Cats blog: @centric-misto• Minor | he/him | 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 Trans Gay Man •
249 posts
Latest Posts by tapioca-tundruh - Page 8
the monkees on the wheel
The Monkees in “Monkees in a Ghost Town”, 1966
No one will ever understand my love for Brian Epstein. He truly is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen
Paul：“John, I asked you out to talk about the band, not to watch you two snogging. Unbelievable.”
teddy boys gossiping 🗣️
inspired by the gossips by norman rockwell~
never not thinking about ‘how do you sleep’ because the concept of writing a diss track and being like *spits* fuck you. you and your chart-topping hits and your loving wife and friends and your dead mom, actually, while we’re at it, and your pretty face and your mass appeal music and that one conspiracy and your secret hidden messages to me and—
I yearn to live in a world where Paul McCartney wrote “Quite well thank you”
Guys I saw him again for LGPE he held the door open for me 🤭
Y’all I miss my man (my crush who probably forgot about me)
I just rewatched Spirited Away and I can safely say that it is my comfort movie. It’s just such a good film. It puts me in a good mood everytime I watch it. Idk life just feels better after I do. I think it might be nostalgia but still, that movie is a masterpiece.
Hi, could you explain what is the torksmith watch all about?
well in late 1968 not long after head was released and while the monkees were filming their flop tv special "33 1/3 revolutions per monkee", peter tork decided to quit the band. for reasons thus far unknown, the other 3 monkees gave him a parting gift of a pocket watch with the engraving "to peter, from the guys down at work. 11.27.1968". and it cost 6 dollars and 95 cents (which is around 62 dollars now). the reason why it's called the torksmith watch is because it's commonly understood that the watch was mostly mike's idea, and because of the cheapness of the watch (relative cheapness, and also "the guys all pitched in") no one can understand if it was meant as a joke or not, and if it was a joke was peter in on the joke, and was mike behind the joke in a mean way or in an attempt to make light of the situation/make amends with peter last minute, and if it was sincere in that way then did micky and davy know about that aspect of it... a lot of mystery shrouding the watch and it's crazy because peter kept it for the rest of his life, to the point where he still had it when andrew sandoval was compiling the monkees day-by-day story in the early 2000s and, I quote, "proudly displayed" it to him. it's crazy!!! and a couple years ago tumblr users lesbianmikenesmith and lesbianpetertork did a little survey on the monkee community's views on the torksmith watch and the general consensus is that it all comes down to mike and peter's fucked up relationship and DID PETER KNOW IT WAS A JOKE OR NOT!!!!!!!!
also here are some posts for further reading: this one, and this one, and this one for sure.
and of course, the watch day hand covers bruise edit, and the torksmith mamma mia edit. thank you lesbianmikenesmith.
My biggest pet peeve is when hot takes are just…not hot takes??? “Omg hot take but I HATE Dear Evan Hansen-“ you and every other bitch my guy come on now 😭
Why the FUCK did I get sick during LGPE of all times
Liking the beatles isnt about liking their music or them as people its about which evil clown with his fun voice and faggoty mannerisms compels you the most
Y’all I miss my man (my crush who probably forgot about me)
[Brian] was a most generous man, thoughtful to the point of embarrassment at times, shy and gregarious at the same instant, but if John ever refused him a request he could behave like a spoilt child and throw tantrums, even stamping his feet with frustration, tears in his eyes. And no one could frustrate Brian more than John. I think he revelled in his power to make Brian squirm and lose his temper, even though he admired Brian as manager and godfather to our son.
Cynthia Lennon, A Twist of Lennon
Beatles Reading List (Introductory)
Hi guys. So I saw a post floating around asking about "where to start" with the Beatles and how to find out more about them. Moeexyz's recommendation on it was to read fanfiction and this alarmed me a bit. Fanfiction just isn't a good source to get information about the band for one simple reason: fanfic authors change stuff for dramatic purposes all the time. It's just not a great way to get more information about them because fanfiction by necessity shifts things around for the sake of storytelling.
