Which Beatle book or related book are you reading at the momment?
I am reading 10 years that shook the world and am about half way through! I still have lots more reading to do yet! I have about 10 other Beatle books I havn't read yet! including the anthology! I have already read two books doing the whole day by day thing! so that took time! and I finished a Bob Dylan book not long back before I came back to the 10 years that shook the world!
* While My Guitar Gently Weeps : The Music of George Harrison by Simon Leng - really looking forward to this. * Harrison by Editors of the Rolling Stone - Hmm, not so sure about this one. But it has pictures.
Recently read:
* Here, there, and everywhere : my life recording the music of the Beatles / Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey. - excellent. Highly recommended for a technician's vs. gossippy look at the Beatles working.
* The Beatles anthology. - Great. Massive and massively wonderful. Like the video series but more adult and in depth.
* Magical mystery tours : my life with the Beatles / Tony Bramwell with Rosemary Kingsland. - after a strong start in Liverpool, got boring. Same old biography stuff you find in any Beatles bio.
* The Beatles : the biography / Bob Spitz. - another one that started really strong, and petered out into recycled gossip. Too bad.
* The Beatles : ten years that shook the world / editor-in-chief, Paul Trynka - Um, I don't really remember it. I think it was pretty good.
* Once there was a way-- : photographs of the Beatles / by Harry Benson. - the photographer is an exploitist pig, IMHO. Okay to look through, but I would never buy it and support him.
* The Beatles : every little thing : a compendium of witty, weird and ever-surprising facts about the fab four / Maxwell MacKenzie. - Trivia completely randomly organized. Recommended if you want to flip pages pointlessly, like bedtime reading.
* The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / Allan F. Moore. - social and musical critique.
* The Beatles : the music was never the same / Marvin Martin. - another one I'm having a tough time remembering. I think it was okay.
* A day in the life : the music and artistry of the Beatles / by Mark Hertsgaard. - I have no memory of this whatsoever. That's what I get for reading 20 books in 2 months. I think the Beatles were in this book.
* I, me, mine / by George Harrison. - pretty interesting, if only for his omissions. It's a random skip through his life, so if you don't already know his story you'll be hopelessly lost (for example, he never explains who Patti is or how he met her). A quick read, unique, some really interesting notes related to his songs. Published before John's death.
* Behind Sad Eyes: The Life of George Harrison by Marc Shapiro - yuck! Exploitive crap, just recycled stories plagarized from various sources.
* The Beatles : the fabulous story of John, Paul, George and Ringo - published before John's death; interesting snapshot of their history.
* Warman's Beatles Field Guide: Values And Identification by Tim Neely - I think this is the one that is so worth picking up just for the 3 articles at the back. I can't remember the guy's name, some DJ whose last name starts with P. Something like Charles Prolosky (but that's not it). He gives fascinating statistics about their songs and was lobbying for the Beatles to win more Grammys (which they did in 1996).
All you've got to do is choose love. That's how I live it now. I learned a long time ago, I can feed the birds in my garden. I can't feed them all. -- Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone magazine, May 2007
For all I know, Ringo might be a yogi disguised as a drummer! - George Harrison
^So you've already read all the good and bad things said about them, I guess! I haven't read half of your list, more or less, but I'm curious about some of them ... after reading your comments!!!
Heh! This doesn't even include the "first" batch I read back in 1996 or whenever I caught the Anthology bug. I read Shout, The Love You Make, the Playboy Interviews, lots of Lennon bios, one on Paul-- pretty much anything that was around. Then I went off in a different direction for a few years, on to other obsessions. Earlier this year, I started getting more interested in George, and went on another information rampage.
Basically I just go to the library and check out whatever's there. If I feel I really must own something, then I buy it. There are some books that the library doesn't carry, so these I buy, like the Simon Leng book that sounds really interesting. But usually I browse and return.
But you're quite correct, fan opinion does influence me tremendously. If I read on a message board or Amazon that a book is crap, or the person is basically trying to make a buck off the Beatles without offering anything new, then I do indeed avoid that book (unless I can get it out of the library for free, in which case I permit myself to toss it aside if it's as nasty as rumor reports). I really don't like the gossipy stuff, but I very much enjoy learning about the Beatles' personal philosophies, and as much as I can about their creative process. Also, how well they handled fame (or not). Just an amazing group of people to read about. Cheers!
All you've got to do is choose love. That's how I live it now. I learned a long time ago, I can feed the birds in my garden. I can't feed them all. -- Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone magazine, May 2007
For all I know, Ringo might be a yogi disguised as a drummer! - George Harrison
I've heard that the best book about the group is one called "Paperback Writer" ... but as I'm not very keen on books about them (as I've already said) I can't tell who wrote it and less if it's a good choice! Has anybody here read it?
I've heard that the best book about the group is one called "Paperback Writer" ... but as I'm not very keen on books about them (as I've already said) I can't tell who wrote it and less if it's a good choice! Has anybody here read it?
I have read a few picture ones really! Just showing nice quality pictures of them, saying where it was from and stuff!
But have read a few normal beatle ones! the sadest part was the day by day accounts! But I can imagine that the anthology isn't going to tell me anymore then I already know! but we'll see!
I've only read the Lewisohn's and the Anthology book. I suppose, having grown up with them, I don't really feel the need to read much more. I'm looking for a good book on Beatles bootlegs though, if anyone knows of one?
I just want you to reassure him - talk to him, make him see the error of his ways. Then I'll hit him.
* The Beatles : ten years that shook the world / editor-in-chief, Paul Trynka - Um, I don't really remember it. I think it was pretty good.
yeah, thats the one I am reading at the present! It has a very good layout actually! picks out some vital parts through the Beatles career and talks of them!
Thanks, McLennon! I seem to remember liking that one. But I was just consuming books in giant gulps the way I tend to do, and didn't take notes. Alas. I'll have to visit the library again and review every book in their collection!
Thanks, Bobber, for the comment on The Beatles : the biography by Bob Spitz. When I hit a book that starts making errors, I switch into skim mode, because I don't really trust what the author has to say. So take note, Beatle fans! You can skip this one.
And yes, I agree with BlueMeanie. The Anthology book is the best if you're only going to read one. I just like to read for relaxation in the evenings, so I'm always seeking out new books. Cheers!
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Okay, Raxo, you got me to look up "Paperback Writer". It's a spoof, as The End said, a fictional parody of the Beatles, a romp about "What if the Beatles got back together in 1979?" It was written in 1978, in the same general timeframe as The Rutles, when people could make fun of the Fab Four and it was still funny because Lennon's murder hadn't made everyone depressed for the next 25 years.
The book sounds pretty good. Here are some quotes from Amazon:
"Bigger than Jesus! What John really meant, of course, was that the Beatles were simply "taller" than Jesus. ... This in a nutshell captures the tone of the book."
"A loving, biting reimagining of Beatlemania in a manner that I'm sure John would have found hysterical."
And of course, there are the people who seem not to get it. I enjoyed this piece of unintended humor:
"I think it would help if you had some knowledge of The Beatles before reading it, if only to give you a further appreciation of the humour. For example, did you know that Roll over Beethoven was inspired by McCartney trying to teach his English sheepdog some new tricks. "
All you've got to do is choose love. That's how I live it now. I learned a long time ago, I can feed the birds in my garden. I can't feed them all. -- Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone magazine, May 2007
For all I know, Ringo might be a yogi disguised as a drummer! - George Harrison
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DM's Beatles forums › Beatles forums › Books, Magazines, Articles › Which Beatle book are you reading right now?