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Tune In, Part 2
This is Part Two of Volume One'Mark Lewisohn knows the Fab Four better than they knew themselves' The GuardianThis extended special edition of Mark Lewisohn's magisterial book Tune In is a true collector's item, featuring hundreds of thousands of words of extra material, as well as many extra photographs. It is the complete, uncut and definitive biography of the Beatles' early years, from their family backgrounds through to the moment they're on the cusp of their immense breakthrough at the end of 1962.The ebook of the extended special edition comes in two parts, mirroring the two hardbacks that make up the deluxe print edition. Each part is sold separately and this is Part Two, taking the story from the aftermath of Hamburg and their growing impact in Liverpool to the end of 1962. Readers wishing to buy the whole extended special edition of Tune In in ebook should be sure to buy Part One and Part Two. Mark Lewisohn's biography is the first true and accurate account of the Beatles, a contextual history built upon impeccable research and written with energy, style, objectivity and insight. This extended special edition is for anyone who wishes to own the complete story in all its stunning and extraordinary detail. This is, genuinely and without question, the lasting word from the world-acknowledged authority.'Mark Lewisohn is the world's leading Beatles historian and writer' Nothing is Real - A Beatles Podcast 'An absorbing and enthralling account of the lives of all the leading players, written with integrity and honesty' thecavernclub.com
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
1386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2013
14 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lewisohn
41 books269 followersMark Lewisohn is the acknowledged world authority on the Beatles. Before embarking on The Beatles: All These Years his books included the bestselling and influential The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions and The Complete Beatles Chronicle. He was a consultant and researcher on all aspects—TV, DVDs, CDs and book—of the Beatles own Anthology and has been involved in numerous additional projects for them. Married with two children, he lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 14, 2017
This review is for Part Two: Volume One - the extended version.
In this review, I am looking at the second volume of the Mark Lewisohn two book extended version of Tune In. The Single Version of Tune In takes the Beatles story from early family history to the end of 1962. Volume 1 of the extended version finished at the end of 1960. This second volume then, only deals with two years, but what momentous years they were – 1961 and 1962. The time period when the Beatles found a manager, lost a bass player, changed drummers, John got married and, most importantly, they secured that all important record contract.
Now, I am reading the kindle version of these books, and page numbers are (sadly) not listed. However, having worked out the amount of text in the differing sections, I would say that this second volume is approximately half as long again as the same section in the original book. That is not counting notes, illustrations, etc, but simply the amount of text in the enlarged and extended chapters.
Volume 1 finished at the end of 1960 and the Beatles had just returned from Hamburg, playing Litherland Town Hall on Tuesday 27th December and the Casbah on New Year’s Eve and astounding everyone with their new sound. The endless hours on stage in Hamburg, keeping true to their own code of conduct in never repeating a song throughout the evening, had increased their repertoire; encouragement to “Mach Schau!” had created a dynamic band, with an excellent stage presence and great confidence. They were, from that moment, better than anyone else in Liverpool. Unknown to themselves, they were probably, at that point, the best rock and roll band in the world – and they would stay that way. The top of a small, local scene, but simply better than anyone else.
However, despite these great successes musically, the Beatles had returned from Hamburg broke. Jim McCartney was certainly not impressed and, under pressure, Paul was forced into the first (and last) ‘proper’ job he ever had. Being Paul, he made the best of it, but John was far from impressed. Neither Paul’s dad or Aunt Mimi saw a future in music as a career for their charges, but Paul, being younger, was under pressure to “knuckle down” and work for a living. John, being John, immediately attempted to undermine Jim McCartney’s authority – later making light of how worried he probably was about the situation, but determined to win Paul back on side. Having forced Paul back into unemployment and, with Stuart having stayed in Hamburg with Astrid, John and Paul became even closer. They were a local success, but felt on a treadmill of constant concert dates and longed to break out. They were rudderless, without a manger or focus, but, if they lacked direction, they made up for it with self belief. As John later said, “You always hope that somebody will come along – we were always waiting for the big man with a cigar.” Enter the story, Brian Epstein...
