A Day in the Life : The Music and Artistry of the Beatles

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Summary: TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES
Review: I have read this book and I loved it, it tells the true accounts of the Beatles and their Music. From start to finish, the Beatles and their Music tells the story.

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Summary: An insightful look at the world's greatest pop band
Review: I've been searching for a good book about the fab four for some time. I didn't want a book that was written before the Anthology series, so when I came across A Day in the Life, I was pleased to note the date (after the Anthology series). I got it almost entirely on that basis.As it turns out, this book is very well written, and extremely insightful. The author goes to great lengths to document all of his findings, sighting that previous Beatles authors often do not. So most, if not all of his "facts" about this band are acurate. The basic concept of this book is to look at the Beatles, and their music as one might look at Bach or Brahms and their music. He gives us his own personal annalysis of some of the better known songs, and describes some of the behavior and mannerisms of the Beatles. The book is at it's best when the author sticks to the facts about the band. When he gives his own opinions (and he does this often) the reader may begin to disagree with his views on the greatness or lack-there-of of some of the songs. I recommend it, if only because there is a great deal of info contained within. But I think we can all form our own opinions about which songs deserve the most praise.

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Summary: Interesting but slightly repetitive
Review: I've just discovered the wonderful music of the Beatles, and this is the first book I've read about their unique and thrilling sound. The book itself is interesting, and Hertsgaard has a good grasp of his subject. I am under the impression, however, that Hertsgaard was constantly trying to name 'the best' Beatles song, or 'the greatest' Beatles album. Most of the music of the group was very diverse, and so everyone has their individual tastes. Hertsgaard's repeated attempt to nail down the greatest recorded song performed by the Beatles was tiring, after a while.

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Summary: Must have for Beatle fans!
Review: If you are tired of all the "who was sleeping with or sueing who" type Beatles biographies and are more interested in learning about their music and artistry, it's creation and inspiration, then you will enjoy A Day in the Life.

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Summary: Insights into lives and creative process of The Beatles
Review: If you only buy one book on the Beatles, this is as good as any. I found it immensely readable, and had trouble putting it down. It's one of the few books I've read more than twice. Hertsgaard gleaned much of his information from old interviews with the Beatles and those of their inner circle such as producer George Martin and sound engineer Geoff Emerick, along with Neil Aspinall, Derek Taylor, and many others, as detailed in the nearly 100 pages of notes.
What comes out is a nuanced telling of the Beatles story, much of it already known to fans, but with the addition of notes on the recording session and almost every song they recorded, along with tunes like "Besame Mucho" that showed up on bootlegs and many that appeared in the Anthology Series.
After each chapter, I found myself popping in a disk and listening on the headphones to discover things on the songs I'd never noticed before.
A worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: Insights into lives and creative process of The Beatles
Review: If you only buy one book on the Beatles, this is as good as any. I found it immensely readable, and had trouble putting it down. It's one of the few books I've read more than twice. Hertsgaard gleaned much of his information from old interviews with the Beatles and those of their inner circle such as producer George Martin and sound engineer Geoff Emerick, along with Neil Aspinall, Derek Taylor, and many others, as detailed in the nearly 100 pages of notes.
What comes out is a nuanced telling of the Beatles story, much of it already known to fans, but with the addition of notes on the recording session and almost every song they recorded, along with tunes like "Besame Mucho" that showed up on bootlegs and many that appeared in the Anthology Series.
After each chapter, I found myself popping in a disk and listening on the headphones to discover things on the songs I'd never noticed before.
A worthwhile read.

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Summary: Most Complete Beatle Book
Review: Regarding those who say this book offers nothing new, perhaps you're right- it's copyright date is 1995. What this book is, though, is the most complete Beatles book I've ever read.
It is the proverbial "if you only buy one Beatles book" book. I have looked at many other Beatles books, and found very little that's not in this one. Sure, it came later, but no other book puts it all together like this, and nobody did their homework like Hertsgaard. He was the first "outsider" (claims the back cover) to have access to the tapes of the Fab Four's recording sessions. As you read his descriptions of early takes of songs, two pictures are painted: one of the author tirelessly and joyfully listening to hours and hours of the Beatles, and the other of the Beatles going through take after take.
No, Hertsgaard is not an insider, but I don't want to read a book from just one inside vantage point, be it Ringo, George, George Martin, Derek Taylor, etc. The recent Beatles: Anthology book puts it in the band's own words, but it is glossy, overpriced and the size of a desk.

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Summary: If anything can get as good as the Beatles it's this book!
Review: The best book ever written about the fab four. No sex, no drugs (well almost),only pure rock. Mark Hertsgaard is perhaps the first writer who has done justice to the lads' remarkable talent. From the initial Hamburg days to the London days of Please Please Me to the acid trip of Pepper to the grim reality of Let It Be, Hertsgaard gives a true analysis of the most imoportant aspect of the Beatles -- the music. If you have atleast one Beatle album (otherwise you would not be listening to music anyways, would you?) this is the book you must have for a better understanding of the works of the greatest musicians on this planet. What are you waiting for?

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Summary: A Dull Tribute
Review: This is a book for people who know little about the Beatles. It was much praised by critics for focusing on the music, but really most of what is said is descriptive - you can find out this stuff for yourself by simply listening to the albums, which I recommend doing rather than reading about it -or perhaps with the books "A Hard Day's Write" by Steve Turner and "The Beatles Recording Sessions" by Mark Lewisohn on hand, if one really wants to shed light on the music.

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Summary: Great!
Review: This is probably my favorite book about the Beatles (and I've read quite a few). The musical analysis is compelling, but the beauty of the book is the way this analysis is complemented by chapters about more personal aspects of their lives. The chapter about their "Four-Way Synergy" was especially wonderful because Hertsgaard had been privy to between-take chat that will definitely make you laugh, as well as providing insight into their working relationships. Read this book!