The Beatles Anthology by The Beatles
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Book Reviews of The Beatles Anthology
Book Review: Paperback writers- John Paul George and Ringo
Summary: 5 Stars
The Beatles Anthology- don't let the title fool you, but this new autobiographical release by the four beatles is not simply the book adaptation of the three anthologies that were released on television in 1995. This book is the culmination of years work of a first hand perspective of the best rock and roll group of all time, and shares none of the boredom that put viewers to sleep 5 years ago while the blue glow of tv sets were tuned to abc. While it is true that the transcipt of the tv anthologies are present in the book, it's presence doesn't really exceed that. The Beatles Anthology is a rich tapestry of the fab four constructed by beatles soundbites and interviews from the past 40 years. It is the simplistic beauty of the first hand accounts from the Beatles themselves that gives this book a sort of feeling like you were right there. Plus, the lush photography doesn't overpower the copy, but rather accentuates it, much like George Martin's producer work. If you think, however, that everything that everything has been said and done about the beatles, get back, my friend. Revelations are prolific throughout this book. For example, did you know George Harrison lost his virginity while his three bandmates were in the same room? As well, did you know they appluaded when he was finished? Unless you were the girl he shagged, I think not. However, I must concede that the book is so good because it is so easily re-readable. There's always something new to be found in this rich volume. While this is a must have for any beatles fan, it's a must have for anyone who wants to understand music today or why pop culture is the way it is presently. I really got the sense after this book of how bands today are shaped in the molds the Beatle's created- but moreover, I got the impression of how massive the Beatle's body of work was; a career from 1964(after Ed Sullivan)-1970 in the public eye created more singles or albums that any band today could produce in 4 years, and is amazingly recounted in 360 plus pages. All you need is love, but more over, all you need is this book.Book Review: THE BEATLE ANTHOLOGY BY THE BEATLES!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This extraordinary project has been made possible because Paul McCartney,George Harrison and Ringo Starr have agreed to tell their combined story especially for this book. Together with John wife Yoko Ono Lennon, they have also made available the full transcript (including all the outtakes) of the television and video series The Beatles Anthology. Through painstaking compilation of sources worldwide, John Lennon's words are equally represented in this remarkable volume. Furthermore, The Beatles have opened their personal and management archives specifically for this project, allowing the unprecedented release of photographs which they took along their ride to fame, as well as fascinating documents and memorabilia from their homes and offices.What a book I can tell you The Beatles Anthology is! Each page is brimming with personal stories and rare and vintage images. Snaphots from their family collection takes us look back to the days when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey were just boys growing up in Liverpool. They talk in turn about those early years and how they came to join the band that would make them known around the world as John, Paul, George and Ringo. Then, weaving back and forth, they tell the astonishing story of life as The Beatles: the first gigs the phenomenon of their rise to fame, the musical a social change of their heyday, all the way through to their breakup. From the time Ringo tried to take his drum kit home on the bus to their eagerly anticipated meeting with Elvis, from the makeing of the Sgt Pepper album to their last photo session together at John's house, The Beatles Anthology is a once-in-a-lifetime collection of The Beatles' own memories.
Created with their full cooperation, The Beatles Anthology is, in effect, The Beatles autobiography. Like the music, which has been a part of so many of our lives, it's warm, frank, funny, poignant and bold. At last for the first time in Print, is the history of The Beatles-By The Beatles in their own story.
Book Review: Fantastic!
