Customer Reviews

Ticket To Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour that Changed the World (with CD)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a sterling, high caliber first rate work.

Larry Kane, a veteran news reporter/broadcast journalist shares anecdotes of his year traveling with the Beatles. He covers the concerts from 1964 and 1965 and gives in-depth analyses of each individual Beatle. Kane's voice, the voice of a newsman rings pure and clear; he not only provides an objective reporting style, but he effectively includes his subjective feelings regarding the events and people he has covered.

This book contains material that is new even to inveterate Beatle fans; this book is a treasure trove of historical information. Kane covers incidents as seemingly humorous as George Harrison aiming his drink at an intrusive reporter to events as serious as the safety and personal observations of each Beatle.

Kane's writing style is very inclusive; in covering the issues and events, he skillfully draws his readers in so that one feels a part of what is taking place in the narratives. He is also quite adept at portraying the individuality of each person mentioned in the book. I like the way he has interviewed fans and included their input as well as updates on them. I was also delighted that Kane included a list of Beatles' concerts, dates and places during 1964 - 1965.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Larry Kane speak several times; he has a real gift and a real flair as a raconteur and this book is proof positive of that. A CD of interviews comes with the book and it is a bonus treat.

This is such a worthwhile book. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Kane had a wonderful opportunity when he traveled with the Beatles during those early tours. This book certainly gives some interesting highlights of how hectic those days were, but the style of his writing diminishes the work to the level of a Stone Phillips report on NBC. There's way too much foreshadowing, giving it the feel of "When we get back from this commercial, you'll hear how the one of the Beatles made an anti-semitic remark..."

Yes, as one reviewer put it, you'll see how the boys were actually nice, regular people, but Kane writes with an ineptitude typical of our televised society. Or else he doesn't have the story he thinks. And yes, the enclosed cd consists largely of John, Paul, George, and Ringo saying, "Hello, Larry."

Some interesting tidbits for a Beatle afficionado, but overall, a disappointment.

I 've read almost every Beatles book out there, and this one ranks right at the top. It's one of the few "Beatles books" written by a true insider, and you get to experience the Beatles tours of America as real events and not just as hype. Amazingly, the daily reality of the tours was even more outrageous than the hype!
Kane not only does a great job of capturing the daily madness of the tours, but he also puts them in historical perspective by adding seamless commentary about the hot-button issues of the sixties. It's also interesting to see the author's interaction with the Beatles (especially John) throughout the tour. When most reporters and deejays were asking the Beatles about their hairdos and jellybeans, Kane thankfully took another route, asking them about the things that concerned them, and society at large. The Beatles really seemed to respond to Kane, and opened up to talk candidly about a range of issues that give you a sense of what they were really all about. And they way they playfully harass him is hilarious!
Besides being an excellent book, the bonus CD is a rare treasure, filled with the author's interviews with the Beatles from the '64-'65 tours. I've never heard any of this material before, and I thought I had heard it all when it comes to the Beatles.
If you're a Beatles fan, check this package out.

I 've read almost every Beatles book out there, and this one ranks at the top. It's one of the few written by an insider, and you get to experience the Beatles N. American tours as real events and not just as hype.
Larry Kane does a great job of capturing the daily madness of the tour, and adds interesting commentary about the sixties himself and in quotes by the band. Unlike all the other reporters, Kane got the Beatles to talk openly about issues besides their hairdos and jellybeans, so you get a sense of what they were really all about. And they way they goofed on Kane is hilarious!
The bonus CD is amazing, filled with Kane's radio interviews with the Beatles in '64-'65. I've never heard any of this material before, and I thought I had heard it all.
Overall, an excellent book and CD package.

For those who just can not get enough of "Beatlemania", or even for those studying the pop culture of the 60's, you will find "Ticket To Ride" by Larry Kane, a most informative and detailed account of the Beatles' 1964 and 1965 USA tours.

It was a time of turmoil in America. Kennedy's assassination only a year earlier, and race riots beginning to break out, were on the minds of most Americans. Larry Kane was not exactly thrilled with his assignment. To be one of the few reporters who would be part of the traveling press corps with these young "mopheads" who were turning American teenagers into screaming, obsessed fans. His job was to report on the concerts, and feed the stories and taped interviews back to the Florida radio station that employed him.
He didn't think it would be an "important" story to cover! It didn't take him very long to realize that he was witnessing a band who's music would be loved by this and future generations and to be a part of a history making event, one that he would come to cherish all the wild moments.

It's the story beneath the story. Kane gives us an up close and personal view of life with John, Paul, Geroge and Ringo, and the tens of thousands of fans who adored them. Getting to know the Beatles as individuals during the flights from one stop to another, he is able to let us in on the human side of the band. Four really nice young lads, who loved their fans, as much as they loved their idols. How they reacted in the face of danger, as an engine caught on fire in flight, what they thought about America and Americans, their political views, and even a peek at their personal lives.

Kane's descriptions of the actual concerts, and the atmosphere of hysertia at each venue, will put you right there in the middle of it all. If you are old enough you will remember the feeling, even if you were not at one of those concerts.Interviews with some of the now older fans who were there, prove that it is a memory they will always cherish as well.

He even gives a good feel of what it felt like to be amidst all the screaming fans, and the security measures that were enforced. He takes you behind the scenes as well. Backstage, the nightlife, fending off fans disguised as maids at the hotels, The Beatles meeting with their idol, Elvis Presley,and a good look at manager Brian Epstein, who kept these young fun-loving lads on track.

