Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, the Sixties and After

Book Description

A fully updated and revised edition of the classic album-by-album, song-by-song study of the Beatles.

A unique combination of musical analysis and cultural history, Tell Me Why stands alone among Beatles books with its single-minded focus on the most important aspect of the band: its music. Riley offers a new, deeper understanding of the Beatles by closely considering each song and album they recorded in an exploration as rigorous as it is soulful. He tirelessly sifts through the Beatles discography, making clear that the legendary four were more than mere teen idols: they were brilliant innovators who mastered an extremely detailed art. Since the first publication of Tell Me Why in 1988, new primary source material has appeared--Paul McCartney's authorized biography, the Anthology CDs and videos, the complete Parlophone-sequenced albums on CD, the Live at the BBC sessions, and the global smash 1. Riley incorporates all the new material in an update that makes this a crucial book for Beatles fans.

Customer Reviews:

Getting the Beat out of the Beatles.......2007-05-03

I did not like the Beatles when I first heard them in high school, but by the time Sgt. Pepper came out, I had matured enough to discover that they were a very special phenomenon. Now there are so many books about them that it is hard to know what to read to get the best sense of their contribution to music. I recommend Tim Riley's book for that purpose. The best thing about this book is that it will increase your sensitivity to the Beatles creative art as you listen to their songs. If you pay attention, you will be able to hear the way Paul brings the bass in to support the lead guitar or to counter the drums. You can hear how Ringo changes the beat in accord with what the song is trying to convey, and you have a better sense of how the words and music work together.

As other reviewers have noted, it does require some knowledge of music, notably chord theory, to understand some of the details, I do not think it is entirely necessary. I know just enough about chords to understand major and minor changes and what they mean to the music, but I get lost when he goes into descriptions of the tonic and dominant. You will also need to know a lot about percussion, because he refers not generally to Ringo's drumming, but to what he is using (high hats, tom-toms, snare, etc.). It is clear from this book that Ringo contributed more to the group than he is usually credited with doing. He is the one, according to Riley, who was able to subdue his ego and try to keep everything together with his beat and ability to complement everyone else.

Riley likes John Lennon the best and tends to favor whatever Lennon did, albeit not uncritically. He gives Paul a rougher time, putting down any song that lacks an edge or an angle as another "silly love song" unless it rises to the level of a standard such as "Yesterday." Unlike other reviewers, I did not find his analysis of George Harrison's contribution to be all that insulting, but I do think he understated Harrison's contributions as a forward looking instrumentalist. Riley has a low opinion of the vocal abilities of both Starr and Harrison, but it is true that both (and a lot of other singers) suffer in comparison to both Lennon and McCartney, whose vocalizing was overshadowed by their composing talent.

You also need to understand that he is writing his opinions of the meanings of the lyrics and the reasons the Beatles did certain things musically. His bias shows clearly. He admires the group and his disappoint over some of their less than stellar creations is palpable. It is a very high standard that they set for themselves and, although Riley acknowledges the timeless nature of their best work, he is scathing in his criticism of their more mediocre efforts. Bruce Greenfield's review is correct in saying that Riley pontificates a bit too much. I also found it irritating that he claims to know exactly what the lads were trying to do with each note and word. Again, these are only Riley's opinions. Another problem I had with that is that he goes into great detail on the songs he likes and admires, but if a song does not measure up to that, he will give it a sentence or two, dismissively.

I found value in the book from his ability to explain some of the innovations the Beatles developed from the very beginning of their career. A few of these are almost common knowledge to rock fans, such as the use of feedback at the start of "I Feel Fine" to George Harrison's introduction of the sitahr. There are some very good insights that never occurred to me, though. Riley points out that the lyrics to "She Loves You" break new ground in that although it is sung in the first person, the singer is speaking to a friend rather than to the listener. Their music conveys a sense of excitement and joy in carrying this good news. Another example is from McCartney's bridge in "Day in the Life," which is marked by a quicker sharper beat from Ringo. Riley notes that this beat evokes the "corporate precision" of every day life, but notes that while this may seem like waking from Lennon's nightmare verses, it becomes hard to tell who is singing about the real nightmare.

You really have to listen to the song while reading the book and even then, it is often hard to hear what Riley is writing about. He devotes a lot of words to explaining how different sounds come from the right, left or center in stereo, but I found it hard to detect these even after numerous playing. Perhaps, as others have pointed out, it is very hard to hear without the 1982 masters.

Riley uses the albums that were originally issued on Parlophone and neither the US Capitol releases (which were a greedy manipulation of the buying public while sacrificing the art of the Beatles created in sequencing the songs) nor CDs. Younger readers will have difficulty relating to his idea of endings and beginnings of vinyl sides, which CDs have rendered meaningless.