That Beatles iceberg is nice but the only way you're going to get a good picture of the Beatles is by doing a lot of reading of published sources. That's right. You're in for a lot of homework.
In an effort to combat misinformation, I asked the McLennon discord server to help me put together a rough list of introductory level books for Beatle fans that want to learn more about the band. These books are either a) read by me or b) read by someone I trust and I have included her quotes about the books she liked. I'll have color commentary talking about what they are and why they should be read. I do not consider this post finished! My server is constantly reading and discussing (we're looking at podcasts right now because they're the ones doing interviews with Liverpool citizens who were peers of the Beatles!) and they're being very gracious by contributing to this list. That means that this post may be updated in the future as I read more! If you want to keep up with updates then give my blog a follow, I'll post every time I update this list.
Some of these books are available on Archive.org but others can be gotten through your local library or through piracy. If you buy something, buy it used. Never pay more than $20 for a Beatle book.
The Whole Story
Anthology This is the documentary made by the band after John Lennon's death in 1980. It is both a documentary as well as a book (essentially a script of the documentary) which makes it very accessible. This is the version of the story that the band wanted to put out and includes interviews with Paul, George, and Ringo. They cover their beginning to their end. Anthology can be found on archive.org if you want to read it: https://archive.org/details/beatlesanthology0000unse_y2k8 The episodes are also available on Archive.org. If you search for "Beatles Anthology" and select "movies" option to search for videos then you will find it there. It's worth the watch and is all around the best introduction to the Beatles.
The Beatles - Hunter Davies This is the only sanctioned biography of the band. It's written in older language since it is contemporary to the 1960s but it's still very readable and a good intro. It is part of the media image that the band wanted to present at the time so you should make sure to think about what you are reading, who is saying what, and contemplate why he is saying it. It it still a great resource.
150 Glimpses of the Beatles - Craig Brown This is a short book that describes 150 anecdotes about the Beatles and what it was like to experience them. I recommend this because it demonstrates what a unique and personal experience the Beatles are while also demonstrating their global reach and how they became the most famous rock band in the world. It's a short read but a good one and there are many charming and thought provoking anecdotes in it. The story of the Beatles is just as much about their fans as it is about the band and you cannot understand one without looking at the other.
Books About Each Beatle
This particular section is a bit of a minefield. Many books written about the Beatles are of questionable veracity or just out and out wrong. (I can think of two that were written as blatant cash grabs and filled with libel that someone should have been sued over.) My recommendations on this may change so please check back from time to time! John Lennon
The John Lennon Letters - John Lennon, edited by Hunter Davies Primary source documents of the various letters and missives John wrote through his life. This may be the most important book on the list because it shows us who John really is: just another ordinary guy like us, trying to get through life. Also gives insight into his mindset as the decades pressed on.
The Making of John Lennon - Francis Kenny This is a very vital and heartbreaking read for people who want more insight into John. John Lennon is the most famous Beatle but he is also the one who's image is the most obscured and distorted. Francis Kenny is a Liverpool native who puts John in his proper context. To quote my server friend who read this one: Kenny, himself a Liverpudlian, takes into account how life in Liverpool in the first half of the 20th century shaped not only John but everyone he knew and his entire family. Mimi and Julia get a good critical view, and Uncle George gets his moment in the sun. He also lays out how class divides affected the Stanleys and then how Mimi took it out on John and Julia. He quotes a 1880s travel guide of London that said Liverpool was called "the New York of Europe," because of its economy and place on the ocean, and like in the Gilded Age New York that was happening concurrently across the ocean, Liverpool had pockets of wealth and splendor surrounded by poverty and rough living. Definitely a pro-read and a great insight into the culture and time John lived in. It does not fall into the pitfalls of hero worshipping John but Francis Kenny still treats John with sympathy and respect, hard qualities to come by when it comes to the cashgrabs written about John and his family.