The book also goes into Kane's later meetings with them, the changes in their lives and attitudes, and has a nice outline of each concert(of these tours), the dates and the attendance. Dick Clark gives the foward.

"Ticket To Ride" is absolutley worth the read, but what makes this book a keeper is the CD included. If you are buying a used edition, make sure the CD comes with it. The CD includes excerpts from interviews, with these very young legends. It's about a 50 minute listen, and it is nice to hear their actual voices, their sense of humor, and to get a feel of their frame of mind at the time. It is also always nice to hear the Author's own voice as well.

Go back in time and get your "Ticket To Ride"....Laurie

also recommended for fans:Life: Remembering John Lennon: 25 Years Later

For a reader like me, this book personifies the best in writing. It was so exciting to follow this reporter on his travels, but especially to get his insight. As a twenty something, I never quite understood just how wild it was.

I love the Beatles music. I love Kane's honesty in writing this book. That CD is awesome. Awesome.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what life was apparently like in those times. I give it five big stars. Two thumbsup!!!

This exuberant tale reads more like an adventure story than the factual record of the beatle's 1964 tour . It also serves as a sharply focused two way mirror for readers like me: The book offers a nostalgic, but crisp, retro-view of the people we were as the fab four was conquering America in 1964. It also provides a high buff insight into the enduring influences the Beatle's have had on us all, right up to today. I appreciate that this book is a journalist's diary .The author, reporter Larry Kane ,was there. There's no pop culture psycho-babble . There's no gossipy speculation.Just the real story, from front row seats at the concerts, to the cabin of the Electra that flew them cross-country, to behind closed doors at the post show parties. It's also a coming of age story for the members of group , who changed our music and (perhaps, unintentionally)led the sixties social revolution that caused all to choose sides or shut-up. In a parallel path, we see how the straight-laced, almost nerdish, 19 year old reporter covering them begins to find himself in the face of the beatle's decadent lifestyle. I had forgotten the obsessed, wacked out female fans, the overburdened cops who tried to keep them off the stage, and the parents who just wanted us to keep down the noise so they could hear their Patty Page records. The book traces the origins of the beatle's concern about the Viet Nam war and their burgeoning political activism. the final chapters bring us forward, closing the loop of time for the fab four and the author, who has had quite a career in television news. The book has everything we learned about in the sixties. SEX. DRUGS. ROCK AND ROLL.

There are some reviewers who missed the main point of Kane's book: The things that happened on the 1964 tour never happened before on the scale that it did - the beyond insane antics of obsessed fans, the hysteria, the mayhem. People here are comparing the stories they've heard over the years of the antics of pop stars to this and what happened then pales in comparison to what goes on today. People have to remember that Kane grew up in the 1950's and what was going on in the early-to-mid 1960's was never seen before (and hasn't been seen since). It was like living in another world and time period.

This all happened in 1964 at a time when people held way more conservative views and the slightest bit of impropriety would have destroyed an act and blackballed them from show business. Singing acts, solo artists and groups, also avoided the taboo subject of politics, especially the undeclared war in Viet Nam.

Larry Kane did a very good job of taking you backstage to the then-longest tour in rock history and bringing you front row and center and explaining the mindset of the obsessed Beatles fan - the women who felt that their favorite Beatle was singing to only them and the men who felt they were related to one of them and were entitled to be in their presence.

This book is a cut above the rest because Kane was actually there and had almost unlimited access to the boys (unlike others, whose books are basically compilations of everything they've ever read about the boys).

Like many Beatles fans, I was extremely interested in this book, and eager to read it. But when I did read it, I found several things disconcerting. I found nothing wrong with his writing style, but I was irritated at Larry's redundancy. Too often, he had to stop and explain the state America was in after JFK's assassination. Our memories aren't that bad, Larry; you don't have to remind us more than once. Another painful detail was that Larry came across as biased. He said himself that his favorite Beatle was John, and so he constantly places John on the pedestal, fawning over him and throwing nothing but praise upon him. Now, don't get me wrong, I love and adore John. But when one wants to know about ALL of the Beatles on this tour, one may get fed up. Larry almost completely ignores Paul in this book, mentioning him here and there, almost as if he had never included Paul in the first draft, and had to go back and place a reference in. The interviews printed in the book don't always seem to be the best of the crop.

However, for all its faults, the book still manages to come across as good. Larry described numerous events that made me laugh and smile. I had never heard of many of these events. Perhaps the most appealing part of Ticket To Ride is that it is focused on one period of time. Most Beatle biographies only summarize the '64 and '65 tours, then press on to the next chapter. This book is a refreshing in-depth tour of both of those concert-filled years. Larry only occasionally mentions the Beatles in their later years until the end of the book. He was very focused.

Ticket To Ride is not necessary to any collection, but it would be a nice addition. Fans who were the original Beatlemaniacs may find this book to be a wonderful glimpse into the past.

I enjoyed the book very much, but some things kept me from giving it a five-star rating. I would give it a three-and-a-half star rating, but since I cannot, I'll bump it up to four stars.

I found the book hard to put down and did not want it to end. What I came away with was this; The Beatles were truely very nice people. Of course we all knew that they were geniuses and witty, but they were also very respectful and not one bit phony. I've read at least 15 other books on the Beatles and I saw a side of them in this book that the other books didn't show. Good job Larry.