In the second edition, Riley gives a bow to Mark Lewisohn's book "The Beatles Recording Sessions," which is a description based on Lewisohn's hearing of all of the Beatle's master tapes. This book has its own insights and I would recommend it as a less harsh book than this one. Riley did not have the use of Lewisohn's book in writing "Tell Me Why," and it is clear that he would have benefited from it. The two authors disagree on a number of points so it would is useful to have the balance of their opposing views.

A Celebration of The Beatles' Music........2007-04-05

I loved this book. I don't know why so many people seemed to have a problem with it. Tim Riley is a knowledgable music critic,schooled in musical theory and an expert on classical music. He also absolutely adores the Beatles' music. With very few exceptions,he loves everything they ever did and tells,in great detail exactly what it was musically,that made them so special. Each and every song from Love Me Do to Let it Be,just like the title says,album by album, song by song. Actually,my love of the Beatles' music is a viceral thing. From the moment I first heard the opening chords of I Want to Hold Your Hand,this music seemed to enter my blood stream. I still get the same feeling whenever I listen to certain favorite songs,or hear their voices in harmony. But I never understood it in musical theory terms. The chord progressions, changes from major to minor chords in the same song, this had never been done before in pop music, only classical,until the Beatles. This is what excited everybody about their music but only other musicians can describe it accurately. Us lay people just think, "that song makes me cry" or "wow, I've never heard anything like this before". Riley dissects each song,practically note by note,every guitar lick,bass line, and drum fill. He particularly loves Rubber Soul and Revolver sighting them as two of the greatest albums of all time. He also loves Please Please Me, With the Beatles, and A Hard Day's Night. So he doesn't just give their later music a lot of acclaim,which would have been annoying. He feels that all of these albums were important, along with Abbey Road and the White Album. He describes them in a way that makes you think of them as little works of art. Each one pivotal and ground breaking in their own unique way. He also describes why each Beatle was wonderful and essential to the greatness of each song and album. He never lets you forget that they were an ensemble. He worships John and Paul's singing, calling McCartney's voice, "peerless". He details their songwriting and George's. He talks about how BOTH Lennon and McCartney were melodists, not only McCartney. He points out Paul's melodic,inventive bass lines,George and John's brilliant guitar work (not just George's like other books have). And he loves Ringo,calling his drumming underrated, because it was. He goes into so much detail about Ringo's drumming that it made me sit up and take notice of it also. Listen to 'Rain' and 'Ticket to Ride' and Ringo's live drumming, which he also loves. He dissects the Live at the BBC cds, and after reading that long section,I've begun to listen to all the things he hears on them. I see what a great live band they were. This book made me listen to their music from a fresh perspective, and I realize that I never really HEARD their music until now. There is so much going on, on their records. So much to listen to. While reading this book you need to have a cd player handy and a good pair of head phones with a bass booster. You need to be able to hear what he's talking about. In this new edition there is a section added which details the 3 Antology CDs, Live at the BBC,and others that have been released since the first edition of this book came out, in 1988.There is also a section on the solo records. You don't have to be a musician to enjoy this book either. You just have to be a fan of Beatle music.

Beatle Theory.......2007-02-13

I love this book. The author's trenchant, insightful analysis of the Beatles' music is nothing short of scholarly. He brilliantly discusses what the Beatles used to create their own unique sound. Fans will no doubt love and appreciate the Beatles all the more.

Tim Riley's research into the background of each Beatle is accurate and well done. He piques readers' interest in the group all the more by making them more aware of the influences that led them to create the songs they did.

This book is one musicians, guitarists in particular will love. Readers are treated to discussions of chord progressions so as to play Beatle songs the Beatles' way.

Very Enjoyable Book.......2006-09-22

I enjoyed this book immensely. I appreciated the song-by-song analysis from someone who obviously is a true scholar of music -- his articulation of what were the ingredients that went into making the Beatles' music so great truly enhanced my appreciation of them.

His knowledge of biographical and historical information -- such priceless vignettes as John's gleeful enjoyment of an obscure, chaotic Side B by a one-hit wonder group -- puts their music in a wider context, further deepening our understanding of how their music developed.

I dabble in music theory so I did appreciate the technical aspects of the book, such as getting into chord progression and such. I read this book many times -- it has provided me with many enjoyable hours.