On the 9th November, 1961, Brian Epstein attended a Cavern lunchtime session to ask about the record, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” which they had recorded in Germany, backing Tony Sheridan, and was instantly smitten with them. Although it was not a path he had previously considered, he immediately considered managing them and New Year’s Eve 1961 saw them in London, ready for a New Year’s Day audition at Decca, starting 1962 with great optimism.
Epstein did not immediately change the Beatles, but he did bring a certain organisation to them. He worked tirelessly on their behalf, increasing the amount of money they were paid, getting them booked into different venues and tidying up their presentation. Then Decca turned them down – a fact that John, Paul and George notably did not tell Pete Best about for many weeks – and they had to face “the bitter taste of rejection.” Sadly, it would become all too familiar. Oddly, as Lewisohn points out, “Decca spent more money treating Brian Epstein to lunch to tell him they weren’t signing the Beatles than it would have cost to sign them.” It was a low point, but one or other of them always managed to remain positive.
Stuart Sutcliffe had visited Liverpool, looking dreadfully ill. When the Beatles returned to Hamburg that April, they discovered he was dead at the tragically young age of only 21. During that seven week Hamburg trip, John coped badly with the news; he behaved even more wildly than usual and was completely out of control. Two very important events happened though, to help balance this tragic news. Firstly, George later admitted that he “conspired to get Ringo in – I talked to John and Paul until they came round to the idea.” As both admired and liked Ringo, they probably did not need to be greatly convinced. Pete Best was side lined and it was obvious that he was going to be replaced, it was just a matter of when and by who. Ringo turned out to be an inspired choice; easy going, gentle, with a great sense of humour, he would eventually be the missing piece of the jigsaw. At this moment, though, it was just talk – however, a decision, in theory, had been taken. The second event was the magical news that Epstein had managed to secure them that elusive record deal at EMI. Leaving Hamburg, “they needed to calm down and step up.” Were they capable? Obviously! Plus, as Mark Lewisohn point out, on their first return from Hamburg they had been virtually kicked out, the second time they had lost their bass player and this time, “they returned to organisation, order and promise.”
Brian Epstein gave them weekly memo’s, with lists of where they would be performing. He was caring, responsible, honest and encouraging of John and Paul’s song writing. Immediately, they had to decide which songs they would take to Parlophone. This was an important first meeting with George Martin, who would turn out to be yet another sympathetic and caring adult in their life. If they were lucky to be nurtured by two such men, George Martin would also find his career transformed by the really big chart success that had eluded him so far, but which he would find with the Beatles.
If the Beatles were finding life transformed by Brian Epstein, Ringo was, well, open to offers. He was considering joining Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes when, as Mark Lewisohn so drily puts it, John and Paul embarked on a trip - “The Nerk Twins Go To Lincolnshire.” With Paul just having passed his driving test and bravely letting John map read, the two headed to Butlins in the romantic location of Skegness, a 332 mile return road trip. They were on a mission to locate a drummer before Granada television came to film them at the Cavern. Once, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes had been the biggest group in Liverpool. Now they had been long surpassed and the Beatles were going somewhere – they had a new manager, an upcoming television appearance and a recording contract. He would have been crazy to have rejected the offer and he didn’t. Lewisohn covers the sacking of Pete Best in minute detail. In hindsight, it seems a cruel move that he was replaced when they were on the brink of stardom. In reality, nobody could have foretold that they would be quite so world changing. Only Brian Epstein firmly believed that ‘his boys’ would be bigger than Elvis.
There is more to come before the year is out. Cynthia’s pregnancy, their first recording sessions and, in November, an unwilling return to Hamburg – another place they had outgrown and now did not wish to revisit just when things were happening at home. At least this time they went with Ringo and had the added attraction of Little Richard appearing with them; who also apparently warmed to the Beatles new drummer....
