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And Jay gave really excellent notes . There was something in very the eleventh hour that my editor at Little Brown remembered . And he hadn ’ t had the chance to read the draft that was the so-called final one , but Jay just set eyes on it and said , “ Umm … I think this is a little repetitive here .” And every bone in my body felt , “ But this is due to be on my editor ’ s desk right now in New York – I ’ m supposed to be done with this revision !” But I looked at it again , and
I went , “ You know , you ’ re right .” And I ran to my desk , revised it right on the spot , and ran back to him and said , “ What do you think about this ?” And he said , “ Yeah . That ’ s it , exactly .” And I was like , “ Thank you so much for just calling it out , calling out what you noticed !” And I sent it to my editor , and we all agreed . So that was the great gift of having my longtime spouse – who ’ s also a storyteller – every once in a while clap eyes on something that I was working on . And I ’ d say , “ Do you have a minute to check this out and give me your thoughts on it ?” Criticism can be the greatest gift in the world . And I always read the various drafts of things he ’ s working on because A ) I ’ m curious , but B ) We do this for each other , and it ’ s such a nice thing to be able to say , “ You know , this isn ’ t working for me , although I love this other part .” It ’ s the same as watching various film edits , even with – like you just pointed out – some really great moments that ended
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up in the outtakes . It ’ s so fun because when you ’ re the director , you ’ re really in the hot seat . But with Jay , it ’ s so great because he always does his own focus groups when he has early screenings . And he loves to know – he ’ s like , “ Don ’ t hold back . I want to know !” And it ’ s such a useful way of kind of getting things as close to right and perfect as you can . I mean , there is no such thing as perfect . But that feedback is essential .
IE : You ’ ve actually trod on sacred New Wave turf before when you covered ABC ’ s “ The Look of Love .” But attempting Yaz ( oo )’ s “ Only You ” is just a whole new level . SH : I wish “ The Look of Love ” was on Spotify ! I ’ ve been rattling the cages at New Line – why isn ’ t “ What ’ s it All About , Austin ?”— which was the “ Alfie ” cover – and “ The Look of Love ” available there ? It drives me crazy ! I ’ ve tried to get to anyone I can reach at New Line to please , please , please upload the three Austin Powers soundtracks to Spotify . I mean , it ’ s a no-brainer , I am so proud of those two songs , in particular . But I think there ’ s a whole . New generation kids just now discovering the Austin Powers movies because they really are quite fantastic .
Tom Lanham
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free-spirited violin solos . The nihilistic “ I Think I ’ m Gonna Kill Myself ” finds a hapless teen threatening extreme measures because he can ’ t use the car and has to be in by ten on a school night . The song features tap-dancing by “ Legs ” Larry Smith , drummer of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band . Piano and Spanish guitars color “ Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters ,” which offers a devoted ode to life in New York City while observing its dangers and faults . The lightning boogie “ Hercules ” was originally planned as a third single for the album but went unreleased . The song ’ s character fumes as the object of his affection is swept away by “ a muscle boy ” called after John ’ s own adopted middle name . The 2xLP vinyl set arrives in a pristine new pressing on whisper-quiet black vinyl . The second platter is called Honky at the Château , including session demos for eight of the album ’ s ten songs . Tracks like an instrumental version of the rollicking “ Susie ( Dramas )” further reveal the worth of John ’ s road band , which was allowed to record a full album with John for the first time when making Honky Château . Dudgeon ’ s production notably stripped away the strings heard in John ’ s earlier work ( barring Ponty ’ s engaging additions to “ Mellow ” and “ Amy ”) in favor of the band ’ s fundamental rock and roll sound , which holds up fifty years later . The tape rolls as John and his trusted players discuss fine-tuning and adjustments before launching into a take of “ Hercules .” Other behindthe-scenes moments include John clowning around at the top of “ Honky Cat ” and informing Dudgeon that “ the electric piano ’ s just blown up ” while working on “ Slave .” The “ Rocket Man ” demo features then-cutting-edge synthesizer tones that were ultimately , and probably wisely , dropped by Dudgeon in favor of the more organic tones . An alternate “ Fast ” version of the defiant “ Slave ” shows the extremes that the group tried before settling on the familiar album cut ’ s country twang . An eightpage magazine includes an informative essay on the creation and circumstances surrounding Honky Château , and a timeline of 1972 activity from writing the album in January at Château d ' Hérouville in France and completing a North American tour in November . The 2xCD version features all of the content above , plus a 1972 live set from London ’ s Royal Festival Hall beginning with “ Susie ( Dramas )” and closing with the one-two-three punch of “ Honky Cat ,” “ Rocket Man ,” and “ Hercules .” As John takes his victory laps and winds down his touring activity in 2023 , this 50th-anniversary collection offers a compelling look into the days when the songwriter ’ s career was exploding into larger-than-life proportions with songs to match .
– Jeff Elbel
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IRON MAIDEN The Number of the Beast 40th anniversary Beast Over Hammersmith
( BMG ) Up the Irons ! 1982 was a big year for NWOBHM ( New Wave of British Heavy Metal ) frontrunners Iron Maiden , and this 3xLP vinyl reissue of the band ’ s third album makes a fitting memento while making an adjustment long discussed and debated among faithful Troopers . Fans will be interested to add this to their collections for the inclusion on vinyl of “ Run to the Hills ” B- side “ Total Eclipse ” in place of “ Gangland .” Band members , including bassist-songwriter and spokesman Steve Harris , have long maintained that this track listing would have made for a stronger album , in place of what many argue is the band ’ s best . The Number of the Beast was Iron Maiden ’ s breakout album and the first to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson , who expanded the band ’ s sonic palette on his way to lasting recognition as one of the premiere frontmen in hard rock . Evidence beyond the album itself is captured here on the firstever vinyl release of the live album Beast Over Hammersmith . The concert was recorded in London on March 20 , 1982 , two days ahead of releasing The Number of the Beast . “ Invaders ” opens the album with a frenetic blast . “ Children of the Damned ” begins as a power ballad sparked by the horror film Village of the Damned and its sequel Children of the Damned , with further inspiration from Black Sabbath ’ s “ Children of the Sea .” Harris referenced the British spy-fi series The Prisoner for the hardcharging track by the same name . Guitarist Adrian Smith ’ s “ 22 Acacia Avenue ” was the second in the band ’ s series of songs about Charlotte the Harlot . The album ’ s second side begins with the nightmarish title track , which Harris said was fueled by the Omenmovies ’ fictionalized tale of the evil Antichrist prophesied in the biblical book of Revelation . Dickinson ’ s blood-curdling scream heralds the chugging guitars of Smith and Dave Murray , and the song ’ s instrumental section boasts complex unison riffs atop Clive Burr ’ s jackhammer drums . The galloping standout “ Run to the Hills ” is sung from the perspective of the oppressed Native American Cree during colonization and a Cavalry soldier . Doomsday song “ Total Eclipse ” follows , offering stark imagery of ecological collapse caused by
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