“Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds – Voters in battleground states said they trusted Donald J. Trump over President Biden on the economy, foreign policy and immigration, as Mr. Biden’s multiracial base shows signs of fraying.”
Free link: https://tinyurl.com/5n8b3c7w
STFU. That’s what all the boomer Democrats tell me when I express doubts about Biden. They’re incensed, pissed that I would break the code, I must vote for Biden, because he’s the only one who can beat Trump. OH YEAH?
Isn’t it funny that the RNC has lost control of the Republican party and the DNC still has a firm grip upon the Democratic party.
What happened with the RNC is it lost control of the narrative, didn’t understand its constituents, and then Donald Trump came along and took over the party. It’s all MAGA, all the time. To the point where every elected official is afraid to say anything negative about him, they’re afraid of being Cheneyed. Yes, go against the orthodoxy and you’ll be primaried and you will lose. So everybody lines up, or gets in line after coloring outside the lines. They can’t even impeach and convict this guy. A lot of Congresspeople decried 1/6, until they found out the public, their voters, and their news media, Fox, et al, thought it was a minor kerfuffle and Trump was innocent. Hell, Fox was afraid of having its lunch eaten by far right outlets, by OAN, so it too hewed to the Trump story.
A laugh, don’t you think?
Well, you have no idea how much Republicans hate Democrats. Much more than Democrats hate Republicans. Republicans have been fed a diet of me-too for decades, MSNBC is no match for Fox, and Fox started indoctrinating its viewers years before. The Democrats are going to end democracy, don’t you know? And they’re going to take away your guns while they’re at it, so you can’t raise up in response, as if even AR-15s are a match for the military.
Don’t bother me with the truth, it’s irrelevant.
What blew my mind most this past week, what I can’t get out of my head, was this piece I read in “The Week,” from “The Bulwark.”
“It is not polite to say so, but most voters ‘are disconnected from reality,’ said Jonathan V. Last. In a recent ‘Bulwark’-organized focus group of swing voters, most parroted right-wing criticisms of President Biden that completely conflict with the factual evidence. One voter complained that ‘our economy is in the dumpster due to Biden’s “socialism.”‘ In reality, unemployment is down to 3.8 percent, average wage gains of 4 percent are outpacing inflation, and the Dow is at 33,000 – 14 percent higher than at any point in Trump’s presidency. Median household wealth is up 37 percent (!) since Trump left office, and as for ‘socialism,’ Trump raised the national debt by a record 7.4 trillion in just four years – a leap of more than 33 percent. One female voter conceded that ‘Trump was just a nut,’ but said he ‘didn’t leave the country in the shape that Joe Biden is leaving us in.’ Hello? Trump left office with the unemployment rate at 6.3 percent, the economy in free fall, and more than 90,000 Americans dying of Covid every month, and with no real plan in place to distribute vaccines. When people are this misinformed, it’s no wonder Trump still has a chance to regain the presidency.”
So, please let’s not talk about facts. They are not reaching voters. As for “Bidenomics,” it’s a riff on “Abenomics,” the policies of the Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, which were seen as fully successful by few. Yup, that’s the Democrats, go deep into Wonkville to come up with a moniker that most people don’t resonate with. Good job guys!
Yes, the DNC has declared we all have to line up behind Biden. You’d think it’s the law.
But it’s not.
Friday night Dean Phillips was on Bill Maher’s “Real Time,” you know, the joke of a Congressman running to unseat Biden as the nominee. Not for himself, even he seems to know he’s got no chance, but to illustrate the Democrats have a problem and someone else needs to be the candidate. And why? BECAUSE BIDEN IS JUST TOO DAMN OLD!
And boy was the point made listening to Phillips. He had power in his voice, verve, he was quick on his feet, he could crack jokes. When Joe steps up to the mic he seems to barely get it out, his voice is closer to a whisper than robust, and that does not inspire confidence.
Please stop telling me Biden’s done a good job, I get it, I think so too. I’ve got my quibbles, but he’s better than I thought he would be. And I tell these same people who tell me to STFU that if I could snap my fingers and make Biden the President for another four years, I would. But I don’t have that power. This is not about the rearview mirror, but going forward. And going forward, it’s absolutely clear, Joe Biden is too old.
Oh, don’t tell me about ageism. You’re only one step away from the college students with their microaggressions and trigger warnings and…everybody may be equal under the law, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. No one wants Biden to run except the Democratic cabal and some oldsters. The poll numbers are horrific, each and every one of them, a vast majority, seemingly almost everybody under the age of forty, along with many more advanced in years, think Joe is too old. But we’re all supposed to hold our tongues, we can’t go against the party line. Joe’s our man!
Well, he’s not mine. Nor was he mine back in 2020. He got the nomination, he won, but that was a cycle ago.
Oh, that’s right, ABORTION! We are going to be saved by abortion rights, no one is going to vote for Trump. Well, it’s really about only five states at most, forget the popular vote, and especially in the south, there doesn’t seem to be the rabid anti-abortion sentiment there is up north. Furthermore, people have a long history of voting against their interests. So don’t explain to me why people should do one thing while they do another. Just face reality.
I don’t want to hear about Trump’s indictments, I don’t want to hear any criticism of Trump. The bottom line is only a few states matter and those states were tight the last time around, and now Biden has a record, upon which Trump can run against, which he didn’t have before.
And Trump will whip out the right wing trope. That taxes are too high! Everybody wants to pay lower taxes, but they’re not willing to forgo any services, which is why the debt rose so much under Trump.
People retire in sports, they retire in academics, but when it comes to politics we’re told again and again that it’s ageism, you should be able to serve until you die. Where else does this play? NOWHERE! They kick you out, or upstairs, and give you the title “emeritus.”
Now you’re going to respond to me with stories. About what Biden has done. But that’s got nothing to do with it, as the “Bulwark” article and the “Times” poll tell us. Can you pull the lens back and look at the big picture?
No one is as rabid about Biden as they are about Trump. That’s not what Joe inspires. And even worse, even though Joe has been running the country well for these past three years, the Republicans still control the narrative, the Democrats can’t seem to come up with their own story and propagate it, spread it everywhere. There’s no fighting spirit amongst Democrats, just self-satisfaction and exasperation, how can you win with that?
And I can’t find a single person who wants Kamala Harris to be President, which is a big issue because of Joe’s age, but I’m told she’s a black woman and if she’s excised from the ticket… Exactly what? Every black person and every woman is going to throw Joe or the ultimate Democratic candidate overboard?Â
That’s the Democrats, the party of fear. They don’t instill it, they just feel it. Which is why they’re getting their lunch eaten in the Middle East crisis. Anyone paying attention, and there seem to be very few, knows that for decades now, BDS has been infiltrating college campuses. But no one seems to know that it’s supported by the Palestinians. That’s right, the Palestinians are better than the Democrats at getting their story across on campus. And in Hollywood. Come on, do you expect these sympathetic nitwits to understand world politics? If I watch one more show telling me about the poor Palestinians…
But now I’ve turned you off, now you’ve clicked away. Because you don’t know the facts, that there are about the same number of Palestinians as Jews on the entire globe. But it’s ethnic cleansing, genocide! Where did you learn math! As for the number of refugees… They’re counting every descendant since 1948. Hell, by that metric, how many Americans can be called refugees? But don’t let the facts get in the way of emotions.
And the point here is many of you disagree with me. And you’re all bleeding heart liberals, who are never going to vote for a Republican anyway. But are you excited now that Biden is standing up for the Israelis?
Biden and Blinken, talking out of two side of their mouths, afraid to piss off constituents by saying the war must go on. These two are afraid of angering the pro-Palestinian cohort. They could try to educate people, now that they’re paying attention. Have you seen videos of the tunnels? Whew! And the oxygen tanks for Hamas in the supplies. Do you know the water is used for rockets and the fuel is hoarded by Hamas? I’m not saying it’s not a thorny issue, I’m just saying that all people can express is sympathy for the Palestinians. Well, where in hell is the sympathy for Israel, for the Jews? Oh, that’s right, these rich f*cks deserved it. Or people say it’s not their battle.
Yes, the Middle East war has divided Democrats and Biden is doing a piss-poor job of bringing them together. Why can’t anybody speak the truth? That’s why Trump won in 2016, his fans thought he was speaking to them, their truth, that he was not pandering to the usual suspects. Meanwhile, Joe is in the White House, a veritable bunker, barely coming out and saying anything! And too often when he does make remarks, they’re equivocal.
IS THIS A WINNING STRATEGY?
Of course not. But it’s heresy to say this. Heresy to say both the Middle East and the election are complicated. That we have to separate the issues, dig down deep. But how can we do this in a country where you can’t say anything negative about “Now and Then” because it’s by the BEATLES! That’s what we’ve lost in the race from the humanities, the power of analytical thinking. Now everything is black and white, for or against. If I question Biden’s bona fides for re-election, if I analyze his statements and movements, I’m a hater. Like we all live in a country ruled by Taylor Swift.
Turns out despite so many thinking otherwise, we might actually be getting back together with Donald Trump. Swift may move on, but not the public.
So please, start talking about this. Start breaking the seal. Ask your friends, is Biden too old? Would you prefer someone younger to run?
And ask those younger than you, and outside your bubble. Their vote counts as much as yours.
As for those who say to ignore polls at this point, to forget approval ratings… I’m with you, but Biden is getting older each and every day. He is not Dorian Gray. He’s aging in front of our very eyes. Why do you refuse to see it?
Because you don’t like change. Bill Maher… He’s anti-tech, every problem is caused by social media. Sure, social media has an influence, but BDS started growing on campus long before social media existed. And you go where the people are, you don’t try and shut sites down. I get it, you want to pull us back to the past. How’d that work for the record companies?
