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5.05pm
19 September 2010
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cjde341 said:
I hit a few good ones of late:
Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America by Jonathan Gould — excellent group and cultural bio. Far better than the Spitz bio
I never ended up finishing CBML. I found the whole culturalness wasteful. I liked when he talked about the group, but he might have worked the culture stuff in better.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
9.18pm
26 June 2011
Offline I agree — there were many digressions, but I found the book interesting overall. It's good to have the context of their popularity and how they eventually became their own “context” against which other music and art forms were judged.
10.41pm
31 March 2008
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I like the Gould book too. I mentioned it on Quora a couple of months ago and he got in touch – nice guy. We found a shared respect for Michael Braun's (out of print) Love Me Do , the first Beatles book.
There's a sequel to the Badman book covering the post-Beatles years, which is worth a look too. Annoyingly he doesn't say very often where the quotes come from, but it's good nonetheless.
You Never Give Me Your Money – seriously, everyone who visits this forum should get a copy.
Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
12.30am
10 August 2011
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Jonathan Gould's “Can't Buy Me Love” is excellent. If you REALLY want some behind the scenes dirt, try “The Love You Make” by S Gaines and Peter Brown (the Peter Brown mentioned in The Ballad Of John And Yoko ).
I used some of the juiciest stories in my book.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
12.33am
19 September 2010
Offline Into the Sky with Diamonds said:
If you REALLY want some behind the scenes dirt, try “The Love You Make” by S Gaines and Peter Brown (the Peter Brown mentioned in The Ballad Of John And Yoko ).
That book is what you see from people like Tiger Woods' mistresses. Cashing in on the reputation of the group. Remember Paul burned it – there's a reason for that.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
9.06pm
10 May 2011
Offline Flaming Pie said:
Can’t Buy Me Love : The Beatles, Britain and America by Jonathan Gould — excellent group and cultural bio. Far better than the Spitz bio
I GOT IT FOR FINISH BUT CAN'T READ IT!!!!
My Music Blog.
One and one don't make two
One and one make one.
9.33pm
14 November 2010
Offline Joe said:
I like the Gould book too. I mentioned it on Quora a couple of months ago and he got in touch – nice guy. We found a shared respect for Michael Braun's (out of print) Love Me Do , the first Beatles book.
There's a sequel to the Badman book covering the post-Beatles years, which is worth a look too. Annoyingly he doesn't say very often where the quotes come from, but it's good nonetheless.
You Never Give Me Your Money – seriously, everyone who visits this forum should get a copy.
Can you please tell me what exactly you like about these books? And I'm guessing from your comment I should go for YNGMYM first?
The sunshine bores the daylights outta me
9.38pm
19 September 2010
Offline JET! said:
Can you please tell me what exactly you like about these books? And I'm guessing from your comment I should go for YNGMYM first?
YES. YNGMYM is absolutely great. Depressing but great.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
9.40pm
14 November 2010
Offline mr. Sun king coming together said:
JET! said:
Can you please tell me what exactly you like about these books? And I'm guessing from your comment I should go for YNGMYM first?
YES. YNGMYM is absolutely great. Depressing but great.
Becauseeeee?
The sunshine bores the daylights outta me
9.46pm
19 September 2010
Offline 
Because I said so.
It’'s one of the few books to actually have a (mostly) unbiased look at things, with the facts laid out, letting you make your own conclusions. No one comes out looking good, and while it can be strange seeing these great musicians acting so, normal, in a way, it’s definitely great.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
10.07pm
14 November 2010
Offline Ah. thank you. There's just so many books out there, it's not easy to find an entirely unbiased one. And sometimes I get rather bored… I kind of wish one of the Beatles did an autobiography as good as Keith Richards'. It was interesting throughout, and I learned almost everything I expected to learn, and more. Lots of little side stories. Of course, that one was not unbiased, but that's a whole other topic.
The sunshine bores the daylights outta me
10.19pm
7 November 2010
Offline It's been in the “Save For Later” part of my Amazon for months now. By reading this, I think I may just have to take the plunge and purchase it. 
*17*
I think it's great you're going through a phase, and I'm awfully glad it'll all be over in a couple of days
2020
11.04pm
26 March 2011
Offline The Beatles Anthology.
5.46am
18 August 2010
Offline I really liked “A Date With A Beatle” by Judith Kristen. not a biography but it's a cute story and its good for poeple like me who don't particularly enjoy reading because its short and the font is big. 
