Return to Pooh Corner With Kenny Loggins

Years ago, I recall my dad presenting me with a CD containing the song House at Pooh Corner. I’d never heard the song before, and I loved the hard-rockin’ tune with the gentle lyrics as performed by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. After all, I am a big fan of the Silly Old Bear. It was quite some time before it occurred to me that if I liked the song so much, I should have a look at the singer-songwriter who penned it one melancholy day as he was teetering on the edge of adulthood. That’s what brought me to Kenny Loggins’ Return to Pooh Corner. Like Art Garfunkel’s Songs From a Parent to a Child, it’s a wonderful collection of lullabies for children to absorb along with their parents.

All the Pretty Little Horses - I have to chuckle a little bit because the song that opens Garfunkel’s album is Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet? I guess “pretty little” things are pretty popular with little folks! This Celtic-flavored track includes some poignant-sounding harmonies on the chorus and a smattering of intriguing instrumentation. A sweet song encouraging a reluctant child to sleep. “Can you see the little ponies shinin’ before your eyes? All the pretty little ponies gonna be there when you arrive.”

Neverland Medley: Somewhere Out There / Never Never Land / Pure Imagination - This medley includes songs from three different whimsical musicals: Don Bluth’s An American Tail, the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. All three are great songs that have to do with far-off places, but my favorite is definitely Somewhere Out There, one of my all-time favorite duets, which in the context of the movie applies to a brother and sister who have lost each other but is general enough that it really can have to do with any two people who care about each other but are separated by a great distance. “Even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star. And when the night wind starts to sing its lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky.”

Return to Pooh Corner - This is essentially House at Pooh Corner with an extra verse added to make it a little less melancholy, a little more about passing the wonder of childhood on to the next generation. Loggins is no longer that conflicted high school kid reluctant to put away childhood things; he’s the dad who knows what carefree joys await his own children and anticipates getting caught up in the magic with them. Instead of Peter, Paul and Mary’s forlorn Puff the Magic Dragon, it now reminds me of Dick Feller’s more optimistic Biff the Friendly Purple Bear. A loving tribute to the timeless Pooh and his plush pals, and Christopher Robin, too. “After all’s said and done, I was watching my son sleeping there with my bear by his side. So I tucked him in, I kissed him, and as I was goin’, I swear that old bear whispered, ‘Boy, welcome home.’”

Rainbow Connection - A lovely banjo-backed cover of the classic Kermit the Frog anthem about chasing your dreams. The second track on the album to mention wishing on stars, and a great one for those who dare to yearn for the seemingly impossible. “Have you been half-asleep, and have you heard voices? I’ve heard them calling my name. Are these the sweet sounds that called the young sailors? I think they’re one and the same. I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it; there’s something that I’m supposed to be…”

St. Judy’s Comet - Birdsong contributes to this tender Paul Simon cover, which Loggins sings with an interesting tone in a seeming effort to imitate Simon’s own delivery. Another song encouraging a sleepy child to embrace slumber, using plenty of imagery of the night sky to paint a magnificent picture of the backdrop to a dreamscape. “Won’t you run come see St. Judy’s Comet roll across the sky, leave a spray of diamonds in its wake? I long to see St. Judy’s Comet sparkle in your eyes.”

The Last Unicorn - Written by Jimmy Webb, who wrote several songs recorded by Garfunkel, this haunting song is backed by piano, and it has a very wistful edge to it. Originally performed by America, this was the theme song of the Rankin-Bass movie of the same name. As somebody who grew up with the Irish Rovers’ rendition of Shel Silverstein’s The Unicorn, which details how the unicorns were so preoccupied with their own frivolity that they never made it onto Noah’s Ark, I can’t help thinking that this seems like a response to that – that somehow, a unicorn survived and still lurks in some enchanted corner of the world. “In the shadow of the forest, though she may be old and worn, they will stare, disbelieving, at the last unicorn.”