Despite London’s disinterest in the Beatles. Despite their snobbery, their laughing at the Liverpudlian accent, their unwillingness to play “Love Me Do” on the radio, the Beatles ended 1962 on the very brink of stardom. They were a breath of fresh air, they were something different, unique and they were about to make the Sixties Swing. I applaud Mark Lewisohn for this monumental work. He is an author who has told the Beatles story (up to 1962 anyway) without any bias towards any particular member of the group and with brutal honesty. He hasn’t tried to make them sound better than they were, more perfect or without faults. If you love the Beatles, or are interested in their story, this then is the book to read. However, should you buy the single volume of “Tune In” or the two volume set? If you have a casual interest in the Beatles, then the single book will be more than detailed enough. If, however, you are as obsessive as me, then this is the version that you will want and you will love every page. Plus, the illustrations section is far larger – as if you needed tempting...
In this review, I am looking at the second volume of the Mark Lewisohn two book extended version of Tune In. The Single Version of Tune In takes the Beatles story from early family history to the end of 1962. Volume 1 of the extended version finished at the end of 1960. This second volume then, only deals with two years, but what momentous years they were – 1961 and 1962. The time period when the Beatles found a manager, lost a bass player, changed drummers, John got married and, most importantly, they secured that all important record contract.
Now, I am reading the kindle version of these books, and page numbers are (sadly) not listed. However, having worked out the amount of text in the differing sections, I would say that this second volume is approximately half as long again as the same section in the original book. That is not counting notes, illustrations, etc, but simply the amount of text in the enlarged and extended chapters.
Volume 1 finished at the end of 1960 and the Beatles had just returned from Hamburg, playing Litherland Town Hall on Tuesday 27th December and the Casbah on New Year’s Eve and astounding everyone with their new sound. The endless hours on stage in Hamburg, keeping true to their own code of conduct in never repeating a song throughout the evening, had increased their repertoire; encouragement to “Mach Schau!” had created a dynamic band, with an excellent stage presence and great confidence. They were, from that moment, better than anyone else in Liverpool. Unknown to themselves, they were probably, at that point, the best rock and roll band in the world – and they would stay that way. The top of a small, local scene, but simply better than anyone else.
However, despite these great successes musically, the Beatles had returned from Hamburg broke. Jim McCartney was certainly not impressed and, under pressure, Paul was forced into the first (and last) ‘proper’ job he ever had. Being Paul, he made the best of it, but John was far from impressed. Neither Paul’s dad or Aunt Mimi saw a future in music as a career for their charges, but Paul, being younger, was under pressure to “knuckle down” and work for a living. John, being John, immediately attempted to undermine Jim McCartney’s authority – later making light of how worried he probably was about the situation, but determined to win Paul back on side. Having forced Paul back into unemployment and, with Stuart having stayed in Hamburg with Astrid, John and Paul became even closer. They were a local success, but felt on a treadmill of constant concert dates and longed to break out. They were rudderless, without a manger or focus, but, if they lacked direction, they made up for it with self belief. As John later said, “You always hope that somebody will come along – we were always waiting for the big man with a cigar.” Enter the story, Brian Epstein...
On the 9th November, 1961, Brian Epstein attended a Cavern lunchtime session to ask about the record, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” which they had recorded in Germany, backing Tony Sheridan, and was instantly smitten with them. Although it was not a path he had previously considered, he immediately considered managing them and New Year’s Eve 1961 saw them in London, ready for a New Year’s Day audition at Decca, starting 1962 with great optimism.
Epstein did not immediately change the Beatles, but he did bring a certain organisation to them. He worked tirelessly on their behalf, increasing the amount of money they were paid, getting them booked into different venues and tidying up their presentation. Then Decca turned them down – a fact that John, Paul and George notably did not tell Pete Best about for many weeks – and they had to face “the bitter taste of rejection.” Sadly, it would become all too familiar. Oddly, as Lewisohn points out, “Decca spent more money treating Brian Epstein to lunch to tell him they weren’t signing the Beatles than it would have cost to sign them.” It was a low point, but one or other of them always managed to remain positive.
