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The Guardian
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Maybe I'm Amazed by John Harris review – with a little help from John, Paul, George and Ringo
Halfway through Maybe I'm Amazed, there's a photograph of John Harris's son, James, with one of his heroes. James is a young-looking 10 in knee-length shorts decorated with stars. Ian Hunter of 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople stands beside him, a hand gently around his shoulder. 'Sixty-nine years separate them,' Harris writes. 'Here is proof of how songs and their creators find fans in the most unlikely of places.' Maybe I'm Amazed is the story of a growing child's love of music, but it's more than that: it's also about how songs provided a whole world for James, and his family, after his autism diagnosis. It marks a departure for Harris, whose previous journalism, aside from his political work for the Guardian, has involved editing magazines and writing columns, reviews and other books about music. Books exploring personal connections to music have boomed in recent years (I'm primed to notice, having written a music memoir myself, The Sound of Being Human, in 2022). Like mine and many others, Harris's is structured around a playlist, but this skeleton (of James's favourite songs) only provides a loose frame. The book is more of an outlet for a father navigating an unexpected relationship with his child, in which music brings a welcome means of communication, cohesion and comfort. Harris writes movingly about his son's early years, in which music was ever-present, partly because of his parents' enthusiasms (Harris points out that his first gig was Level 42 aged 13, while James's was Chuck Berry at Camp Bestival just before he was two; Harris's wife, Ginny, also works in the music business). Harris notices how intensely James responds to songs from this age, loving his dad playing cyclical chord sequences on his guitar, hammering rhythms along to them in perfect time on his tiny toy piano. Elsewhere, he is often quiet and withdrawn, and repeats streams of words, a common characteristic of autism, known as echolalia. James's diagnosis comes before he turns three. You feel for Harris as he theorises why certain music moves his son, as he can't do it himself: 'In a lot of the Beatles's early music, there is an irresistible optimism, everything seemingly going at 100 miles an hour, thanks to an energy that the music could barely contain.' His early chapters read like a cathartic outpouring about the hurdles and obstacles his family has had to face, but his forays into neuroscience get deeper by the page, which is where this book's real power lies. Harris is brave enough to consider the issues of neurodiversity and the music-loving brain in accessible ways. After noting Mozart's many early prodigious achievements, he writes: 'Whether any of this allows anyone to definitely say he was autistic is a question that probably answers itself … [but] 'his talent clearly came with a sharp sense of difference and his brief life was lived outside all kinds of norms and conventions'. In other examples of behaviours that it's possible to see on the autism spectrum – although Harris is at pains to not impose labels on anyone –we're told how Mariah Carey and Elton John played piano pieces by ear aged three, and a line from Nick Drake's Hazey Jane II speaks volumes about that artist's own struggles ('If songs were lines in a conversation/ The situation would be fine'). Harris also recalls how his father-in-law, a BBC recording engineer, once sat in on a Beatles interview. His main memory was of John Lennon sitting in a corner, ordering a Rolls-Royce from a car dealer, painstakingly listing his precise specifications. A 2011 Guardian profile of psychiatrist Lorna Wing, who defined the idea of the autism spectrum, is also quoted; she believed autistic traits were required 'for real success' in the arts. This idea lingers in passages about inherited traits between generations, and Harris recognises his own obsessions in his son's genetic makeup. This also introduces some funny moments, when he looks back at his own younger years: 'When I was 13, a kid at school wrote an elegantly mocking poem about our class, which contained the line 'Harris brings in another tape'.' There are arresting moments throughout too. We're reminded of how music cuts through the chaotic, noisy distractions of everyday life for those with autism spectrum disorder, and Harris recounts the tragic death in an NHS care unit of Connor Sparrowhawk, an autistic 18-year-old obsessed with David Bowie and the Beatles, as he wonders what support there will be for his child, who will soon be an adult. 'Autistic people are part of a neurological family that includes millions of other human beings,' he reminds us. His book also underlines for us how music, in so many magical ways, can powerfully bring very different people together. Maybe I'm Amazed: A Story of Love and Connection in 10 Songs by John Harris is published by John Murray Press (£16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at Delivery charges may apply
The Guardian
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Maybe I'm Amazed by John Harris review – a father and his autistic son bond through music