The main effect of this “Times” poll will be to get the DNC to question itself. And it will only effect change if you start agitating yourself. We want a primary of multiple candidates and we want it now, we don’t want ’68, where we try to rally around Humphrey far too late.
I still think Biden is not going to run. But he’s afraid of saying so now, for fear of being seen as a lame duck and losing power.
But I’ll also tell you that I’m not sure Trump will be the candidate either. When everybody else drops out, Nikki Haley is a formidable contender. And against Biden it’s no contest, Haley wins.
Things can change overnight in politics. We’ve seen it again and again. Remember Muskie? Governor Dean? Bush from Florida? But one thing is for sure, Joe Biden is not going to get any younger, and if three plus years are an example, he’s not going to suddenly inspire and grow confidence. That’s not how it works.
Biden is the reluctant candidate. From those who think they know, and have been wrong for more than a decade, and those who are afraid.
Can’t you fight? Can’t you see it’s a contest? Can’t you risk?
Change happens more rapidly than ever before these days, but the DNC moves glacially, if at all.
And if we’re looking for leaders… Biden may be President, but he’s not Presidential. A President inspires, he leads, he’s not afraid of making a public statement. He’s out with the people, convincing them.
Sure, Biden is making a tiny effort, but none of it memorable. His heart isn’t in it. Maybe because his heart is no longer as strong.
It’s his age, don’t you get it?
Joe’s got to go.
And if you think otherwise, you’re part of the problem, not part of the solution.
“This was a slightly different version of events to the one given by McCartney a decade ago. Then, he claimed the late George Harrison – always the most unbiddable ex-Beatle – had singlehandedly drawn the sessions to a close by describing Now and Then as “f*cking rubbishâ€. (“But it’s John!†McCartney had apparently protested, to no avail: “This is f*cking rubbish,†Harrison countered.) Indeed, Harrison seemed unsure about the whole idea of reworking Lennon’s material. “I hope someone does this to all my crap demos after I’m dead – turn them into hit songs,†he subsequently remarked, which perhaps wasn’t the promotional boost for the new songs Apple was after.â€
https://tinyurl.com/2ffasart
George was right.
David Bower
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This piece really struck a chord with me. I was a roadie in the mid 60s and went to work at Columbia as an engineer in 1971 so I’ve got a few albums under my belt. There’s a reason they’re outtakes. They weren’t good enough to make the cut and no amount of lipstick will make it so. I don’t remember a time when it wasn’t clear what to leave off if you had to. I mean, every one would look at each other and say, Nope.
And the remixing thing makes my skin crawl. I do not understand how the work of the artist and producer can be so thoroughly disrespected.
Phil Brown
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Thank you for putting into words what many of us who lived through The Beatles’ era in real time, feel about “Now and Then.†This “new†song, along with “Free as a Bird†and “Real Love,†were not good enough for John to even consider recording for his own albums and now they are official “Beatles†songs? Seriously? I would have had a  passing interest in hearing the original demos once, maybe twice but all three should just be credited as John Lennon demos..nothing more, nothing less. I don’t care who played on them. Releasing them as Beatles songs was just a bad idea. Period.
The only song that even comes close to being worthy of being considered a “Beatles song†after they broke up, was “I’m The Greatest,†which was written by a Beatle and featured John, George, Ringo, Billy Preston and Klaus Voormann as the band. That was special…unlike the three demos that Yoko gave to Paul.
I also strongly agree with you about the recent stereo remixes. I tried listening to The White Album and Sgt. Pepper and could not get past three songs. The Beatles and George Martin made creative decisions on the spot based strictly on the limitations of the technology available to them at the time. Remixing those recordings just because you have new technology, is desecrating historic art and I hope that in time, will be proven to be a huge misstep.
I am a life long Beatles fanatic and historian so I was quite pleased to read your comments.
Rich Ulloa
Yesterday & Today Records / Y&T Music
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Bravo!!! Thanks for saying what everyone should be saying! This is an abomination and with the “dramatic” build up…even moreso…
Also thanks for the comment on the heinous Taylor Swift re-recordings…what a pile of revenge based garbage that no one needed but her legions of brain dead followers just continue to eat up whatever she vomits out like baby birds being fed by their mama in the nest…You signed a contract…honor that contract and if you’re so great and talented…move on and give your oppressors the big FU by beating your own past output with classic new material. I can’t believe this is what music/the music industry has come to.
Leigh Lust
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Like any gift… Unwrap it, be grateful and say thank you…
dave traina
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Can’t disagree w most of what you said, but kind of liked it with the creepy but effective Peter Jackson music video that came out this am:
Keith Shapiro
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Totally agree.
John Parikhal
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Wow. Why you spent your energy vilifying Now & Then is beyond comprehension. Hate serves no one.
Sean McGowan
Portland OR
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Did we hear the same song? Watch the same video?
With all due respect, we can’t say what John would have thought of this record at the age of 83 because we will never know how he would have grown/changed over the last four decades. Hell, we might have seen all four of them together again. We’ll never know.
I’ve listened to this song all day. It’s IS the Beatles. I adore Jeff Lynne, but I don’t think of him when I hear this song. The video is a masterpiece of, well, now and then.
If you aren’t reaching for a Kleenex, you’re missing the point. I’m only a few years younger than you are. Soon we won’t have Ringo or Paul. I will take “Now and Then†as the gift that it is.
Best,
Kim McAllister
P.S. Paul is amazing for 82 and as for not aging – where is Ringo keeping his Dorian Gray portrait?
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Welp, there’s the stretched Am9 move at the end of the verse. Instead of landing on the tonic, John lifts the melody to B, the 9 of the chord. If you’re someone who responds to a harmonic twist -and- have a sense of context for what was in vogue when he was playing with this, it’s gorgeous, simple, in character and a pure hook.
Listened to it twice and had the song stuck in my head all day.
Chris Desmond
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You know I love you, but maybe lighten up a little?
I just happened to be in front of the Amsterdam Hilton yesterday when I heard it for the first time and definitely got a little misty. The somber opening verses were enough…
Of course, it’s not A Day in the Life, but nice nonetheless to hear the final offering from the most culturally impactful band of all time.
Out of respect for all that was, and all the work that went into this single  – maybe just say thank you. It’s just too easy to throw shade in these weird times.
They’ve given us too much to bash them for trying to hoist the flag one last time.
Shane Alexander
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I respectfully disagree. Yes, the mix could be lightened up, but the song itself is perfect for this time. It is the coda for an era, and our lifetimes. It’s like a Chopin funeral piece. We were lucky to live through the 60s & 70s. It’s all sh*t now, and this song is the perfect expression of/for the here and now. It couldn’t have been more timely. It carves the end in cold stone.
Kieron McKindle
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Wow. What the f*ck do you know about what John would have thought? He clearly loved beautifully produced music throughout his solo career, from Mind Games to Watching The Wheels.
Errant piano? It’s re-recorded by Paul you moron.
You think this is about “selling something?†What the hell do the Beatles have to sell?
Oh, and now you’re a record producer? “The strings “distract not add.â€
I loved this song. Brought me to tears in the car on the 101. And have loved the Beatles since I bought “I Feel Fine†when I was 7.
Paul and Ringo just gave a beautiful gift to all Beatles fans.
Thank you gents. Label it fab.
John Watkin
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I agree with you on this one. Macca’s revisionist history is just out of control and tarnishing the legacy of the group at this point. There is no way John Lennon would have let this come out. It’s obvious he was working on the melody and the words would come later. He never would let lyrics this banal be the finished song. McCartney on the other hand, well banal lyrics are his thing. Listening to him speak in this video he sounds like has had a stroke. Has he? Does not sound well to me. Anyways, I wish John and George were here to stop him from doing and saying the things he does. And ‘’now there’s all this….â€
JC
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It’s funny, I don’t want to, but I totally agree with you.
John-Angus MacDonald
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I’m inclined to agree on the egotist aspect regarding this project–it’s McCartney getting what he wanted, like he always seems to–and I’m even willing to agree that this hodgepodge is a Frankensteinian monster that John probably would not have enjoyed. Nevertheless, I found myself enjoying the track as a coda.
You mention Plastic Ono, which I find to be Lennon’s best songwriting through his career; however, unlike you, I read at least the Lennon-penned lyrics as featuring a similar cry to the heart; they have a wistful tone to the entirety of it lacking in “Free as a Bird” and barely there in “Real Love” (the latter of which is the superior of the Anthology tracks). I imagine you would prefer the demo tape, which is featured in the first half of the linked video. Take a listen and maybe you’ll find the same nostalgia and reverence I do. I ended up preferring it to the recent redux and I think if you like Plastic Ono, listening to it will make you understand why McCartney became so hung-up on the track.
PS–I think you underestimate the appeal of the Jeff Lynne sound. George Harrison didn’t have him produce Cloud Nine for nothing; he fit their sound, although I admit to finding him a little more string-happy than George Martin, and I do think there’s a similarity to the sound only he could provide.
Best,
Kevin Brennan
some dumb Millennial who’s listened to the dumb track too many times in 24 hours.
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I appreciate where you are coming from. I don’t like what Paul, Gilles and Ringo did with this snippet of a Lennon song. It is pretty average, when, of course, the Beatles were anything but average. But Beatle fans are obsessive beyond the pale and I think the decision was made to release it for them Yes, it is a money grab. Yes, it’s subpar. But these Beatle fans would want to at least see what it was. Anybody expecting ‘Now and Then’ to be great would be sadly mistaken. Hell, I never even liked Real Love much.
But we’ve gotten to the point in music where it is similar to Egyptologists digging out scrolls. Everything about Beatles is even bigger than them. And I can’t blame them.
