Customer Reviews

Recording the Beatles

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In my opinion, this is one of THE top three Beatles books ever written (along with Mark Lewisohn's "Recording Sessions" and the Anthology book). The amount of information in this book is simply jaw-dropping. (Do not confuse this book with Geoff Emerick's similarly titled book. While Geoff's is a good read, it has some accuracy issues and isn't nearly as detailed as this book.)

Recording The Beatles is definitely aimed at technically curious readers and contains everything you'd want to know about how they recorded at Abbey Road - all the equipment, microphones, mixers, outboard equipment, etc. It tells how they created ADT and flanging and echo chambers, etc. It's basically like a textbook for a college level class about recording at Abbey Road in the 1960's. But the last half of the book would easily be enjoyed by fans that aren't technical at all. It talks about how specific songs were recorded and makes you listen to them in a completely different way. You will hear things you never heard before. I believe this is a must-have book for any serious Beatles fan. The quality of the book is beyond belief, and it comes with a bunch of little extras (a "tape box" slipcover that looks like an old EMI tape box, a poster of the mixer controls, the handwritten lyrics for "A Day In the Life". etc...) Amazing.

I will say - the price that is being asked on this site seems a bit excessive, considering the book is still in print and available for half that price from the publisher's site.

This book isn't an account of how recording sessions went, in and about the lads themselves. It's a highly technical, and an extremely involved look at the equipment and processes that went into the making of the beatles records. Fans who are looking for stories about that time John took LSD and wandered up to the roof should read "here there and everywhere" by Geoff Emerick.

This book includes many wonderful pictures and like I said, extremely detailed views of equipment, and let me tell you brother, there is nary a stone that remains unturned. Everything, EVERYTHING that I've ever wanted to know about Abby Road (and for that matter all of the other studios that they ever worked at), and it's contents and personnel is presented in complete detail.

Some of the equipment includes but is not limited to: Ambiophony, the Curvebender, REDD desks, Fairchild and Altec compressors, and Automatic double tracking. Examples of how and when these components are used is given to the exact second that they appear in the song.

The list of Mics is again, obsessive, and far more than enough to make any gear head drool.

Reading this book isn't something that one does all in a row, and if you're a recording buff, there's a plenty to learn.

Another book that complements this that hasn't been mentioned in the previous reviews is entitled Beatles Gear by Andy Babiuk. Another great, if obsessive book that I continue to enjoy immensely.

Thanks.

This book is not intended for the typical Beatles fan. It's more intended for the musician Beatles fan who has a serious lust for Studio Equipment. If you're just a fan, but wouldn't know, nor care, what a Fairchild limiter is, then just find a friend who has it, peruse it, or wait for a newer version that will be paired down.

But for serious gear lovers, it's a blast. Although it won't get into how many valves are in each piece of gear, it does give not only what was used and how, but pretty often on what. You'll feel like you've been in the studio back in the 60's wearing a lab coat yourself.

It's a huge book. Not easy to carry around or read in the car. It's a couch reader.

What I particularly found cool was where the Beatles were placed, baffles and all, for particular recordings. As to the person who said this is the top 3, I'd say top 6. Don't forget Beatles Gear, Paul's super revealing autobiography Many Years From Now(drugs, sex, and writing with John, does reading get better?) and the well know collectors 910 book.

Last item, not only will there be a newer paired down version, the book is still (12/2008) available online. It goes for about a hundred bucks. Don't pay 5 times that.

you simply have to experience this book for yourself. weighing in at 11 pounds, it is by far the most extensive tome written on the beatles recording process. curvebender is currently (april '09)shipping the deluxe edition for $100, so don't pay any more than that. they also claim they're coming out with a paperback version that'll be much less expensive. but the the quality of the "deluxe" printing, in my opinion, makes it well worth the price.

I checked the book out of my university library, rather than purchasing it. In the end, although I looked at all of the pictures, I probably only read 40% of the text. That's because there were many sections that I skipped because of lack of interest, some that I skipped because of lack of time, and many that I just skimmed. I basically just flipped through the book until I hit a section that looked interesting, then stopped to read that part. So, while that's a disclaimer of my review, it's also praise: it really was a strength of the book that I could pick and choose what sections to read.