Cody’s Song - The first song on the album that I had never heard before. I still have never encountered this in another context. It’s a nice song, and I love the extended harmonica solo, but it doesn’t quite grab me as much as most of the others. “I’ll be there to sing to you. I promise you, I promise to comfort you and sing to you.”

The Horses - This is the other song I haven’t encountered anywhere other than this album. I’m a little surprised he didn’t save this one for last, since it would make such a nice bookend with the first song, although it’s slightly more up-tempo than most of the songs on this disc, and I suppose he wanted to end on a strict lullaby. I really like the harmonica on this one, and there’s a nice dreamlike quality to it. “Can you see her moonlight in her eye? Coming from under my wing, you were born to fly.”

Love - A nice, simple song by John Lennon, who had a special talent for effective minimalism in his lyrics. Sometimes, you just don’t need a lot of complexity. Love can be complicated, but at its most basic, it’s really not. The ocarina adds a haunting quality to this gentle song that works very well as a lullaby, with the extended piano outro tenderly lulling the listener into sleep. “Love is you, you and me. Love is wanting to be free. Love is knowing we will be.”

To-Ra-Loo-Ra - As into Ireland as I am – my name, after all, almost requires it – I’m very much in favor of this track, which includes some gorgeous work on the Celtic harp. Lyrically, it’s little else than that classic Irish title phrase, but really, what else is needed? Delicate and perfectly lovely. “To-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, that’s an Irish lullaby…”

Return to Pooh Corner is a tender album for children and for children who never grew up, or who did but found themselves growing back down once, as C. S. Lewis said, they became old enough to start reading fairy tales again. Return to Pooh Corner with Kenny Loggins; it’s a good place to be.

Sarah McLachlan Fills Wintersong With Melancholy and Surprising Melodies

Sarah McLachlan is an artist with whom I have some familiarity, thanks to her distinctive voice and the popularity of some of her songs, particularly Angel, which is one of several excellent tracks on the City of Angels soundtrack, which is so much better than the movie. I wasn’t too surprised that a woman who so famously sang about angels had a Christmas album out, and I was anxious to hear how she would put her own unique stamp on classic carols, along with more contemporary fare. For the most part, I liked what I heard.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Sarah’s voice always seem to have a yearning quality to it, which makes it especially suited to this John Lennon classic. The constant current of sleigh bells helps balance the song with a more optimistic feel, as do the chorus of children who chime in on the “War is over” portion, rather late in the song. Their voices are a little too high for my tastes, making the words a little hard to understand the first time through, but otherwise it’s a nice cover. “And so this is Christmas / And what have we done? / Another year over, / And a new one just begun...”

What Child Is This (Greensleeves) - This is an interesting version of the song because the melody only occasionally bears any resemblance to the one I’m used to. I like the delicacy of the rendition, and the harmonies are lovely, but I can’t decide how I feel about the tune being so different. Also, in a couple of places she changes a few words. Usually it doesn’t bother me, but in one instance she changes the first of a rhyming pair without changing the second, which results in it sounding incomplete.

River - This melancholy song is another that seems to fit especially well with Sarah’s voice, especially on the chorus where she sings of wanting to fly, with her voice soaring up to the rafters. The song ends with the piano giving us a minor version of Jingle Bells that emphasizes the sadness of the speaker. “It’s coming on Christmas / They’re cutting down trees / They're putting up reindeer / And singing songs of joy and peace / Oh I wish I had a river / I could skate away on...”

Wintersong - Another very lonely sort of song, this one is piano-driven, and in that accompaniment I occasionally hear a hint of Dan Fogelberg‘s Same Old Lang Syne, or maybe I just imagine that I do since both have to do with lost love. A downer, but quite lovely nonetheless, and the only one on the album written by Sarah McLachlan herself. “And this is how I see you / In the snow on Christmas morning / Love and happiness surround you / As you throw your arms up to the sky / I keep this moment by and by.”

I'll Be Home For Christmas - Another wistful track, this one features a saxophone solo and an undercurrent of very desolate-sounding instrument that reminds me of ocean surf. A nice track, but rather spooky.