Not for the Casual Fan or Non-Musician.......2005-12-31

"Tell Me Why" is a good look at the Beatles for what they are remembered for: the music. Long after all the gossip and backbiting and innuendos are forgotten, that is all that remains. And if you are a casual fan and only have "Tell Me Why" to guide you, I wish you the best luck in the world.

Tim Riley is a professional music critic, which means apparently that he thinks his audience will understand every musical notation cited in the text. If you really love discussing the difference between G chords and A chords, this will make your day. But for the rest of us, it's a bit much at times.

To be fair, though, if you get through the musician-speak without beating your head against the wall, you'll find that the book does a fairly fantastic job of getting at the heart of the music. By eschewing flowery discussions of the Beatles' history and concentrating on the music itself, Riley ends up creating a look at the creative process rarely dissected with such skill.

Riley has his opinions and isn't afraid to state them, especially in regards to what he considers the "fallow" period of late 1967 (after the release of the much-hyped Sgt. Pepper). Riley also pulls no punches in holding Paul McCartney's feet to the fire for his abandonment of the risk-taking that characterized his partnership with Lennon, instead becoming the pop-song behemoth that we all love to hate. The portrait that emerges of the Beatles as a group is that of a multitalented band with endless streams of talent on which to draw, with even their lesser efforts (Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be, etc) having some worth not found in other music from the era.

Mark Hertsgaard's masterful "A Day In The Life" is probably a better selection for those who are casual or half-hearted fans, because it covers much of the same territory with little of the dedication to music-speak that colors some of the best passages in this book. But for a simple, nuts-and-bolts look at what made the Beatles' music special, and as a discussion of each and every song they ever recorded, "Tell Me Why" is hard to beat.

In the end, there is just the music. And it is a body of music worthy of such discussion as to have countless books written about it. But "Tell Me Why" is a nice one-book source for much of the motivation behind each song the Fab Four committed to vinyl, even if it's overboard with the musical composition language. If you can overcome that, you might find a good book about why the Beatles matter long after their last performance together.

Never Had It So Good: A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles

Average customer rating:

a wonderful & funny history of a confusing era
A fascinating study of Britain in a period of huge change...

Never Had It So Good: A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles
Dominic Sandbrook
Manufacturer: Little Brown Book Group Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0349115303

Book Description

Arguing that historians have been besotted by the cultural revolution of the Sixties, Dominic Sandbrook re-examines the myths of this controversial period and paints a more complicated picture of a society caught between conservatism and change. He explores the growth of a modern consumer society, the impact of immigration, the invention of modern pop music, and the British retreat from empire. He tells the story of the colourful characters of the period, like Harold Macmillan, Kingsley Amis, and Paul McCartney, and brings to life the experience of the first post-imperial generation, from the Notting Hill riots to the first Beatles hits, from the Profumo scandal to the cult of James Bond.

Customer Reviews:

a wonderful & funny history of a confusing era.......2006-10-11

This is a wonderful, well-written and funny history of seven chaotic and confusing years for Britain, from the arrogance & disillusionment of Suez to the birth of 'The Swinging Sixties'. Reading about Britain in the 1950s might sound like a recipe for depression - too much poverty, too many sexual hangups! - but Sandbrook makes the period seem fascinating and worth closer attention. It's often surprising to discover how many of the social changes we associate with the 1960s were already well-underway in the previous decade.

Like many Australians, I have a very ambivalent 'pity-admiration' attitude to the British, especially the English, but my parents lived there for a few years in the 1950s, two of my brothers were born there and I lived there for a while when I was a teenager, so British politics and society have always interested me. This history is exhaustive, carefully analysing everything from the high politics of the Suez crisis, decolonisation and nuclear war to the new wave of popular writers and filmmakers and inevitably to the Profumo scandal and the creation of James Bond (John Profumo died in March this year).

There are also many great character sketches here, for example, Harold MacMillan, who always posed as unflappable but was chronically anxious & lonely, and the brilliant and half-crazy Enoch Powell, one of the most scholarly politicians in history.

A notable feature of this immense and detailed book is its humour: I laughed long and often. Two of many stories: This is from the young writer Colin Wilson's diary,

'the day must come when I'm hailed as major prophet....I must live on, longer than anyone else has lived.....to be eventually Plato's ideal sage and king.....I am the major literary genius of our century....the most serious man of our age.' Hilarious.

And during a CND march in London, when Bertrand Russell tried to dramatically nail a protest letter to the door of the Ministry of Defence, the door opened and a faceless civil servant handed him a roll of sellotape.

