Tim Riley (music critic)

Last updated
Tim Riley
Born
Tim Riley

1960 (age 6364)
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Music critic
  • historian
  • biographer

Tim Riley (born 1960) [1] is a music journalist who reviews pop and classical music for NPR, [2] and has written for The New York Times , [3] truthdig, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, Slate and Salon.

Contents

Career

His first book was Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (Knopf/Vintage 1988), a critique of the Beatles' music, which The New York Times said brought "new insight to the act we've known for all these years". [1]

His television appearances include Morning Joe , [4] PBS NewsHour , [5] CBS Morning and Evening News, MTV, and the History Channel.

Since 2009, he has taught digital journalism at Emerson College in Boston. [6] Brown University sponsored Riley as its critic-in-residence in 2008. [6] Riley gave a keynote address at Beatles 2000, the first international academic conference in Jyväskylä, Finland. [7] Since then, he has given lectures on censorship in the arts and rock history. [6] His subsequent projects include the music metaportal Riley Rock Index [8] and a biography of John Lennon (Hyperion, 2011), [9] [10] which was included in Kirkus Reviews' list of the Best Nonfiction of 2011. [11]

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles</span> English rock band (1960–1970)

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.

<i>Beatles for Sale</i> 1964 studio album by the Beatles

Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 4 December 1964 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label. The album marked a departure from the upbeat tone that had characterised the Beatles' previous work, partly due to the band's exhaustion after a series of tours that had established them as a worldwide phenomenon in 1964. Beatles for Sale was not widely available in the US until 1987, when the Beatles' catalogue was standardised for release on CD. Instead, eight of the album's fourteen tracks appeared on Capitol Records' concurrent release, Beatles '65, issued in North America only.

<i>Rubber Soul</i> 1965 studio album by the Beatles

Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out". The original North American release, issued by Capitol Records, contains ten of the fourteen songs and two tracks withheld from the band's Help! (1965) album. Rubber Soul was described as an important artistic achievement by the band, meeting a highly favourable critical response and topping sales charts in Britain and the United States for several weeks.

<i>Revolver</i> (Beatles album) 1966 studio album by the Beatles

Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 5 August 1966, accompanied by the double A-side single "Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine". The album was the Beatles' final recording project before their retirement as live performers and marked the group's most overt use of studio technology to date, building on the advances of their late 1965 release Rubber Soul. It has since become regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative albums in the history of popular music, with recognition centred on its range of musical styles, diverse sounds and lyrical content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strawberry Fields Forever</span> 1967 single by the Beatles

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with "Penny Lane". It represented a departure from the group's previous singles and a novel listening experience for the contemporary pop audience. While the song initially divided and confused music critics and the group's fans, it proved highly influential on the emerging psychedelic genre. Its accompanying promotional film is similarly recognised as a pioneering work in the medium of music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Day in the Life</span> 1967 song by the Beatles

"A Day in the Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as the final track of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the opening and closing sections of the song were mainly written by John Lennon, with Paul McCartney primarily contributing the song's middle section. All four Beatles played a role in shaping the final arrangement of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolution (Beatles song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement included on the album; an abstract sound collage that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A music video for the song was shot using the backing track from the single version, their appearances reflecting the song's atmosphere, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the album version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatlesque</span> Resemblance to the English band the Beatles

"Beatlesque" or "Beatles-esque" describes a musical resemblance to the English rock band the Beatles. The term is loosely defined and has been applied inconsistently to a wide variety of disparate artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back in the U.S.S.R.</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Back in the U.S.S.R." is a song by the English rock band the Beatles and the first track of the 1968 double album The Beatles. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, the song is a parody of Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." and the Beach Boys' "California Girls". The lyrics subvert Berry's patriotic sentiments about the United States, as the narrator expresses relief upon returning home to the Soviet Union, formally the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helter Skelter (song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Helter Skelter" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song was McCartney's attempt to create a sound as loud and dirty as possible. It is regarded as a key influence in the early development of heavy metal. In 1976, the song was released as the B-side of "Got to Get You into My Life" in the United States, to promote the Capitol Records compilation Rock 'n' Roll Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And Your Bird Can Sing</span> 1966 Beatles song

