Rating: 
Summary: Dilello can't write!
Review: Although I am an absolute hound for anything written on the Fab 4 I have to draw the line at this book. If it wasn't about the Beatles I would never have finished it. The writing is atrocious. Apparently Mr. Dilello did not spend so much as a minute of his time in an English grammer class. It's one thing to have experiences but this in itself does not an author make. I have seen 4th grade compositions that were better examples of the craft. I pass this around to friends and we howl at the bad writing. This book is like the "Plan Nine from Outer Space" of literature. I recommend you run from any situation that may result in purchasing this book.
Rating:
Summary: Dilello can't write!
Review: Although I am an absolute hound for anything written on the Fab 4 I have to draw the line at this book. If it wasn't about the Beatles I would never have finished it. The writing is atrocious. Apparently Mr. Dilello did not spend so much as a minute of his time in an English grammer class. It's one thing to have experiences but this in itself does not an author make. I have seen 4th grade compositions that were better examples of the craft. I pass this around to friends and we howl at the bad writing. This book is like the "Plan Nine from Outer Space" of literature. I recommend you run from any situation that may result in purchasing this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing.
Review: Don't open this book expecting a standard Beatle biography, or even a coherent narrative, for that matter. Instead, DiLello, Apple's former "House Hippie," has penned an idiosyncratic, entertaining, and often oddly touching memoir of his days in the Apple Press Office. The book is an excellent snapshot of that chaotic world, and actually offers some interesting details about Apple's lesser-known recording artists. The appendices include a useful Beatles discography, as well as touring information.The book's stream-of-consciousness style is occasionally irritating, and this is certainly not a book with great literary pretensions, nor does it offer any real insight into the lives of the Beatles themselves. However, it's a fast, enjoyable read, and very evocative of the drug-tinged, hippie whirlwind that the author experienced. I doubt casual fans would find it particularly enlightening, but as a highly personal account of the Apple fiasco, it's absorbing and frequently humorous.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing.
Review: Don't open this book expecting a standard Beatle biography, or even a coherent narrative, for that matter. Instead, DiLello, Apple's former "House Hippie," has penned an idiosyncratic, entertaining, and often oddly touching memoir of his days in the Apple Press Office. The book is an excellent snapshot of that chaotic world, and actually offers some interesting details about Apple's lesser-known recording artists. The appendices include a useful Beatles discography, as well as touring information. The book's stream-of-consciousness style is occasionally irritating, and this is certainly not a book with great literary pretensions, nor does it offer any real insight into the lives of the Beatles themselves. However, it's a fast, enjoyable read, and very evocative of the drug-tinged, hippie whirlwind that the author experienced. I doubt casual fans would find it particularly enlightening, but as a highly personal account of the Apple fiasco, it's absorbing and frequently humorous.
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: I am still reading this book, but I find it to be very interesting and funny in some part. It's always good to hear the story from someone who was actually there but is unbiased. I say this book is definately worth the time, so check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: I am still reading this book, but I find it to be very interesting and funny in some part. It's always good to hear the story from someone who was actually there but is unbiased. I say this book is definately worth the time, so check it out.
Rating:
Summary: The best analysis of their Financial problems
Review: I read this book many years ago. I highly reccomend it to anyone who is interested in the money these guys left on the table and or squandered. This will explain why and how they lost the rights to their songs. It shows the good that Allen Klein did, if any. Kevin Johnson
Rating:
Summary: The best analysis of their Financial problems
Review: I read this book many years ago. I highly reccomend it to anyone who is interested in the money these guys left on the table and or squandered. This will explain why and how they lost the rights to their songs. It shows the good that Allen Klein did, if any. Kevin Johnson
Rating: 
Summary: A fun party to attend
Review: If you like reading Beatles books, this is one of the better ones. Not just a re-hash of the same old, this is fresh and alive.
Rating: 
Summary: A tasty cocktail but lacks punch
Review: In early 1968, The Beatles formed "Apple," a company they could call their own. One that would produce not only their own records but the music of talented newcomers. It had an electronics division, a films section, a fashion store and an avant-garde recording label called "Zapple." It was a bold experiment that crashed in a heap due to poor management and divisions within the group. By early 1971 it was all over, as were The Beatles. Richard Dilello (or The House Hippie as he calls himself) became an assistant in the press office and was witness to all the comings-and-goings. This is his chronicle of the rise and fall of the Apple empire from the trenches.
Dilello provides a breezy, diary-like account of the company and the times in which they were set. His fly-on-the-wall memoir is often very amusing and descriptive, providing Beatle fans with a real feel for the era and the Apple dream. Unfortunately, although he covers the surface adequately, he rarely scratches it and the book lacks a depth that one would expect from someone so close to the action. He never really forwards an opinion (his opinion) of any of The Beatles or Yoko Ono or Allan Klein or Derek Taylor or Mary Hopkin or Jackie Lomax or any of the other players in this significant part of Beatle history. It's almost as if he were scared of offending people and wanted to write a book that everybody would like. Consequently, it comes across as an overlong, detailed report written through rose-colored glasses. Perhaps this is how he genuinely saw it, but the flip, anecdotal voice of the text, over depth and analysis makes this book less than what it could have been. For readers wishing to know more about The Beatles, there are better books out there. For Beatle fans, this is indeed a book that belongs on your bookshelf, as it has historic interest but it's not the must-have that you may think it is and you may be disappointed at what it fails to deliver given the promises made on the cover notes.
Originally published in 1972, it was reprinted in 2000 with a new foreword by Dilello. The book also features several appendices including: A chronology from 1962-1968, Beatles' tour information and a Beatle discography which includes recordings from other Apple artists.
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