A fascinating study of Britain in a period of huge change..........2006-07-29

For the past 35 years the 1950's have been totally overshadowed by the 1960's - not just in the amount of literature, film & television dedicated to each decade's events, but also in our view of their relative "importance" - a situation that reflects the huge impacts of the 60's on the media, the arts, fashion, technology, politics and social attitudes. But, in historical terms, the 50's is an equally interesting and important subject - particularly from the UK's perspective - and in this lengthy, extremely well written, and deceptively titled "pure history" book Dominic Sandbrook shows why.

Deceptively titled? Well, even though the period covered is stated as being 1956 to 1963, in reality the book encompasses a much wider overview of political and, in particular, social history during the whole of the 50's while, quite wisely, ending pretty sharply in 1963 when "the 60's" - in terms of what the phrase has come to mean - really started. A good thing too, because what it explores in assiduous detail is UK society, and its politics, economics & arts, in a period of massive, under-estimated and often forgotten change.

And it's the sheer scale and speed of these changes that drives the book along. With a "consumer society" that, having been stalled between 1939 and the gradual lifting of austerity restrictions from 1951, spent a great deal of the 50's indulging in an orgy of "first time" buying of washing machines, refrigerators, televisions and cars - all of which transformed peoples' domestic lives and had major social & economic repercussions. With an Empire that in 1948 was the largest ever known and fundamental to the UK's economy, its international standing and its view of its place in the world, but which, by 1963 had been almost totally dismantled. With politicians grappling to control an economy made inherently unstable by the costs of maintaining the UK's increasingly anachronistic view of its military importance, the impacts of massive consumer spending, and, for the first time, major consumer debt. With an unequalled period of mass immigration from "The Colonies" throughout the 1950's causing a fundamental and permanent change to the cultural, social & economic mix of the population. With television developing, within just seven years from 1953 to 1960, into a hugely influential mass media vehicle, and with radical developments in literature & music from the mid 50's onwards pushing the boundaries of what was "acceptable" into new areas that precipitated much of what happened in the 60's, the individual & combined impact of these changes on UK society make for absolutely fascinating reading.

By the end of it all, you're left in little doubt that, while "the 60's" continue to grab the headlines, it was "the 50's" (or more precisely the years from 1951 to 1963) that was a much more important period of change for the country, and that in explaining why in such a thorough and, above all, "readable" manner Dominic Sandbrook has fully achieved his goal of putting the period into its correct context. Fascinating, enjoyable and comprehensively researched, "Never Had It So Good" will change your view of the 50's, which is just about the best accolade that can be given to any history book.

Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties

Average customer rating:

Is there a revised edition of this book ANYWHERE?
A harsh, negative piece of nonsense
You Say You Want a Revolution...
GREAT BOOK
A brilliant work of analysis

Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties
Ian Macdonald
Manufacturer: Pimlico
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0712662081

Book Description

As dazzling as the decade they dominated, The Beatles almost single-handedly created pop music as we know it. Today, their songs are cited as seminal influences by stars like Oasis, Blur and Kula Shaker. Eloquently giving voice to their time, the Beatles quite simply changed the world.

Updated with material from The Beatles Live at the BBC and the Anthology series, this acclaimed book gets to the heart of The Beatles — their records. It draws on the author’s unique knowledge and experience to “read” their 241 tracks chronologically — from their first amateur efforts in 1957 to Real Love, their final “reunion” recording in 1995. With this engrossing classic of popular criticism, Ian MacDonald shows exactly why the extraordinary songs of the Beatles remain a central and continually surprising presence.

Customer Reviews:

Is there a revised edition of this book ANYWHERE?.......2007-08-27

More a question than a book review here. This edition is described as being updated; comparing it to the original hardcover, however, I found only one update -- a footnote in which MacDonald briefly comments on the 'Live at the BBC' album. Otherwise it is identical to the first edition. There is nothing on the Anthology material. So the question is this: Is that one little footnote the extent of MacDonald's "revisions"? If there is a fatter, better edition out there, I'd love to have it.

Anyway, now that I'm here I might as well say that this is not only the best critical analysis of the Beatles' work ever written; it's almost the only such book I can even take seriously. MacDonald does come up with the occasional strange opinion here and there (his dismissals of "Day Tripper" and "Helter Skelter" come to mind), but critics are not machines, folks, and even the best of them are not infallible. For the most part MacDonald is serious in the best sense of the word; he is intensely attentive, and his mastery of the catalogue escapes pedantry -- it's just plain jaw-dropping.

A harsh, negative piece of nonsense.......2007-07-09

I can't begin to articulate how sick I am of seeing my favorite songs get bashed by critics with bad taste.

