The Psychadelic Years

To me this is the most interesting period of The Beatles' career so naturally I find it very interesting to read about. Srgnt. Pepper's is my favorite album of theirs and it's very cool to learn a little bit more about how it came into creation. As the story goes Paul McCartney came up with the idea of having an alter-ego band called Srgnt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band while on an airplane. He then pitched the idea to the rest of the band and thus the first semi-operatic rock record was born. At this time The Beatles had begun to get very adventurous in the studio, using all kinds of strange experimental arrangements. This is what makes this music so appealing to me, it was a departure from their usual pop structure. Of course they had also began to experiment with other things outside of the studio at this time. In particular John Lennon, the band's tortured genius, had fallen hard into a pattern of drug abuse. While the music may have been ground breaking and excellent to listen to this is also when the band started having real problems with infighting. It was the beginning of the end, and what a sad and nasty end it would be.

What's To Come

In the part of The Beatles biography that I just finished reading it told of a particularly intense case of a crazed fangirl attack on the Fab Four. The Beatles were scheduled to have a tv appearance on some late night show (I can't remember the name right now) and needless to say the buzz was extremely high surrounding this rare performance. The streets were packed with screaming young people (about 90% female). The members of The Beatles were already express dislike with the amount of rabid fanaticism they were receiving. They felt like it distracted from the music when the only thing that could be heard were young girls' shrieks of overwhelming emotion. Also it seemed to them as if these girls were far more interested in their haircuts and the way they dressed than they were in the music they were making. So after this one tv performance things were so bad that there was no possible way for the young lads to even make it to their car. There were so many people waiting outside that trying to move within the crowd would have been nearly impossible. They tried decoys and other methods to lure the crowd away but it was of no use, they simply had to wait until the mass got bored and left. This was the beginning of the end. The Beatles had had enough of this madness. I have some outside knowledge on this subject already and I know that it won't be long before they decide to stop playing live altogether for just this reason. It's sad to think that a hysterical overreaction by a group of young girls put a stop The Beatles performing their music in front a live audience.

Another Independent Reading Entry

When reading a biography you have to ask yourself several questions. Does this book read like a novel (are the stories interesting and compelling)? Or does it read like a newspaper article (factual and boring)? In this case, definitely a novel. The stories are exceedingly interesting. It's The Beatles for crying out loud! The events that occurred to them during their time as a band is the stuff of legend. From escaping swarms of screaming fangirls to the daring experimentation with drugs to the heated infighting. The writing style also does well to make the book an enthralling read. The author knows how to present the facts so that you're getting the knowledge you want but he presents in such a way that keeps it from getting boring by offering details and anecdotal segments. The author also does a good job of not being biased or taking sides, a problem that is frequent in biographies. He never chooses John's view over Paul's, he never gives more credit to one band member more than another, and he never even makes it seem like The Beatles are the best band in the world (which I'm almost 99% sure is true).

The Beatles: The Early Years

It can be tough starting out as a band especially if you come from a poor family in the small working town of Liverpool, England. The Beatles (at this point called The Silver Beatles and lacking the drumming talents of Ringo Starr) had a rough start playing in bars around England. The fan base was relatively small and pay was very low. Transportation was often a problem, having to drive miles and miles to venues closer to big towns almost every night became a real problem for the boys. For a while they even considered giving up on the whole thing. I can very easily relate to this being in a band myself. It can be a very discouraging thing to get involved with. Low turn outs at shows or an argument with a band mate can leave you feeling bitter and resentful like you wouldn't believe. Luckily this did not stop the Fab Four from continuing making their music. They got their big break through when they were booked to tour in Germany. They came to Germany and saw a young crowd eager for some entertainment. They decided they would stay there to play and quickly found a bar with which they petitioned the owner to be the house band. Little did they realize how tough this experience would be for them. The crowd in Germany was crazy. Fights broke out every night and often involved several or all of the band members. They were often asked to play 6 or 7 hour sets, on one occasion they actually play for 13 hours. The pay was low and living conditions were grim; however, this was where The Beatles really learned to play and operate as a band.

The Beatles

The Beatles

By: Bob Spitz

DOP: 2005

As you might have guessed this book is a biography of The Beatles, the biggest and most influential band ever. This book is a ridiculous length, making it very hard for me to finish it in three weeks. It is an incredibly detailed description of the story of The Beatles, from grade school all the way up to the death of John Lennon. It starts with a description of each individual member. The first few chapters each open with a story of a different members childhood, talking about their upbringing and cultural background. It follows this story all the way up to their meeting of the next member and then picks up the next chapter with that member's childhood. At the point that I am in the book a college aged John Lennon and a high school aged Paul McCartney have just come across a very young and talented guitarist named George Harrison. I chose to read this book because it really struck me as the definitive Beatles book. I am an avid Beatles fan and therefore I figured it would make for an interesting read.

LIST

Things I like: MUSIC, movies, eating, sleeping, living life to the fullest, my friends, the smell of Fall in the air, steak and mashed potatoes, ice cream, late night TV, skateboard videos, London, Los Angeles, Atlanta, making beats, the subway, the great outdoors, rocking out, family, most people, most things, doing nothing.