Marvin J Markus asked:


es released 13 official studio albums from 1963 to 1970. What follows is a short “review” of each of these 13 albums. In my view as a true Beatles fanatic every single on of these albums should be a part of your collection eventually. But there are definitely some albums that are more essential than others.

Please Please Me (1963) - The Beatles very first album has some great songs on it including the title track, the opening track “I Her Standing There,” and the great cover “Twist & Shout” but it also has a much higher percentage of clunkers than most Beatles albums. In fact I’d say at least half of this album just isn’t that good. It’s interesting from an historical stand point and sometimes it can even be quite enjoyable to listen to, but I’d probably make it one of my last albums if I were just getting into The Beatles.

With The Beatles (1963) - The Beatles second album includes a few nice songs but it’s largely quite forgettable due to the large amount of covers.

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) - The Beatles third album is when they really started to come into their own. While their first two albums only included 8 originals each, A Hard Day’s Night is nothing but Lennon/McCartney originals. It includes some of The Beatles very best early pop & rock n roll music. If you find yourself more drawn to their early pop songs then this may be a great album to get started with.

Beatles For Sale (1964) - I do think this album is somewhat underrated but it is definitely a step backwards from A Hard Day’s Night. It includes 6 mostly forgettable covers. But the originals are quite nice. “I’m a Loser” & “Every Little Thing” are among the highlights.

Help! (1965) - This was another step forward. It included some of The Beatles biggest hit songs including the title track “Help!” and the legendary ballad “Yesterday.” “Ticket to Ride,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” and “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” are also among the album’s highlights. It’s a great album with a couple of miss steps (”Dizzy Miss Lizzy” and “Act Naturally” are both awful covers that shouldn’t have been included on the album.)

Rubber Soul (1965) - A huge step forward. Includes the first use of a sitar on a western pop record on “Norwegian Wood” which may be favorite song on the album. Rubber Soul includes many of The Beatles greatest songs like “Nowhere Man,” “In My Life,” “Girl,” “Michelle,” and “I’m Looking Through You.”

Revolver (1966) - Again with the step forward. The Beatles were progressing at an unbelievable rate during these years. From “I Want To Hold Your Hand” to “Tomorrow Never Knows” in 2 years? Are you kidding me? Absolutely mind blowing. One of The Beatles greatest albums. There are no weak songs. Many consider it to be The Beatles very best album.

Sgt. Pepper (1967) - It’s become somewhat hip to say that Sgt. Pepper is overrated. But it’s not. It’s a truly incredible album. I find every single song on this album to be a thoroughly enjoyable listen. They are all essential in my view. Includes the absolute greatest album closer of all time, “A Day in the Life.”

Magical Mystery Tour (1967) - This was The Beatles at their most purposefully “psychedelic.” To me that’s a good thing. It includes some of The Beatles most incredible psychedelic masterpieces “I Am The Walrus” & “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

The White Album (1968) - My favorite Beatles album. That being said, it’s probably not a good one to get started with. It’s probably too sprawling for a first time listener. It’s not as consistent as Sgt. Pepper or Revolver but for me it’s even more endlessly interesting. There’s so many different styles of music on this album and to my ears they are all done perfectly.

Yellow Submarine (1969) - Probably The Beatles least essential album as it includes only four songs that are not heard elsewhere. But of those four songs two are really great “Hey Bulldog” and particularly the very underrated “It’s All Too Much.” I actually recommend getting the 1999 Yellow Submarine Songtrack instead as it replaces the rather boring incidental “film music” that makes up much of the Yellow Submarine album with remixed, remastered versions of many of The Beatles greatest hits.

Abbey Road (1969) - Possibly The Beatles most “modern” sounding album as it was actually the final album they recorded and the only one they recorded on the then new 8 track recording machine at Abbey Road studios. Includes the amazing second side suite and some of their most well known songs like “Here Comes The Sun,” “Something,” and “Come Together.” Probably a pretty good first album to get if you are new to The Beatles.