Nor can I, for the life of me, understand the positive prior reviews for this book-length diatribe. The prose further illuminates the uselessness of the so-called "music critic" -- a job requiring no credentials but apparently necessitating snide, negative opinions whenever possible, even when the writer has gone to all the trouble of coming up with an entire book about one band in which to house his disapproval of the music.

MacDonald, as with most critics, is incapable of allowing any of the songs to remain free from his insults and subjective judgments. If you want to read an entire volume consisting of a snob putting down Beatles songs, this is the book for you.

Typical examples involve his section devoted to "Nowhere Man," in which he uses quite a few synonyms for "boring" and leaves it at that; "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," which he calls "poorly thought-out"; and a constant suggestion of where the Beatles "might have" gotten song ideas in many cases, relying on pure speculation to give the impression that Lennon and McCartney were incapable of coming up with any material of their own.

He lets the occasional positive comment slip through, but his typical critic's desire to enhance his own reputation for cynical wordplay, rather than to actually inform the reader of anything, forces him to state something he personally doesn't like about most every piece of music, in order to balance out any positive things that might have popped out of his pomposity. In this process, he leaves out hundreds of details and thrilling moments that make Beatles songs moving to many.

He often falls back on musical terminology that even the Beatles didn't know. One doesn't want to read about which weird scale or mode a song has incidentally been written in, in a book that tries to boast sociological insight.

There are also several inaccuracies regarding who plays what in which song, etc., and even the title is misleading. The book isn't so much about how the Beatles songs affected people in the sixties, as about the sixties and the Beatles separately. The former is wrapped up tidily in the introduction, which provides a pocket version of the decade's events. MacDonald can write fluently about the sixties, provided he can limitlessly use terms that end with "-ist" and "-ism."

Then, the era is barely returned to, the prose degenerating into song-by-song blurbs that always find some way to be negative, even about some of the Beatles' most beloved tunes.

The only truly good Beatles books are the Beatles' own Anthology, the fascinating Recording the Beatles, anything by Mark Lewisohn and, if you're truly interested in a critic's opinions (why, exactly?), Tim Riley's Tell Me Why -- guilty of a few of the same things, but at least more thorough, well written and positive.

I see that this is coming out in revised form this year. I'm not sure how, as the author decided to take his own life; maybe they plundered his hard drive for documents. Either way, save your money. It's simply not a well written book, and will leave you with a bad taste.

You Say You Want a Revolution..........2007-06-18

This extraordinary book critiques most of the Beatles' songs. It dissects, analyzes and explains the lyrics of the Beatles' songs; it compliments the intelligence of all readers. Music professionals and novices alike will come away with added information; this is a book that will appeal to all readers regardless of place/proficiency on the musical scale.

This book serves as a time line; the Beatles' achievements and the times they were living in are chronicled neatly alongside Macdonald's analyses of the music. It's general tone is light and upbeat, yet a tone of bittersweet nostalgia underscores much of the passages. "There are places I remember..." John Lennon, 1965 could be the sound track of this book. So could John Lennon's 1968 Anthem of the Sixties, "you say you want a revolution, well you know we all want to change the world..."

Beatle fans and those who love and/or lived through the Dodge Dart Era of the 1960s will love this book. It is so worth reading.

This book's publication concludes on a sad footnote. Ian Macdonald ended his life on August 20, 2003. He had been clinically depressed.

GREAT BOOK.......2007-03-11

I love this book and have read it several times. When I listen to Beatles recordings, I sometimes take it out and read up on the song, and its fun to see the work that was put into it (music flubs, line flubs, edit flubs). I just wish he hadn't beat up on George so much! Highly recommended

A brilliant work of analysis.......2007-02-23

I wish that I could give this book more than five stars. It is an absolutely brilliant and supremely entertaining analysis of every song recorded by The Beatles. For those with musical knowledge it provides detailed analysis of things such as chord structure and sequences. For those, such as myself, who are merely fans of this great music, the book provides endless insight and anecdotes about the recording process and events surrounding each song. After reading this book you will never listen to The Beatles' songs in the same way again. This is eye-opening work that puts all other rock/pop music analysis to shame. Get this one!!!

The Beatles & Some Other Guys: Rock Family Trees of the Early Sixties

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The Beatles & Some Other Guys: Rock Family Trees of the Early Sixties
Pete Frame
Manufacturer: Omnibus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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More Rock Family Trees

ASIN: 071193665X
Release Date: 1998-12-31

Book Description

Following the success of Complete Rock Family Trees, Pete Frame has gone back to the drawing board to bring us a complete family tree of The Beatles era, incorporating the Fab Four and their Mersey Beat Contemporaries.

