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The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul is a comprehensive, chronologically-ordered study of every aspect of the group's musical life-composition, performance, recording and reception histories-from its beginnings in 1956 through 1965. Richly authoritative interpretations from every available reliable musical document are interwoven through a documentary study of many thousands of audio, video, print, and multimedia sources. The text
will enable general readers and musicians as well as educated music theorists to learn new levels of beauty in the music of the Beatles.
List of contents
- 1: Maps
- 2: PRELUDE: Thinking of Living
- 3: ONE: And the Band Begins to Play (1956-1960)
- 4: TWO: Someone to Love, Somebody New (1960-1963)
- 5: INTERLUDE: I Want to Hold Your Hand
- 6: THREE: I'm Not What I Appear to Be (1964)
- 7: FOUR: I'm Here to Show Everybody the Light (1965)
- 8: POSTLUDE: The Act You've Known for All These Years (1957-2000)
- 9: Appendix: Instruments Played by the Early Period Beatles
- 10: Table of Chord Functions
- 11: Glossary of Terms; Notes; References; Index of Names, Songs, Albums, Videos, and Artworks
About the author
Walter Everett is Associate Professor of Music in Music Theory at the University of Michigan. He is the author of The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (OUP, 1999).
Summary
This is a chronological study of the musical life of the Beatles, from 1956 up to 1965. The main focus is on the materials and structures of the Beatles' melodies, harmonies, counterpoint, rhythms, and the ways these portray the themes of their poetry. The book also addresses performance practice, recording procedure, historical context and more.
Additional text
The author's writing style throughout is so lucid that anyone with a desire to understand his discussions will be able to follow them ... Everett's work is not only important in elucidating the music of the Beatles, it also serves as a model for further scholarship in rock music and the variety of analytical approaches that can be used for the understanding of this repertoire.
Report
Walter Everett's recent contribution to the extensive literature on the Beatles is a welcome addition to the serious musicological study of the most influential rock musicians in history. Journal of Musicological Research
