Critiques
We're given an almost day-to-day chronicle of Mal Evans life from meeting the Beatles until his death in early 1976.
Unfortunately, along the way, there's a point where I decided it had been a mistake for me to read this book. I'd always smiled when I saw Mal in the movies and photos, but now that's always going to be coloured by the knowledge that he was not the person everyone made him out to be.
Yes, he was an excellent roadie, with an almost preternatural ability to anticipate the Beatles' needs and wants. Yes, he was mostly a gentle giant of a man who made friends easily and everyone seemed to adore.
But there's a far darker side, and it all seems to do with addictions. Addiction to drugs, to alcohol, to young women, to sex, to fame, to recognition, and to the Beatles. All at the expense of a family that didn't deserve his absence.
Honestly, the more I learned, the more I grew to hate Mal Evans.
So, four stars for the book itself. But Mal? Yeah, he gets none.
...The problem is...that's most of what the two books are about. Though this one spans 1966 to 2016, over 80% of the book is 1966 to 1970—four years—then he crams the next four and a half decades into that last 18% of the book. And, yes, while Martin perhaps never again saw the solid run of success he had with the Beatles, he contributed significantly to a lot of incredible musicians' albums, and also built three major recording studios. While I love the Beatles, and I loved learning his influence on them...this IS a book about Martin. I was looking forward to getting past the Beatles and learning more about the last almost fifty years of his life as well.
So, that was a bit of a disappointment.
Overall, I really enjoyed it, however Womack has a bad habit of repeating himself, and truly overusing certain expressions (such as "calculus" and "soaring" and "for the ages", etc.).
For all of that, while he blithely skips over what feels like significant events (Martin's mother had a head injury that changed her personality and ultimately killed her, yet we aren't told what actually happened?), and Martin himself seems to get a bit of a short shrift once the Beatles come on stage, it's still a fascinating read, and I'm looking forward to the second volume.
Like so many fans of the band, I heard a lot about Evans, certainly saw him in the background quite a lot. What I really enjoyed about this biography, specifically the parts directly involving the band, was the flipping of the script. So much of what I knew about Evans was still centered on The Beatles, with him on the periphery, even when the role he played was essential. Here, while the band is still front and center, Evans is more centered, more prominent. We forget sometimes that people around celebrities are still human beings living their own lives, though in this case Evans chose to put The Beatles pretty much at the center of his own life.
I can only imagine, until the follow-up book comes out, just how much memorabilia Evans collected. I, like many my age, have/had quite a bit of "stuff." All of the US albums including the later collections (the first album I bought with my own money, shortly after it was released, was Revolver. Prior to that my parents and sister had bought the albums for me), most of the UK albums, the various figurines, posters, books, ticket stubs (from concerts I didn't go to, but a friend of my sister's would give me hers), various items from the fan club, and the intangible of having met two of the members, though well after their time together. Yet as much as I cherish all that, it doesn't even remotely compare in either quantity or quality to what Evans collected. The only similarity is that we, Evans as well as all the other fans who did likewise, did it out of love and admiration.
I feel confident recommending this book to everyone with an interest in The Beatles. I know some volumes have been criticized, unjustly in my opinion, for not always having enough about the band, even when those books are about another person or aspect of Beatlemania. This biography will satisfy even those fickle readers, largely because Evans placed the band in the center of his own life and thus prominently in his own biography. But make no mistake, this is Mal Evans' story and it is a fun one for the most part.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Come together, right now-
Over me
Beatles fans never pass up an opportunity to read a new book about the group, no matter how many others they have read in the past. The Beatles are endlessly fascinating and even after all these years, when one might wonder what there might be left to talk about that hasn’t already been analyzed to death, it turns out there are always fresh angles to explore and discuss.
Even if you aren’t a diehard fan of The Beatles, this book will still hold your interest, especially if you have any knowledge of recording technology or music history.
While there can be a little confusion about the last Beatles album- Abbey Road was the last official Beatles album all four members worked on together. (Let it Be was released after the group disbanded-and is a story for another day.)
In 1969, the group was coming apart at the seams. While the machine still rolled on, they were in the process of mentally and emotionally divorcing themselves from each other and the group as a whole, having moved on to other planes- at least spiritually, if not bodily.
You're asking me will my love grow
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around, now it may show
I don't know, I don't know
While their frustrations with legal matters, and their palpable burnout simmers within the pages of this book, the forefront of the book is focused on the various recording techniques used in the making of the album and how the songs and music came together to eventually become one of the best albums of all time.
The Moog synthesizer, stereophonic sound, eight track reel to reel, as opposed to 4- track and other studio polish and garnishes used for the first time by The Beatles, which contributes to its historical significance. Oddly enough, at the time, it was this production that led many critics to initially complain about its lack of authenticity.