Average customer rating:

The Beatles and the Sixties (W5 Series)
Michka Assayas
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805050590

Average customer rating:

Superbly Written and Intuitive
Admit it, folks, this is the best!
Beatles fans should rejoice , but with reservations
Has it's moments, but too bitter overall.
Unreasonably harsh and ultimately maddening...

Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties
Ian MacDonald
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805042458

Customer Reviews:

Superbly Written and Intuitive.......2007-06-06

Contrary to what a reviewer says, Ian MacDonald does not think that George Harrison was the most talented Beatle. What he does say is, 'If NOT the most talented, then (George was) certainly the most thoughtful of the songwriting Beatles.' Ian doesn't give much praise for many of George's songs, so why would he suddenly say that he was the most talented? Ian clearly feels that John and Paul are the two gifted Beatles, praising their compositions for sophisticated musical structure, imagination, melody, and artistic expression. It's hard to say which one (Lennon or McCartney) he likes better because he really seems to like them both equally, and he intuitively knows who wrote which melody just by analysizing the structure ie.(John horizontal)(Paul vertical with octave leaps that indicate his optimism)So he puts to rest the argument over whether John or Paul wrote the melody to In My Life. He says it couldn't have been anyone but Paul because of the vertical structure. Wow. He likewise says this about other melodies saying,it couldn't be anyone but John because the horizontal structure has his signature all over it etc. He could even tell which side they were sitting on the piano bench, just by certain melodic passages. Jeez.

I noticed after reading the more negative reviews that some people think MacDonald doesn't like the Beatles' music. At first I disagreed but after thinking about it, I can see what they mean, so I am revising my review. He is way too critical of a lot of their songs. As one reviewer puts it, The Beatles' music was meant to be enjoyed. If you start dissecting these songs, you lose the whole meaning of what the Beatles were about. So in over critisising their music, MacDonald is treading in deep water, and is dangerously close to missing the point. There are only a few songs in their catlogue that I dislike and they may or may not be the same ones that Ian dislikes, but he seems to dislike a lot more, and further more, the entire world, including other music experts disagrees with him. He seems to be a curmudgeon, and his oppinions are just that,...his oppinions. This however, is an extremely high brow book. The author has a command of the English language on the level of someone with an advanced degree in English. You must read it carefully because it is not light reading. Ian writes a deep analysis of each song, going over the chord structures and over all melodic developement, but before you get too turned off, he also does this in an entertaining, interesting way. He tells stories, gives oppinions (very thoughtful ones),and generally does this in a way that anyone with reasonable intelligence and education, will understand... And in spite of his negative oppinions of some songs, I still think he loves the Beatles' music.

His knowledge of the Beatles from a musical standpoint, is unparallelled so you will come away with a better than average understanding as well. I was most impressed by his thoughtfulness,and intuition when describing the boys' developement not only as musicians but as people. I have not read any book that does a better job of this and I've read hundreds. Ian seems to know the Beatles better than most. He instinctively understands Paul's reasoning behind trying to keep the group together during the last three years, even if his efforts weren't always appreciated by his bandmates. I disagree though, when he says that for Paul, 'the group was a make believe world in which he could be forever young.' He was only in his 20's, so why would he be worried about being forever young? If anything, he wanted to grow up like the others, and have a wife and family. I think that the Beatles were more important to him than the others, because more than the others, he had forged his entire identity and sense of self esteem around them, since the age of 17. If he wasn't a Beatle anymore then what was he? Invisable? Useless? What would he do? I don't think he was as confident as some of these writers (and the public) seem to think he was, which is why he insisted on Linda going on stage with him for moral support. Why did he need so much moral support anyway? He admits to having a nervous breakdown after the group broke up so need I say more? He also depended on John's approval and when he was no longer getting that, it destroyed him.

Ian also has some very penetrating observations about John, ie. his relationship with Ono and his oedipal complex. Facinating, accurate, and very thoughful, as are his observations about John's personality,his self centeredness, and especially his vacillating oppinions about politics etc. He also gives Paul back the credit that John took from him in the 70's, when he tried to make it seem like Paul was the worst excuse for a human being and contributed nothing to the Beatles.

I found myself agreeing out loud with almost all of Ian's observations about the group.
As other reviewers have said, he gives praise where praise is due ( and that is most of the time, really) and he critisizes when he thinks something doesn't quite work.(but I think this is where he gets into trouble) Ok, he doesn't love everything they did, but does anyone? Even the most dedicated fan doesn't love 'Mr.Moonlight', or that inferior version of 'Matchbox' do they?(they do 'Matchbox' so much better on 'Live at the BBC') What about 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer'? Did anyone expect Ian to give the same high praise to these that he gives to 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', 'Strawberry Fields', or 'Penny Lane'? Likewise George doesn't get the same acclaim for 'It's Only a Northern Song' as he does for a song like 'Something'.

