It is very well-written by two people who really know their stuff! And it's gorgeously designed. I'm going keep saying that. My review doesn't do it justice!
"Granted, there’s reason. Drummer Bernard Purdie’s claim he performed on twenty-one Beatles’ songs in place of Ringo, is humorously noted, pulling no punches: “Purdie’s account is to bullshit what the Pacific is to oceans.”
There's a lot of that going around in the world of Beatles writing.
There's a bizarre interview on spotify with Pete Best in 1965 where he more or less claims to have invented everything. And it's even more bizarre becasue the two radio DJS interviewing him are trying to suss out the real story by consulting a 1964 fan book called "The True Story of the Beatles." (I have a copy of it -- it's fiction from beginning to end.)
The whole thing is so ridiculous, it's almost like avant garde theatre.
The fact that Purdie made his claim so public is just laughable. I understand that revisionist history is rampant in Beatles lore, it's just sad that it takes those outside the circle to get the story straight.
Mal's diaries are the same -- the claims he makes that he's practically the third silent partner in Lennon/McCartney are both sad and hilarious. (He and Pete Shotton should maybe arm wrestle for the right to claim authorship of Eleanor Rigby....)
I get that Paul has made (some) amends to that, but we're so far along in the timeline, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. And considering Mal's POV, he worshipped them so much, it really became his undoing, financially and mentally.
i don't for one minute believe Mal's version of events, so I think Paul is being generous for reasons of his own.
and yeah, the blast radius of Lennon/McCartney is deep and wide. I once played a gruesome parlor game with another Beatles scholar about who came out of all of it the best versus in the worst shape. The list of the latter was long. the list of the former is very short.
Gimme, gimme! Sounds, er, FAB.
It is very well-written by two people who really know their stuff! And it's gorgeously designed. I'm going keep saying that. My review doesn't do it justice!
"Granted, there’s reason. Drummer Bernard Purdie’s claim he performed on twenty-one Beatles’ songs in place of Ringo, is humorously noted, pulling no punches: “Purdie’s account is to bullshit what the Pacific is to oceans.”
There's a lot of that going around in the world of Beatles writing.
There's a bizarre interview on spotify with Pete Best in 1965 where he more or less claims to have invented everything. And it's even more bizarre becasue the two radio DJS interviewing him are trying to suss out the real story by consulting a 1964 fan book called "The True Story of the Beatles." (I have a copy of it -- it's fiction from beginning to end.)
The whole thing is so ridiculous, it's almost like avant garde theatre.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4mIV8Glw3Ld7yYS27X5cMt?si=74baa5f6143d406c
The fact that Purdie made his claim so public is just laughable. I understand that revisionist history is rampant in Beatles lore, it's just sad that it takes those outside the circle to get the story straight.
it always does, though, hence my series.
Mal's diaries are the same -- the claims he makes that he's practically the third silent partner in Lennon/McCartney are both sad and hilarious. (He and Pete Shotton should maybe arm wrestle for the right to claim authorship of Eleanor Rigby....)
I get that Paul has made (some) amends to that, but we're so far along in the timeline, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. And considering Mal's POV, he worshipped them so much, it really became his undoing, financially and mentally.
i don't for one minute believe Mal's version of events, so I think Paul is being generous for reasons of his own.
and yeah, the blast radius of Lennon/McCartney is deep and wide. I once played a gruesome parlor game with another Beatles scholar about who came out of all of it the best versus in the worst shape. The list of the latter was long. the list of the former is very short.
Oooh, this sounds fun. Thanks for putting it on my radar!
Bonus: it's beautifully designed!