This book really is mammoth. There is an incredible amount of detail, more than I possibly suspected when I decided to check it out. Basically, every single technical element of the Beatles' recording history is described in great detail, photographed, placed in its historical context, and frequently discussed with amusing anecdotes. I was really astounded by the book.

Probably because I'm a physicist, my own favorite parts were probably the descriptions of the analog equipment. Heck, there are even frequency response curves of the equalizer settings! I thought it was fascinating that just about all of the digital tricks we know today (compression, reverb, pitch shifting, putting down two nearly identical copies of a person's voice, etc) had their analog equivalent. I had no idea! And effects weren't only from the analog electronics--I thought it was hilarious that they would add reverb by actually playing the sound through a speaker in an echo chamber and immediately re-recording it on a microphone as it played!

I also thought it was fascinating to learn how fast the field was changing in that period of time--for example, going from 2 track, to 4 track, to 8 track recording. They really had to stay on top of the technology in order to continue to sound the best. While that is true to some extent these days, seems like it was even more true then than it is now. I mean, I'd bet you could still make a stellar 2010 album using 2004 technology... but the Beatles in 1969 could likely not have hit the top of the charts using 1963 technology. Again, that part was simply fascinating to me.

If I had not been previously warned, I would have been shocked at the Beatles' becoming a studio-only band. But, after reading all of the tricks they used in their recordings, I see why the Beatles must have been wary of people hearing them perform live. In my opinion, that's really too bad--because I see the single greatest strength of the Beatles as being the quality of their song writing, and that would have come through even if their live sound wasn't the greatest.

In short, I give it a thumbs up for very serious fans of the Beatles and for anyone who has a passing knowledge of the Beatles and wants to see a window into that era of recording history. But don't be surprised if, like me, you find yourself skipping large sections of the book.

Im am only at the first 100 pages of this huge book on how the Beatles made their amazing recordings at Abbey Road. And i have never before read anything like it. The details are stunning. And the more you read the more you must respect what the fab 4, and certainly also all the tech staff at Abbey Road did "all those years ago". It is/was a miracle. I, and certainly many many others, have their own home recording studios that by far surpasses the technical equipment described in this book. And i will have a hard time finding any recordings made since then that can compare. If you are a Beatles fan or just interested in the how's and why's of their recordings and studio techniques in general. This is the book. It is the book. That's it.

It's too bad that this book is no longer available. If you have the cash, it's definitely worth getting hold of a used copy...if you're a hard core Beatles fan. Great pictures throughout. Meticulously researched to the point where the reader can become overwhelmed by what many might see as needless detail. I have to say that I enjoyed the book immensely though I did have to take it in small doses. It is not the best written book on the Beatles certainly but if you're into HOW the Beatles and those who recorded them got the sounds they did on tape, you will never find a better book than this one. The book is impeccably put together. Material is of the very highest quality. Again, if you can find one and you can afford to do so, get this book.

From the content, to the photos, to the custom illustrations, this book will take you a week to get through. The effort and care put into the production is nothing short of a lifetime achievement. The authors should be commended for such an accomplishment - as well as all who documented, edited and assisted with clearances and production. This is a must own for any student of recording history.

I just found out about this book thanks to feature articles in the holiday 2011 edition of Guitar World magazine. So naturally I come to amazon to try and order it but it's not available. A little searching takes me to recordingthebeatles.com which has a link to the publisher's website to order the book which promises "The new shipment of books arrives in December 2011, just in time for the holidays!"

Obviously I don't have the book yet, but thought this info would be helpful to others. I don't expect to be disappointed when my copy arrives, based on the reviews here and the information and excerpts on the website and the aforementioned magazine. As others have mentioned, this book is not the type of book for the casual fan or even the nontechnical fan. If you're a musician and have your own home studio (however modest) you'll be sure to appreciate this work.