Let It Be (1970) - Let It Be was actually recorded prior to Abbey Road but had been shelved do to The Beatles being unhappy with the recordings. While it’s often seen as somewhat of a disappointment compared to The Beatles other incredible albums that’s really quite ridiculous when you look at the track listing and see that it includes absolutely killer songs like “Let It Be,” “Get Back,” “I’ve Got A Feeling,” “Across The Universe,” & “Two of Us.” Let It Be has a more funky laid back feeling than any other Beatles album. Let It Be… ***** probably has a better track listing but I think they “cleaned up” the sound too much, the original’s “fuzzy” sound was part of it’s charm and fit the songs better.



Leo

Donald Carroll asked:


When I was nineteen years old I was doing some research in the area of “out of body experiences”, and at that time I did experience what is commonly known as the “classic out of body experience”! (I would go on to have many more of them over the next ten years of my life!)

In my early twenties I further developed my interest in Psychology and the Human Sciences, and I developed an especial interest in the paranormal, ghosts, and later the occult sciences. I was curious as to the reality of spirits, spells, and magickal powers! I went on to study some of the Western Traditions of Ritual and Ceremonial Magick, Enlightenment, Mysticism, Religion, Eastern philosophies (including Yoga), and other “so called” ancient philosophies and practices, including Wicca, and/or “witchcraft”. Yes, even Voodoo was on my list of studies! I then and still maintain a genuine curiosity and/or fascination as to the reality of these “so called” unexplained phenomenon!

I was a member at one time or another of several different organizations such as the A.M.O.R.C., the A.A., and even O.T.O.! I wrote to and was answered by several different popular writers of the time on occult subjects; writers such as Donald Michael Kraig, Ted Andrews, and Gerald and Betty Schueler. I also pursued a degree in Psychology so that I could eventually work in either the field of Psychotherapy or Parapsychology!

My interest in ghosts came about while I was even younger, some time before my above mentioned interests came about. My interests in ghosts phased out as my interests turned to the paranormal, the Divine Mysteries, God, Religion, the Occult, Magick, and other documented human and spiritual powers. My conclusions, at that time, as regards ghosts, and “so called” pictures and videos of ghosts, was that it was at least possible for the human soul to remain here after death, in some visible form, and either haunt or communicate with us as all as good ghosts do!!! But? My research with certain occult practices, Yoga, meditation, and human and spiritual development proved to be far more interesting!

Nowadays I am somewhat convinced as to the reality of certain occult practices, and to things like Astrology, Tarot Card reading, and other forms of divination. I do not lend much credibility these days to ghost pictures and ghost videos in general! My feeling, ultimately, is that people do not hang around in some form or another upon their death, and if there is anything to paranormal disturbances or ghosts they would be better explained as either the mind itself - hallucinations, temporary delusions, etc. - or, simply “unexplained phenomenon”. Some of the better occult literature I have read refer to ghosts as being “shells of the dead” - i.e., a “leftover energy form of some sort that does not possess consciousness in itself!” Perhaps? To this day, no one really knows for sure!

Of course, such a question as to the reality of ghosts also brings up also the whole subject of the afterlife itself, and since that has proven to also be improvable, the only thing we have to go on as regards ghosts are the photos and videos that people manage to capture. That is, in many respects, going on “a person’s word”, and is not scientific enough to amount to any sort of proof as to the reality of ghosts and/or spirits.

Ghost pictures and ghost videos, in my opinion, are mostly either a hoax, a brain malfunction, or even a technical malfunction of some sort. How come is it that there is still so much controversy on the subject? That is because the “so called” proof has not yet convinced us all? It is something that has been reported for thousands of years, and even with all of the footage and writings out there, no one is still really sure? Still, I, like many others out there, long for an explainable answer to the often eerie images we see in pictures and video footage of ghosts. Often, people even close to us claim to have had an unexplainable and often frightening encounter with the unknown!

