Customer Reviews

All You Need Is Ears -- 1995 publication

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4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
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George Martin's autobiography is highly readable and interesting for any fan of popular music. It should be noted that this book is not an in-depth discussion of how Beatles records were made, but more of an overview of Martin's larger career (yes, he did do many other things besides produce the Beatles!), and a rumination on the astonishing changes in recording technology which have taken place in so short a time over the course of Martin's career. Special chapters discuss such specifics as the acoustics of studios, the changing role of record producers, and methods of writing film scores, all in a clear way that the average reader can understand without being very technical. I was struck by the breadth of Martin's sonic understanding, his appreciation of many kinds of music, and his down-to-earth approach to everything. Along the way we are treated to anecdotes about his personal life, his work with comedians such as Peter Sellers, his financial struggles with EMI and his own company, AIR, etc. The Beatles are mostly discussed in a chapter on "Sgt. Pepper," though his recent book "The Making of Sgt. Pepper" is an even more illuminating tract on that subject.
"All You Need is Ears" first came out in the late 1970s and may seem a bit dated now, were it not for the fact that Martin predicted most of the technological advances that have happened since, including the rise of digital recording and compact discs.
Fans interested only in the Beatles should also look elsewhere, but anyone interested in a larger view of various aspects of the recording industry will be fascinated.

There are very few memoirs published by record producers, especially producers as important as George Martin, producer and ?discoverer" of the Beatles. I do call it a memoir because that's what it is - much more is covered than the Beatles. This is a book about George Martin, through and through.

The first 100 pages or so recount Martin's early history in the British military up through his first job in the recording industry. There is staggering detail to this, naming even the most insignificant people he met along the way. But since we know this is all contributing to what would become Martin's genius, it really isn't all that tedious. Eventually we come to the chapter on the Beatles - how he discovered them, how he recorded them, and then single by singe, how they became the biggest band in the world. Whether he intends it or not, there is an epic quality to practically every word Martin writes (or rather, has ghostwritten for him).

Being a professional in today's music industry and seeing literally all music being recorded on computers, it's fascinating to see the technology they were working from. He writes of actually recording to *wax records*. It's also nice to see someone getting so excited about the advent of stereo recording. It's something we don't even think about today, but to the producers of Martin's era, recording in stereo was as profound as recording to hard drives today.

I also was amazed to learn that he made almost no money off the Beatles records. Today, a comparable producer - say Glenn Ballard, Alanis' former producer - has probably made in the dozens of millions of dollars. Martin didn't earn any royalties on those records, and he also refused an ownership stake in the publishing company set up exclusively for Beatles songs. This probably cost him upwards of $50,000,000 if not more. He goes on to say that he has no regrets in refusing the ownership, and whether or not you believe him, he does lay out a pretty impressive spiel about not doing it for the money. I arrived at the conclusion, however, that while a genius producer he is possibly the world's worst businessman. Hundreds of people made millions off the Beatles and the one closest to them - Martin - managed to make almost nothing. That is truly staggering.

This is the kind of book that's a must-have for a Beatles fan or aspiring musician, and will proselytize everyone else. A classic book from a classic producer.

A very good autobiography of the Beatles' producer. The title is misleading since he didn't really "create" the band, and he doesn't claim this in the book. It is just the title, probably added by the marketing people. But yes, he was responsible for the "Beatles sound" and he can take all credit for the daring experiments in several albums. He changed he way music is recorded.

The book does NOT focus only on the Beatles, it gives an overview of his entire career and of all musicians he worked with (you'd be surprised). It focuses on his day-to-day work in the studios and as he writes about that, he explains in detail the changes in studio technology, in a tone suitable for non-techies, while keeping enough useful information for studio junkies.

It is also the best account I've read of the relationship between band and producer. If you don't know what a music producer does, you should read this book.

It doesn't have any gossip on anybody's private lives so don't buy it for that. He is a professional and a gentleman. He is interested in music and how it is made.

The book is full of great insights (e.g. he doesn't mind the then new technology of automatic voice tuners because, paraphrasing, a record is a work of fiction, in the same way a James Bond movie is not 'real' so what matters is the end product), and in the last chapter on future technologies (this was written in 1979, on the eve of digital recording) it is touching to see how open he is to the new ideas coming just around the corner, including the CD.

My only complaint is that some minor bits are just not that interesting (e.g. a story about a card he got from Sophia Loren). But this is a minor flaw and doesn't happen frequently in the book.

Overall... A great music lesson. From a great master.

This book as the answer. It was written by their producer who sometimes had to work from insane directions. The Bealtes were not the only ones working hard on thier songs. George Martin contributed to the group as well. The parts on the early days are fascinating too. The chapter on the making of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is hysterical. By early days, I mean his early days as a producer of comedy records, and when he first started working with the Beatles. He has an interesting perspective on them, and their music. It never becomes more of a musical study then his story, which is a definite plus. This is worth reading.