My Regards.
D. Bodnar
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Couldn’t disagree more. Firstly, the Anthology collections were great and full of rarities and alternate takes that were fantastic. Second, “Free As A Bird†and “Real Love†were beautifully done and both very poignant songs. You speak with such disregard that it’s hard to imagine you’re even much of a fan.
Jonathan Espeche
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Not as bad as you make it out to be, Bob. But Ringo never used a wood block or rim shot in place of a snare. The strings and guitar were restrained enough.
My biggest complaint is the artificial sheen the covers the whole song.
Cheers, Thomas Queinn
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I am certainly not the first to wonder and ask, but I have to: why did Yoko okay this?!?…or is it a ‘democracy rules’ arrangement in the modern-day Apple organization?!?
Doug Collette
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Hi Bob…yet this version by an artist I do not know makes me feel great about the song.
Bob, this ain’t perfect, but it’s TEN THOUSAND TIMES BETTER than what you so perfectly put down in your essay!! 🙂
“The Beatles – Now And Then (Cover) – Played Like The Early Beatles”: https://tinyurl.com/yzk86add
Arlen Schumer
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Ok fine, Bob, be that way.
Ultimately the song is a fascinating cultural artifact – a record with two dead guys (one barely on it) and the two surviving Beatles.  It’s NOT a Beatles song – but it’s an emotional and moving curio, and repeated listens yield a lot of pleasure and fascinating thoughts about the band, the four men, and their relationships.
Not everything is a cynical money grab.
I’m glad they did it – completed the troika – the assignment when Yoko handed off the tapes all those years ago.
No one really thinks these three belong with the other, ‘real’ Beatle songs.
Nick Davis
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You would think that, seeing the wrath that Paul felt when Phil Spector overproduced Let It Be (compare, for example, The Long and Winding Road on Abbey Road with that same song de-Spectored on Let It Be….Naked) that he’d be more sensitive to taking something simple and overembellishing it. But that’s exactly what he and Ringo and Giles Martin have done here, they’ve taken something simple and perhaps even beautiful at its core, and Spectorized it. The vocals that are being touted as being clear are still buried in the mix, as are the added guitar solos.
The great lesson of outtakes collections is that, in general, the artists knew quality when they heard it and issued what they felt was the best take. With the exception of Springsteen’s Tracks and the Tom Petty box, most outtake collections are good for maybe a listen, and then put onto the shelf.
The real revelation here is the flip side of Love Me Do, which has astounding clarity and excellent instrument separation. I’m not a purist, I want to hear the music in the best form possibility with existing technologies. Love Me Do does that, making me wait for the demixed Red and Blue albums.
Paul Kaytes
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Bob the first thing you don’t get is this is a love song. Lennon feeling unprotected was reaching out to Yoko. “And if I make it through it’s all because of you†Oh, now and then  I want you  to be there for meâ€.  Maybe it hit me more deeply because I have had cancer for 6 years
John Emms
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Just out of interest…. Isn’t it ironic that their Biggest tune on Spotify is ‘Here Comes The Sun’…. George would have a rye smile ….
Stephen Budd
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Thank you.
“Talk about losing the plot… Didn’t anybody involved blow the whistle, say this was a bad idea? That there was no reason to tarnish the image of the band that got it right from beginning to end?”
Yes, George Harrison did. He refused to work on it. Said it was “f*cking rubbish”. But George is dead and apparently his vote doesn’t count anymore. So much for Beatle democracy. Bah. Humbug. A pox on it.
Adam Blake
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Why is the cover art so bland and unimaginative?
Pierre Lamoureux
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Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today. I know the world is f*cked but lighten up.
John Milo
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I think you are too fast to critically represent John Lennon’s opinion. Considering he was murdered almost 45 years ago, I think he would be f*cking blown away re: the surrealism of this time and place. The dancing Magical Mystery Tour and Sergeant Pepper bodies floating in and out of the video, seeing his friends thirty and forty years older, and the digital technology behind separating his voice from piano and his old bandmates overdubbing to a rinky dink cassette. Even Gilles arranging the orchestra might have been fascinating to an 83 yr old Dr. Winston O’Boogie, (though his father’s talent is not something genetically transferable, imho). Anyway, it is no threat to their legacy and I probably will relisten more than t I currently do with Revolution #9.
bob wiseman
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Re “And then the strings come in”:
That’s when I went out. Perfectly awful
George Middendorf
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Mr. Happy strikes again.
Billy Chapin
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Bob, thanks for telling it like it is! The thing that bugs me about this travesty is the sound of John’s vocal, it doesn’t sound like him! It sounds like a sh*tty impersonator! Steve Guttenberg
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jesus christ bob
it’s a mediocre song but so what? it’s the beatles… and the video is cool
and once again they have the high hand over the stones and the hackneyed hackney diamonds
and dylan? he’s still on the road headin’ for another joint… tangled up in blue
if i told you in 1973 that these guys would still be “making music†50 years later you would never have believed it
the world is f*cked up enough
why not enjoy this?
lit523
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Heard now and then for the first time this evening on Little stevens UG.
My go to station. So, SVZ was DJ-ing and by way of introduction, described it in his words as the Beatles latest, not necessarily the last single. Fair enough and,, whatever.
What struck me is not so much whether I liked it or not -that’s irrelevant
The fact is it’s not a Beatles song, it’s a John Lennon song with his fellow musicians from the Beatles contributing to it. It just doesn’t sound like a Beatles song in anyway shape or form. It very much sounds like (and you nailed it ) a Jeff Lynne song trying to sound like a Beatles song..
Just one (former) Liverpool lads opinion.
Andrew Parr, London, Ontario Canada
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How fortunate and blessed the world is to have someone as wise and eloquent as you to speak on behalf of John Lennon and George Harrison. I’m sure they’re doing cartwheels in their graves safe in the knowledge that you have their backs. Unlike those money grubbing, whore, former partners of theirs who clearly have no idea what they’re doing. And good for you for getting in your obligatory Taylor Swift dig in the midst of this horsesh*t rant. Well done.
Matt Levy
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You seem like something is bothering you today and you’re taking on The Beatles.
Geremiah Giampa
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To me, Now and Then sounds like a James Bond theme song.
Matthew Grandi
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The average Beatle fan doesn’t care about the business side nor do they care, they just enjoy the songs and their relevance to their past. It makes them feel good.
This isn’t the best Beatles song, but it will resonate and be enjoyed by the fans. The industry can naval gaze all day long…the fan will enjoy the moment.
Regards,
Alan Robertson
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left me with an overwhelming sense of dread. I wish I had not listened/watched
Frank Stewart
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Boy oh boy, are you right about this one Bob. This is worse than Free as a Bird, which was chock full of tricks too.
It’s just a shame. Ya know at first I was thinking wow, a new Beatles record. I allowed myself to remember that feeling from when I was a kid. We devoured everything they did and said. Couldn’t wait. Remember that excitement? It was such an all good thing.
But the fun was over the minute I heard this. What a mess. The real kick in the ass is they show you in the video how they cleaned up John’s voice. It sounded beautiful. It had a tentative demo quality to it, but it sounded like John, and reminded us of when John’s amazing voice could be tender. They should’ve just taken that and put it way up front, and kept it simple and strong like some of their best work. But instead, they buried it with all kinds of crap from all directions, including McCartney‘s 2023 voice, at times louder than John’s!
So, all that work to dig John’s vocal out, only to bury it again? Paul blew it.
I worship The Beatles. This is not the coda they deserved.
Love, Love, Love,
Paul Gigante
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I don’t know Bob, maybe all the sh*te things going on in the world have got you a little cynical right now, and yes there is a lot of bad bad stuff happening right now…but as a kid who watched the Fab Four on Ed Sullivan that night and followed them into the fray (i.e. became a performing musician) I found this foray nostalgic and frankly, happy. Will I ever listen to the track again, no. Was it fun watching the 12 minute mini-movie about how they made it, hell yes! Was it fun watching the video of the song, yes. I don’t think Paul and Ringo are trying to get rich off of this, they are already rich. I don’t think they were trying to make a chart topping single. I think they were loving the feeling of recapturing the moment, and paying homage to their two brothers. I’m glad they did.
Robert Pina
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It’s a Beatles funeral song whilst two are with us in this world of BS.
I gotta think you have reduced the essence here to be more “get off my lawn†— you should be more “what me worryâ€
Thanks for having the guts to share such a miserable take! Â Love ya, mate
All best,
Josh Hall
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Can’t agree, Bob. The song is melancholy, wistful, full of love and laced with a feeling of loneliness–which could describe any number of songs by John or Paul. Or George for that matter. The mix is thick, yes, but not the way Lynne’s clankarank production of “Free As A Bird” was.
And the whole idea of the song–from the title to the little Ringo cameo at the end, bookending the song with Paul at the other end–is that time passes but just maybe love can conquer all. That’s John’s message to Yoko, and his message to himself. It’s also Paul’s message to his mates, and to us, the Beatles audience. We’ve grown old with them. That doesn’t diminish their heroism, that they’ve aged. It enlarges and strengthens that heroism.
Most of all, the song and arrangement are beautiful in conception and nearly always in execution as well. It’s a meta-song, a song about the Beatles, about how it might be true, however difficult, that in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make. All four Beatles believe that. And to quote another of theiridols, maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true.
This final Beatles song makes my heart stronger for the heavy tasks ahead.
And then the Peter Jackson video celebrates that strength while simultaneously reminding us that the Beatles were cheeky lads who loved to take the piss….
Works for me.