Things like God, the Devil, and everything in between, has fascinated me for a long time. How about Tarot Cards, and who is Aleister Crowley, and how is Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin involved in all of this? READ ON…let me share with you some of my own adventures into the world of the unexplained, Magick, Mysticism, Yoga, Enlightenment, and Aleister Crowley; take a step into the real world of Astrology, the Tarot, Magick, Miracles, Peace, and Enlightenment!!!

About a year after I myself began experimenting with “out-of-body experiences” I became interested in a famous writer, occultist, and magician named Aleister Crowley. I sought to purchase every book that I could find by Aleister Crowley, and I also joined an Order practicing the Western Tradition of Magick called the Hermetic Society of the Golden Dawn. I later also became a member of Aleister Crowley’s own Magickal Order, the Astrum Argentum, A.A., or Order of the Silver Star. This Order is still in existence today, and still maintains a great amount of secrecy in order to better preserve the heart of the Order’s teachings. I was also scheduled to attend a feast and an initiation into the Order of Ordo Templi Orientis, or O.T.O. (Aleister Crowley later became a prominent figure head within this Order.)

As part of my studies, practices, and training, I learned something about ancient languages, practices in numerology, and I learned the “initiated” meanings of various occult symbols, astrological symbols, and religious symbols. I learned how to develop heightened awareness, focus, self-discipline, and concentration through the practice of certain observances and the practice of ritual magick. I also learned the art of divination, and Cartomancy - how to read Tarot Cards. (I believe that I may have been born with a psychic gift or a bizarre talent with the Tarot, and my own personal experiences and abilities with the Tarot have remained to this day unexplainable even to me; I always lay out an accurate reading, no matter what the object or subject of the divination is. I can only demonstrate this psychic ability with Tarot Cards!

My mother has had a couple of “prophetic” dreams that she shared with me once. In accordance with some traditions, I may have inherited the ability from her - for her, prophecy comes in the form of a dream, and for me it is demonstrated in the practice of reading Tarot Cards.!I have also experimented with pendulum dowsing and obtained “remarkably inaccurate results” - so astonishingly incorrect as to suggest psychic ability, but at the same time so undependable that I left my studies with pendulum dowsing to pursue my practice with the Tarot.



Reading Tarot Cards takes years to learn how to do correctly because of the complexity of the symbolism involved; the individual meanings of each of the seventy-eight cards, and the individual meanings of each of the positions, depending upon which layout method, or methods, you are utilizing Repetition, practice, and experience count for everything! The symbolism is deep and at times quite obscure - mastery also depends, theoretically, on a “psychic gift”. I can demonstrate extraordinary abilities with the Tarot, and I have done so for more than fifteen years. I want to write a small, practical book on how to learn and practice the Art correctly, and how to gauge your own progress in a scientific manner! I will make this book available through Green Planet Fantasy Theater and/or Green Planet Fantasy Malls!

Reading Tarot Cards is something that I know a lot about, and I am very well versed in other religious and mystical studies and practices in the occult sciences. I do not personally believe in a “Devil” or demons as some people believe, nor do I understand God to be as “personal of a person” as people sometimes portray Him, or think about Him. For the most part, occult practices have more to do with cultivating self-discipline, focus, concentration, self-healing, physical and emotional healing, and later even learning to heal and/or help others. There are exercises in fitness, Yoga, breathing, and meditation. And, yes, there are the practices of invoking and evoking forces, ritual, and prayer, working miracles, and divination. In some of these areas there is perhaps a lot of rubbish as far as writings and teachings go, but there also writings and practices that are gems; teachings and understandings that anyone can benefit from. True practice of the occult sciences is to initiate you to a path of self-understanding, self acceptance, self-discipline, and study! It is to place yourself onto the Path that eventually leads you to YOU, to Love, Peace, Strength, Honor, and Devotion; the One, True Path that brings us closer to ourselves, and to God, and teaches us to be more “Christ” like! This Path is as unique as each individual is, but the method of approach is very much the same for all, according to the traditions I, myself, am well versed in!