Stuart Sutcliffe had visited Liverpool, looking dreadfully ill. When the Beatles returned to Hamburg that April, they discovered he was dead at the tragically young age of only 21. During that seven week Hamburg trip, John coped badly with the news; he behaved even more wildly than usual and was completely out of control. Two very important events happened though, to help balance this tragic news. Firstly, George later admitted that he “conspired to get Ringo in – I talked to John and Paul until they came round to the idea.” As both admired and liked Ringo, they probably did not need to be greatly convinced. Pete Best was side lined and it was obvious that he was going to be replaced, it was just a matter of when and by who. Ringo turned out to be an inspired choice; easy going, gentle, with a great sense of humour, he would eventually be the missing piece of the jigsaw. At this moment, though, it was just talk – however, a decision, in theory, had been taken. The second event was the magical news that Epstein had managed to secure them that elusive record deal at EMI. Leaving Hamburg, “they needed to calm down and step up.” Were they capable? Obviously! Plus, as Mark Lewisohn point out, on their first return from Hamburg they had been virtually kicked out, the second time they had lost their bass player and this time, “they returned to organisation, order and promise.”
Brian Epstein gave them weekly memo’s, with lists of where they would be performing. He was caring, responsible, honest and encouraging of John and Paul’s song writing. Immediately, they had to decide which songs they would take to Parlophone. This was an important first meeting with George Martin, who would turn out to be yet another sympathetic and caring adult in their life. If they were lucky to be nurtured by two such men, George Martin would also find his career transformed by the really big chart success that had eluded him so far, but which he would find with the Beatles.
If the Beatles were finding life transformed by Brian Epstein, Ringo was, well, open to offers. He was considering joining Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes when, as Mark Lewisohn so drily puts it, John and Paul embarked on a trip - “The Nerk Twins Go To Lincolnshire.” With Paul just having passed his driving test and bravely letting John map read, the two headed to Butlins in the romantic location of Skegness, a 332 mile return road trip. They were on a mission to locate a drummer before Granada television came to film them at the Cavern. Once, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes had been the biggest group in Liverpool. Now they had been long surpassed and the Beatles were going somewhere – they had a new manager, an upcoming television appearance and a recording contract. He would have been crazy to have rejected the offer and he didn’t. Lewisohn covers the sacking of Pete Best in minute detail. In hindsight, it seems a cruel move that he was replaced when they were on the brink of stardom. In reality, nobody could have foretold that they would be quite so world changing. Only Brian Epstein firmly believed that ‘his boys’ would be bigger than Elvis.
There is more to come before the year is out. Cynthia’s pregnancy, their first recording sessions and, in November, an unwilling return to Hamburg – another place they had outgrown and now did not wish to revisit just when things were happening at home. At least this time they went with Ringo and had the added attraction of Little Richard appearing with them; who also apparently warmed to the Beatles new drummer....
Despite London’s disinterest in the Beatles. Despite their snobbery, their laughing at the Liverpudlian accent, their unwillingness to play “Love Me Do” on the radio, the Beatles ended 1962 on the very brink of stardom. They were a breath of fresh air, they were something different, unique and they were about to make the Sixties Swing. I applaud Mark Lewisohn for this monumental work. He is an author who has told the Beatles story (up to 1962 anyway) without any bias towards any particular member of the group and with brutal honesty. He hasn’t tried to make them sound better than they were, more perfect or without faults. If you love the Beatles, or are interested in their story, this then is the book to read. However, should you buy the single volume of “Tune In” or the two volume set? If you have a casual interest in the Beatles, then the single book will be more than detailed enough. If, however, you are as obsessive as me, then this is the version that you will want and you will love every page. Plus, the illustrations section is far larger – as if you needed tempting...
July 6, 2014
Finally finished this book this morning and so sad to have got to the end. Took me about three months or so to plough through both parts of the entire extended edition. There is *so much* detail here but it never feels laboured or tedious, everything has a point that adds to the story. It’s fantastic.
If you can afford it, go for this version—I paid about £39 total for both parts of the extended edition as an eBook and am glad I didn’t just go for the ‘regular’, abridged book.
As soon as part two comes out, I’ll be putting other things aside and diving in. Can’t wait.
If you can afford it, go for this version—I paid about £39 total for both parts of the extended edition as an eBook and am glad I didn’t just go for the ‘regular’, abridged book.
As soon as part two comes out, I’ll be putting other things aside and diving in. Can’t wait.
January 11, 2019
(Includes Parts I & II) Mark Lewisohn's immense biography of the Beatles (this two-part volume runs from ancestry through December 31, 1962) is not just crammed with facts and details that will impress even the most dedicated Beatles fan, it's also a lovingly told story about a fiercely independent, tragically neglected and underserved seaport city that was capable of absorbing all the musical influences that incoming sailors brought from ports overseas; and it's this Liverpool--with its wild and lovable cast of characters, including family, friends and tradespeople--that devotedly attaches itself to the four self-taught, adventurous musicians who would, after digesting and reconfiguring those musical influences, craft a unique, world-altering style. Lewisohn eventually expands the history to encompass the changing mores, attitudes and trends that the Sixties would bring to England (as well as the world) in a furiously-paced, ever-evolving series of events. He's a great researcher and a serious intellect (his observations are well thought and easy to put into historical context) yet he has no problem occasionally interrupting his scholarly prose with clever puns and witty comments; still, he never loses sight of his subjects and the topics and places that surround them--Lewisohn shows you how and why it happened. The result is an enormously satisfying story--every page is a joy to read--that never disappoints. The only frustration is at the end: you don't want it to. It concludes with the Beatles on the brink of national, and then worldwide, success and you want to know what happens next, even though you already know, and, for those of us who lived Beatlemania, want to live it again.
January 27, 2019
An 130-page session today finally got me to the end of this immense tome.
The extraordinary thing about Lewisohn's book is that so few words are wasted along the way. It provides depth to the story that along the undermines many long-standing myths. It provides width by placing us in the middle of the cultural activities of the times. And having all this in such gripping detail all adds greater context to the whole.
A two-volume, 1700 page effort which takea you to the end of 1962 seems utterly over the top, but it's perfectly judged. Roll on the next volume.
The extraordinary thing about Lewisohn's book is that so few words are wasted along the way. It provides depth to the story that along the undermines many long-standing myths. It provides width by placing us in the middle of the cultural activities of the times. And having all this in such gripping detail all adds greater context to the whole.
A two-volume, 1700 page effort which takea you to the end of 1962 seems utterly over the top, but it's perfectly judged. Roll on the next volume.
June 8, 2024
This is Part 2 of the uncut version of Volume 1 of Mark Lewisohn's magnum opus Beatles biography. I am just SO glad that I have finished it before Volume 2 is published. It will give me a chance to read something else for a while!
Incredible stuff. Dispenses with any idea that I may once have had that I knew a lot about the Beatles. So evocative and informed. At times, it's almost like being there - and who wouldn't want to have been? When Volume 2 does come out, I'll be heading straight for the long version.
Thanks Mark!
Incredible stuff. Dispenses with any idea that I may once have had that I knew a lot about the Beatles. So evocative and informed. At times, it's almost like being there - and who wouldn't want to have been? When Volume 2 does come out, I'll be heading straight for the long version.
Thanks Mark!
