Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting all-around, February 7, 2002
This review is from: All You Need Is Ears: The inside personal story of the genius who created The Beatles (Paperback)
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.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As unique as his producing, July 22, 2004
This review is from: All You Need Is Ears: The inside personal story of the genius who created The Beatles (Paperback)
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.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable, touching at times, July 7, 2004
This review is from: All You Need Is Ears: The inside personal story of the genius who created The Beatles (Paperback)
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.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