At least some people have heard of the infamous Aleister Crowley, and perhaps even the infamous “Aleister Crowley Castle”. Aleister Crowley was a famous writer who flourished around the turn of the century. He was also a world record holder in the sport of mountain climbing (climbing at least Kanchenjunga, and K-2, two of the tallest mountains in the world.) He was also world class chess player, and a big game hunter. He traveled the world, was wealthy for a time being, studied heavily in the occult sciences, as well as in other world religions, was often referred to as being a genius, and was once even kicked out of Italy by none other than Mussolini himself. Many know of him only because he was once hailed to be “the wickedest man in the world” in the tabloids of the 1940’s!

The “Aleister Crowley Castle” is not really a castle at all…see my pic at the bottom of this page! Most people who have heard of the infamous “Aleister Crowley Castle” have heard about it because it is now owned by the famous rock guitar player for Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page! Though I myself once possessed a rare collection of Aleister Crowley’s works, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin has collected an enormous amount of Aleister Crowley memorabilia. And, yes, he even bought Aleister Crowley’s flat on Loch Ness - the “Aleister Crowley Castle”! (Aleister Crowley only lived in the “Aleister Crowley Castle” himself for roughly six months! The “Magickal Work” that he did there supposedly made the place haunted, and so even Aleister Crowley himself eventually left the flat!!!)

So, what did Aleister Crowley do during his six month stay on Loch Ness? Well, Mr. Crowley obtained a book called “The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage”. He was, at that time, aspiring to the Magickal Grade of Adeptus Minor. So, he sought out and bought a place to retire for six months (sometimes referred to as a “magickal retirement”) while he carried out the instructions in the above mentioned book; a six month Ritual of Magick in which the goal was to obtain to “The Knowledge and Conversation of The Holy Guardian Angel”

I understand a thing or two about this particular Grade Work myself, and if accomplished correctly, attainment in this Grade means simply that you now understand what God’s True Will is for you. In the next Magickal Grade of Work, you set out to rearrange your life in accordance with your Divine understanding. Attainment in this Magickal Grade means that you finally understand your strengths and weaknesses in such a way as to know what God’s will is for you; it is like finally understanding who you are, and what your purpose is, especially from the Divine perspective. This is all a rather complicated subject!

Whether or not Aleister Crowley succeeded in this Work or not was heavily debated within his own circles. But, the flat pictured below is where he settled down to undertake this Magickal Work. The Aleister Crowley Castle is purportedly haunted as a direct result of Crowley’s Work there! I suppose we could all ask Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin if the Aleister Crowley castle is really haunted, assuming he himself has ever been there.

I recently heard about some connection between the Beatles and Aleister Crowley. Aleister Crowley does make an appearance on one of the Beatles albums. He is pictured on the album, “Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band”! It is likely that one or more members of the Beatles knew of Aleister Crowley. After all, both the Beatles and Aleister Crowley are from England, and both parties experimented freely with drugs, at one time or another! I would guess that John, Paul, and Ringo may have read of Aleister Crowley, or perhaps one or more of them had even read some of his books? Well, there is no better an ending for this article as:

Love is the law, love under will.

(For more great “how to” articles, plus DVD Movies, Music Collections, PC, XBox, Wii, Sony Playstation and Nintendo Games, Software, E-Books, Audio Books, and Adult *** Material FREE, visit Green Planet Fantasy Theater online at http://ww.myplanetfantasy.com.)



Marilyn

Robert Benson asked:


Album cover art software allows you to explore this pop phenomenon

In the last article, we discussed some of the elements of album cover art and I would like to continue the discussion with some more details and an album cover finder that is a must for any fan of album cover art.

As I stated previously, many famous artists have been commissioned to design and produce album covers. For example, the Rolling Stones and pop artist Andy Warhol are famous for the cover art on the Stones’ album “Sticky Fingers.” As the story goes, at a party in 1969, Andy Warhol casually mentioned to Mick Jagger that it would be amusing to have a real zipper on an album cover. A year later, Jagger proposed the idea for “Sticky Fingers.” But, there was a flaw in the shipping process, the zipper would press onto the album stacked on top of it, causing damage to the vinyl record. The solution? The zipper had to be pulled down before the album was shipped, then it would only dent the album covers. However, they never figured out how to keep the zipper from scratching the other album covers. Additionally, some department stores refused to display the album, feeling it was risque and not family oriented because of the model’s snug jeans and the zipper display. But this album is historic because it broke new ground and also saw the debut of the now famous Stones logo: a caricature of Jagger’s lips and tongue.

