Thursday, June 28, 2007, 9:05 PM // 1 comments

Lisa & Paul's Summer Party Photos

Having Fun With Photo Booth

Here's another reason why you should buy a Mac: Photo Booth. This past Saturday, Lisa and I threw our annual Summer Party and, like last year, we invited our friends to have some fun with this great Mac tool.









To view all the Summer Party 2007 Photo Booth fun click here.

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Sunday, June 10, 2007, 7:34 PM // 0 comments

Peek-A-Boo

Joey AltobelliJoey Altobelli, 2007

Michael AltobelliMichael Altobelli, 2004

Don AltobellGrandpop Altobell, 1940

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Friday, June 01, 2007, 10:14 PM // 0 comments

It Was Forty Years Ago Today

Sgt. Pepper Taught The Band To Play

sgt. pepper / paul altobelliJune 1st 1967 the Beatles released what some feel is the greatest rock album ever made: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Do I think its the greatest rock album ever? Yes. Without a doubt. It changed my life. It is my favorite album of all time? No, that would be The Who's Quadrophenia. Pepper, incidently, is not my favorite Beatle album either. That would be Revolver. Why I feel the way I do about Pepper being the best ever rock album ever and not my favorite is for another post for another day. Today, I'd like to share a few Pepper stories with you.

When I was about 10 years old my parents took me to their friends house for a cook out. It was an all day affair and there were no other kids to play with. Somehow, my mother's friend noticed how my brother and I were bored and told us to go her daughter's bedroom and see what she's up to. We found the daughter sitting on her bed listening to music. In her hands was the Sgt Pepper album. I asked her if I could look at the cover. I recall staring at the cover with amazement. I never saw anything like it before. All those faces! I believe looking at that cover is why I recall this moment in my life. It was that profound.

A few years later my DJ uncle, Steve Martorano, arranged to have the entire Beatles catalog shipped to my home. As I opened the boxed and looked at the covers I immediately recognized Pepper. Because I knew the cover I decided to play that album first. My brother and I shared a small beige record player with a built-in 2 inch by 2 inch speaker. I remember placing the needle on the record and hearing the orchestra tuning up. Then it segued into an incredible guitar sound unlike anything I had ever heard in my life. It didn't matter that the record player was shitty. the music was amazing. Up to this time all I heard in my home was classical music and some skinny Italian singer name Sinatra. Rock music was not allowed in my home. For the next 39 minutes I sat listened to not only my first Beatles album but my first rock album ever. Not a bad first choice, eh? For the next week I played that album over and over again and started my life long love affair with the Beatles.

Cut to June 1, 1987 - twenty years ago today. I'm working for the number one radio station in Philadelphia, WMMR. To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the release of Pepper Capitol records re-releases the masterpiece on CD. My music director, Erin Riley, gave me a copy of the CD. That afternoon, I went home and played Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety just like I did the first time I ever heard it some eight years before. This time, however, I didn't have to turn the album over to listen to side two.

Now, here I sit, June 1, 2007, listening to Pepper in its entirety just like I did twenty years ago. This time around I'm listening to the album via mp3 and through my computer. After all these years Sgt. Pepper is still an incredible listen and one filled with musical memories I'll cherish forever.

I'll leave you with my favorite song from Pepper, "She's Leaving Home." Enjoy
sgt. pepper / altobelli

Listen / Download:
Beatles - She's Leaving Home

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About Paul Altobelli

Paul Altobelli is a veteran Internet, marketing and technology professional with considerable expertise in search engine marketing, web site development, design, implementation and project management. [more]

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