Gardner Campbell
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I for sure approve of this song and project. No, it is not the best work ever, it’s the virtual Beatles afterall, but it was a gift for Paul and Ringo to do and a gift to the many fans who will care and enjoy it. My guess a treat for John/George families also. It’s really nothing more and nothing less… just a nice little song. All the rest of it is just blather. They’re the Beatles, we’re not, they dug it as artists, friends, family… that’s enough for me.
My 2 cents
Tim Honan
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A hype balloon filled with the last gasp of the 20th century.
Gerry Bayne
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Thanks for speaking the truth about “Now and Thenâ€. This isn’t a Beatles song at all.  John wrote it in 1977. The Beatles had long ceased to exist. If it was a Beatles song it would be great. This is a money grab to sell repackaged Red and Blue albums that will be remixed using digital technology. Pretty soon the world will never be able to hear the songs as intended. We will hear what Giles Martin wants us to hear. No thanks.
Dennis Paulik
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What really matters is how you feel when the song hits you the first time you hear it. Â And this one really touched a lot of emotions.
Meghan Gohil
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I listened to Now & Then 15 times last night trying to find the song in the foggy mix. I went to bed and woke up this morning and I listened again. No goosebumps. Nothing
I had an inbox full of emails asking me what I thought about the song.
This was probably because I wrote a Beatles column for Goldmine magazine for 5 years called “Now We’re Sixty Four”. I stopped writing the column after the Let it Be Peter Jackson doc.
I had had enough. 5 years of remixed albums, several press listening sessions with the Atmos mixes and 2 Giles Martin exclusive interviews.
At the last Giles interview, he explained they could now lift any voice or instrument on any track and manipulate it anyway they wanted.
I decided my time as a Beatles writer/observer/fan had finally run its course.
Like you Bob, I was a Beatles fan in real time, not some ‘Johnny come lately’.
I have dozens of original UK, Japanese, German, Swedish, South American & US mono and stereo Beatles albums, 45’s, ep’s and reel to reel tapes.
All bought in real time from ’64–’70.
I know the music as well as any musician could know an artist
I have 2 real butcher covers.
My reaction to this ‘final Beatles song’ along with the video and the remixed Blue and Red albums is this:
To paraphrase Neil Aspinall:Â Apple Corp. is not in the music business, it is in the Beatle business.
And so it is. Another expertly packaged product launch with all the hype they can muster.
The video is cute and full of the only product they have left: Nostalgia
I played the song again today. 10 times. It’s a demo. period. It still goes nowhere
Cute title: Now and Then
“Yesterday and Today”, “Here, There & Everywhere” and “The Long & Winding Road” had already been taken.
The Beatle business will continue. I’m sure the remix of Rubber Soul is coming.
As far as i’m concerned however, i’m content to just
“Let It Be!’
Jay Jay French
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Wow! This is almost a clickbait article. Ok, well I’ll bite.
The new single is like a Rorschach test. People see in it what they want to see.
Couldn’t disagree more with your assessment. There’s so much more to the song than just what you’re hearing.
It’s an emotional trip.
John is my favorite all time singer, and the Beatles are not only my all time favorite band, but my all time favorite anything besides my family.
Did I listen to ANTHOLOGY more than once? Why yes I did! I immediately copied them onto cassette so I could listen to them repeatedly in the car. (Including the non-LP CD bonus tracks.) I’ve also watched the GET BACK documentary 5 1/2 times.
As for what Lennon would have thought: he changed his mind all the time. What he thought in 1970 was different from what he thought in 1965 or 1975. And from any Monday to the following Tuesday. It’s easy to imagine both John and George softening up in their old age, if they were still around.
What you think about the quality of the song is almost irrelevant. It’s just an opinion. But the emotional heaviness is off the charts.
As for the song being “dreary,†well … it’s all they had to work with because… well… John and George are no longer here. And that’s reality.
You can feel Paul putting as much emotion as he can muster into this recording. Is his slide playing the same as George’s? No, but as a tribute, how can you not be moved?
Unlike the recent Stones/Jagger pandemic songs, NOW AND THEN will be remembered by those who care, and are still open to feeling things emotionally instead of intellectually.
Will it have no impact? On who? People who care certainly will.
You know it’s true.
Peace and love,
Harold Lepidus
Boston Harold Podcast
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You are a beacon of sanity in the online Now And Then hoopla. The song is a dreary dirge, yet if you only read the online comments you’d think it was the greatest Beatles track ever released.
Insane.
Turk
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Totally agree and have been waiting for ANYONE to share this perspective publicly.
Even when talking with friends and family who have been lifelong Beatles fanatics, the conversation is never “what a great song!†But more like “that was so exciting to hearâ€.
Regardless of the song itself, I’m glad they made it – I’m 28 and heard it for the first time on KCRW Thursday morning ~7:20 am. It felt like I was in a Time Machine. There was 3 minutes of peace where I got to imagine a monoculture of fans discovering the same song at the same time. It was an awesome feeling. Aside from live sports and concerts, when do people consume things at the same time?
Happy for the experience and will always love the Beatles, but would be surprised if I listen to this song by choice many times.
Tom Capone
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It made me happy
It made me sad
It made me think
It made me feel
More please
Steven Gietka
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Highly disappointed in “Now and Then†I barely made it through once and I won’t be going back.
Rob Halprin
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I recoiled in horror when i heard there was another Beatles resurrection coming. But in reality it’s been my earworm since BBC 6music played it twice on Thursday. I find Lennon’s vocal touching and the lyrics genuine. Now as you say its not really a true Beatles tunes, melded in the fab four cauldron, but it reminds you just how much of a talent Lennon truly was. Plus my earworm hasn’t remembered the string section. 😉
Keep on keeping on
Rich Dale
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Oh Bob, you hard hearted man! Chill out! My guess is you’ve only listened once because I too thought it dreary and sugary on first listen but I persisted and, hey, it’s not ‘Strawberry Fields’ but did you expect that? As for John hating it, who knows? All I’ll say is an awful lot of post Fabs‘ Lennon is gooey and sentimental and not that great, ‘Double Fantasy’ is a very poor record. Any road, I like ‘now and then’ very much albeit I doubt I’ll ever play it after the next week or so. I don’t play  Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ either despite it being a good effort and his best since ‘Scary Monsters’, but that’s another story.
Keith Stael
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Oh , Bob. F*ck what john would have done ( this time ) we need this.i need this. Peace & Love from Argentina, Andrew Loog Oldham
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Lifelong fan but must agree this should have not been done. I just listened to the John Lennon demo on you tube. Â Â Â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO_5et2vQLIÂ This shows the raw emotion and passion that John intended comes though so much better on the demo. It should remain as a John song and not be rehashed as The Beatles. Get rid of AI before we all become cloned and turn Donald Trump into a nice chap. LOL. !!
Colin Newman
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So I clicked the YT link first, watched thinking about your forewarning but that the bass and drums must have laid a good foundation so… clicked the Spotify link.
Sounded decent at first but maybe a minute in realized I felt like a late night snack, wandered over to the fridge, debated between black raspberries and fresh pineapple chunks, hmm…
Went with the raspberries, savored them then decided to have the pineapple too, then after a few bites realized: wait, this thing is STILL going, how fking boring.
But at least the fruit was good.
DG
P.S. Spotify autoplayed Love Me Do next, now THAT held my attention.
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Lt reader and big fan !
This is the first time in a VERY long time that I 100% Disagree with a review of yours.
I believe the Beatles knocked it out of the ballpark with the ballad of Now and then !
Listen to the lead guitar in the background and the absolute beautiful arrangement of the song.
Your points of crunchy Lennon and ELO are well taken but the Beatles were always a moving unit and Lennon would have been ok with this song (that’s my believe 😅)
Don’t forget that Lynne and George were best buds for a very long time.
Best, Heiner Leiber
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I have been disappointed this song and the Anthology songs.  It’s particularly bad they cut out a whole section of John’s song.
However I think the video is very moving especially with all the new footage. Â Abbey Road was the perfect ending to the group. Â This is a nice GOODBYE to the band and a nice goodbye from the band to itself and two of its own members
Happyron Hill
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This is a beautiful, sentimental, joyous finale and coda from the Beatles to close the loop on their era. Paul and Ringo made this a “love letter†to the four of them. They loved each other. I loved it. You’re way overthinking it.
Ken Green
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Bob,
Let it be.
Roni and Jeff
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Most of what you said here today I said after listening to it yesterday 5 times ~ McCartney must have had an ego rush ~ Can you believe at the end of the video Paul take’s a bow instead of giving it to John ~ WTF could he be thinking ~
Sadly the dead can’t speak otherwise this recording would have never seen the light of day ~ Don’t get me wrong it’s great that they were able to lift the voice out of that years old cassette tape but instead of using it to it’s advantage they screwed it up ~
Me I was thinking more of “Oh my love†off the Imagine Lp as the recording type that I was hoping to find ~ Instead I we got the full blown “Real Love†~
Sadly ~ The Dream is over ~
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Ha ha Bob-
But what do you REALLY think?
Personally, I like it.
Regards,
Mark Feldman
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Seriously man…
Lighten up. So it’s not White Album material, it’s still better than anything on the radio.
Misty Ragland
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Wow! You can read John Lennon’s mind. How special you are.
S. Butler
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I was instantly blown away with how bad it sounds—the arrangement, production, and performances. I wanted to turn it off, but I listened to the end, hoping for redemption. Which obviously never came. What a sad day for Beatles fandom and the legacy of their collective and individual genius. I’m reminded of all of the ‘lost’ Hendrix tracks that were completed without him. The real life soundtrack to The Stepford Wives!
Dan Workman
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Completely agree.
Lennon once said the problem with Neil Young was he never resolved anything in his songs, either lyrically or melodically. I dare say Johnnie would say the same of “Now and Then.â€
How did Yoko let this happen? She needs the money?
