The Beatles
The Biography
by Bob Spitz
I don't know what I expected when I got my copy of The Beatles, by Bob Spitz. There's
been a lot written about the Beatles, from fan fanaticism to dull accounts of dates and
albums, to intellectual dissections of the mechanics of their music. But what Spitz has
done is unique. He has brought to life the trials and triumphs of four musicians (actually
six who have been involved with the band through its lifetime) from Liverpool, who started
out as musically inconsistent, unsure, and often just really bad players, to become a
phenomenon that changed music history.
Spitz' style is lyrical and honest, painting the lives of these music icons in bold,
raw colors, sometimes as ne'er-do-wells, sometimes as courageous spiritual seekers and
activists, sometimes as young men lost in the myth of their own creation, sometimes as
geniuses. The Beatles here aren't glorified, nor are they excoriated. Spitz brings the
reader into the daily workings of these musicians at critical moments in their careers.
The reader sees everything, their ordinariness and glimpses of their brilliance, all as
if the reader were sitting on the sofa where these events unfolded and were witness to
every heartbeat and heartache. The reader isn't spared the excesses of drugs, sex, and
the intoxication of fame, as well as the power plays and naivete involved in making bad
business deals.
In a word, Bob Spitz's The Beatles is brilliant and represents a lifetime of
research. Its honesty makes it a fitting legacy to the band that is still making musical
history. |
The Book |
Little, Brown / TimeWarner |
November 2005 |
Hardcover |
0316803529 |
Non-fiction, biography |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Janie Franz |
Reviewed 2005 |
NOTE: Reviewer Janie
Franz is the author of Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid!, Relaxation
Techniques for Children, Relaxation Techniques for Adults; Co-author of The
Ultimate Wedding Reception Book and The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book. Coming
Soon: The Ultimate Wedding Workbook, Get Rich on Love, and Sacred Breath
(a sound recording of relaxation meditations). |
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