O Little Town of Bethlehem - The guitar work on this one is very interesting; I’m guessing that what I’m hearing on this one is the dobro, a type of guitar I don’t recall ever encountering before. It has a very distinct sound that is somewhat reminiscent of a banjo. Sarah’s vocals on this one are so soft are to almost sound like whispers, particularly since I was so much more focused on the instruments.

The First Noel / Mary Mary - The first is a very familiar song, while the second is one I’d never heard before, but it’s a tender, quiet sort of lullaby. The song also briefly features the melody of The Little Drummer Boy. While the track begins with The First Noel, it quickly goes on to Mary Mary before returning to the original, which has a completely unfamiliar melody and is augmented with urgently mysterious Middle Eastern-sounding instrumentals. As with What Child Is This, I’m not sure how I feel about it having such a different tune. But I do like the quiet finale of the song. “Some people call him Emmanuel / Think I’ll call him Jesus / Glory be to the newborn King.”

Silent Night - There are some really gorgeous harmonies on this piano-driven track that deviates occasionally from the familiar melody, though not to anywhere near the extent of the previous track. One of my favorite tracks on the album.

Song For a Winter's Night - This one caught me by surprise because I’m a big Gordon Lightfoot fan, but I don’t think I’d ever heard this song before. I’ll have to see if I can track down Gord’s version. Sarah’s is richly harmonic, with an odd sort of syncopated rhythm to it as she alternates between her alone and her in multiple. Probably my favorite track. “If I could only have you near to breathe a sigh or two / I would be happy just to hold the hands I love and to be once again with you.”

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - A backdrop of jingling bells gives this a fairly upbeat feel, though the flugelhorn solo hits closer to the tune’s typical wistful tone.

In the Bleak Mid Winter - A reverent version of a carol whose last verse is well-known but that nonetheless doesn’t seem to make it onto very many Christmas albums. Some nice guitar work on this one, and Sarah’s vocals are softly beautiful. “What can I give Him, poor as I am? / If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; / If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; / Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.”

Christmas Time Is Here - This song from A Charlie Brown Christmas pairs Sarah with Diana Krall on the piano. I think I prefer her version to the original, with its chorus of singing children. It’s very mellow and a gentle way to end the album. “Sleighbells in the air / Beauty everywhere / Yuletide by the fireside and joyful memories there...”

While some of Sarah McLachlan’s arrangements take arguably too much liberty with the melody, it’s interesting to hear such different takes on familiar tunes, not to mention a couple of songs I’d never heard before at all. This is a melancholy album; I’m not sure it quite delivers the dose of cheer expected of most Christmas projects, but if you’re looking for something a little different in your CD player this December, Wintersong may be just the thing for you.

Lennon's Christmas Message Worth Hearing All Year Long

I've returned from my Christmas travels, and now it's time for me to wind down, basking in the glow of the tree lights for a few more days, listening to festive tunes on CD. I have to stick with my own albums since, sadly, the glorious month of Christmas music on one of our local radio stations has ended. While the play list was in yuletide mode, I enjoyed most of the offerings, but there were a few that made me sit up straight, turn up the music and stop whatever I was doing to sing along. One of these was John Lennon's Happy Xmas.

I was first introduced to this song several years ago when we bought Neil Diamond's live Christmas album, which featured a faithful cover of the fallen Beatle's hit. I didn't hear the original until quite a bit later, and Diamond's version was so similar that at first I didn't notice that Lennon was the one doing the singing. I suppose that's why a Wikipedia list of significant covers of the song doesn't mention Neil Diamond; it's not distinct enough. But it sure is nice.

Still, it can't quite beat the original, in which John plaintively spreads a simple message of goodwill and optimism, backed by a soaring anti-war chorus delivered by a choir of children from Harlem. "War is over if you want it," they insist, and though it never seems to turn out quite that way, a little positive thinking isn't a bad start. This was John and Yoko's Christmas card to the world in the midst of the Vietnam war, and sadly it still is relevant today. But the tone is hopeful, so although listening to the song sparks thoughts of foreign conflicts and slain idealists, it also leaves one with a feeling of resolve.