This is an excellent "must read" book for both the professional musician,recording engineer, music producer and music enthusiest. Giving insight to the producer of one of the worlds most influentcal bands in history.

For every music lover, its history is part of the pleasure. As we'll enter soon in the 21st Century, one must absolutely read the story of the man who, with The Beatles, changed the second half of the 20th century in helping them composed the most important opus of its time. This is a book about music, about people making music, this is a book about Sir George Martin, a humble man, a musician who was able to recognize that those youngs guys from Liverpool would, with a little help, change the course of music history and rise popular music to a higher livel, equal to the one normally reserved to the so-called "serious music". His life, his love, his work... Our pleasure.

And my greatest honour was to have my personal copy of this book autographed by Sir George Martin himself at EMI Abbey Road Studios in London...

This is a truly amazing book. I had just finished reading "Here, There and Everywhere" by Geoff Emerick (the Beatles recording engineer) and decided I wanted to know more about George Martin, their producer. It was a great decision because the introspect gained from reading both of these books together tells a big picture that I before could only guess at.

George's personality really comes out in this book and it makes it far easier to understand what went on during the Beatles many many recording sessions. It has been said that the producer is a major contributer to the outcome of any project and this book definately confirms and educates about that process.

It is an easy read and the edition that I purchased has fairly decent sized type and makes it easy on the eyes. It is a paperback and tucks easily into your daybag or briefcase for those times when you can read a few minutes - but if you are like I am - you may devour the whole thing in one seating!

The early life of George Martin is also detailed in this book with it's different perspective of growing up in Britain. I had no idea that George Martin was in pop music groups as he was growing up and that came as a terrific surprise. I might have known, though.

The classical side of George Martin comes out strong also. This came into very significant play as he produced the Beatles.

Great book. Don't hesitate to buy this!

This book is highly informative in what it takes to be a record producer, however, I bought the book becaue I was looking for information about his work with the Beatles. That information is not vast, and he rarely includes them in the book. I was hurt to find that on the cover George portrays himself as the "genius behind the Beatles" and shows a picture of himself and the Beatles, yet fails to mention them as he should. If you are looking for information on the recording process this is the book for you, but if you are looking for information about the Beatles I feel you will be disappointed.

There is a reason that you call this guy Sir...he's old, and he's earned the title. To hear from George Martin what it was like to work with the Beatles is like hearing from Jesus what it is like to co-pilot for God. Well, that's kind of blasphemous, but it's still true. Martin's style is direct and matter of fact...he is not prone to flowery language or overblown description.

I'm not so sure about all that Jesus stuff that Har is talking about, but Martin definitely ranks up there as at least some kind of DemiGod in the church of Beatle. It is therefore essential that you read this book. Well, let me add a caveat here: read this book if you have an interest in the Beatles and the recording industry. As a good many of Martin's stories focus, of course, on the magic of recording, the non-interested might find these sections a bit boring.

This book has the same good points as Emerick's (though they both seem to take credit for certain studio achievements) in that Martin's book adds a lot of peripheral information to the Beatles saga. There are sections about Martin's earlier life, the joys of working for good old EMI, and the the trials and tribulations of forming his own studio, AIR. Though some folks just want people like Martin to shut-up about themselves and just talk about the glorious Beatles, the lives of these cornerstone studio wizards fill out the reader's vision of working in the recording industry during the 60's. As I said earlier, I find this kind of "rounding out" of the Beatles legend essential to knowing the "bigger picture." (I also find that using quotes around common words helps you to "sleuth out" their "hidden meaning.")

Martin recounts his first hand experiences helping record all the Beatles records (with a few minor exceptions around the Let it Be period.) Because his memories were not clouded in a drug haze like so many other players of this period, Martin's recollections tend to be more reliable (sometimes even more so than the Beatles themselves!) Sir George always comes across as knowledgeable, lucid, and authentic.

What I don't understand is why this book isn't encyclopedia sized. Martin, having seen the things he has, must have a treasure trove of great stories floating around that silver skull of his. Why not share a bit more?

Incidentally, this is the better of his two books. The Making of Sgt. Pepper, also by Mr. Sir Martin, is a decent read, but seems to rehash some of the themes he discusses here. I mean, how many more times can we hear the story of the Hurdy Gurdy Swirly backing track to Mr. Kite? If you can get it at the library, or from a friend, or if you are rolling in the dough, go ahead and pick it up too. Otherwise, I would start with this one.

This is one of my favorite autobiographies because its author doesn't tell about just himself, he teaches you about orchestration, recording, and the history of the British recording business. (There are some amusing Beatle anecdotes as well. I particularly enjoyed John Lennon's trouble with saxophone notation.) My only quibble: It should called itself "All You Need ARE Ears", not just because verbs must agree with their subjects, but also--mostly--because a title that distances itself from its allusion is more graceful.

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.