Customer Reviews

Black Market Beatles: The Story Behind the Lost Recordings

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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This book is a great history of not only Beatles bootlegs (beatlegs), but also of bootlegs in general. Also, the list of every (at that point nearly 2000) known "offcial" bootlegs is really a nice resource.

However, the text is poorly written. Really, this book seemed to lack a good editor before it was published. Also, the illustrations are hardly even worthwhile if not in color.

Which leads me to my next point: this book needs a second edition! The Beatles "Anthology" isn't even discussed, nor are peer-to-peer file sharing programs and the new legacy they are creating for bootlegs. It will truly be a shame and a great loss to the bootleg community if this book does not get updated.

So, if you're looking for a highly textual history of bootlegs and beatlegs, get this book. If you want a compendium to beatlegs, get something different.

I really enjoyed Black Market Beatles. The book recaps the history of bootlegging and incorporates how The Beatles treasures leaked out to bootleggers. The incredible amount of original research sets this book apart from the usual cut-and-paste books about the group. This one breaks new ground, unearthing in the bootlegger's own words how they stole tapes. The book completes the historic picture of unfinished works of this century's most important rock band.

though the authors do not review individual records they give overviews of what is used to make them. they also include a chapter on what our boys thought on the subject(john was a collecter). most enlightening are the interveiws with the bootleggers themselves.