The Biography

THE BEATLES - THE BIOGRAPHY
BOB SPITZ - Little, Brown, & Co.

Not long ago I finished the latest Beatles book in my collection - "The Beatles - The Biography" - and it is easily my new favorite book on the subject. I have read dozens of books about the lads from Liverpool, but this one is not only the most comprehensive, but is one of the most readable. I thought I knew everything about this subject, and yet I learned quite a few things. (Did you know that in spite of all the mysticism and swamis along the way, George Harrison embraced traditional Christianity near the end of his life?) And by comprehensive I mean comprehensive - it was well over 300 pages before Ringo Starr is mentioned in any context other than one casual reference to the drummer of a rival band in Hamburg. This book practically goes day by day.

This ride is thrilling as it paints the meteoric rise of the band, the blossoming genius of Lennon-McCartney, and the joy of discovery as they record "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", and ultimately "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The ride is also told in painful detail as the boys begin to falter - with the disasterous Magical Mystery Tour film, and as Yoko enters the sanctity of the studio and actively criticizes the other Beatles' methods. She actually at one point got up in the studio and sang... as if they were going to ask her to join the band. And we also get all of the details as John and Yoko got strung out on heroin throughout the "White" album, "Let It Be" and "Abbey Road" sessions.

My only critcisims are that author Bob Spitz doesn't mention the George Harrison trip to America in the summer of 1963, when he spent two weeks in a small town in Illinois and jammed at a VFW hall with a band called the "Four Vests". He also becomes a bit over-zealous, as they all do, and credits the Beatles with inventing the music video after they made two small films of a couple songs to promote then instead of playing them live. (I believe that of all people Ozzie Nelson was way ahead of his tme, when he would take a Ricky Nelson song like "Travelin' Man" and superimpose concert footage with scenes from around the world. Call it what you want, but that was a music video.)

Over all, even if you think you know it all, like I did, read this book. I guarantee you'll learn something.