Beatles Biography by Mark Lewisohn (6th edition)- plus Lewisohn news. *

... strawberry fields
You know the place where nothing is real
Well here's another place you can go
Where everything flows.

 

That was an account of my attempt to swim across the Mersey while blindfolded ...

 

30 days eh, Arnie? Didja swim it lengthways twice?

 

Have you ever tried swimming blindfolded? Very difficult.

 

One way of looking at it is that Volumes 2 and 3 are ALREADY being released. Parts of them are already here! Hiding in plain sight. Mark's talk (in Liverpool) about the Beatles in India - which covered 67 and well as 68 was fantastic - as is his contribution to the recent Fab4All podcast about mid 69. So there's two or more chapters already out there. (I'm sure the autumn tour will be more of the same). Rather than waiting for the physical book all neat and tidy, we can actually dig into the results of his research / writing right now. That's the approach I'm taking anyway.

 

Watch out for those sharks too.

Allen Klein et al.

 

I think Growing Up With The Beatles is the odd one out amongst the books previously discussed. It's more of a fan's love letter to the band. I have a soft spot for it because I received it as a Christmas present in 1981, when I was 12, and it was quite a revelation, reading about Beatlemania through the eyes of a kid growing up in Kansas. So yes, ok, the glow of nostalgia has a lot to answer for and GUWTB isn't essential by any means. But it doesn't make any great claims for itself and it has a lot of photographs that were rights-free at the time.

I received Shout! for my birthday the following year and read it more times than I can count. At the time, it dazzled me, the first 'serious' biography I had ever read. In the years since, I've come to regard Shout! more as a showcase for Philip Norman's flowing wordsmithery - the Beatles are still these unobtainable, unreachable figures. It's a nice world to live in, but reality it ain't. Tune In on the other hand....

 

I see both sides of the frustration/anticipation of the 'delay' of Volume 2 not to mention Volume 3. IMO it comes down to if Mr. L is still discovering relevant and important material. If so, how does he know there's no more to find? There might always be something.... That sort encapsulates much of this thread's discussion.

Based on the substance of Volume 1, I'm willing to give him a pass for Volume 2 (not that I have much choice) presuming it shows up within the next 5 years. Volume 3 is a real concern (not to mention the Volume 4 if he's getting relevant info for post-Beatles coda). I wonder what his back up is in the event of some inability to complete the books. He may be thinking he's got another 22.44 years. Life Expectancy Calculator - www.riskprediction.org.uk

 

Unless he's said he hasn't, I'm guessing he's written a rough draft, throwing everything (including the kitchen sink) into it. But he's still getting information so he inserts it...which might change stuff further along in the narrative. A domino effect.

Once it's mapped out, he'll cull in order to come out with the standard version (while setting aside the unculled manuscript for the expanded version).

 

Plan B:

Give all of his research notes to a group of experts who can put it all together into a book or two as quick as possible. Such as:

 

It’s funny; I got the extended version when first published, but found it a bit of a slog to get through. And I never did. I finished book one, but it was a CHORE, and I had no desire to start book two. Well, a couple weeks ago, I decided to backtrack and re-started book one again at about the start of 1960. And this time, I just flew through it. I’m now up to Love Me Do’s release and will be quite sad when I finish it off and have to wait for book two.

I know at least a few others commented that it was a tougher read than they expected - take a long break and return to it! You’ll be impressed!

 

On my 4th read through of the extended at the moment.

 

I'm reading the chapters in reverse. Fascinating and puts everything in a new light!!!

 

emosewA

 

Completely off topic, but for a long time I've been wanting to pick a sci-fi series that's already completed, watch the pilot, and then for the rest of the show, only watch the beginning of each episode, the "previously on..." part, and then after finishing that watch the series and see if the story was anything like I thought...

 

I'm waiting for the Hebrew version.

 

May I instead suggest:

 

I love that Ringo version!

Well, I talk about goys
Don't ya know I mean goys
Well, I talk about goys, now
Aaahhh, goys
Well, I talk about goys, now
What a bundle of joy!
(Alright, ג'ורג'!)

 

Meshugana ...

 

Do you have a link to the podcast about 1969?

 

...Kopf

 

I did have a bit of trouble getting it to work - and can't send as a link for some reason. I got to it via SoundCloud and searched for Fab4Cast episode 119

 

Thank you !

 

You ask why a definite history of a group that ceased to exist 50 is necessary? To answer that question consider This YouTube Channel. It is but one of many.