Teasing the Korean

I may possibly have better grammar, based on the clumsy construction of your second-to-last sentence: On the subjects of the Beatles, Kinks, and using one's alleged credentials to bully others, how about we agree to disagree and move on?

That's because Paul handled most of them when John or George couldn't cut it.

You're missing Joan.

I had a budget label album by him called "Tropicana" that struck me at the time as a lukewarm Les Baxter knockoff. I don't think I kept it. I think he did arranging for 101 Strings sessions.

I understand. My point, which was not clear, had to do with the fact that the Beatles' contemporaries were and in many ways still are completely overshadowed by the Fab Four. As a result, their contributions often get overlooked. That's all. Of course, we can enjoy them all.

I'm writing a letter to Daddy, and I'm telling on all of you.

Exactly. Why not just enjoy Robert Goulet? Why not just enjoy Jerry Vale? Why not just enjoy Al Martino? They are all just as great as the Beatles. All artists are equally great - none are any better than another.

Are you that out of touch?

I drank some, it tasted fine, and I'm not dead. Yet.

I think you're mixing up two different TV shows, Allen...

Well, I might argue with him about Brian Wilson, but I get it.

Haven't done a formal analysis, but I'm guessing US first, Brazil second, Italy third, France fourth. Not sure quite how to categorize all the latin jazz and exotica.

I hope you weren't part of the happy bottom quarter policy.

Well, more than a year after posting this, I finally broke down and ordered the 3-CD set. For years, I had the single-disc volume on GNP Crescendo, and kept coming back to it and discovering new things. This set is absolutely amazing, the cream-of-the-crop in mid-century outer space music. Mastering is better than the GNP disc and there is three times as much music.

My friend told me that Beatles fans tend to be UPS drivers with beer guts who wear leather jackets and concert t-shirts on the weekends. Is it the same friend?

It's parfait amour. I would typically serve it in iced drinks, so refrigerating it served a dual purpose. Forgot I even had it.

I'm on my way over. I'll bring some pakoras and samosas.

Just curious. This is not a creme-based liqueur.

Bossa Nova, Michel Legrand, MJQ are my top choices. Add the Swingle Singers if mamosas are involved.

The popular histories show the Beatles as being in competition with the Stones and the Beach Boys. While I've never heard proof, I suspect that they had their ears glued to every Kinks release, both 45 and LP.

I have accumulated a large number of their LPs over the years, and while I don't consider myself a huge fan, when I'm in the mood nothing beats them. They have a very European sensibility to my ears. I especially like the titles that MG refers to as "fanciful," including "Odds Against Tomorrow," "Third Stream," and "No Sun in Venice." I have found over the decades that they were sort of a gateway jazz act for many people, along with Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, and Miles. I have seen large collections with very little jazz except for a couple of MJQ albums.

The Kinks did the English music hall thing about 1,000 times better than McCartney could ever hope to.

I like it, especially from a visual perspective. The lighting in the office scenes has that oversaturated look of 1950s - 60s color film. The characters may be bastards, but at least they have a sense of style and fashion. The assholes today are just as bad, if not worse, and they don't know how to dress. The rat pack aspect of the era is a big part of what I like about that time.

A generation of ill-informed rock critics, like Dave Marsh, totally viewed rock music in terms blues, C&W and R&B influence. They completely ignored the influence of Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley songwriters on rock acts.