If you are a music major, studying pop music and the Beatles, or a sociology major, studying the 60's, especially the Beatles musical and cultural impact, than this book is invaluable. If you are facinated by their music and their cultural impact, and you have an open mind, than you will welcome this book. There is an excellent chronology which charts their's as well as other people's music, and the events evolving around them, at the back of the book. This gives it another interesting dimension. In spite of his snippy attitude, Ian MacDanald should be applauded for this excellent, peerless, book, and if you are a Lennon /McCartney fan you will be referring to it constantly for it's wealth of accurate knowledge. Oh, and Amazon, please don't lose this revised review like you lost other revisions that I did.

Admit it, folks, this is the best!.......2006-02-18

Will everyone stop saying Ian Macdonald mistreats George Harrison? He gives plentiful praise to 'The Inner Light' and 'Something,' after all. Calling George 'most thoughtful if not the most talented Beatle' is right on, as are his takes on Lennon's narcissism, McCartney's nonsense, and Ringo's...er,excellent drumming on 'Rain,' but he gives them the praise they're due as well. This is an exciting, dramatic, intellectual, unputdownable book, and will inspire your own writing in the process! If only poor Ian hadn't killed himself, he might have written something as equally perceptive about the Stones. Oh, well. Give tribute to the late, great Ian Maconald, and order 'Revolution In The Head'this very minute!

Beatles fans should rejoice , but with reservations.......2005-08-27

The book is both a pleasure and also difficult to read for the reasons the other reviewers have mentioned . I personally felt the book was something of a labour of love , but I suppose some personal feelings cannot help but come through in the author's style . It is a little unfortunate , but I would encourage people to perhaps buy the book used , as Beatles fans should not miss out on it .

I hope I'm not being snobbish to say that the book should only be read by people with a very good understanding of written English . I thought I had that , but there were a few words I have never seen before and probably will never see again . They were not technical music terms , merely obscure words .

I am a musician , but not a schooled one . I wasn't looking for musical dissection , but that can be interesting in small doses . The book has a small amount of that .
It also mentions other records that may have influenced some of their songs , which makes them seem more human to me .

This writer obviously had a great way of describing something that is so intangible ( music and the feelings it evokes ) and making it look easy . I say "had" , because sadly he died by his own hand , so we unfortunately there will be no other works from him .
As a Beatles fan , I am very glad he took the time to write the book , but obviously it is a flawed work in some respects . The Beatles' music touched many people , but the written style of this book will put off as many people as it attracts , I fear .
The end result will be that it does not reach as many people as it could .

Has it's moments, but too bitter overall........2005-02-21

First let me point out that I was fortunate enough to have live in England in 1962 & 1963 (dad in the military). And to be a teenager then and aware before adults (as only teens can) of this new rising musical force called the Beatles was almost joy beyond belief. And that joy has never left me. Having said that: This is a bi-polar book. There is so much to love about it and so much to dislike. It's obvious that the author put a lot of time and effort into it, and tens of thousands of us are grateful that he did. There are many great observations, i.e., She Loves You, Sgt. Pepper (especially the Reprise version), but so much of it is drowned out by his bitterness, especially towards George Harrison. I don't understand why it was necessary to put George down so hard. It just detracts so much from his otherwise excellent observations. The great thing about Beatle music is that it made you feel good. Lot's of love and enjoyment in their music. But when you pick it apart, note for note, word for word, and compare it to your own "personal" standard of perfection, it is easy to lose sight of that love and enjoyment. As much as I enjoyed most of this book, I enjoy Alan Pollack's on-line reviews better as he retains the love and enjoyment of what the "boys" did. But, overall, yes, I'd recommend buying this book and reading it several times so you can make your own judgement abut it.

Unreasonably harsh and ultimately maddening..........2005-01-15

When I first began reading "Revolution in the Head", I felt that I was in for a treat. I have read many, many Beatles books so I already know all of the stories behind the songs and who contributed what. I was more interested in reading Ian MacDonald's opinions on the songs. However, I was very putoff as I continued to read through the book. I don't really understand why MacDonald wrote this book because he doesn't seem to like much of anything the Beatles released. He divides the songs into three categories- "Going Up", "The Top" and "Coming Down". However, he only includes two albums in the section he sees as the top, these being "Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper". His ratings are generally fair throughout this section but almost all reviews before and after are harsh and dismissive.

