George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle - book by Philip Norman*

Ooof! I wasn`t expecting that last sentence. Tell us how you really feel..! But,yeah,looks like a trash job.

 

I don't think Ruby would've taken her love to town if she knew Kenny had a spread like that!

 

Yep.

I guess Kenny knew when to hold ‘em.

 

Victimhood is en vogue these days, so I can see them trying to pander to those who are into that sort of thing.

I can see those guys needling each other relentlessly over just about anything really but I don’t think George ever spoke of resentment towards the others over his background.

 

Now that George is out of the way, I eagerly anticipate Norman's bio of Ringo.

 

Norman is going to be Harrison's Goldman

 

Norman has no coherence in tone nor judgement from one biog to the next, except for the unerring manner whereby he shoehorns in large chunks of 'but enough about them, here's more about me' autobiographical anecdote. George was in many ways the most naturally Scouse of the four of them, at least up to the mystical/Dylan absorption, so that's one thing one ought to hope that Norman attempts to explore. I fear, though, that this will be yet another re-evaluation of what he wrote about George in the McCartney book, and previously the Lennon book, and previously Shout. If you've read more than one of them you're simply left wondering if there's anything happening in his head other than a small dog chasing its own tail.

 

No thank you. I already know exactly what angle a guy like Norman is gonna take.

 

McCartney is my favorite artist of all time, and I own the Norman book. But the only thing I remember from it is that Paul has doe eyes, and he has hairy legs that liked to get petted.

 

hey! I'll give it a shout!; )

 

His obituary for George Harrison is absolutely bonkers and I'm curious as to how he'll square that. Sure, he was famously "pro John" but he seems something bordering on hate for Harrison.

Check it out if you haven't...

Philip Norman's obituary for George Harrison

 

It’s amazing how much someone can research and study the Beatles and yet not know or understand them at all.

 

Wow, what a complete a--hole. Unbelievable. smh

 

You’re paraphrasing Jasper Carrott not John Lennon.

 

This. 100% truth.

 

Not for me. I think Norman is a joke and a disservice to biography. I just don't think it can be any good. Reading those paragraphs about the book, on the Amazon web site, made me think that I would never want to read this.

 

From the blurb:

“He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.”

I haven’t read all the books, but are there documented examples of the others making fun of George’s upbringing?
Also, the bit about not be *allowed to contribute more than 1-2 songs per album is just wrong.

 

There may be a salient point or two in there, but an obit is no place for such commentary. I hated Shout, I'll pass on this one.

 

What information, if any, was found to be inaccurate on the book Shout by Philip Norman ?

 

You really don't know, and don't have the energy or access to search it out? I'm asking on behalf of an exhausted butler.

 

Another book on The Beatles/a Beatle. Just what we all need.

 

Someone pointed out to me in the past how sexist Norman is with the way he implies negatives through the use of many feminine descriptive terms for Paul - as if he had less talent than John because he was “pretty”.

Norman should have gone into fiction instead of producing this sort of sensationalist nonsense - he clearly has a decent way with words, it’s just a huge shame that he twists the truth and loves speaking through hyperbole.

His obituary for George says more about Norman than anything else; a petty and jealous man who claims to love the Beatles but seemingly can’t get over his envy when it comes to discussing the individuals in the group.

 

I believe that any true biography for any of the four would be extremely difficult to write given the scale and nuance needed. Norman is a sensationalist and biased hack and certainly isn’t up for the job. George deserves a LOT better.

 

Even there he mentions McCartney's "great cow eyes."

 

Utterly ludicrous, the man is obsessed.