I think of the Whos in How the Grinch Stole Christmas with this tune that "started in low, but it started to grow". I could just as easily see them all standing together singing this song, hands clasped, perhaps with the reformed Grinch taking John's part while the rest of the Whos back him up. Sometimes there is great power to be found in few words, and that's the case here. My only slight beef with the lyrics is "another year over, a new one's just begun." If, indeed, "this is Christmas," then the new year has not yet begun - unless, as my dad postulated, Lennon was going by the church calendar, which given his history of beefs with Christianity strikes me as highly unlikely.

Nonetheless, he managed to write an incredibly moving Christmas song, one which blows fellow Beatle Paul McCartney's fluffy Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime out of the water. Next year, I'll look forward to hearing on the radio again, but I might not wait until then to give it another listen. His message is one that rings true any time of the year.

They Can Be Good the Second (or Hundredth) Time Around - Cool Covers Write-Off

I’ve only participated in a handful of write-offs in my nearly four years with Epinions, but this is the third I’ve tackled this week. What can I say: they’re fun, and nice to happen upon when I’m stuck for figuring out what to review next! I have taken up kokladj’s challenge of coming up with a list of ten favorite cover songs. I’ll say just ten cover songs that I like; I know as soon as I’ve submitted the list I’ll think of a couple that should have made the list and displaced a couple others. I’m so bad at picking favorites! After you read mine, check out some of the other entries: kokladj, teamfreak16, sublimist03, shilmafone, pmills1210, insomniac1587, speeddemon531, plorentz, cryptosicko, lambchops, jeff_wilder78.

Well, since it’s one of only two Clay Aiken covers on a widely distributed album at this point, I’m going to have to mention Bridge Over Troubled Water, since I’ve gotta put Clay on here. It’s not my favorite cover of his, but I do think he does a really nice job with it. While Simon and Garfunkel’s version will always be my favorite, Clay’s approach to the song is very different, with much more of a Gospel feel to it (when he performed it on the Jerry Lewis Telethon Monday, he added a “my lord” to the second verse). It’s triumphant and showcases his voice and range marvelously, as well as being a great match to his personality. I really hoped he would perform this song, and I’m glad he did. Originally on Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water album, this is available as a single along with This is the Night.

I recently saw Maid in Manhattan and discovered a gorgeous cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s Kathy’s Song by the late Eva Cassidy. This song is generally a Paul solo effort in the Simon and Garfunkel canon, though Art performs it in concert now. Eva’s vocals are haunting in what Art calls Paul’s most beautiful love song, and her acoustic guitar, like Paul’s in the original, suits her singing very well. The only bad thing about this track is that she only recorded an abbreviated version of the song, containing only three of the six verses. Still, very, very nice. You can find the original version on Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits, and Eva’s on her album Time After Time.

Art Garfunkel is a toughie, since he has recorded so many brilliant covers throughout his solo career, but I don’t want to fill my list with just him. These include, among others, When a Man Loves a Woman, So In Love, Goodnight My Love, and pretty much all of the Songs From a Parent to a Child album. I’m going to go with I Only Have Eyes For You, not necessarily because it’s my favorite, but because it is the one I have heard the most versions of. It seems every time I turn around I hear another rendition of this song on the TV or a movie, and I still think Artie’s is the best. Very smooth and romantic. One album you can find it on is Garfunkel, while it’s the title song of the Flamingos’ I Only Have Eyes For You. (I think this was the first version, but as I said, there have been many.)

Before I leave Artie altogether, I’m going to mention What a Wonderful World, which isn’t just him but also Paul Simon and James Taylor. Talk about a terrific trio! It was recorded in the mid-1970s, so it’s a reunion of sorts for Simon and Garfunkel, but Taylor adds even more rich layers to their harmonic sound. (He also collaborated with Garfunkel later for the Everly Brothers’ Cryin’ in the Rain.) It just seems like it’s three old buddies getting together and singing a song they enjoyed listening to when they were younger. It has a very different sound to it from the original, very mellow and slow as opposed to snappy and danceable, and they really milk the harmonies for all they’re worth. When I first got Watermark, the Art Garfunkel album containing the song, I thought it would be a cover of the Louis Armstrong song. But this is even better, and I like the irony that Art, an architecture and mathematics major in college, sings “don’t know much about algebra.” Sam Cooke’s original can be found on his compilation album Best Of.