"And Your Bird Can Sing" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on their 1966 album Revolver, apart from in the United States and Canada, where it instead appeared on Yesterday and Today. The song was written mainly by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The recording features an extended dual-guitar melody, played by George Harrison and Paul McCartney, which anticipated the harmonised guitar arrangements commonly used by Southern rock, hard rock and heavy metal bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dear Prudence</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Dear Prudence" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Written in Rishikesh during the group's trip to India in early 1968, it was inspired by actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow, who became obsessive about meditating while practising with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Her designated partners on the meditation course, Lennon and George Harrison, attempted to coax Farrow out of her seclusion, which led to Lennon writing the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Robert</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Doctor Robert" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in 1966 on their album Revolver, apart from in North America, where it instead appeared on their Yesterday and Today album. The song was written by John Lennon, although Paul McCartney has said that he co-wrote it. The Beatles recorded the track in seven takes on 17 April 1966, with vocals overdubbed on 19 April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Night Before (song)</span> 1965 song by the Beatles

"The Night Before" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 film Help! and soundtrack album of the same name. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Described as a pop rock or rock and roll song, its lyrics reflect on the singer's last night with his lover before being abandoned.

<i>A Spaniard in the Works</i> 1965 book by John Lennon

A Spaniard in the Works is a nonsense book by English musician John Lennon, first published on 24 June 1965. The book consists of nonsensical stories and drawings similar to the style of his previous book, 1964's In His Own Write. The name is a pun on the expression "a spanner in the works".

<i>Yesterday and Today</i> 1966 American studio album by the Beatles

Yesterday and Today is a studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released in the United States and Canada in June 1966, it was their ninth album issued on Capitol Records and twelfth American release overall. Typical of the Beatles' North American discography until 1967, the album contains songs that Capitol had withheld from its configurations of the band's recent EMI albums, along with songs that the group had released elsewhere on non-album singles. Among its 11 tracks are songs from the EMI albums Help! and Rubber Soul, and three new 1966 recordings that would appear on Revolver in countries outside North America.

Philip Norman is an English author, novelist, journalist and playwright. He is best known for his biographies of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly and Elton John. His other books include similar studies of John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Hilburn</span> American journalist

Robert Hilburn is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the world. Hilburn has since written a memoir and best-selling biographies of Johnny Cash and Paul Simon. He was a member of the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for more than twenty years, and lives in Los Angeles.

Peter Doggett is an English music journalist, author and magazine editor. He began his career in music journalism in 1980, when he joined the London-based magazine Record Collector. He subsequently served as the editor there from 1982 to 1999, after which he continued in the role of managing editor. He has also contributed regularly to magazines such as Mojo, Q and GQ.

<i>Lennon Remembers</i> Book by Jann Wenner

Lennon Remembers is a 1971 book by Rolling Stone magazine co-founder and editor Jann Wenner. It consists of a lengthy interview that Wenner carried out with former Beatle John Lennon in December 1970 and which was originally serialised in Rolling Stone in its issues dated 21 January and 4 February 1971. The interview was intended to promote Lennon's primal therapy-inspired album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and reflects the singer's emotions and mindset after undergoing an intense course of the therapy under Arthur Janov. It also serves as a rebuttal to Paul McCartney's public announcement of the Beatles' break-up, in April 1970.

References

  1. 1 2 Pareles, Jon (June 19, 1988). "IN SHORT: NONFICTION". New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  2. Cantrell, Cindy (November 6, 2011). "Concord author writes a John Lennon biography". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 16, 2012.(registration required)
  3. Riley, Tim (December 6, 2013). "'Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, Volume 1,' by Mark Lewisohn". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  4. "Morning Joe". MSNBC. October 14, 2011. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  5. Brown, Jeffrey (September 9, 2009). "Decades Later, Beatles Hits Continue to Draw New Fans". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Journalism Faculty - Tim Riley". Emerson College. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  7. "Alumni Notes" (PDF). Eastman Notes. Eastman School of Music. Spring–Summer 2002. p. 28. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  8. "Riley Rock Index" . Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  9. Parker, James (October 7, 2011). "John Lennon's Primal Screams". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  10. "Nonfiction Review: Lennon: the Man, the Myth, the Music--the Definitive Life". Publishers Weekly. July 11, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  11. Liebtrau, Eric (ed.). "Best Nonfiction of 2011". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2012.