Product Description

The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul is a comprehensive, chronologically-ordered study of every aspect of the group's musical life--composition, performance, recording and reception histories--from its beginnings in 1956 through 1965. Richly authoritative interpretations from every available reliable musical document are interwoven through a documentary study of many thousands of audio, video, print, and multimedia sources. The text will enable general readers and musicians as well as educated music theorists to learn new levels of beauty in the music of the Beatles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #255242 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 472 pages

Review

"Walter Everett's recent contribution to the extensive literature on the Beatles is a welcome addition to the serious musicological study of the most influential rock musicians in history. ... Everett's work is not only important in elucidating the music of the Beatles, it also serves as a model for further scholarship in rock music."-- ournal of Musicological Research
"The Quarry Men to Rubber Soul and its predacessor, Revolver Through the Anthology, are important additions to the literature of rock music study and are necessary volumes for the serious scholar of all popular music stylesa model for further scholarship in rock music."-Journal of Musicological Research
"[A] staple in the Beatles scholarly literature.... The book's method does not descend to a merely theoretical approach to the Beatles as musicians, but maintains a balance between compositional and performative aspects of their style."--Notes

About the Author

Walter Everett is Associate Professor of Music in Music Theory at the University of Michigan. He is the author of The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (OUP, 1999).

Customer Reviews

The Definitive Musicological View Of The Beatles
Walt Everett's previous volume of THE BEATLES AS MUSICIANS (BAM) dealt with the period from REVOLVER to ABBEY ROAD. Now he completes the story with the "prequel" -- from the QUARRYMEN to RUBBER SOUL.

The reason that the project is split into two volumes is simple: to preserve all the detail which is necessary to this ambitious endeavour. It's also a "unique" project: to encompass the complete musicology, instrumentation and recording history of the most influential musical force of the last fourty years.

Everett speaks with the authority of a musicological professional and the with the unabashed admiration of a listener, providing a cross-over point for those who want to study the Beatles work from both viewpoints.

I think it's important to note that Everett updates Lewisohn quite significantly. He's used a much broader set of source material (all meticulously referenced), the results of thirty years of study and a musicians ear to make sense of the raw data provided by Lewisohn and others.

Beyond the invaluable song-by-song treatment, Everett provides a detailed description of their early years and efforts. Like the preceding volume, the book includes many examples and detailed references.

The student of the Beatles' music is blessed by a rich literature. These two volumes are among the three or four most important resources for those interested in the musicology, instruments and sessions themselves. The two books are in a class of their own and redefine the standard of rock-pop musicology.

Ian Hammond
www.beathoven.com

Dense, but wonderful.
Yes, this book is very dense and technical, I am not a musician and was a bit lost at times, however, the author structures the book in such a way that you can skim or skip what is over your head (a lot for me) and still get something out of this book.

For me, one of the most important and rare things about this book is the way the author does not fall into the John vs. Paul biases like so many others who have written on this topic. He gives both men the written ananlysis and technical break down of their work they deserve and does not short change Paul in favor of John. This is appreciated as I believe it gives the best description of how the songwriting evolved through the talents of both men.

He also gives the same critical analysis of George Harrison's songs, this is rare indeed.

For these reasons I highly recommend the book for serious Beatle fans.

I am already burning through the second book.

Essential for serious Beatles fans
This is perhaps the most exhaustive study of Beatles' musicianship ever written. Everett takes the music seriously and examines the development of the Beatles as musicians and composers. To be sure, the book presupposes that the reader be familiar with music theory. Even if you're not (as I am not), the book still offers wonderful insights into the songs and into the Beatles' early history in Liverpool and Hamburg. And I've not found a better book to discuss the recording history and sessions. If you're serious about Beatles' music, buy this book and Everett's volume on the late Beatles (from Revolver to the Anthology) and Mark Lewissohn's Complete Beatles Chronicle and the Anthology volume by the Beatles. But Everett's book is intended for readers seriously interested in the music.