The Beatles: Note By Note

6d ago

In this episode of our Beatles podcast, we invite music critic and musician Giggens into the room to help us pick apart why this cover still hits like a shot of adrenaline. Let's take Rock and Roll Music and make it Beatles. We kick off with our usual on-mic chaos, then settle into the fun stuff: how we frame a song, what we listen for, and why John’s full-throttle vocal changes the game. Along the way we test the line between rock and roll and rock, talk pacing and sequencing on Beatles For Sale, read period liner notes out loud, and let Giggens weigh the musician brain against the critic brain. It is playful, fast, and very us. No spoiler-y deep dives, just the energy of a barn burner, a few ridiculous jokes, and an honest, punchy verdict at the end. If you like hearing passionate people argue about what makes a performance work, this one’s for you. Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 6

This week on our Beatles podcast, we cover “Baby’s in Black”, not just a normal track on Beatles for Sale. It’s a doorway. Peter and Kenyon step through it and bring listeners along, mixing storytime with close listening and a lot of spirited back-and-forth. They trace a line from early Hamburg nights and an art-school circle to a song that feels old and new at the same time, then dig into why that mood fits this moment in the album. You’ll hear them puzzle out who carries the tune when two voices move as one, why this waltz feel hits differently, and how a few studio choices shaped what we now hear. If you like episodes where the conversation changes how the song lands, this one’s for you. Come for the harmonies, stay for the way longing and loss thread through the whole thing. Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 6

In this session on “Baby’s in Black,” Kenyon treats the song as both language and architecture. The lesson begins with the title and first line, tracing how color words shape meaning and mood, then tests competing readings of grief, longing, and the implied triangle in the lyric. From there, we map the form into three functional sections, compare the blended vocal lines to ask where the “main” melody actually lives, and situate the waltz-like feel within compound meter. Harmony is handled as design rather than trivia, highlighting the familiar movement of the outer sections and the brief middle turn that refreshes the tonal space without leaving home. We also profile the arrangement choice that makes this recording singular: the bent-and-slid guitar figures that frame the track and color the solo. Throughout, the aim is precision: how phrasing, interval choice, and form combine to make a small song carry big emotional weight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 29

This week on our Beatles podcast, we dive into “I’m a Loser” with Kenyon, Peter, and special guest Abby Devoe. The trio explores how the song feels and what it does. They frame “I’m a Loser” as a bold statement in peak Beatlemania, talk about how vulnerability reads as power, and trace the way the track announces a new voice in John’s writing. Abby brings her fashion and culture lens, then jumps into a playful “Beatles à la mode” tour of early looks, tailoring, and boots, connecting style to sound and attitude. You’ll hear how the hosts set the table with just enough songwriting and recording context to ground the chat, then pivot to impressions, performance choices, and why that opening hits like a headline. Come for the laughs, stay for the perspective shift. Abigail Devoe: https://www.youtube.com/@abigaildevoe Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 29

What happens when a Beatles song stares straight at the word “loser”? In this lecture, Kenyon takes the title seriously and follows the lyric to ask whether Lennon means simple heartbreak or a jab at his own image. Kenyon reads the verses closely, noting the high-school-diary metaphors, the mask that slips, and that striking question, “Is it for her or myself that I cry?” He highlights the sudden drop to a surprisingly low note as a storytelling move, then looks at the chorus as a plain confession that doubles as advice when the song turns to the listener at the end. Rather than technical analysis, Kenyon focuses on feel, pacing, and vocal shape, including how the arrangement hands the solo spotlight from harmonica to guitar to underline the mood. The episode places “I’m a Loser” inside Lennon’s early tug of war between pop polish and raw self-portrait, showing why this simple song hints at deeper honesty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 22

This week on our Beatles podcast, we bring on Skylar Moody and use “No Reply” to tell a bigger story. First, we map how new fans discover the band today, then tap Skylar’s front-row view of online fandom, the good, the bad, and the very human. We follow the song’s path from Tahiti spark to a confused “demo” on Anthology, weigh a theory about who kept time on that tape, and zoom into the finished track’s arrangement choices, overdubs, and piano accents. We place the opener on Beatles for Sale in context, ask what “deep cut” really means, and test that album’s “burnout” reputation against what we actually hear. Everyone goes out on a limb and gives a rating for their impression and close with a story about Tommy Quickly and the wider NEMS stable. No matter what you feel about the song, you're bound to find something interesting here. Skylar Moody: https://www.tiktok.com/@lucyinthesky.lar Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 22

Kenyon treats “No Reply” like a short film. He builds the scene from the lyric clues and follows how silence drives the story. He connects this song to Lennon’s earlier promises of easy connection, then shows how that promise collapses into absence here. He lingers on charged pivots like “I saw the light” and “I nearly died,” and questions whether the “another man” twist adds meaning or just color. On craft, Kenyon shows how the opening feels like it starts midair, how the phrasing sets up a question and then answers it, and how a small change in the pattern reframes the verse. He points out arrangement choices you can hear immediately, from Ringo’s rim clicks to doubled acoustics to Paul’s high line. He explains why the middle section feels fresh and how the ending leaves the ache intact, giving songwriters concrete ideas to lift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 15

We start the episode hilariously out of sync, then use “She’s a Woman” to find our groove again. Instead of reciting facts, we rebuild the track from the ground up: why the bass takes the driver’s seat, how those sharp guitar stabs act like percussion, and why the low piano line changes the feel. We zoom in on the tiny tag we both obsess over and show how the sudden shift there creates the exact jolt that keeps you replaying it. Then we step through how the session came together and what flipped a messy run into a locked final take. We compare UK and US release quirks, and we point you to a few covers worth your time without spoiling the surprises. We finish by putting real ratings on our impressions and explaining why. If you like hearing a song transform from “I think I know this” into “wait, that’s what’s happening,” this one’s for you. Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.