MacDonald seems to base his opinions of songs on the chord sequences and other technical jargon I found boring. That's great for music critics who want to read pages and pages of "...and A Minor switches uncharacteristically into B7" or whatever. But MacDonald seems to not care in the slightest for the emotions involved in the makings of the songs or the fact that the Beatles were four people with distinct personalities, traits and passions.

But the thing I found most annoying (and which led me to give it such a low review) was MacDonald's apparent hatred of anything related to George Harrison. George is and always will be my personal favorite Beatle, and I hold his musical genius at the same level as John Lennon and Paul McCartney. MacDonald treats George as if he is a random hobo pulled off the street and handed a guitar. He goes out of his way to insult George's voice, guitar solos and contributions to the band. He even attributes some of George's most important contributions to other members of the band. Here is a short list of quotations from the book to illustrate my point:

On "Norwegian Wood": "...provided by Harrison's doubling of the main descending line on sitar, a sound probably envisaged by Lennon from the outset."

On "While My Guitar Gently Weeps": "...Unhappy with his first attempt at recording the song--probably because he felt it overexposed his voice."

On "While My Guitar Gently Weeps": "...the track exudes a browbeating self-importance which quickly becomes tiresome."

On "Here Comes the Sun": "...the result is too faux-naif to appeal to those lacking the requistite sweet tooth."

On "Taxman": "While Harrison was rightly praised for this track, it should be heard as an ensemble effort, with McCartney's contribution bulking largest."

And many, many more. When MacDonald isn't insulting George or suggesting that his ideas were those of John or Paul, he is questioning whether George really did play guitar on a number of tracks. He implies that this is because the playing is too technical for George.

P.S.- Despite being able to tell which side Paul was sitting on when Lennon and McCartney composed "I Want to Hold Your Hand", MacDonald cannot seem to tell the difference between the Beatles' voices. For instance, he says that George and John sand background vocals on "Eleanor Rigby", when it is clearly Paul double-tracked. This book is riddled with such untruths.

Tell Me Why The Beatles : Album by Album Song by Song The Sixties & After a Beatles Commentary

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Tell Me Why The Beatles : Album by Album Song by Song The Sixties & After a Beatles Commentary
Tim Riley
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JJWJVK

John Lennon; A man who cared (The Fabulous Story of john Lennon and the Beatles)

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John Lennon; A man who cared (The Fabulous Story of john Lennon and the Beatles)

Manufacturer: Paradise Press / Castle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0931550661

Product Description

Magazine size, Covers the influence and ideas of John Lennon through out his career. It covers the strong impression John Lennon and the Beatles made on a generation, full of great photo's and art work. This book brings you the Beatles story. Not just the dates, the Beatles and their collective and individual cintributions to the world we live in!

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Terrific Book, But Nothing New in the 3rd Ed

Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties
Ian MacDonald
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1556527330

Book Description

This “Bible of the Beatles” captures the iconic band’s magical and mysterious journey from adorable teenagers to revered cultural emissaries. In this fully updated version, each of their 241 tracks is assessed chronologically from their first amateur recordings in 1957 to their final “reunion” recording in 1995. It also incorporates new information from the Anthology series and recent interviews with Paul McCartney. This comprehensive guide offers fascinating details about the Beatles’ lives, music, and era, never losing sight of what made the band so important, unique, and enjoyable.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific Book, But Nothing New in the 3rd Ed.......2007-08-08

This is an indispensable book about Beatles music appreciation. MacDonald was one of the most idiosyncratic critics of music that ever lived. This book must be owned by anyone, especially musicians and songwriters, who wants to truly get to the heart of the music of the Beatles.

The only disappointment for me (and for anyone who's been faithfully buying and reading the updates of this book since its release in the mid-1990s) is that the 3rd edition is NOT REVISED. If you own the second edition, you do not need to buy this book. There is not one difference in the text.

Oddly enough, this edition has slightly better quality paper, for some reason, whereas the previous edition uses sort of newspaper/telephone book quality sheets that tear easily. Two other subtle changes are: a different pic on the front cover, and the omission of one of the members of Oasis' profanely worded endorsement of the book.

Happy reading if you've never been inside the book before, but if you have the 2nd revised edition, you can sit this one out.

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The Sixties (Beatles Cover)
Newsweek
Manufacturer: Newsweek, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E39MCA

Product Description

from the newsweek series of the decades,this is'the sixties'with the fabulous four,the beattles on the cover.fascinating study of that turbulent time in our history with pictures of subjects like viet nam,riots,gay rights,twiggy,kennedy's,etc.another winner from newsweek.

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