The Beatles Anthology

Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: Looking at the music industry today, it's hard to envision good music actually getting so much attention back then. The music market in America is primarily hype driven, but in the Beatles' case, that was a good thing. The Beatles' music was honest, catchy, and revolutionary, instantly appealing to the young of the 60s.

Now, decades later, we finally get a tome so comprehensive as to be the definite Beatlemaniac's bible. A Beatles neophyte could become a Beatles expert through this one book alone. That's how thorough the content of the book is.

The value is also great. At Amazon's incredible price..., it's a MUST BUY for any self-respecting Beatles fan.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: I was going to give this book 4 stars, until half-way through I was struck by the pure genius of it all. Why? It's like a cover song - when someone else plays a Beatles song, does it ever really sound as good as the original? Rarely. "Anthology" is a huge tome of a book comprised entirely of interviews and snippets from the Fab Four themselves, with a very few extras from their manager, studio producer, etc. It seems like a coffee table book, but it certainly isn't - over 350 large pages of fine print.

The reason why this book ALMOST got 4 stars is because of the inherent nature of a book made entirely of quotes - natural conversation doesn't translate well onto the printed page, especially when so many people are quoted from different periods in their lives. The book never says "In 1964, the Beatles recorded Rubber Soul" or anything like that. Instead, the quotes gradually roll around to telling you, until you realize "Oh, we're in the studio again". Often this book is disjointed and hard to follow, especially if you don't anything about the Beatles.

However, few people know nothing about the Beatles! After the first 30 pages, you get used to the style of presentation, and later on you realize the beauty of it all - these boys are down-right inspiring. Worked in with all the tours and stories and pranks and bad rumors and other nonsense are wonderful descriptions of their music and how it was written, what its inspiration was, and the trials that were faced to create it. The Beatles didn't idolize themselves, not like their fans do, so the words just flow out effortlessly and pure, just like their music did. This was their lives, no big deal, this is what they did. The creativity is catchy.

If you are a die-hard Beatles historian, I'm positive that nothing new is said in this book. There is no "myth-making" in these pages - their fights and disagreements are very bluntly presented - but you can see a "No Big Deal" kind of attitude formed. It's is only natural, the survivors are turning 60, after all. Like the video series and the CDs, this version of Anthology is a warm revisit of a wonderful little rock'n'roll band. Check it out.

Rating:
Summary: As Good as it Could Get For the Best of All Time
Review: The book is packed with photos, memories, ads, and trinkets of all varietie, and not just the ones Beatles fans have seen forever - some are pretty rare. It's sure to feed the appetite of Beatles fans for years. Well worth the price, and a great gift. It's both a comprehensive encyclopedia on the band, and a great coffee table book with its beautiful silver cover. Recommended to any serious Beatles fan. It's more enjoyable with each passing day.

Rating:
Summary: The "War and Peace" of Beatles Biographies
Review: Wow. First off, one can't help but marvel at the fact that this book is HUGE! This makes every other Beatles biography look rather pathetic in comparison. The sheer number of superbly reproduced, and more often than not never-before-seen, photographs is mind-boggling. This is the absolute definitive story of the Beatles, as told by them, so all the speculation and conflicting stories that have surfaced in previous books is completely irrelevant. If you are a Beatles fan, then this book is an absolute MUST. And believe me, once you buy this book, you will be able to retire any and all of your existing Beatles biographies for use as coasters, placemats, puppy training papers or the like. I also strongly encourage you to look into the new CD, "Beatles 1." All 27 of the original number 1 singles have been digitally remastered (spectacularly, I might add!) and the sound is unbelievable.

Rating:
Summary: GET BACK
Review: As the Beatles are one of the most enduringly popular bands ever, still selling albums at full price (in the UK anyway), yet another Beatles book has to offer a great deal to stand out. And this book does. The quality and quantity of what is inside is outstanding. As to authenticity, it is difficult to argue with the words of the Four themselves, with the three living members making contributions from their personal archives.

Given the competition with published works on the band, this book does stand out for its look and feel, which is tightly packed with images and quotes. Graphically, the style might be called 'busy', so I don't suppose I could read it cover to cover in one go. Their career is cover year by year, my favourite being the fateful 1970 with the live rooftop Apple Studio performance as they look so contemporary.

You may well come away from this book as I do, humming the songs.

Rating:
Summary: Finally in their own words!
Review: There have been countless books covering the Beatles. However, this book is remarkably different; The Beatles Anthology by The Beatles, et al is made by the band members themselves. As far as an anthology, The Beatles Anthology is very well done with a well-written editorial note, crisp pictures and a well-developed index. The book is very personal and many of the pictures seem as if they came from family photo albums. The short bios in the beginning are amazing and one gets to really know each member personally. However, there is one draw back to this wonderful book; it is a bit long to read in one sitting. This book is similar to The Century written by Peter Jennings in the sense that reads a little bit at a time since one can not read it in one sitting. I know that raved earlier about the pictures. Nevertheless, one cannot say enough about the personal nature of these photographs that reveal how multi dimensional every band member was. The cover picture was also very cleverly created with the insertion of their recent compilations.

Rating:
Summary: loved it
Review: If you are a fan you will love it

Rating:
Summary: Huge Fan has Slight Disappointment
Review: Hello to all fellow fans

I bought this book the day it came out, and excitedly began to read as soon as I got home. However, I found more joy that first day flipping through and looking at the (wonderful) photographs than actually reading, and I continue to feel the same way. As interesting as these different points of view and recollections are, the book becomes rather monotonous after 150 or so pages. I ended up skipping to commentaries on my favorite albums rather than reading from cover to cover. I would recommend this book to any avid fan, but if you're simply looking for a good read, I suggest you search elsewhere. (Don't take this wrong and think I don't like the music, because the Beatles albums are my favorite.)

Love it anyway - Angela

Rating:
Summary: Good For Those Who Don't Know Much About The Band
Review: For those like me who have read this stuff a thousand times, the book wasn't a revelation. The photos were very good, and there were even some that I hadn't seen.

The narritatives by the Beatles themselves were a bit dissapointing and didn't probe nearly enough into the personalities of each Beatle.

For example, we never did hear what Harrison thought about McCartney as a person, a musician, a songwriter, etc. What did Paul think about Ringo as a drummer, Harrison or Lennon as guitarists, etc? What kind of music would they have made had they stayed together?

I would have preferred some really insightful comments, but the photography made it worth four stars.

Rating:
Summary: The Consummate Book on the Beetles
Review: This book is a great addition to the library of any Beetles fan. It completely covers the Beetles, their history and each member. Lots of photos round it out. It you like the Beetles or just remember when they were still around, you'll like this book. It's a great coffee table book also. In short, it is the Beetles and everything you wanted to know about them.