If you are a Janis Joplin fan, then you would probably know that the famed cartoonist Robert Crumb designed the cover for Joplin’s album “Cheap Thrills.” This revered, yet misunderstood artist, drew the cover as a favor to Joplin, who he befriended in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where they both resided. He was paid $600 for his work by Columbia Records, which later sold the artwork. Crumb was asked to do a cover for the Rolling Stones, but refused because he did not like their music. Crumb is also the artist for the “Keep On Truckin’” poster and “Fritz The Cat,” and has more than seventy covers to his credit.

The Internet is full of sites related to album cover art and is just too numerous to list. There are sites devoted to fan favorites, the weird and unusual, particular decades and so on. Many users have turned to ebay to find lost art treasures from their childhood. But I want to share a website and album cover artwork finder that is not only convenient, but a must have for any art lover.

I recently spoke with Richard Nicol, the program designer and owner of “Album Cover Finder.” (http://www.albumcoverfinder.com) The program has been available for more than two years and is a godsend for anyone interested in album cover art.

“Album Cover Finder” allows the user to not only find specific searches for interesting album cover art, but also allows the user to download selected songs from the release. I asked Richard about his fascination with album cover art.

“I’ve always been interested and loved album cover art and wanted to create a database where the users could not only look at album cover art, but experience it as well. The program allows the user to browse through the cover art of a particular band and also lets the user to download particular songs through iTunes as well. The main feature is convenience, you can utilize iTunes and not only get more of an experience for the music, but the great artwork involved with the music and artists.”

But “Album Cover Finder” is more than just iTunes and album cover art. The program allows users to look at different art work from different countries as well. Some of the art work involved in a US release may be different from that of a UK release or German release, only adding to the experience. The program also allows users to review artist biographies, read reviews of a particular release and add the artwork to their iTunes library and an iPod. “Album Cover Finder” also allows users to find additional cover art from a particular artist or band, copy the artwork to a clipboard and has artist videos and applicable tour information. “Album Cover Finder” is a fully functional way to search for album artwork and includes free updates for registered users and is available at http://www.albumcoverfinder.com.

Now, I have only had the program about a week, but I have to admit spending literally many, many hours looking at historic artwork and listening to the songs associated with the acts. This software gets a hardy “thumbs-up” and is a “must have,” affordable program for album cover art connoisseurs and anyone with a fascination with art and music.

Needless to say, there can be a lot more written about album cover art and the impact it has had upon music and pop culture and cannot be summarized in a couple of articles. There are countless books, (I actually own one that talks about and illustrates ***** vinyl and the images used to try and sell albums!) that detail album covers and the impact upon pop culture and music.

Additionally, there are so many web sites and blogs associated with album cover art, they are to numerous to list. Why there are even web sites devoted to preserving this treasured art and frame it for display.

Furthermore, did you know that June 1, 2007 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?” Not only is the release one of the most influential albums of all time musically, the cover art itself is iconic as well.

I spoke with Gary Freiberg, owner and operator of http://www.rockartpictureshow.com about “Sgt. Pepper” who related to me that the album “broke new ground and challenged the industry.” Gary and I talked about album cover art and the influences it has had on our culture. He also told me of a recent poll conducted by http://www.vinylrecordday.org that voted the “Sgt. Pepper” album cover the favorite album cover of all time. Gary is world renowned for his work in the album cover art industry with his patented record album frame and his work has been cited and used by the Smithsonian, Home & Garden TV, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and thousands of satisfied Internet customers. And if you interested in getting your great album art framed, you may visit http://www.rockartpictureshow.com and tell Gary you heard about him from an article posted at http://www.isnare.com



Agnes