John - Cynthia Lennon John's first wife, Cynthia, wrote two autobiographies about herself and John. This is one of them. It's a tough read in many places but a good one. Hers is a voice that doesn't shy away from John's flaws and actions but she also takes care to tell us why she and so many other people love him and remain loyal to him.
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now - Barry Miles This is Paul's only sanctioned biography. It is formatted as a quasi-interview with Paul where there are interruptions of regular prose in each chapter. There are eyebrow raising moments where you can tell Paul is not quite telling the truth but it's important to read and identify these moments since Paul's habit of embroidering the truth is important to know and understand. Nonetheless it is still a lot more honest than I was expecting when I read it.
Paul McCartney: A Life - Peter Ames Carlin Probably the best Paul McCartney biography on the market. Peter Ames Carlin also did a similarly great bio of Paul Simon for people who are into that. To quote my friend Betty who read it: Paul gets to be a whole person here: the preternaturally talented boy wonder, the guy casting around for meaning, the less than attractive moments and qualities described without getting preachy or turning to [Paul Derangement Syndrome]. Carlin treats him with dignity instead of something to be gawked at and gossiped about. His (many) sources are cited at the end of the book. What I really appreciated was the ideas he put forth that I've only seen on Tumblr and not in Serious Official Biographies, which says to me he's writing as a fan and scholar and not a journalist trying to fill column inches.
George Harrison
I Me Mine - George Harrison Make sure to get the extended edition! George Harrison in his own words. There's a lot to say about this biography but it won't make much sense without context so I just encourage you to read it. George Harrison was, in my opinion, the best Beatle.
George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door - Graeme Thomson A good no bullshit biography about George Harrison. This covers his life as the material musician and the man seeking the divine. Graeme worked very hard to be respectful of George and his life, did extensive interviews with George's wife Olivia. Such a pro-read and definitely the best George biography written to date.
Ringo Starr
Photograph - Ringo Starr Ringo has stated that this book is his autobiography. In a few bumpers on the Beatles Sirius XM channel Ringo says that he doesn't want to write a biography like the others did but he was happy with putting this photobook together and essentially writing a bio through the captions. This is the closest that we will get for a biography for him as of right now. In time that may change but this is your best option. Piracy is the way to go when it comes to getting a copy of this, iirc it was a limited run and getting a physical copy might be very expensive these days.
Brian Epstein
A Cellarful of Noise - Brian Epstein/Derek Taylor This autobiography was ghostwritten by Brian's assistant Derek Taylor. It's not a tell-all but Brian talks about his youth and how he met the Beatles, including giving his own personal (and accurate) insights into each band member.
Conclusion
There are many, many books about the Beatles. Almost all of them offer something but most are about very niche periods in the Beatles history. When it comes to understanding the band I tried to put together a list where you can get an overview of the band and then read materials that either come straight from the Beatle in question or are not as biased as the competition. I am a McLennon shipper but for a post like this I did my best to recommend books that don't have that kind of bias in them so this is a list you can send to non-shipper friends haha.
In another post I will put together a history book list in the order of their timeline as a band, starting from the Quarrymen and on to the present. There is a LOT of ground to cover in a historical arrangement and it will take a while to compile. Please check back here regularly or give me a follow: whenever I update this post or make a new list, I'll make sure to post about it.
My plan is to make a website with all of this information that anyone can reference but it will take a long long time to make such a thing so put a pin in that one.
this video is my cocomelon
@thenoman-sland very beautifully drew a commission for my Dolenzmith fic, Synchronicity,
Hugo also sketched their faces a few times, so I'm sharing those too!! I always loveeee the commissions I've received from him :)
starrison doodle i did with an idea from my POOKIEE @jedtavius555 !!!! 😼
other pov:
2-hr semi realism photo study
Peter Tork visits George Harrison's house during the Monkees tour in England, July 1967. Article in Flip Magazine by Ric Klein.
Since I’ve become a fan of the monkees I kept looking at Micky and thinking “damn, he looks like someone. But who?”
Guys, guys am I the only one who thinks he looks like Andrew Rannells…guys hear me out