The Irish Rovers have also done many great covers, but I’m going to mention Rhymes and Reasons because that is a song by one of my all-time favorite singers, John Denver, but I like their version better. In fact, I may have heard it first; I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard Denver’s version when I was very young, but the first time I remember encountering this song was on The Irish Rovers Greatest Hits. It’s a tender song of hope and peace in typical Denver fashion, with just a bit of a hippie-ish ring to it, as we are urged to follow the example of “the children and the flowers.” The Rovers supplement their version with natural sound effects such as singing birds, running water, and the laughter of children, and the ensemble of Irish voices doesn’t hurt at all either. Denver’s original version is available on his Country Roads Collection.

Speaking of John Denver, I’m partial to his cover of Fire and Rain on Poems, Prayers and Promises. I don’t know if I would say I like it better than James Taylor’s version; they are actually rather similar. Both have extraordinarily mellow voices, similar timbre, perfect pitch. It’s just nice to hear Denver’s take on this plaintive song about an adolescent dealing with the death through suicide of his close friend. Taylor’s version can be found on his Greatest Hits.

I just mentioned House at Pooh Corner in my Nitty Gritty Dirt Band review, but I’ll stick it in here as well. Their cover of this Kenny Loggins song, which is featured on his album of the same name, is my favorite track on Will the Circle Be Unbroken II. It’s a rowdy, electrified version of Loggins’ lullabye-like tune, written at a time when he was standing on the brink of adulthood and reluctant to leave childhood behind. Loggins’ version is wistful, but the Nitty Gritty folks pump it so full of energy that it seems getting back to the Hundred Acre Wood is entirely possible, and they’re going to make sure it happens!

Bob Dylan is a brilliant songwriter, but let’s face it, he doesn’t exactly have one of the most pleasing voices in recent music history. I think he has every right to sing the songs he wrote and it’s great that people appreciate hearing the tunes straight from the source, but I personally find his voice grating, very irritating to listen to. Blowin’ in the Wind, from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, is one of Dylan’s most famous songs – it’s always the first one I think of – but I think Peter, Paul & Mary do it far more justice than the artist himself does. Theirs is what I always have considered the definitive version, complete with its rich harmonies and simple accompaniment. They sing with true passion, and their voices blend beautifully for a truly resonant cover. You can find it on The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary.

The first time I heard John Lennon’s Merry Christmas / War Is Over, it was on Neil Diamond’s The Christmas Album. It’s very nice, complete with a tambourine and a chorus of children. For the most part, Neil sings the Christmas part, while the kids sing the “war is over” part as a counter-melody. It starts out very quiet and simple and builds to a grand and jubilant conclusion. Very nice, and one of my favorite tracks on the album. Lennon’s version is available on his Shaved Fish album.

The Muppets introduced me to Kokomo, one of my favorite Beach Boys songs. It’s featured on Muppet Beach Party and is just a really fun rendition of a song that’s pretty nifty to begin with. It’s even more fun with the video; lots more, in fact, because of all the crazy things the Muppets are doing in the background on the sunny beaches the song describes. I actually happened across this song as a promo for a Muppet sing-along on another video I had purchased. The Muppets do a bang-up job; I think I like this version better than the original, which is also great and can be found on the Beach Boys’ Greatest Hits.

Well, that does it for me. Ten covers that I especially like. Check out the other reviews in this Write-off for a wide variety of covers. It’s always fun to see another artist redo an already terrific song. Add your own entry and spill the beans on which song remakes especially impressed you!

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rocks!

