The Beatles as Musicians: "Revolver" through the "Anthology"

Given the phenomenal fame and commercial success that the Beatles knew for the entire course of their familiar career, their music per se has received surprisingly little detailed attention. Not all of their cultural influence can be traced to long hair and flashy clothing; the Beatles had numerous fresh ideas about melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, form, colours, and textures. Or consider how much new ground was broken by their lyrics alone -both the themes and imagery of the Beatles' poetry are key parts of what made (and still makes) this group so important, so popular, and so imitated. This book is a comprehensive chronological study of every aspect of the Fab Four's musical life -including full examinations of composition, performance practice, recording, and historical context?during their transcendent late period (1966-1970). Rich, authoritative interpretations are interwoven through a documentary study of many thousands of audio, print, and other sources.

CONTENIDO:

Map: The Beatles in London

Prelude: One-Way Ticket, Yeah
-Early influences on the Beatles
-Lennon and McCartney: the young composers
-Performance techniques of the early Beatles
-Early lyrics
-Early rhythmic techniques
-Early formal designs
-Tonal materials in the early music of the Beatles
-Early recording studio practice
-"You'll Be Mine"
-"If I Fell"

1. Another Kind of Mind There: The Meaning of Within (1966)
-Early 1966: McCartney and the avant-garde
-A new beginning: "Revolver"
-"I'm not a Beatle anymore"

Interlude: I Know When It's a Dream
-"Strawberry Fields Forever"
-"Penny Lane"
-Single Release

2. Yellow Matter Custard, Green Slop Pie (1967)
-Popular music, 1967-1969
-The Beatles in early 1967
-"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
-"All You Need Is Love" / "Baby You're a Rich Man" and some shelf-sitters
-The Summer of 1967
-"Magical Mystery Tour"
-The Beatles in late 1967
-Summary of the mid-Beatles style

3. So Let It Out and Let It In (1968)
-Early 1968: India, Return to R&R, Apple, and Yoko
-"The Beatles" (a.k.a. "White Album") and "Hey Jude" / "Revolution"
-Apple Records
-The Beatles in late 1968

4. Let It Be (1969-1970)
-"Get Back"
-Bad business
-The Beatles in early 1969
-"Abbey Road"
-The end
-The legacy

Postlude: Whatever Happened To...?
-John Lennon
-Paul McCartney
-George Harrison
-Ringo Starr
-George Martin
-"The Beatles Anthology"

Appendix A: Instruments played by the late-period Beatles
Appendix B: Musical friends of the late-period Beatles

Table of chord functions
Glossary of terms
Notes
References
Index of names, songs, albums, videos, and artworks