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138 of 145 humans found the following review helpful.
FINALLY A BEATLE BOOK ABOUT SOMETHING NEW
By Mitchell Cassman
When it comes to books when it comes to The Beatles, they ordinarily fall in one of two categories: “memoirs” and “archives” (including timelines, analysis, photos, recording info, etc). Now Geoff Emerick has joined the throe of Beatles writers by publishing his account that in truth falls in among the memoir/archive genre. His new book “HERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE-My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles” is no “cash in”, but a worthful clear or deep perception to the workings of the group. While there are no real “Beatles revelations” contained other than those that true Beatle aficionados already know, such as the working title of the “White Album”, John’s accidental acid trip on the rooftop of EMI etc), the unfeigned value of this book is the primary hand observances of the Beatles in their most important environment: the recording studio!
84 of 95 persons found the following review helpful.
Finally, A Book About the Beatles
By Mark D Burgh
Other recent books with regards to the Beatles,like Spitz’s biography or Bramwell’s gossip collection, had tended to be more in regards to group politics than in regards to the one thing that made the Beatles great: their music. In his book, Here There and Everywhere, Geoff Emerick, along with music journalist Howard Massey, rectify this trend, presenting Beatles fans with a essay of how the Beatles, along with the production team of George Martin and Geoff Emerick pushed the boundries of recording for the duration of act of creating the greatest music of the 20th century.
Beginning as an exceedingly young boy, Emerick learns the ropes of recording according to EMI policies, which he shows are anti-intunitive and throttling. Using their financial clout, the Beatles override all sense when it comes to the technology, permitting Emerick to experiment in respective dire ways, attempting (and for the most part suceeding) to please the Princes of Pop. He is plainspoken with regards to the musical deficiencies of the band, showing Paul McCartney to be the consummate music within the group. The rise of George Harrison from the fumbling guitarist who had his solos rerecorded by the ever more devised McCartney, to the writer of his later hits is one of the more interesting pieces of the book. Happily, Emerick is light on the Lennon/Ono debacle, though perforce by his observation of the recording studio for the duration of the White Album and Abbey Road session, we see how Lennon’s new obsession ruined the band. Interestingly, the only verge into rancor is directed towards Ringo, who unforgivingly to Emerick, ruined the new Apple recording studios. Et tu, Rings?
Having now read numerous a lot of books on the Beatles, I may say that Emerick’s essay is amongst the best. Compare this book, if you will, with George Martin’s two slight memoirs, and you may find yourself agreeing with me, peculiarly if you want to recognise with regards to the music, as opposed to the mayhem.
31 of 35 persons found the following review helpful.
An Insider’s View of Beatle Music Making!
By Michael OConnor
In the early 1960s Geoff Emerick landed the dream occupation music fans would have killed for; assistant recording engineer at EMI Studio working with George Martin. It was a dream occupation because one of the primary groups Emerick worked with was the Beatles. The next seven years of musical magic and misery Emerick expended in the control room are marvelously chronicled in this book.
Though Emerick was a Beatles insider, he wasn’t the ‘Fifth Beatle’ and makes no assert to that title in this book. Rather he was a young, impressionable teenager who worked with the Beatles for thousands of hours and now and then helped them in realizing the musical vision they heard in their heads.
What was most gratifying with regards to Emerick’s book was his recounting of the group’s musical development, the friendship and alchemy amongst John, Paul, George and Ringo and peculiarly those magical moments when a song came together. Later on, when the group started to self-destruct, the magical moments were much less but even then, as for instance when recording ‘Abbey Road,’ making the music would melt away the animosity.
Emerick was never a confidant or even a friend of any of the Beatles. He was an employee working in the control booth and the Beatles were down in the studio and the twain didn’t meet that much. Some may object to his views when it comes to the four but, given his vantage point, those views are utterly valid. Having read lots of Beatle books, I didn’t come throughout any smoking guns in Emerick’s book. Could John be short-tempered and nasty? Sure. Could he be a wondrously amusive and compassionate man? Yup. Was Paul the most approachable Beatle? Well, duh! And on and on.
What I find most impressive regarding the Beatles in the studio was this fact. Despite being virtual prisoners in the drab, soul-deadening EMI studios, they still managed – with some support from their friends – to develop a good deal of of the most inventive, joyous pop music the world has ever seen!
I enjoyed Emerick’s book immensely. It’s an eminently readable, affectionate, warts-and-all record of the high spots, low points, craziness and tedium and you are there! Thanks, Geoff!
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