I am not one of those students who plans elaborate trips to Hawaii, Florida, Jamaica or Bermuda for my breaks from school. Just the fact that I’m not in school is enough for me. But there was one excursion that I was really hoping to get in during this year’s Spring Break. My desired destination was the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, and I brought the week to a close with that trip yesterday. I was accompanied on my trip by a friend from college and my mom, who was doing the driving. She ventured out despite the considerable snowfall, and we were on our way.

Two hours later we reached our destination. We arrived at the museum at 10:00 with the whole day ahead of us. It’s a good thing we got there pretty early, because although we had heard from various sources that the museum took two to three hours to get through, we spent five and a half hours wandering through the seven floors.

On the ground level, several exhibits are available for perusal. The Jimi Hendrix Exhibit includes a variety of memorabilia from the life of the late singer. Family photos, lyrics, guitars, costumes, and a fifteen-minute program featuring footage from his Isle of Wight concert are among the artifacts. Rockin’ All Over the World focuses on the relationship between different cities and rock and roll. Many interesting articles, including albums, personal notes, instruments, and drawings, are found in each city’s panel.

Legends of Rock contains items belonging to big-name stars such as Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Madonna and the Who. Rave On: Rock and Roll’s Early Years pays tribute to the earliest rock and rollers. Among its featured artists are Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. The Roots of Rock and Roll goes even further back, noting the influence of various musical genres on rock and roll. Blues, bluegrass, gospel, soul, R&B, country, and folk all have representation here.

The floor is rounded out by smaller exhibits: Don’t Knock the Rock, U Got the Look, Rock of Ages: The Early Influences, the Gallery, Atlantic Records, Sun Records, The Rolling Stones, and One Hit Wonders. Keep an eye out for the impressive sight of a large spiral design made up of dozens of signed drumsticks from one man’s personal collection.

Two 12-minute films, Mystery Train and Kick Out the Jams, consecutively shown in two theaters, give a brief history of rock and roll. The first focuses on its roots and earliest manifestations, while the latter turns its attention to the music of the sixties and beyond. This latter film contains some footage and language which is not appropriate for young children. Both films, shown on three screens, contain a barrage of music, images, and commentary from rock and roll experts and artists.

Beyond all of these exhibits, the ground level has three interactive kiosks. Five Hundred Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll allows visitors to search for influential recordings by year, artist, and song itself. As you click on each recording, you hear the song and read information about it. As with all of the kiosk computers, this comes with headphones on either side. We spent quite a bit of time browsing through the lists according to the different criteria. The Beat Goes On ‘ Performer Influence Database features information about different rtists/groups and two artists/groups that influenced them. There are fewer performers to choose from here, but you can select performers from a variety of genres. When you click on an influence, you’ll get some written information about how this artist/group was influential to the other. You will then hear a clip, first of the inspiration, and then of the inspired. Finally, Come See About Me ‘ Performer Database features in-depth information on over five hundred groups and individual performers. Profiles contain photographs, written histories, video commentaries and discographies.

The lobby’s only exhibit is On the Charts, a pretty small collection of items from current singers such as Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, and *N Sync. The rest of the floor is occupied by the ticket booth and the museum floor.

The first thing you’ll see on the second floor is Respect: The Sound of Soul, a wall-long display featuring memorabilia from artists such as James Brown, Al Green, Otis Redding and Steve Cooper. The Memphis Recording Service allows visitors to view equipment from the Sun Records recording studio, where Elvis Presley and other influential artists made their initial recordings. The Big Beat: Alan Freed includes a video and information about the man who is credited with coining the phrase ‘rock and roll’. Behind this display is Rock and Radio, a kiosk allowing visitors to search for DJs by year and by city (unfortunately, there seems to be no way to search by name). Surrounding these stations are radios from the forties and fifties.

Rock and the Movies is another kiosk, this one focusing on the interaction between rock and roll and film. Categories to be searched include rock artists’ favorite movies, worst appearance of a rock artist in a movie, best soundtracks, best animated rock films, best rock and roll movies, and songs taken from movie titles. Video Killed the Radio Star is a 12-minute film shown on a tower of televisions. It uses clips from music videos to demonstrate how visual stimuli have become so ingrained in our musical culture that radio is becoming obsolete. This particular film also contains mature themes, and it is presented in such a dizzying fashion that we were unable to watch the whole thing.