"Fighting for peace is like f—ing for virginity." John Lennon
8.20pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline The Keith Badman books which are excellent. Really good for when you have a spare 10/20 mins or so as you can read the entries over time. Beware tho as you will struggle to pull them down.
I really enjoyed Cant Buy Me Love but never finished it. Got to 1967 and MMT and stopped, dont really know why as i really enjoyed reading the culture at the time.
The Beatles Anthology is a must for any fan, as is Revolution in the Head by Ian MacDonald.
There is a book called The Beatles by Allen Kozinn which was excellent, one of my all time faves. Plus A Day In The Life , i forget who wrote it but who ever did had access to the original session tapes in the EMI archives.
Avoid The Mammoth Book of the Beatles, i found it to be absolute garbage.
And Joe i remember Love Me Do by Michael Braun, i bought a copy second hand about 15 years ago and really enjoyed it. I would have been about 15 at the time. Not read it in a long time but still have it.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.16am
23 October 2011
Offline I like Here, There And Everywhere by Geoff Emerick. 
I also enjoyed Paul McCartney : A Life 
I'm currently reading Magical Mystery Tours 
Its awesome!!!! I recommend all of these. I also love John, Paul, George, Ringo And Me. Do you guys have
John, Paul, George & Ringo: The Definitive Illustrated Chronicle of the Beatles, 1960-1970: Rare Photographs, Ephemera, and Day-by-Day Timeline? Its very detailed and has great photos. It was about $25. Really worth it! I call it my Beatles Bible. hohohohehehehahaha yeah I know
Also Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd. I read some of With Strings Attached Or The Big Pink Job: The Legendary Beatles online, and trying to get the rest from a library, but none have it!
Nooo! I 
these smiley things 
I am very happy, and one reason is because I have The Beatles. Thank you!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3
7.33am
26 July 2011
Offline Mrs. Taxman said:
I really liked “A Date With A Beatle” by Judith Kristen. not a biography but it's a cute story and its good for poeple like me who don't particularly enjoy reading because its short and the font is big.
I quite enjoyed this book too…. as you say, it's not a Beatle biography, but it's a nice little glimpse of life through the eyes of a young girl growing up in the early 60s who had a HUGE crush on George Harrison .
I've got nothing to say, but it's okay..
GOOD MORNING!
GOOD MORNING!!
GOOD MORNING!!!
1.42pm
20 September 2011
Offline JET! said:
Ah. thank you. There’s just so many books out there, it’s not easy to find an entirely unbiased one. And sometimes I get rather bored… I kind of wish one of the Beatles did an autobiography as good as Keith Richards’. It was interesting throughout, and I learned almost everything I expected to learn, and more. Lots of little side stories. Of course, that one was not unbiased, but that’s a whole other topic.
I read some review of the Richards one where he (Keith) said some rather nasty things about John. Thus, I was upset and vowed not to read it. Of course I ended up reading it anyway…it was a lot better in context, as much is. Overall, I actually liked the book. Keith Richards is just about the definition of nutty b****rd though
. How is he even still alive? Has anybody noticed a sort of parallel? Half the Beatles are dead, and the surviving ones look amazing for their age, while almost all the Stones are still alive, and look like zombies. 
What's with that?
"Now and then, though, someone does begin to grow differently. Instead of down, his feet grow up toward the sky. But we do our best to discourage awkward things like that."
"What happens to them?" insisted Milo.
"Oddly enough, they often grow ten times the size of everyone else," said Alec thoughtfully, "and I’ve heard that they walk among the stars."
–The Phantom Tollbooth
8.10pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Two psycho's went for and got two beatles. George's family have said that altho it was the cancer ultimately the nutter who broke in played a large part in his battle.
Sorry but it pisses me off that thats what got them.
Am really enjoying You Never Give Me Your Money at the moment. A fab book.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
11.14pm
16 February 2011
Offline I see some people have recommended “Can't buy me love”, I still haven't finished it. I can't understand half of his music analysis, and the parts I do understand make me laugh (” George's guitar is like a character in an existential drama that slowly creeps in”, or something). And he seems to favor Paul. It's not one of the worst books I have read ( or am reading), but I think “the best Beatles book ever written” in its blub is a bit too much.
Personally I like Norman's book of Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe: the beatles shadow and his lonely hearts club; it's entertaining but sometimes I get the feeling she is talking about her fantasies rather than actual incidents. But of course I haven't lived through her eyes so things might seem very different to her. This is the problem with bios written by people closely attached to the ones they are writing about; it's hard to know what to trust and you also feel bad for not trusting (well, I do).
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