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Yesterday Isn’t What It Used to Be
A perverse Rate-a-Record challenge
As we look back at the best songs of 2023, we might consider the best (or worst) songs from even longer ago, songs that look back at their own past. (A preview of my upcoming article about the Now Sound movement of the 1960's.)
Beatles, “Yesterday”
If you’re a boomer, you may feel nostalgic about this ode to nostalgia. If you’re somewhat younger, you might find this Paul McCartney classic to be as syrupy as a Waffle House breakfast without the bacon. “More coffee, hon?”
Marty Paich, “Yesterday”
West coast instrumentalist Marty Paich (bonus points if you’re can name his son’s band) replaces the sentimentalism of the original single with a raunchy IBD sax solo. Beatles haters, here’s your anthem. The Rutles never managed to be this subversive.
Original challenge and rating criteria:
