Here, There and Everywhere

Boy this is a cool book. Rather than detail the technical aspects of recording the Beatles (get "Recording The Beatles" for that) Emerick describes the amazing personality clashes, power plays and studio artistry of life at Abbey Road. I think I've read every book on the Beatles and this is one of the best, mainly because Emerick pulls no punches in describing what it was like to sit in a ugly room for months at a time, with people who were really tired of each other, and make the best pop music ever.

"Emerick was a fresh-faced young engineer in April 1966 when producer George Martin offered him the chance to work with the Beatles on what would become Revolver. He lasted until 1968, when tensions within the group, along with the band members' eccentricities and the demands of the job, forced him to quit after The White Album, exhausted and burned out. In this entertaining if uneven memoir, Emerick offers some priceless bits of firsthand knowledge. Amid the strict, sterile confines of EMI's Abbey Road studio, where technicians wore lab coats, the Beatles' success allowed them to challenge every rule. From their use of tape loops and their labor-intensive fascination with rolling tape backwards, the Beatles—and Emerick—reveled in shaking things up. Less remarkable are Emerick's personal recollections of the band members. He concedes the group never really fraternized with him—and he seems to have taken it personally. The gregarious McCartney is recalled fondly, while Lennon is "caustic," Ringo "bland" and Harrison "sarcastic" and "furtive." Still, the book packs its share of surprises and will delight Beatle fans curious about how the band's groundbreaking records were made."

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