The British Invasion

"liverpool i left you, said goodbye to madryn street, i always followed my heart, and i never missed a beat, destiny was calling, i just couldn't stick around, liverpool i left you, but i never let you down." - ringo starr

Music is a huge part of my life. I believe completely in a quote from Tennessee Williams that states, “in memory everything seems to happen to music” and so it is completely necessary that my postings on various European cities outline the musical connections I hope to discover as well. And what better place to start than the hallowed round of Great Britain. This British empire of music mania brought us the proclamations of London’s Calling courtesy of the mighty Clash. They begged us to understand that sometimes you can’t get no satisfaction according to the Rolling Stones. And most importantly they produced four young lads from Liverpool, mop tops and all, who irrevocably changed the entire face of music as we know it. The Beatles caused that cosmic shift from their first step into America, ushering in what would eventually be known as the “British Invasion” in 1964. But before the catapult to fame and the subsequent life-changing career, they started their journey in a small metropolis in North West England called Liverpool and that is where I hope to begin my European excursion.

Liverpool is considered one of England’s core cities and holds the title of third most populous. It sits on the eastern side of the River Mersey and recently celebrated its 800th anniversary. To say it is rich in culture and history would be a grave understatement. Obviously, I want to get a taste of the historical scene including Albert Dock, which was officially closed to shipping in 1972 and after a period of economic turmoil was eventually re-opened as a center filled with shops, bars and museums. Liverpool also holds the largest Anglican Cathedral in the world and Saint George’s Hall, which was reopened by Prince Charles in 2007 after a refurbishment.

Apparently, the tourism industry in Liverpool capitalizes as much as possible on the fact that the Beatles came from here because there is no shortage in Beatles related sights and museums. They have the “Beatles Magical Mystery Tour” in which you board a yellow submarine-looking bus and take a two-hour tour around the city visiting all the important places in Beatles history including their childhood homes, schools, and the sites they made famous in their songs including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. The Albert Dock also houses “The Beatles’ Story” museum, which features exhibits chronicling their career from the early days at the Cavern Club right up until their acrimonious split in 1970. Another attraction is the Eleanor Rigby park bench on Stanley Street, which holds a bronze statue of the fictional Eleanor and is dedicated “to all the lonely people”. Obviously another necessary stop for my mini tour of Beatles history will have to be Abbey Road but that will be saved for the next entry seeing as it is in Westminster which is a part of Central London.

I’ll leave off with a little musical accompaniment to the entry. Enjoy.

I Want to Hold Your Hand
Let It Be
All You Need is Love