Of course, the Alan Parsons name drop may also be of interest to those who were not aware of his participation in the making of this album. His most notable claim to fame, besides his own personal projects, was his work on ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ by Pink Floyd- and for his work on the Lord of the Rings movies.
It is amazing how this album came together, considering everything going on behind the scenes. The exciting studio wizardry juxtaposed against the turmoil within the band’s stratosphere, shows the various ways the music is symbolic and a mirror into the lives of the group at that time. While so many things The Beatles did musically inspired people and blazed trails artistically, The Abbey Road album influenced the way music was made and continued to be an example for years to come.
Overall, this is an interesting book, especially for Beatles fans, but also for anyone who enjoys music history.
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right
I have been a big fan since I was little and listened to them then watched them on The Ed Sullivan Show. Did I have all their original albums? Yes, both US and UK versions (the perk of being a military kid). Have I read most of what has been written about them? probably not, a lot has been written and much of it hasn't been marketed on a large scale, but if you mean books and major publications both within the industry and without, then yes. Did I ever see them? No, my parents wouldn't let my sister take me to one of their shows. They meant well but I never completely forgave them. Do I remember when I heard they split up? Of course, I cried my eyes out even though I was 11 years old. Did I meet any of them? Yes, not while the Beatles were together and even then only in passing, Ringo at a party and Paul at a PR event. Of the three of us, I am sure I am the only one who remembers. With all this, do I know everything, or even almost everything about them? Seriously? No way!
Now the book. This is more than simply about how well they did or did not get along during sessions, though that is certainly a bi part of it. It is about those sessions, and the period surrounding those sessions for contextualization, as a whole. How there was tension but the music served as a mediator of sorts, how the introduction of new technology also served to keep them focused on what they were doing together rather than what they wanted to do separately, and most importantly perhaps what they meant, as an entity, to those working with them. This is not an account told through rose-colored glasses. Their flaws are on display as are their amazing gifts.
There is a nice mixture of tech talk here along with what was happening. The tech talk is not very complicated and is essential to the story as told, which is as much about progress and improvement as it is about ejecting that which is no longer working or isn't up to speed. This is true of equipment and is largely true of working relationships, especially artistic ones. Knowing what instruments each used, what modifications were made, and to what effect makes the creation of the album that much more compelling. How they made a guitar or drum set play warmer or more full-bodied, how some sounds were coerced from pianos and from electronics themselves.
Having greater access to the session tapes, which were often kept rolling, gives Womack the opportunity to better assess many of the sessions. There have been some interesting things written since some of those recordings were made available but this is a particularly inspired use of that information within a larger narrative rather than just pointing to certain sessions and what might have transpired in them. One is trivia for showing what one knows while the other is narrating a chapter in the story of The Beatles.
I highly recommend this to both fans of The Beatles as well as fans of music history. This covers one of the periods that, for me, causes an irrational feeling while reading. Kinda like reliving RFK's or MLK's assassination. I find myself deep inside thinking, or more accurately feeling/hoping, that somehow things will turn out different this time. And it never fails to hit me just as hard when the same thing happens again. In other words, yes, at 60 years of age, I cried once again at the break-up of The Beatles.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.I think this book is well-meaning but in some ways it Tries Way Too Hard--like obviously Azza comes from a good place, but sometimes she reads as like. Stupid, rather than out of her depth culturally. The plot about the college seems far-fetched at best, and while the work is clearly of the present, its lack of historical ties make some of the points seem loose and disconnected. (The references to the Muslim ban, for example, disconnected from the actual context of the current administration's Islamophobic policies, fall kind of short.) Azza's PTSD is also never really put into context for us, nor named as such. And
It's not a bad book, it just tried to tackle too much without enough attention to each piece. There are kids maybe who might find this book interesting, but mostly I found it lacking.
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.Summary:
Lured by promises of a “full college experience” by a shady recruiter, Azza leaves Paris and arrives in Fremont, Ohio, home of Northwestern Ohio State College and the Rutherford B. Hayes museum. Her arrival (and her hijab) causes a stir in the small town. Because the college is a commuter school–the recruiter lied–the college houses her in a local motel and high school senior Kip drives her to and from the school.
Kip’s a bit . . . obsessed . . . with Rutherford B. Hayes. He spouts random RBH factoids at all the wrong moments to everyone from Ryan, his best friend, and Birdie, the girlfriend who dumped him (but he won’t admit it), to Azza and Colby, the new docent at the RBH museum, the only person who can top his knowledge of all things Hayes-related. The museum is run by the eccentric Fletch. Kip’s been on the board since 8th grade.
Then a crisis hits: former First Lady Lucy Hayes’ plaster of Paris pear has disappeared. An audit is coming up and, fearing that the board will use this as an excuse to shut down the struggling museum, Fletch begs Kip’s help in finding the lost pear.