One of my favourite books growing up was my dad's copy of The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. I spent hours flicking through images of an eyeless, trombone-mouthed golden man swallowing naked bodies, and a full-page, black-and-white comic strip by legendary psychedelic artist Rick Griffin. It didn't matter that I hadn't yet listened to most of the songs – the surreal visual riffs felt like dispatches from an undiscovered country. Later, the Beatles became my favourite band. I chain-listened to the albums, read endless books, watched the movies and recited Beatles' lore to anyone within earshot. 'Oh dear,' said my mum one morning, as I reeled off an account of how a 40-piece orchestra improvised the rising crescendo in A Day in the Life, 'you've become a Beatles bore.' Maybe I'm Amazed opens with John Harris's 15-year-old son, James, ecstatically absorbed in a live performance by Paul McCartney, 'so held in the moment that he is almost in an altered state'. Harris then loops back to before James's birth, and tells the story of his son's arrival, his preschool diagnosis of autism, and how his differences manifest as he grows up. James loves music – the Beatles chief among a rich buffet of bands and tracks he listens to, over and over – and so Harris divides the book into 10 chapters named after songs, each with a particular resonance. Harris writes about music with wit, clarity and a welcome lack of pretension. One chapter takes its cue from Funkadelic's 'weird … incongruous' track Fish, Chips and Sweat – about a carnal encounter that takes as its backdrop 'the least sexy meal imaginable'. Another from Nick Drake's Northern Sky, a song whose lyrics evoke 'a sudden euphoria that leaves you silent, and still'. Harris even bravely attempts a rehabilitation of Baker Street, 'a masterclass in the arts of arrangement and production', so hackneyed from familiarity we might miss the complicated stories implied by its 'sparse, carefully chosen words'. Threaded throughout this are he and his wife Ginny's struggles and anxieties around parenthood, and James's emerging strengths and challenges. He demonstrates absolute pitch – the ability to instantly identify individual notes – and can name the keys of random songs played to him on Spotify. 'Imagine having as instinctive and vivid a connection with music as this,' muses Harris. 'From time to time, James speaks to me using songs,' he writes, recounting a moment when, after refusing to go to school, James commands Alexa to play the Smiths' The Headmaster Ritual, with its lyrics 'Give up education as a bad mistake'. As a parent, I recognise the all‑consuming worry described here. Harris and his wife quickly find that support for children with special educational needs is callously absent – they spend their savings paying for early, intensive therapy for James, and preparing the legal case for the support he'll need in school (local authorities routinely force parents to pursue them through the courts for the care they are legally obliged to offer, calculating that most will lack the resources to do so). But, as an autistic person, I sometimes found it hard reading about behaviours and tendencies I've exhibited all my life viewed through the lens of neurotypicality. Harris is left 'flummoxed and sad' when, on a trip to Chester zoo, James ignores the penguins and plays with the wood chips covering the path, picking them up and dropping them. 'I get the sense if he was left to his own devices, he might repeat the cycle indefinitely.' James is absorbed by the wrong thing – wood chips' splendid tactile diversity, and the miracle of gravity. I don't wish to punish Harris's honesty. Like all parents, his journey involves plenty of learning on the job. He writes powerfully about 'almost Victorian levels of cruelty' inflicted on autistic people in care, and how, through his and James's shared love of music, his initial doomy grief gives way to a constellation of admiration, fear, humour, awe and, of course, love. I wept several times, and the book wouldn't have that power without the author's willingness to be real and vulnerable. As he observes, autistic traits appear throughout humankind. You might say we're like everyone else – only more so. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Maybe I'm Amazed: A Story of Love and Connection in Ten Songs by John Harris is published by John Murray (£16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul McCartney announces 2nd surprise NYC show, immediately sells out
NEW YORK — Paul McCartney announced a second surprise show at the Bowery Ballroom slated for Wednesday night, but tickets were quickly snapped up. The East Village venue was completely sold out by 11 a.m. McCartney, 82, shocked New Yorkers on Tuesday afternoon when he announced plans to play the theater that night, making tickets only available in person at the box office. That show almost immediately sold out as well. By Wednesday morning, people were more prepared, with lines outside the venue all morning in anticipation of a possible announcement, according to the music blog Brooklyn Vegan. The concert was set to begin at 6:30 p.m. McCartney is expected to be in town all week, as he is scheduled to be part of a 50th anniversary celebration on 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend. Tuesday night's show in the tiny Bowery Ballroom, with hardly more than 550 people in attendance, included a full 22-song setlist from McCartney, along with plenty of chatter. 'So, here we are,' McCartney said at the beginning with a grin. 'Some little gig. New York. Why not?' McCartney is famously no stranger to a surprise performance. In addition to the famous Beatles rooftop concert, he appeared on top of Ed Sullivan Theatre marquee in 2009 and set up a performance at Grand Central Terminal in 2018. When he announced the Tuesday concert, New Yorkers within a reasonable distance of the Bowery Ballroom flocked to snag tickets. 'I thought: I can do this,' Amy Jaffe, who lives about 30 blocks north, told The Associated Press. 'I put on jeans, grabbed a coat, called a Lyft.' Jaffe, 69, was one of the lucky few in attendance Tuesday. McCartney played a full show, ranging from Beatles classics like 'Hey Jude' to solo efforts such as 'Maybe I'm Amazed.'