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November 26, 2024meses lendo aos pouquinhos e foi uma delícia!! gosto da riqueza dos detalhes do mark lewisohn e é certamente maravilhoso acompanhar os processos caminhando pra produção do please please me. foi uma experiência parecida com a leitura de um épico, eu sentia liverpool, hamburgo e londres como se estivesse passeando. terminei super emotiva
May 4, 2021
This is how I reviewed Part 1 of this truly extraordinary biography - "I read Tune In, the 900 page 1st Volume of Mark Lewisohn's definitive 3 part Beatles biog (which takes them only up to the recording of their first album), in 2015 & have been anxiously awaiting Volume 2, due in 2020. Then a friend told me he had acquired the two part extended play of the first volume. Say what? So I borrowed it. This first half runs over 800 pages by itself & The Beatles don't even start calling themselves The Beatles until page 624. Needless to say, it is astonishing. Lewisohn, the only person in the world to have a PhD in ... The Beatles, shines a light on virtually every moment of the lives of the Fab 4, as well as other major players in their development into the most important pop group in musical history - Stu Sutcliff, Pete Best, Brian Epstein, George Martin. I am not a fan boy tragic but I did hit puberty as The Beatles exploded so they have played an enormous role in my life. While the author's approach is forensic his writing style is crisp & occasionally amusing. I advise everyone who loves The Beatles, pop music, music in general, or biographies to grab this. At least in the unextended version. A masterpiece." - Those 900 general release version pages were expanded to 1,616 pages in the 2 volume special edition. Un-frikkin-believable. The next volume was announced as arriving in 2020 but it failed to appear (pity, we all had plenty of reading time). Come on, Lewisohn, you lazy bastard! Get cracking!
March 22, 2018
End of Volume One.
Intermission....
Intermission....
September 18, 2019
Excellent. Thorough. The gold standard of Beatles books. More than that, others have already said better than I could.
December 3, 2022
If you can get this extended edition, absolutely do so. Yes it’s exhaustive but Lewishons writing style is comfortable to read.
July 20, 2021
Back at the end of January, I began a remarkable reading journey which ended this afternoon: the full "Extended Edition" of Mark Lewisohn's landmark band biography, "The Beatles: All These Years, Part One: Tune In." 1698 pages (if you include the index) of some of the most in-depth, biographical writing I've ever read. And this only covered their story from their births and childhood (and a bit beforehand for their ancestry and the historical context into which they were all born), through December 31, 1962, with "Love Me Do" firmly in the British pop charts, but with "Please Please Me" yet to be released, and their first album, yet to be recorded. And what an achievement! The depth and detail are beyond belief, but its never a slog through minutia, but rather a very well written story. Lewisohn has crafted a fascinating narrative out of in incredible wealth of detail surrounding the four principals, and never loses sight nor interest in those who would help them achieve their life in music or the city in which it happened. Does the world really need another book about The Beatles? Not anymore; this is arguably the final word in an oft told tale. It took him ten years to write this (2003-2013), and he expects part two to be ready, hopefully, by 2023. Although he hasn't announced it yet, I expect part two to cover 1963 through 1966. At this rate - assuming he lives to finish it - Part 3 won't be published until 2033 at the earliest, when I'm 80. I sincerely hope we both make it.
February 29, 2016
This review is for the extended version of Tune In, Vol 2 of 2.
As I mentioned in my review of Vol. 1, this is a monster of a book and had to be separated into two volumes because it's a whopping 1530 pages. Vol. 2 only covers the years 1961 and 1962, so when you think about the fact that the band will only be together for another 8 years, you can imagine the amount of research Mark Lewisohn will come up with.
1961 and 1962 were so formative in The Beatles really becoming who they were -- it was the years that they met Brian Epstein and George Martin and they begun to really make waves in the northwest of England. The Beatles were incredibly talented, but they were also lucky to have people supporting them in every single way. The threads of the story all come together and really give you a fantastic understanding of the why and how The Beatles became the greatest rock band in the world.
I also appreciated that within these pages, Mark Lewisohn mentioned what was going on with Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones at the time as well. Like I said in my review for Vol. 1, this book isn't just a history of The Beatles, but it's also a history of rock 'n' roll. And in 1961/62, that was going to change.