Summary: 5 Stars
So very many books were written about the Beatles, and so many TV documentries were made about them. Anthology is definitely the best one yet, and I don't think there will ever be another book as complete and sincere as it. For the first time the Beatles tell their own story (yes, even John - material from old intreviews with him are beautifuly collected and edited into the book), along with some help from George Martin, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall and some old quotes from Brian Epstein, Mel Evans, Pete Best and others, and that makes Anthology a truly unique experience. The story is told from such a personal viewpoint that you will feel like you're part of the band. George, Ringo, Paul and John will become your closest friends for the period of reading the book.Anthology covers every (well, probably almost every) aspect of the Beatles' life and musical career. It starts as four seperate stories as every band member describes his childhood, then melds into the story of the band. All the interviews from the wonderful Anthology TV series are in the book, but so are many more. There are far more details - especially about the music itself, which was neglected in the series. While in the series some albums were hardly mentioned, in the book the Beatles refer to almost every song, telling a thing or two about its background. Also, more touchy subjects which were avoided in the series appear here - such as, the (phony) death of Paul McCartney, the (real) death of Stuart Sutcliffe, the unfortunate Hell's Angels incident and the terrible case of Charles Manson and his connection to the White Album. The photographs and documents shown in the book are facsinating as well.
And no, it's NOT too long. The only problem with the book is its weight, which makes it quite uncomfortable to read. Anthology is a superb book, which reminded me why I used to love the Beatles so much and got me to hear all their albums again - twice.
Book Review: Anthology: She's so heavy.
Summary: 5 Stars
Imagine having lived through the most intense decade in recent history, being witness to the major cultural and political changes of that time. The Beatles have published their scrapbook of these times, the 1960's. This book is big. Literally. Almost 400 pages long, thick, my first impresssion was how well the text (mostly transcripts from the Anthology series and from Lennon's interviews) and the photos flow together to create a true journal of the Fab Four. The book's design captures the dyamicism of The Beatles. Don't expect a stuffy, art gallery volume of tastfully placed photos; this book gives you the feel of the events and phases of The Beatle's career .
This is not a book for fact freaks. Don't expect lists, charts, trivia questions or day to day events. This is a personal tale. Unlike most other Beatles books, it does not list every city they toured, how many times they recorded a song, or even what percentage of what song John or Paul wrote. That's not needed nor missed in this book.
There are the juicy parts, especially when they talk about Hamburg's red light district, but its treater more matter of fact than anything else. I've read most of the Beatles bios but Anthology, unblemished by a writer's interpretation, makes a lot of the history seem fresh.
Most of the photographs, it seems, have never been published; and there are some striking image collages. One to is the Shea Stadium concert images, some of which seemed to have been pulled from the concert's movie film frames.
When you tell the story of the greatest band ever, your job is not easy, but clear: let them tell it in their own words and pictures. This book is The Beatles. Their charm and freshness were as much a reason they took over the world as was their music. Beatles fan? Yes, get this book. Get it anyway. Like many of what the Beatles touched, it's already the gold standard for its field. Highly recommended.
Book Review: WHAT BEATLES FANS HAVE PRAYED FOR! A WONDERFUL GIFT!
Summary: 5 Stars
This comprehensive book is a real treat for serious, die-hard Beatles fans. It has a myriad of previously unpublished photographs and all of the photographs in the book are first rate.The book does a real service by covering each band member. I really enjoyed the "updates" of each surviving Beatle. The interviews of the three surviving Beatles throughout the 1990s was refreshing and certainly provided unique insights into the (I think) world's number one band. John was quoted extensively throughout the book and the inclusion of John's comments was vital to the construction of the group. Hailed as the "Chief Beatle," John, now deceased was certainly a central figure and input by and about him was vital. These updates provided the reader with a sense of each Beatle; one came away feeling that they had a relatively accurate portrayal of the input and interpersonal relationship of each member.
On a lighter note, one smiles at the adolescent hijinks of the Beatles in their pre-glory days. The "Fab 4" are portrayed as normal kids engaging in typical teenage rebellion and mischief. In reading a description of George's "sexual rite of passage," one can almost smile at the sheer adolescence of it. Ringo, the lovable basset hound eyed drummer describes of a harsh life in the rough Dingle section of Liverpool and of the crowd he ran with in his salad days. Paul appears to be "prematurely mature," and John was a natural comic. John had a WICKED sense of humor and a DELICIOUS gift for the satirical. He was a riot! This book does justice to John's work and the compositions he and Paul shared with the world.
I loved this book and I would certainly recommend it. This is a work to be treasured and taken seriously.