‘It’s a more expansive, inclusive version’: how women reshaped the history of the Beatles
by Annie Zaleski
Read the article HERE
On iTunes…
Refreshing
Really enjoyed a fresh approach to their story.
Focusing on the dynamic between the two main songwriters versus the usual trivia and anecdotes we’ve heard a zillion times was refreshing.
Once the breakup arc they’ve been covering is over, I wonder where the podcast will go?
Looking forward to the ‘’Jean Jacket Tears’’ when they reach a wider audience…
❤️FINALLY
I have never heard women y’all about the history of the Beatles and I absolutely LOVE it! It is so wonderful to hear this perspective, with thought similar to mine. This episode about Linda and Yoko’s roles in the Beatles history is intriguing!
UPDATE:
I’ve been listening more and I still love that you all are around my age, and are exploring topics and use language I can relate to. THANK YOU for speaking and anylizing these topics!
Fabtastic
I am a first gen fan. Thank you for the deep dives. This is a really great podcast that fans of all ages need to hear. Keep up the good work.
Amazing podcast
I’m a young beatles fan, and reading some of the Beatles documentation out there has been so demoralizing. And frankly outdated. This podcast is a breath of fresh air, and brings a wider perspective to the fandom.
Fantastic!
This is the freshest and most-thought provoking Beatle podcast I have ever heard. The hosts are engaging and their opinions well-informed. They constantly cite and compare sources. They painstakingly put together parts of the Beatles puzzle that has always been clouded in mystery and misinformation. Just a brilliant podcast! You may not always agree with their views but you better come with some strong reasons why.
Binge-worthy listening
Love the podcast and the new perspective on a band and story I thought I (and the world) already knew so well. Clearly they have spent significant time researching and writing this series and it is incredibly insightful. I highly recommend to any fans of The Beatles and for fans of pop music/culture in general which I definitively am!
Intelligent and thoughtful- truly a different kind of podcast!
Beatle people are nuts. It’s crazy to me how men are allowed to shamelessly worship Lennon (i.e. Fabcast, Mark Lewisohn etc) but as soon as a trio of intelligent women admire and advocate for McCartney there is blowback! The bad reviews are based in nothing but fandom politics. Please don’t let that stop you from hearing some AMAZING, thought-provoking analysis!
Excellent and thoughtful work!
i just listened to every episode and all i can say is thank you! this was truly eye opening. you guys bring in such quality research/evidence and then add insightful analysis–what a treat to listen to! and as a female beatles fan, i’m finding listening to two women discuss the band to be quite refreshing! please keep up the good work, i’m eager for the next episode in the break up series!
i only have two small suggestions: 1) i wish you would fold george (and ringo, to a lesser extent) more into your discussions. i know the breakup series is focused on the lennon-mccartney dynamic, and there is so much to unpack there, but i do find myself wondering while listening how george’s own issues with both paul and john are playing into the tension with the band at this time, or even how he was reacting to the new lennon-mccartney dynamic. i cant help but wonder how the other half of the beatles fit into the picture you’ve been painting (but, as a george fan, im also biased).
2) sometimes the music you play in the background is distracting/detracting, especially when i’m listening on 1.5/2x speed.
very small things, but thought i would mention them. thank you again for a much needed diversion during this quarantine!
Fascinating re-evaluation of the Beatles legacy
This podcast is making me rethink everything I thought I knew about The Beatles! The hosts are funny and whip-smart, and offer a unique and welcome perspective on The Beatles, their music, their relationships, and their place in history. Both hard-core and casual fans will find a lot to love in this engaging, thought-provoking, and hilarious podcast!
A Beatles Podcast That Actually Feels New
One of the podcasts central premises is that Paul is often belittled and John uncritically idealized. And while I like to believe that narrative had begun to unravel the last decade or so, it doesn’t matter. Three smart and knowledgeable people who bring a genuinely fresh and thigh thoughtful perspective to the most talked about musical act in history. Perhaps it’s because they’re women, and women have been largely shut out of these types of discussions in the past? Maybe. But who cares? It’s good is what I’m trying to say.
Necessary commentary
These are the conversations that should be happening around the cultural force and legend of the Beatles. Funny, fascinating, well-informed, enlightening — I can’t recommend this podcast more.