My favorite thing about reading a book like this is that I'm so familiar with the stories already, but Lewisohn has so much information that it's like learning everything anew. The details are never tedious or annoying; but again, you really have to be a Beatles fan to appreciate it. 1962, in particular, was interesting because they were rejected by Dick Rowe at Decca, Stuart Sutcliffe died, they tied up everything in Hamburg, and they had signed a contract with George Martin & Parlophone.
Tune In ends at the end of 1962, The Beatles having released their first single (Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You) and working on their second single (Please Please Me/Ask Me Why) with plans for their first LP, an unusual move on George Martin's behalf. We all know how the story ends, but the way Lewisohn writes, you can just feel how at the end of 1962, The Beatles were really on the cusp of something enormous.
One other thing that I particularly enjoyed about Tune In in general is that it's honest. Nobody is painted in positive light just because they're a Beatle and everybody has their shortcomings. Before reading this, my favorite Beatle has always been John, but after reading this, I almost think my favorite Beatle is George. He just seems like a vastly nicer person than John (and my opinion of Paul has also changed). Then again -- they're human, and Lewisohn portrays them as such. They're just "four lads from Liverpool," even if they knew they were much more than that. I can't wait for the next book(s) to come out!
As I mentioned in my review of Vol. 1, this is a monster of a book and had to be separated into two volumes because it's a whopping 1530 pages. Vol. 2 only covers the years 1961 and 1962, so when you think about the fact that the band will only be together for another 8 years, you can imagine the amount of research Mark Lewisohn will come up with.
1961 and 1962 were so formative in The Beatles really becoming who they were -- it was the years that they met Brian Epstein and George Martin and they begun to really make waves in the northwest of England. The Beatles were incredibly talented, but they were also lucky to have people supporting them in every single way. The threads of the story all come together and really give you a fantastic understanding of the why and how The Beatles became the greatest rock band in the world.
I also appreciated that within these pages, Mark Lewisohn mentioned what was going on with Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones at the time as well. Like I said in my review for Vol. 1, this book isn't just a history of The Beatles, but it's also a history of rock 'n' roll. And in 1961/62, that was going to change.
My favorite thing about reading a book like this is that I'm so familiar with the stories already, but Lewisohn has so much information that it's like learning everything anew. The details are never tedious or annoying; but again, you really have to be a Beatles fan to appreciate it. 1962, in particular, was interesting because they were rejected by Dick Rowe at Decca, Stuart Sutcliffe died, they tied up everything in Hamburg, and they had signed a contract with George Martin & Parlophone.
Tune In ends at the end of 1962, The Beatles having released their first single (Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You) and working on their second single (Please Please Me/Ask Me Why) with plans for their first LP, an unusual move on George Martin's behalf. We all know how the story ends, but the way Lewisohn writes, you can just feel how at the end of 1962, The Beatles were really on the cusp of something enormous.
One other thing that I particularly enjoyed about Tune In in general is that it's honest. Nobody is painted in positive light just because they're a Beatle and everybody has their shortcomings. Before reading this, my favorite Beatle has always been John, but after reading this, I almost think my favorite Beatle is George. He just seems like a vastly nicer person than John (and my opinion of Paul has also changed). Then again -- they're human, and Lewisohn portrays them as such. They're just "four lads from Liverpool," even if they knew they were much more than that. I can't wait for the next book(s) to come out!
March 12, 2016
You know if I had to fault Tune In, just to be a picky bastard, I'd probably have a go at the writing style. It works just fine, however it isn't Truman Capote good. What we have is a monumental feat of scholarship on a subject that deserves every word. The sense of excitement as we move towards the end of 1962 and the end of book 2 is palpable. Bring on the next 2 sets.
August 4, 2015
Indispensible for Beatle's fans. Worth every penny and pound -- eagerly looking forward to the next two releases. Answers the obvious question of: Why another Beatle book? This collection will be very difficult to top.
June 3, 2017
Absorbing and detailed account of the Beatles' early days. I really want to read more, so hope the rest of series comes out soon.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews