just like, I suppose, the next guy. But I don't mind a little rain either. Even when I'm in Hessel in Michigan's glorious Upper Peninsula. In fact I like one day of rain when I'm here.

I like the soft drumming of the rain on the tin roof of the garage. I like sitting on the front porch with a hot coffee as the gentle, cool breeze wafts the fresh smell of the rain across it. I like watching the drops of water hit the the water of the lake in front of me.

Mind you, it can get to be too much. A couple years ago my son and I stood in the aforementioned garage one July afternoon and could hardly hear each other talk during a torrential downpour. Drops of water were pounding that tin roof so hard that talking was more shouting, and we were within arms length of one another.

But as to typical, run of the mill showers, a soft drumbeat on tin is soothing. And rain, as Paul McCartney explained talking about the Beatles' song Rain, is a good thing. Why not praise it?

So I'm watching the local weather radar today to see when the rain forecasted is to arrive. I want to be right here in Hessel when it does.