Refreshing Perspectives
Even for listeners with less detailed knowledge of the Beatles, this is a fun podcast for pop culture lovers. The hosts share refreshing perspectives on common Beatles tropes heard a hundred times by anyone interested in popular music. The conversations sound well researched and nuanced, but also casual and fun-a sometimes tough balance on subject specific podcasts. Glad I found it-highly recommended.
GREAT
Thoughtful, insightful, well researched, and yet fun! These ladies have perfected the balancing act between academic conversations and hanging out with your buddies. I especially aprreciated the thoughts and theories on leadership/leadership styles in the first episode.
Give it a chance.
Great points of view. Knowledgeable and thoughtful. And jean jackets is such a apt name for the John as god believers.
On Facebook…
Great Podcast. Very fun. Open minded , refreshing view of The Beatles. Love their personalities..smart, funny women, who have tremendous knowledge of Beatles, and Beatles related ihistory and nformation.
Really good listening and so refreshing to hear another perspective. Especially how Paul has been treated through the years.
Love the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge about the subject matter! You two have a really nice rapport together!
You’re all smart and knowledgeable while still having fun, and I’m happy to see another Beatles podcast hosted by women! This podcast is so interesting, I loved how you explored John and Paul’s leadership from a new angle. I will keep listening and thanks so much for making it.
Really well done. A fresh look at John and Paul’s relationship in terms of the breakup (episodes 7-10).
On Tumblr…
Listener Mailbag…
Listener feedback is valuable to us, and we love it when someone takes the time to reach out and engage us in conversation! We will occasionally feature letters we receive which spark some interesting discussion or debate,
Listener Mailbag from September 21, 2019
Listener Mailbag from September 30, 2019
Around the web…
…They very intelligently (and, in my opinion, correctly) argue that a large faction of Beatles “history” has been slanted to frame John as being somehow above the other members and/or downplay the other three in comparison.
Sometimes, they hammer home or lay into their points with a decisiveness that borders on brashness, and it almost undercuts how interesting or well thought out their opinions are. But you could also argue that that approach is in direct contrast to how certain authors, historians, and fans have painted the image of the Beatles that has become so widely accepted. And personally, I think it’s great to have someone challenge that, whether you ultimately agree with them or not…
From the Beatles subreddit on Reddit.com
I’m absolutely in love with this podcast. It speaks to me in away that only HD has spoken to me before. It truly tries to understand what “love” can mean between two straight male friends and finally brings John’s vulnerability front and centre, after decades of John being superhuman and angry.
To hear this kind of analysis is so refreshing. I’m in the middle of the 1000-part series on the breakup and it’s brilliant, as was the deep dive into How do you sleep?
They are not fans of Lewisohn, and it’s also good to hear people bursting that bubble. I love Tune In but they’ve made me really think about how lopsided Lewisohn is when it comes to Lennon & McCartney.
As others have said, and as HD & The Historian and the Beatles shows, having women’s voices gives such a different perspective to this story, as it does to most stories.– Tony
I’d actually love for them to have a multi-episode talk to Lewisohn and try to shift his perspective over to their way of thinking, cos his depth of research married to their depth of analysis could produce something far better about the Beatles than anyone has ever managed.
I’ve been listening to and enjoying this podcast since it started, and I’m a big fan. It’s so refreshing to find more women talking about the Beatles!! I don’t think they “bash” John, in fact they’re often very empathic to his POV, but they do call out his bad behavior at times (and the many Beatles authors who continue to make excuses for it), and they don’t treat him as the sole hero of the Beatles story, which is maybe jarring for people. I’ve listened to every episode and I don’t think they ever just bash him or dump on him for no reason. They’re also fairly irreverent in a fun way, which I love (Phoebe especially makes me laugh out loud) so if that’s not your sensibility you might not like it. And IMO they’re not out to saint Paul, they call him out on his bad behavior too!
– Coco77
From readers Tony and Coco77 on Hey Dullblog, the Beatles Fan Blog
Reviews and Mentions
Excerpt from Lindsay’s review in 25 Years Later
New Light on the Beatles Equation
A July 2020 review by blogger RFM
ANOTHER KIND OF MIND 