Emory Damron
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True. But did anyone need to hear you yell “get off my lawn!” in response?
The value of your take in the same neighborhood as the value of the song in the big picture.
Perhaps their attempt at an epitaph is not the worst thing in today’s sh*t world. A reminder pointing toward their music and the possibility of that time.
Cheers anyway Bob, always entertaining.
Bob Kalill
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I agree that “Now and Then” is a bore.
Craig
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All I’m seeing on social media and Internet forums are rave reviews for this. I don’t get it. I was starting to think it was me until I read this.
It’s garbage!
Now, I did like “Free As A Bird†and “Real Love†when they came out. This is not even up to that snuff.
—Rob Maurer
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No, you will not feel the earth move under your feet, but maybe it’s better to view the song as you would an antique or a curio; you find a potato peeler from 1893, clean it up, make it good as new, but you’re  never going to actually use it. That doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate it for other reasons. The song isn’t meant to be a new awakening. Besides, better to hear the song, underwhelming though it may be, than to wonder needlessly about whether it might be some undiscovered gem.
Dave Recamp
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“I mean in a collection of dreck, like those “Anthology” albums of thirty years ago, sure, include it if you want to. But come on, did you listen to those CDs more than once, if once?”
You nailed it. “Now And Then” is simply unnecessary. I did not watch the Anthology broadcast on ABC but did own the VHS box set although I never opened it. Go figure
Bob Paris
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Hi Bob – being so angry with the gift of a new/old/whatever Beatles tune isn’t worth your energy. I love it. I’m happy it exists. Some of us have never had the pleasure of anticipating a Beatles release until now.
Jeremy Elliott
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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DISAGREE.    This song can live in the Smithsonian as far as I’m concerned   No, NOT because it’s a ‘great song’ or whatever——cause it’s not!   Not the point.   Because when Ringo does that drum fill to bring on the singalong chorus, you get a moment of ‘oh sh*t.   THAT’S The Beatles!    And you cant tell me different because it had that effect on me.    Agree to Disagree, Bob.    Again, a classic Beatles song? Naw……but I applaud the powerful effect it had on this human being.    We all can use magical moments like that Ringo fill into the chorus.     Sometimes it IS the little things…..
Gary Spivack
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My first reaction yesterday,
It sounds so incredibly sad. I fell in love with the Beatles at 9. I was heartbroken beyond description when John was murdered. This song makes me feel the loss all over again.
Roland West
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Listened once. No need for twice.
John Hughes
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You nailed it. ‘Now & Then’ is bland at best. I heard 20 secs and turned it off. I have never done that to any Beatles song ever. John would have despised it.
Don’t worry I did go back and hear the whole thing. Verdict is the same. A sad money grab. I expected better.
Norman Karlik
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I agree with you 100%. The new Stones album also wasn’t all that great. The lyrics are ridiculous and there are no riffs. Keith was all about the riffs!
Unbelievable hype. The most hyped album I can remember
Steve Aliment
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Some of the comments (not mine) I heard or read on the release day:
—momentous
—a thing of beauty
—emotional
—amazing
—masterpiece
—moving
—haunting
—breathtaking
And all the while, I kept thinking:
“Lefsetz is gonna hate it”
Marty Bender Sobolewski
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This is great writing!
George tried to stop it…
My hope is when people google it they get “Now and then” by Shoes
A song worth listening too 🙂
Thanks again
Peter Stema
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I was with you until you said The Anthologies were dreck and I’ll take “Free As A Bird†over “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer†and day
Now Maxwell’s vs Now & Then ?
That’s akin to the choice one has to make in those SAW films.
And did you see the song’s official video released this morning ?
You might as well have Lennon frolicking with the f*cking Care Bears
Mark Flores
Guitar / SAG ( still marching )
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In this case – you just don’t get it.
At all.
I wish you’d just have typed “meh,†and moved on. Or have left well enough alone, as you put it.
But you thought we needed to actually read this dismissive, half-informed opinion.
Meh.
Your loss, Bob.
You missed the beauty altogether.
It’s there, though. It’s a beautiful track.
Best,
Larry Kennedy
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I agree with you.
Paul lost it after the mid-seventies – he kept doing the same thing over and over but worse for the past almost 50 years.
John evolved – I am guessing he would still be producing interesting music today if his life had not been cut short.
Regards,
Dave Machanick
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You’re a treasure, and the fact that you shine a light, as well as unabashed opinion pieces on entertainment and beyond is in this day and age is of great benefit to us all.
When you hit it, you it it, and when you miss, you go big! Â But not without taking that giant swing.
This Beatles “Now And Then†swing was indeed a powerful one- and I can’t help but hear the whiff of the ball as it passes…
I can’t tell you how many texts and emails I received from my fellow musicians about how thrilled and moved they were to hear a NEW Beatles track yesterday.  Grown men and women moved to literal TEARS! From MUSIC!  And not just musicians- music lovers, Beatles fans, casual and devoted alike- it was a moment to be sure, no matter how fleeting, as you suggest. (Doesn’t everything come and go much more quickly in this internet age though? We’re long past the days of a collective society all watching Ed Sullivan simultaneously and changing America overnight- we’re even 40 years beyond when Michael Jackson did so moonwalking for Motown 25!).
But this song- the mere premise of hearing Paul’s bass (a KILLER bass track as only Paul could conceive and perform) alongside a John vocal and sentiment, with Ringo’s unmistakable drums/pocket/sound underneath?  What human wants to lean into negativity upon such an event?
I was born in 1972, well after one could have experienced the Beatles descending on US shores. Â In fact, the music that impacted me was released 5-15 years after they last recorded. Â Any Beatles consciousness was in the rear view mirror. Â And obviously, with great reverence.
Is “Now And Then†perfect? Far be it from me to judge, but it’s really lovely, isn’t it?  Nice for Gilles Martin to contribute in tribute to his father, on strings that certainly seem to enhance the song (sure we were extra excited in my household that my wife was one of the violinists on the track!).  “Vanilla mush,†Bob, really? Were you hearing Percy Faith because I don’t hear it.
Hearing John raw and real touches a nerve that no other can.  Cool that they could use “AI†for good, isolating that vocal.
I agree John’s final Jack Douglas record was sublime.  But we pretend that all of the  prior Lennon 70’s output (Rock And Roll, etc) was perfect?  I’ve heard stories of session musicians here in LA walking out of those sessions because he and Spector were a complete embarrassing mess.  It’s not all fab.
So we get a sweet Lennon vocal on a cassette, and his old pals want to put new parts on it, making it a veritable Beatles track. WHAT AN AWFUL IDEA- geez.
Music has the amazing ability to touch people in a way nothing else can. So many people I know are impacted by this little song. Â Do we have to get snarky about it?
So the TikTok for this moment is “dreary� Maybe this isn’t a TikTok moment, Bob!  Maybe it’s something else beyond TikTok. Sure today’s preferred platform is TikTok, but it’s built on the backs of 20 second 2x sped up song snippets.
Sign me up for a new Beatles song lovingly offered by two guys that lived it and shared it with us. Â I, for one, am grateful.
-Jeff Babko
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I agree with everything you say here about “Now and Then.†Lennon is singing in a higher register and at first I thought McCartney was taking the first verse. I soon caught on, but when McCartney does take the lead vocal, it was a moment before I could hear the switch. Since the piano on the demo wasn’t usable, it’s McCartney playing and it’s in his style. Even the guitar solo in homage to George ends up sounding like McCartney–his attack and tone take over. “Now and Then” sounds very much like a McCartney solo project.
In addition, the recording sounds flat, and I’m listening to a hi-rez FLAC download. The strings and background vocals are hazy and I have to strain to hear most of George’s guitar parts. AI might have done a good job of isolating Lennon’s vocals on the original demo, but they still sound like a second generation tape. Compare “Love Me Do,†the “B†side of the single. I’m not sure I like the new mix of the song, but it’s a1962 recording and sounds more lively and vivid than “Now and Then.â€
I’m also completely with you on these remixes and expanded reissues. In a review of the Giles Martin remix of Revolver, I wrote that it sounded OK, but that it shouldn’t supplant the original. In fact, I prefer the original, which was a technical accomplishment in its time. It and Pepper changed how rock musicians made records. A number of people took issue with what I wrote. “The new version is sonically better!†Is it, though? It’s like George Lucas going in with today’s CGI and revising a Star Wars scene. It alters my memories and could end up erasing what were very real innovations in the first place.
Most important, all this revisiting risks tarnishing the group’s legacy. The alternate takes give us no clue into how the final magic was really achieved. And, as you note, we’ll never listen to them, just as we never listen to the Anthologies (bought them both on CD and vinyl, so I did take the bait then). These reissues, along with the interminable Peter Jackson documentary, have given me Beatle fatigue.
I’m sure Apple and Universal Music are eager to squeeze the last dollar out of these recordings and Paul is happy to oblige because he cannot endure a moment where he is not in the public eye. They all need to just stop.
Joseph Taylor
Soundstage Xperience
www.soundstagexperience.com
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Long time reader, first time caller.
I’ve gotta disagree with you on “Now and Then” (though my perspective doesn’t mean I found no truth at all in your own thoughts)
To be transparent, I’m a millennial. Mark David Chapman was behind bars for over a decade before I was sprouted. So no, I wasn’t there for any Beatles releases, concerts, etc. I don’t have the same lived experiences as many probably do that inform their (or your) perspective on John’s thoughts or feelings.