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Trump is giving Musk more cost-cutting power, snowstorms head for Midwest and Northeast, Paul McCartney plays pop-up concert
Good morning, all. Looking for a tried-and-true morning routine? Here are five habits that people swear by. Now, on to the news. Subscribe to get this newsletter in your inbox each morning. NEED TO KNOW Alex Brandon/AP Why Trump is giving Musk more cost-cutting power Elon Musk appeared in the Oval Office for the first time yesterday to answer questions about his Department of Government Efficiency as President Trump signed an executive order to shrink the federal workforce. The order: It instructs federal agencies to implement DOGE's 'workforce optimization initiative,' which would limit hiring to essential positions. Within hours, hundreds of Small Business Administration employees were told they had been let go. [USA Today/Politico] Musk's Q&A: With his son beside him, Musk defended DOGE's work as 'common sense,' argued that 'the people voted for major government reform,' and acknowledged that its fast pace of work would lead to mistakes, promising to fix them. [AP] Who's in DOGE: White House records show that DOGE's staff of about 30 people is primarily made up of tech workers but also includes five lawyers and a former McKinsey consultant. Most are in their 20s and 30s. [Business Insider] IN CASE YOU MISSED IT MJ Kim for MPL Communications Ltd 🎵 Paul McCartney pops up Paul McCartney announced a same-day concert in New York City yesterday. The sold-out show included Beatles classics like 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Hey Jude' as well as his own hits, such as 'Maybe I'm Amazed.' See the photos. [Variety] ❄️ Winter storm watch More than 90 million Americans were under winter weather advisories as a storm slammed the mid-Atlantic with up to a foot of snow. Another snowstorm is expected to move from Colorado to the Northeast through tomorrow. [USA Today] 🇺🇲 Marc Fogel's homecoming American Marc Fogel returned to the U.S. after the Trump administration reached a deal with Russia to release him from prison. At the White House, Fogel called Trump 'a hero.' Another American is expected to be released today. [ABC News] 🩺 Canned tuna recall The FDA announced a recall on Monday for canned tuna sold in dozens of states by grocers including Costco, Walmart and Trader Joe's. The agency said a manufacturing defect in the lids may increase risk of botulism contamination. [CBS News] 🎧 Apple's new Powerbeats Apple debuted its Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds, which are the first from the company to come with built-in heart rate monitoring sensors. The new tech hits shelves tomorrow for $249. See how they look. [Yahoo Finance] WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY 📺 Reality TV fans: The Masked Singer returns tonight at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. (More on that below.) [Cosmopolitan] 🏀 On the court, the Celtics host the Spurs, with Wemby and their new point guard De'Aaron Fox, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. [Celtics Wire] 🏒 In the rink, Canada and Sweden play in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off's inaugural game at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. [NBC Sports] ☀️ And don't forget to: Read your daily horoscope. Play the Crossword. Check the forecast in your area. Illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Historica Graphica Collection/TODAY IN HISTORY In 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the U.S., was born in a log cabin at Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Ky. [AP] 3 QUESTIONS ...about reality TV this week 'Tis the season for drama and subterfuge: There's lots of reality TV airing this week, including some premieres. I asked Laura Bradley, who writes about (nearly) all of them, to clue us in. Divya: What are the shows you're most excited about this week? Laura: I'm all in on The Bachelor, Deal or No Deal Island and The Traitors. Grant Ellis's Bach season is already dramatic as hell, DONDI is pure, delightful silliness, and this season of The Traitors has been a mess. No one's safe, and the suspense has been thrilling! Divya: A new season of The Masked Singer airs tonight. What can we expect? Laura: A new cast, of course. My favorite costume so far is Cherry Blossom — look at those creepy eyes! But it's also Season 13, so there will be a new character: Lucky Duck (get it?), who will pop in throughout the season to give clues and apparently has a connection to someone on the show. Divya: Love Is Blind premieres later this week. What can you tell us about it? Laura: From what I know so far, this season has everything: Romance, jealousy, a potential scandal and a dude who thinks it's funny to joke that women over 30 are 'no longer attractive.' In other words, I'm pumped! Un-Masked? Some think they already know who Lucky Duck is. Faye Plunkett via TikTok FEEL-GOOD MOMENT George Peirce and Faye Plunkett wanted to include Peirce's grandparents in their wedding last year, so they opted to have 'flower grandparents' rather than a flower girl. His grandparents said they were 'honored and excited' about the role. Watch the emotional moment. [People] Have a great day. See you tomorrow! 💡 P.S. Before you go, your daily advice: Looking for ways to reduce your sodium intake? Try nutritional yeast, or one of these other salt substitutes. [Yahoo Life] About The Yodel: The Yodel is a morning newsletter from Yahoo News. Start your day with The Yodel to get caught up on weather, national news, politics, entertainment and sports — in four minutes or less.
