A lavishly illustrated, rollicking account of the real people and events that inspired the Beatles' lyrics.
Who was "just seventeen" and made Paul's heart go "boom"? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? Where's Penny Lane? In A Hard Day's Write, music journalist Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four's rich legacy by investigating for the first time the ordinary people and events immortalized in the Beatles' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture's collective imagination.
Arranged chronologically by album, the book breaks new ground by exploring how private incidents influenced the group's writing and how their music evolved. Turner reveals that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was really a drawing by Julian Lennon of his childhood friend; Bungalow Bill was an all-American tiger hunter; Doctor Robert was a New York 'speech doctor'; and much more. A longtime Beatles admirer, Turner tracked down and interviewed the real-life subjects of the songs, probed public records and newspaper archives, and spoke in depth to the people closet to the Beatles to unearth tales that have never before been made public. The result is a book that chronicles an untold story of the Beatles themselves.
Illustrated with over 200 photographs, A Hard Day's Write is a visually alluring and highly entertaining journey to the land stretching just beneath your conscious mind, mapped out with strawberry fields, fool-topped hills, and long and winding roads.
A Hard Days Write - The Beatles Songs Great book. Focuses on the origins of their songs as well as the people who influenced them. Fantastic insight into the personal lives and minds. Relates what was happening in their lives and careers with how they expressed themselves in their music. Don't expect to hear much about controversial double intendres, etc. This book is based upon fact and states when conjecture is used. Much of it bears truth when compared to works written by people who spent a lot of time with them (e.g., Hunter Davies). You'll get a feel for how creative Lennon and McCartney really were, how they complimented each other psychologically and musically, and what destroyed Lennon's creativity and band leadership. A must have for any serious student of the greatest pop band in history. I recommend it as a companion book to Hunter Davies biography.
good, but i want more I love The Beatles and thoroughly enjoyed reading about each of their songs. I just wish there was more information! I felt as though some songs barely received any attention. I'm hoping to find a book with more detail.
Detailed and descriptive Turner's book is another essential one about Beatles music. I have read a few of these "about the songs" books, and while another title, Beatle Songs, used to be my favorite, it was nudged out recently by A Hard Day's Write. It feels more substantial, is easier to read, and has some great pictures.
This is a book that focuses on the genesis of the Beatles tunes we know and love so well. It fills in a gap that the other books don't...they are more interested in the recording or instrumental aspects, while this one sticks with comments and quotes by the Beatles and other insiders that explain how and why they chose to write the songs they did. It is more about inspiration.
I love this book because it gives a peak into the minds of some creative geniuses. Reading this book is as close as you will ever come to having the Beatles over for lunch some day and getting the chance to pick their brains over BLTs. This is because the contents of the book are mostly from the Beatles themselves; this book is not just some blowhards interpretation of how Lucy in the Sky stands for LSD. The information is from the horses' mouths (not Henry's) and that is the premier source.
I like a lot of these new-fangled Beatles books. Improvements in technology have allowed new books on old subjects to be printed with more pictures, better quality, and good durability. It has a lot of the same information you can dig out of other books or interviews, but here is is collected and organized for easy access. This is another book that you can read straight though or as time allows. Pick out your favorite albums or songs, or just start from the beginning and see how the music evolved.
Extremely Pleased I purchased this book for my son-n-law and I almost kept it for myself! This book has a lot of really good photos and very interesting stories. I highly recommend this book!
Loved It This was a book that I couldn't put down reading the first time. Now, when I hear a Beatles song and have a question, it serves as a great resource book.
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