But somehow the melancholic, dreary tone of Now and Then feels cosmic. Serendipitous. Like it was meant to be found, fixed up, put on the backburner, then rediscovered and released in the exact timing that it was. And fair warning – this is probably a self-indulgent, sentimental take on things:
Life is fleeting and downright ugly and dreary lately – look at the state of the world. Wars breaking out. Political unrest pitting brother against brother. Hopelessness. Fear. The breakdown of familial, platonic, and romantic relationships happening faster than ever. The dystopian feel of an imminent technological takeover Republicans have been whinging about for years now. “Now and Then” is that weird, beautiful, dreary, incomplete representation of everything that’s taken place since it was found, right down to that technological takeover that allowed it to be ‘completed.’
It’s ‘done’ but it still feels raw; it really is a gut-wrenching memento mori, to watch the Fab Four in their older age juxtaposed with various iterations of their younger selves. To wonder what could have been if John lived, if George were still alive – for those who have seen Yesterday, it’s that same feeling as the iconic, quietly-living John Lennon scene. And it feels like a (near-]warning from beyond the grave – we continue to drift further from each other, but somewhere in the back of our minds are all the words unsaid. It feels like John’s ghost is telling us to say them now. Complete the uncompleted, say the unsaid, leave nothing undone.
The continuing love for the Beatles that continues to transcend generations is exactly because of the often-simplistic nature of the Lennon & McCartney lyrics that many find even deeper meaning in. I love hearing everyone’s thoughts on this one final piece – in real-time, this time.
Thanks for letting me go on a nerdy soapbox,
Gabi Bisconti
Night Castle Management
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You tell no lies to me, Bob, but there’s no tenderness beneath your honesty.
1. Yoko gave the tracks to Paul, George and Ringo for a reason. Â She apparently thought the song needed more. It wasn’t finished. And who better to finish it that his old writing partner, Paul.
2. Paul added Paul. And his additions (both in writing and production) are classic Paul: clean and cool bass lines, smart background vocals, and bigger production values. Paul can go mean and lean too- listen to McCartney I. but to involve Geoge and Ringo it had to go bigger.
3. If “Now and Then” were sparsely recorded like much of Lennon’s later work, this would be a Lennon record, which it is not.
4. It’s not their best song. But it’s a Beatles song. Â And let us not forsake the good and better in pursuit of the best. I’ll take the worst song produced by the Beatles over much of the best work of many artists.
Love your writing. You make us think.
Paul Nunes
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i like the new short film about the song’s journey. it felt valid and real. no complaints.
as for the single, first off, is that really the cover? man oh man, that’s incredibly bad. hard to imagine that a visual artist like Lennon would approve of that. it’s like the earliest computer graphic tests. that shouldn’t be the cover for anyone or anything.
as for the song, i like the song itself but prefer the demo version to this re-work. though not perfect, the demo is pretty enchanting. it has charm and innocence. this new version seems to suck out all the intrigue and potential of the song. for example, why cut the original intro chords and just paste a two chord repeat at the top? it kills the vocal entrance when the original progression set up the vocal entrance much better. listening to the demo i can hear all kinds of fascinating possibilities throughout. maybe add a McCartney vocal melody to counter John on the verses or that sort of thing somewhere. they didn’t really go anywhere with things like that. it’s just flat start to finish.
besides the new arrangement being flat, the mix is basically a sonic wash that flattens the record even more. there’s no real definition or dynamics. no impact. just sits there. maybe these things are the poorest reflection of the times but the Beatles were trendsetters more than trend followers so i hoped for more.
it’s all ok though. it’s still a somewhat pleasant flashback but it might have been more Beatle-like if someone capable and new stepped in to expand on their work instead of reflect on it. i’d trade a less melancholy approach for a more forward leaning dreamy approach like Lennon’s work often was in real time. leave us wondering what could be next instead of what once was.
i still love the lads though. best. band. ever.
i’m hoping the new isolated vocal track or, better yet, isolated tracks of all their tracks get out. i’d love to hear what others might do with them. the potential is there with this song and these tracks for someone talented and bold to carry them forward. it might turn up something much more inspired and relevant like the rest of the Beatles catalogue. maybe release an album of other versions by fans so the public is part of the new record instead of just listeners. in my book, the Beatles aren’t the isolated hot new boy band running from the public anymore. they are us. we are them. let us take a swing at this new song so we can show them Beatles what they meant and still mean to us.
all the best,
Scrote
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Wow. Just wow.
You obviously don’t talk to your shrink enough.
“Now and Then†is FAB!  Ringo and Paul (AND George AND John) put their talents and souls into it. The song, the recording and the video are all wonderful. How great to hear the four of them together again. It’s MAGIC!
How dare YOU say John would hate it??
We put solar on our house, so it only made sense for one of the cars to be electric. We were so close to buying a Tesla, until Musk turned into a total dick.
We bought, well leased,  a KIA EV6 and we couldn’t be happier. With the tax breaks on the solar and the car, it’s a pretty great deal. Yes Tesla is gonna win the ‘on the road’ charging wars, but so far we haven’t had any problems.
Cheers
Frank Vilardi
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The case in our home:
We were planning on buying a Tesla when our lease expires.
There is no chance that will ever happen now.
Waiting for an alternative, will jump as soon as it’s there.
Michael Alex
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I have a Tesla (Model Y/P 2022), I got it in Dec 2021. I love the car, never had any issues or problems, runs great, fun to drive. The stories about build quality are old, I do believe they have improved in that area significantly. But..
When I talk to people about cars, if I end up saying “I have a Tesla”, I always feel like I have to apologize and preface it by saying “But I bought it before I knew what an a*shole Elon is, before he screwed up twitter, etc”. It’s sad, because I really do like the car, but I’m embarrassed that I put more money in that guy’s pocket.
My boss just got a brand new all-electric BMW I5 M60 – it is a beautiful machine, looks and feels like a luxury car. It costs about 40K more than my Y, but I’d now consider a BMW I* (though probly a cheaper model) for my next purchase instead of another Tesla. Though currently the BMW range lags well behind the Tesla (Performance or LR model), I hope they can bring that up to the 350 mile range).
-Will Ingersoll
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You are right. I don’t want to give musk any money.
I’m ready for an ev, but not from him.
DW Davis
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I’ve owned two Teslas over the past 6 years. I liked the cars a lot. But when the lease ended on my most recent Tesla, I elected to leave the Tesla universe. When a Tesla rep called me to see if I wanted to lease a new one, I told him “noâ€. When he asked “why not?†I said…â€one word…Elonâ€. He acknowledged and said I was not alone. I was determined to continue with an EV. I researched alternatives and ended up selecting a Hyundai Ioniq 5. Most of the car reviews I read…Including Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Consumer Reports and Dan Niel in the WSJ..rate the Ioniq as good as or better than the Tesla 3. As for the charging network issue….I have a Level 2 charger in my garage and seldom travel so far as to need to use the broader network.   I’m confident that if I did need to travel some distance, I could find a charger to keep me going. This solution may not be available to everyone, Apartment dwellers can’t easily install a Level 2 charger. But my point is…many people like me want to continue to drive EVs, Tesla is not the only game in town, and Elon’s behavior is affecting the sales of the brand.
Ed Wolfman
Manhattan Beach, CA
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I agree completely that Musk is the X-factor in Tesla’s waning interest. Just watch the recent clip of him on The Joe Rogan Show smoking cigars, boasting about firing Tommy gun rounds into the Cybertruck, referring to it as “the kind of car Bladerunner would drive.” Who’s Bladerunner? Does he mean Harrison Ford’s character Rick Deckard, who drives a flying car, in the *film* Blade Runner? I don’t even think Musk knows. He seems most interested in appealing to straight white teenage boys. I’m not sure how many *new* Tesla sales that will translate to long term; no doubt some, but enough to keep the company afloat? Everyone else is bored of it and him.
One thing I see frequently in EV discussions (on Reddit) is the extent to which people abhor the old model of auto buying / leasing. Often people will cite the *primary* reason for going Tesla is because of the hands off, no bullsh*t pricing and delivery aspect of the purchase. People hate going to a Ford dealership and dealing with a salesman *so much* that they will buy a Tesla instead…. I think on some level it’s a generational thing – as a millennial I totally get it. I can do all my own research and make my own decisions about this thing I want to buy – I’ve given this A LOT OF THOUGHT already, thank you very much. I realize sales jobs are at stake but it’s surprising that more dealerships haven’t switched to a newer approach – or at least backed off a bit from the way it used to be.
Beyond the Tesla problem I think the US Government dropped the ball completely by not instituting/regulating a universal charger early on and implementing it across the country so fast that it became an undeniable standard. We were behind on innovation and had to fight tooth and nail with the GOP to get things moving in the right direction. But when they did pass legislation on carbon limits, etc., no one thought about how they might actually support those lofty goals with a charging network? Or adding working class jobs to see it done? The demand for a country wide charging infrastructure might not be here, NOW – but you’re pushing legislation towards that direction anyway, right? Keep going!
I drive a 20 year old truck and work freelance from home so I don’t need much range at all but as a renter, (most of us are in a big city) there’s little chance of having a charger to use at home – now or in the immediate future. This is a huge impediment considering how terrible the public charging infrastructure is. Also, most of the best reviewed EVs are too expensive for me to justify switching. New car prices in general hard to justify. I have a moral imperative to switch but in reality my maintenance and gas costs are low as it is, so that’s not a big selling point for me.
My hope is that strides will be made to make charging outside the home easier and more reliable before my truck finally gives out. But I do want to switch.
Steven Page
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While I agree with you about Musk, it seems that plenty of people are capable of doublethink–namely 1) Musk is an idiot and he should keep his mouth shut and stick to what he’s good at (running Tesla and Space-X) and 2) Teslas are currently the best EV out there, by far.