You can guess what happens: Kip and Azza team up to find the pear (among other things that have mysteriously disappeared from the museum). Together with Ryan and Colby, they search. But their search reveals the prejudices lying beneath the surface of their tranquil little town.
(Note: In case you didn’t know and because Kip isn’t here to tell you this, “Lemonade Lucy” was the former First Lady’s nickname because she and the POTUS didn’t serve alcohol in the White House.)
My thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s always difficult for me to read a humorous book (or book intended to be humorous) because 95% of the time, I don’t find the book funny. But I did find parts of I am Lemonade Lucy! humorous.
A few things that didn’t work for me:
1. Azza & the portrayal of Islam
I like her. I think the author likes her. But how would a Muslim woman view her? As I read, I felt uneasy, questioning whether a Muslim would find this interpretation accurate, offensive, or somewhere in between.
For example, on her first day of school, Azza arranges her hijab to copy the “College Girl Look” found in a photo in a Muslim fashion magazine. The reader knows that absolutely no one in this rural midwestern town will notice how she wears the hijab, only that she is wearing one. They certainly won’t notice that her hijab is arranged differently than it was when she registered for classes. It’s dramatic irony. But could it be seen as making fun of her and the hijab?
Not being Muslim, it’s impossible for me to know this. Different Muslims would have different interpretations of these parts of the book, I’m sure.
2. Birdie-Kip romance
Birdie has dumped Kip at the beginning of chapter 2, but he’s in denial about this. As the novel progresses, Birdie becomes increasingly nasty. Really, she was a nasty, hateful person to begin with, but Kip just didn’t see it. I couldn’t stand her. She seems one-dimensional. I hear her name and all I hear is her screaming “Zero fucks” at Azza. Why did Kip ever find her attractive? Even his BFF doesn’t know.
3. The mystery
This is categorized on Netgalley as a mystery/thriller and women’s fiction. I don’t think this should’ve been categorized as a mystery/thriller. Sure, what happened to Mrs. Hayes’ plaster of Paris pear is puzzling for the characters, but it’s not compelling. It provides a little suspense, a little puzzle-solving, for this women’s novel and helps move the plot along and bring certain characters together, but that’s not a real mystery novel.
There’s a second “thriller” aspect that seems out of place in the book. Without spoiling this plot twist, let’s just say that the mostly light-hearted tone of the narration conflicts with a violent and dead-serious plot turn late in the book. It does, however, provide a moment of self-sacrifice and bravery.
What DID work for me:
1. The strong opening.
Azza brings her four-year tuition (in cash!) to the commuter school’s Registrar’s office, flustering all the registration staff. The narrator’s voice is great here: sympathetic, wry, slightly sad. The staff members are grey-haired ladies who have never encountered a student like Azza before. A hijab! A bag of cash! Oh my! And she thinks she’ll get tuition and board (at a commuter school) and a meal plan. They have no idea what to do.
Womack writes, "If they could have seen Azza beyond the hijab–if they had taken in the emotional contours of her face–those formidable women who comprised the grey-haired staff (they preferred to think of themselves as mature) would have glimpsed the fear in their most unexpected visitor’s eyes . . ." (chapter one)
The opening does multiple things. It shows Azza’s determination tinged with fear. It shows the quandary of what to do with a student who has been recruited with lies. It shows how people in this small town react to the presence of a Muslim. Also, it sets up the conflict that will continue throughout the novel.
2. Kip’s obsession with Rutherford B. Hayes
It’s just so odd, and it’s the oddity that works for me. Kip thinks that Azza is eccentric, though he doesn’t see his own eccentricities. How many teens geek out over Rutherford B. Hayes? Then again, how many teens even know who RBH is? And how fortuitous: just when his ex turns out to be a horrible person, he meets a terrific like-minded RBH fan who wants him to woo her.
3. The small town setting
I haven’t lived in a small town, but I’ve been in enough similar settings (churches, schools, college) that this portrayal of a small town rings true.
There are other things that worked for me, too. Overall, I think this is a good book. I enjoyed parts of it more than others, and I definitely enjoyed Womack’s voice as a writer. I would read other books by him.
4 stars.
I would certainly recommend this to others.
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Womack, who also wrote a two-volume biography of George Martin, busts out all his usual overused words (such as "calculus" and "bravura" for example) but he does a pretty good job of giving some context leading up to 1979 and 1980 in the life of Lennon and Ono.
Even better, he never names Lennon's murderer. He doesn't give him that power, and for that alone, this is a good book.
I will admit, when I got toward the end, knowing what was coming, I got the same lump in my throat, I got the same tears in my eyes, and I mourned for the loss of John Lennon all over again, 44 years after the first time.
Overall, despite some minor issues, this is a good capture of the last couple of years of Lennon's life.