Before leaving this floor, be sure to check out the two-sided display featuring Billy Joel on one side and Bruce Springsteen on the other. Then glance through the Rolling Stone Magazine exhibit, which displays some of the controversial rock magazine’s most famous covers. You’ll notice that Lennon was a favorite subject. Take special note of the cover which appeared on the issue announcing his death. It will appear again on the fourth floor. The unconventional portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono was taken just hours before he was shot on December 8, 1980.

The third floor houses the museum cafe. Other than a very small two-sided exhibit dedicated to The Band and U2, this floor’s focus is the Hall of Fame. Not yet featuring the 2001 inductees ‘ about whom information can be found on the ground floor ‘ the theater shows a 38-minute multimedia presentation on three screens showing clips of artists who have been inducted since 1986. Just outside the theater, a television plays a 12-minute series of clips from past induction ceremonies.

Other than the Hall of Fame Interactive Jukeboxes, computer stations containing over 25,000 songs performed by inductees, the fourth floor is John Lennon’s. The fifth and sixth floors contain only material pertaining to Lennon. These exhibits make up Lennon: His Life and Work, a special exhibit running through September of this year. The fourth floor begins the journey into Lennon’s life. A wall of collages which Lennon did, including the ones he created for Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Elton John. The bed he and Yoko Ono shared which was made from church pews. A large array of pictures, notes, and glasses, including the ones Lennon was wearing when he died. And a telephone which rings from time to time; Yoko Ono is on the other end, waiting to chat. We were hoping that would happen while we were there, but no such luck.

Inside the theater, we were treated to a lengthy film featuring interviews of John and Yoko Ono and commentaries from a variety of people associated with them. Through the film, it became clear the Lennon was quite a controversial figure who was not well liked by a number of people. It showed his nasty side, his difficult personality, but it also displayed his genius and the tragedy of his untimely death.

The fifth floor is filled with artifacts from all different times of Lennon’s life. It has clothes he wore as a Beatle, a piano on which he composed many songs, paintings and drawings he did, album covers. Most artifacts come with some printed explanation of their significance. The walls are covered with quotes from and about Lennon. This floor is filled with fascinating facts and items, but my favorite part was the beginning of the exhibit, in which Lennon’s childhood drawings, report cards, and weekly rag are housed. It’s very interesting to read those teacher comments and see what a lousy time he had in school.

The sixth floor contains the manuscripts of more than 25 of Lennon’s songs. Each comes with a printed commentary on the song. Lennon’s music plays continuously in this small room, and guests can circle and stop to read the songs at their leisure. The unique pyramidic architecture of this building causes the entire sixth floor to be nothing but a room, while the lower floors are quite extensive.

It was a cold and overcast day yesterday, but the outer extremities of each floor were extremely bright as the light poured in through the glass pyramid. I would imagine there is a great deal of squinting in the building in the summer. We were quite comfortable, however, and in no need of our coats, which had been checked into the desk on the ground level free of charge. The museum wasn’t terribly crowded when we went, so we had no trouble at all seeing everything we wanted to see. The museum is equipped with both escalators and elevators, so getting from floor to floor is simple. It is open each day from 10:00 to 5:30. This should be plenty of time to get through the museum, though if I lived in Cleveland I think I would be able to make good use of a season’s pass. Daily passes cost $15 for adults and $11.50 for children aged 9 to 11. Younger children get in free. If you have AAA, don’t forget to give them your card for a discount. There is plenty of parking nearby, and we found a place for $5. Not bad at all.

All in all, I would say that if you live near Cleveland or plan to be visiting, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum is a fantastic way to spend the day for a very reasonable cost. No matter what kind of music you like, you’re sure to find something that will strike your interest. Terrific tunes, fascinating facts, and awesome artifacts...it’s a rock and roll fan’s dream come true!