I was at a Tesla store in Colorado the other night, after having convinced a friend to buy a Tesla in a 15-min. grocery store convo. Teslas are flying off the shelves here, with the price cuts and the fact that Colorado has a $5K *refundable* tax credit on top of the $7500 federal tax credit.
The Model Y long range she is going to buy (all-wheel drive is a must in my opinion for Colorado, but the 330-mile range is perhaps the bigger draw for many people) is about $50K *before* the tax credits. After the credits we’re talking $38K or so. That’s what I paid for a top of the line RAV4 hybrid in 2017, which is $48K in today’s dollars. Or, put another way, six years after buying the RAV4 I can get a better, quicker, cheaper-to-fuel car with hands-down the best tech out there (and it keeps getting better with over-the-air updates) for $10K less that what I paid back then. It’s a no-brainer.
This summer I rented a Tesla in LA. When I wanted to head up to Santa Barbara to surprise a friend, I plugged the address in to the Tesla navigation and it told me 1) you need to charge and directed me to the closest Supercharger in Santa Monica, and 2) it was “pre-conditioning†the battery to optimize the charging speed (essentially adjusting the battery temp to charge faster). After using the loo at the Supercharger and getting a snack at the convenience store (the Supercharger is located on the grounds of a gas station), I got back into the car to see that 40 miles of range had been added. Some small number of minutes later, the Tesla screen said I had enough charge to make it up to SB, but I knew that 1) I would be using AC the entire way and 2) I would be exceeding the speed limit, so I waited another 5-6 mins. Got to SB with 9% charge (perhaps I was more of a lead foot than I had thought) and found that the nearest Supercharger was a mile away. Easy peasy.
I know a lot of us wish Elon would shut the hell up, but it’s not going to stop me (or apparently lots of other people) from buying one.
Best,
Dave
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Haha great timing. I just got my first Tesla on Halloween and it’s pretty much the greatest thing ever. Once you test drive it, you’ll be sold. 0-60 in 3 seconds and more affordable than you think. Incredible.
Best Regards,
Zach Goode
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Longtime fan/reader. This piece spoke to me because I am one of those folks who wanted an Electric car but hates Elon Musk so there is no way I would buy Tesla. Like you said – don’t want to put money in his pocket. Not to mention the folks at the Tesla dealerships are elitists and they don’t care if you buy their car or not.
So instead, I bought an amazing electric BMW. I bought a 2022 i4 edrive. I absolutely love it. The best car I have ever owned. There are apps to help me plan any “roadtrips†and Electrify Anerica is my charging station of choice. I have done several out of state trips with no issues, but I do have to map out my route to make sure there are electrify America stations on tyr route. They also use your phone and an app to do the transaction. And they are usually in an area that has a restaurant or shopping nearby, so you can grab a bite, or shop. They can fully recharge in an hour or less. And that usually gives me between 274-300 mile range.
I agree with you that the media has done more to damage the electric car industry than anything. And the hybrid cars are not worth it. Either you want to go electric or you don’t.
I also think it is important to mention that all of the electric cars out there can be recharged at home with a standard electric outlet. Most come with a “trickle charger†that will slowly recharge. Depending on the car it can take up to 3 days to fully charge but some folks just recharge every night. But – you can do like I did and have an electrician install a 220 outlet on the outside of your house and it will recharge overnight. (Mine is next to my carport). My electric bill has not increased hardly at all. It is negligible.
I personally think that electric cars are going to be the only smart choice in the near future. But our country needs to accept and adopt this attitude and install fast charging stations at every state “rest area†– that infrastructure must happen and hopefully we will stop making this a political issue and realize it’s the future.
Thanks for always covering the topics in rich a great way!
Juanita Copeland
Nashville TN
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I agree with most of what you are saying about the EV world and certainly about the backlash of the Musk effect. Â I would never buy a Tesla because of Musk.
Brandt Williams
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Spot on, Bob. We’ve been window shopping for an EV for nearly 2 years. Nothing in the current market is close to Tesla for the money, and that’s still money I wouldn’t give to anything associated with Musk if I was stuck in a burning building and the only way out was a ride in a biodefense mode-equipped model s. Most reasonable people do not spend $100,000 dollars on a vehicle.
Toyota appears to be heading to a solid state battery powered EV in the coming years. We love our Toyota, that alone is enough to be optimistic. Soon.
Take care
Michael Wendell
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the bubble you live in is truly fascinating to look into. in your world, the opinions of the legacy media is gospel truth and you have no awareness of what blue collar Americans actually think, and you don’t care because we are beneath you and your friends. Teslas are still very cool (we still can’t afford them). we appreciate what Elon Musk has risked for free expression of opinions the old guard (like yourself) find reprehensible. we don’t believe the narratives being pushed by our leaders in the “intelligentsiaâ€.
I genuinely appreciate the view from the penthouse.
Marc Lopez
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I drive gas cars today, but my kids have Teslas. I’ll look at the Toyota hybrids for my next car, switching out my 1999 220K mile Land Cruiser that gets 11 miles per gallon (I drive about 6K a year) for a new hybrid Land Cruiser that gets 30+ miles. I imagine it will last me for another 25 years.
I suspect Musk’s will be remembered more for his impact on free speech than his electric car. We will see…
Ed Kelly
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Yes! You hit it right on the nose! I’ve had a Model Y since they came out and I LOVE IT. I was all ready to buy another after 2 years, but the Elon became such a jerk that I didn’t want to support him. So, I started shopping for other EVs that could replace it and I ALWAYS COME BACK TO THE CHARGING!
At this point I can’t switch simply because I don’t want the hassle of trying to find somewhere to charge. Tesla makes it so easy and cheap.
So, I wait for another manufacturer to use the Tesla charging system (but even then Elon gets his massive cut of all the electricity being provided).
It is a pity
Brian W. Roberts
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You forgot to mention one Key fact. A fact that tells me that you don’t drive a Tesla and don’t yet “know.â€
People who drive Teslas like the electric/battery benefits BUT WE LOVE THE AUTONOMOUS driving. Tesla’s Autopilot is now ready for prime time. And nobody comes close to what Tesla has achieved and continues to build. Sure I don’t have to go to the Gas station. But I also get a personal assistant to drive my car for me in traffic!! It’s there if you need it and looking out for you when you think you’ve got it. It’s the best of all worlds. Safer and more enjoyable driving for the masses. Less accidents and lower costs on insurance too. And old people- they are the next target market for Tesla. Think about all the people too scared to drive or physically unable to. Tesla just became their solution too. You think Tesla is dead? Wait until they start licensing the tech to the others.
People are still afraid to use Tech and that’s the issue. Give it a bit more time. The innovators are all in already. Now the Tesla price cuts just opened the floodgates.
There is no question that Tesla and Autopilot are the greatest invention of the 21st century. Thanks Elon!
It’s never too late Bob- Get In!!
-Ariel Levy
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Regarding Tesla the very strong union in Sweden has declared a strike against Tesla this week. The company refuses to accept the Swedish collective agreement, which is a cornerstone on the Swedish labor market. It refuses to even negotiate. No company has succeeded in doing that, ever.
I guess you are aware of the fact that the Swedish unions are extremely strong!
Lars Hollen
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Tesla in Sweden:
Swedish Ports Threaten to Block Teslas From Entering the Country – Tesla is failing to play by Swedish labor rules, unions claim. Now a strike that started with mechanics is beginning to spread”
https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-sweden-strike/
Jelena Laketic
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Hilarious. Over here in the UK, we are just arguing whether to ban sales of gas cars in 2030 or 2035….. (was the latter, then the former, now the latter…. Europe also banning gas cars in 2035).
Hybrids are cheating (like all carbon offsetting).
Meanwhile, I’m just back from the States, where there were plenty of electric cars. But not as many as we have – a third of all sales are now electric, and that figure is only rising.
Martin Valentine
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The mistake all electric car manufacturers make is to sell them primarily as an environmental proposition, when the more powerful truth is that they are simply better cars.
Quieter.
Smoother.
Better acceleration.
More space inside.
Low centre of gravity for safer handling.
Even an entry-level electric has a smoothness and spaciousness that a decade ago you could only get from the top end of premium brands.
If you live in an urban area or have a wall plug the range is largely irrelevant. Who drives more than 200 miles per day? Plug in overnight. If you’re still worried, Toyota have solid-state batteries coming in 2027, which will double their ranges.
In Europe, VW’s wait list for its electrics is now more than a year, such is the demand.
Tesla may well prove to be one of those business school case studies where a brand invents a category but then dies. The Compaq of the car biz. Does anyone lament Compaq?
Hyundai, VW, Toyota and the various Chinese state-owned brands will all definitely be in the race in five years time. The only question is whether one or more of the so-called “big three†(which globally are not the biggest) area still hanging there, or whether this will be the final nail in their proverbial coffin.
John
Carter Brands
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Hi Bob, I have owned a Tesla Model 3 since 2018. Going forward, I will only consider buying another EV, but will look for alternatives to Elon Musk run businesses. I wouldn’t switch now, mainly because the Tesla Super Charger network — they are everywhere (long road trips are a no brainer), fast, inexpensive. That said, once enough EV competitors offer the Tesla Super Charger plug standard, range is 300+ miles, pricing is competitive with Telsa — the playing field will be leveled.
I do love my Tesla Model 3, and here’s why:
1. It’s a joy to drive, fast, nimble and outperforms every ICE car I have ever driven. I dread having to drive ICE rental cars
2. Low cost of ownership (much lower) — electricity is cheap, maintenance is almost non-existent (far fewer points of failure than ICE cars)
3. Charging at home is easy — never have to visit a “gas” station again.
4. It’s a green solution that is far less destructive to the environment, at least where I live in Seattle
5. Build quality – I see complaints online but my experience with my Model 3 has been only positive
6. Investment protection – I am quite certain my car has retained more of its value than a similarly priced ICE car of the same year. Also, I agree with you that the bottom will fall out of the ICE vehicle market at some point in the not too distant future
For now all is good with my Tesla Model 3. When I am ready for another car, it will definitely be an EV, Tesla Super Charger compatible. Because of Elon Musk and how he presents himself, it probably will not be a Tesla. It definitely will not be an ICE car
Thanks,
Steve Roseta
Seatttle
PS Hybrids are not EVs in my book (they are gas cars with better mileage).
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Why do you think Elon is not liked and admired? Why do you think he is a wacko?
Is X better now? If you don’t think so, is it because it’s not run by the left anymore?
I don’t agree on half of what he says but I still think X is now more balanced then it was before. At least it doesn’t look like it’s run by the government anymore.
You don’t like Space X?
You don’t like Neurolink?
Two innovative companies that are changing the world as we speak.
You don’t agree with his views? I don’t neither. So what? I still respect the man. You should to. Stop politicizing him.
My next car is a Tesla and  in my opinion it will be the next car of millions worldwide. And that is if you like Elon or not. As you mentioned, Tesla is years ahead of his competition and they are just starting producing for the mass.
Jean Anfossi
Music For Productions Inc.
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Greetings from Nîmes where we see more Teslas than even in Nashville (and there were tons in Nashville). Most are taxis. Yeah, those guys don’t want to pay European fuel prices. Before we moved here we had bought a Prius. We weren’t thinking about the fuel consumption (though, shortly after we bought it American fuel prices rocketed up). We loved the fact that an electric car takes off immediately when you step on the gas, while there is a lag in a gas fueled vehicle. This is a safety feature no one talks about. I have avoided more accidents with the gas than with the brakes.
Michael Ross
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I own a Tesla Model S, 2013 edition, and I love it. I have a Cybertruck on order. And I don’t like Elon.
Many will not buy Tesla because Elon has become a right-wing nut, but the cars are superb and most Tesla owners will buy again.
Thanks for your posts.
Doug Coleman
Jacksonville, FL
Long Beach, CA
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Hyundai’s IONIQ 6 is a better car than the Tesla 3 and around the same price. No comparison when it comes to the ride. The IONIQ 6 drives like a luxury car. The Tesla 3 does not.
AND, Hyundai is now adding the NACS Tesla charging system to their “second half†2024 EV’s and will likely provide an adaptor in the meantime.
But, who cares about that when you’re charging your EV at home with a Level 2 charger that you get with your IONIQ 6 using your solar power system?
FREE fuel and a fullly charged battery at all times. (Hyundai also gives you 2 years of Free charging at Electrify America, which takes about 17 minutes to go from 0% to 100%.)
Go electric!
Drew Ferrante
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I was an early adopter of a Tesla because of the tech, design and sustainability proposition. I was never a car guy, just liked owning good ones and Tesla leads the way. Musk never came into the equation except from the vision he had for the EV. I don’t care what he has/will do with Twitter or any of his other shenanigans, however I do rate Starlink as an innovative product of the future.
What did come into the equation eventually was my wife….so now I own TWO!
So now you do know someone who will buy another Tesla and who doesn’t mind Elon Musk, There are a lot worse, and he works hard to bring his visions to life. You got to respect that.
Best wishes Bob and warm regards from sunny Sydney.
Don Elford
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My Model Y rocks! Best decision I ever made. I would buy another in a heartbeat. I don’t give two squats about Musk. He has all the money he will ever need with or without my fifty Gs.
Phil Wagner
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I’m a long-term Tesla owner since 2013 and I would most definitely buy another one (I have)…I liked Elon’s personality more back in the day, and agree with many that some of the things he tweets these days are not necessary or nice (especially for a CEO)…
But here’s what I tell people…If you’re not going to buy a Tesla just because of Elon being a a-hole, then you probably shouldn’t use Microsoft software (because Bill Gates is well-known for being an a-hole), and you also shouldn’t buy any Apple products (since Steve Jobs was also a big time a-hole, who, by the way, wouldn’t even acknowledge his own daughter for many years). Then there’s VW and all of their baggage (and diesel-gate cheating)…
The right answer? At least for me, I think the way to approach the purchase of a product is to evaluate it wholly based on its merits as compared to the competition and choose accordingly. The combination of Tesla cars (and their design/features) and their supercharger network is unbeatable IMHO. We’ve taken separate road trips from SoCal to Canada, Texas, Colorado, Lake Tahoe, etc. and it has been both fun and easy. The car tells you where to charge on the Tesla network and even for how long before continuing. Just try charging another brand of EV at the non-Tesla branded charging stations and you’ll see right away that Tesla is kicking butt. That’s why many of the other OEMs want their cars in the future to be able to use the Tesla supercharger network.
People can avoid Tesla because of their dislike of the CEO. But in doing so, they’re going to miss out on one of the most exciting vehicles I’ve ever driven…
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Whether you like Elon Musk or not is a moot point, the truth of the matter is Tesla OWNS the charging grid! I have my second  Tesla model 3 and my friend bought the new genesis Electric car and he can’t find a place to charge it every time he tries it’s full.
Val Garay
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My wife just bought a HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 electric car, loves it.
Said she wouldn’t drive a Tesla if they gave it to her because of the “crazy X man”.
I really don’t know how all the progressives and liberals can justify putting more money in the hands of that weirdo
Alec Fuhrman
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Love my new Ford Mustang Mach-e . I wasn’t an early adopter of electric cars or even Tesla even though I was #80 on the original waitlist before Musk bought the company (yea that’s right – he didn’t create it from scratch:).  The guy has turned out to be such an a-hole I wouldn’t buy a thing from him no matter how good it was I support anything he does. And Ford did a really great job on this car from the style to the operation. Once the range and infrastructure issue is settled everyone will drive electric. My friends who said once you drive electric it will be hard to go back to a gas car. And now I understand why…
Fred Goldring
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It is a pity… if people spent just a little time looking into the backgrounds of their favorite artists, writers, presidents – maybe they’d find that they have some proclivities that might not be so aligned with theirs. Some are serious womanizers, racists or even outright pedophiles. I‘m willing to bet no one knows the names of the CEOs that run the companies that made the clothes they wear or the beds they sleep in.
Musk? What’s his crime? Big dreams and hard work? Here’s an immigrant from South Africa, that sought out a better life and dreamt big. Like bringing electric cars to the masses and (maybe) bringing the masses to Mars. He put nearly his entire net worth on the line (from his PayPal stake) to build his dream. Raise your hand if you’ve made a leap like that. Of course he’s got his quirks – but check your glass solar panels (yeah, he builds those, too) before you start throwing rocks…
He builds his cars in America – in fact by most accounts, his are the most “American†of any built – based on US made parts. Even so, Biden panned him when he invited the “leaders†of US electric car manufacturing to the White House – and actually told the GM CEO that she was responsible for establishing the US as dominant in EVs. Im sure the CA congresswoman that told him to “F*ck off†– is still being lauded for losing Tesla’s corporate tax base to Texas. He’s definitely a pariah in the eyes of many, and what’s interesting is the tides seemed to turn when he bought and opened up a popular social media platform that was a haven for journalists.
They laughed at him when he built tents to house his production line in Fremont, and slept on the factory floor, working on the line with his team to get his product to market anyway he could. Laughed at a man who was trying his hardest to bring positive change to a world almost totally reliant on Big Oil. Laughed at a man that dared to build a fleet of reusable rockets from scratch, or build battery systems that power communities around the world.
So, show me your best selling electric car line. Show me your space rocket company that’s already run rings around NASA and every other country in the world with regard to launching people and equipment into space. Show me your global internet solution that’s given the Ukrainians a fighting chance against Russia.
Go out on your own and build something. Sacrifice your comfortable existence for a few years and try it. You’ll find out how really tough it is. It’s a cold, hard world out there when there’s no trust fund to tap; none of daddy’s friends to get you into that corner office. They’ll laugh at you, too. You might even piss some people off. But, in the end, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you can execute, accomplish something, make a change.
Musk is an American treasure. We ought to be proud that he’s on our side. We ought to support him as much as we can while he’s here, and celebrate the good that he’s done for humanity.
Take stock of what he’s done and then decide if there’s a net positive.
If you still hate him, then at least have the guts to dump your Tesla right now – not just when it’s convenient for you. Go ahead – put your money where your mouth is. Talk is cheap – actions count.  If you’re not going to take the risks and do the hard work, then at least show some spine in your convictions. While you’re at it, be consistent and make damn sure none of the other products you buy are built by people that you don’t agree with.
I think you’ll find that slope gets very slippery, very fast…
-Steve Stewart
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Bought a Tesla a year ago. No regrets, “Never goin’ back again†to an ICE.
one thing you forgot – Â you push a button on your iPhone and you go pickup a car a few days later. Priceless.
I don’t ever want to see a f*ckin car dealer ever again. Had my tires rotated at 7500 miles— the technician came to my house on a Saturday morning, did his job and left within 25mins.
Try that at the local Honda showroom….
Elon Musk sucks, but I think it’s mainly about more folks sitting inside one of these and “getting itâ€.
take care,
adit rao
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When I get home and plug our car in to charge, using solar panels during the day, backup battery at night, it puts a smile on my face. I know not everyone has this setup, but as you say….it’s just a matter of time. Can you say Kodak?
David Epstein
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I have a friend whose son recently asked him to drop off out of sight of the school. Why? Dad, you can’t take me to Jewish school in an antisemite’s car. He’s getting rid of the Tesla.
