Dan Byrnes’ review of Steve Turner, The Beatles: Stories Behind The Songs. Scoresby Victoria, The Five MilePress, 2010. (Text first published in
1994.)
For an old Beatles fan, what a delight to read this book! Which I got at a 2016 second-hand book fair in Armidale. I ended finishing it in two readings, as bedtime reading, the second time reading it late into the night, to finish it, as it so interesting.
To my mild amazement, I found I had been quite wrong in my views on why some Beatles songs were written as they were, and to my pleasure, right about others. Bono, of the Irish band U2, blurb-writes for this book, “I am a huge fan of The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs. It’s an inspiring and humbling book.” I feel much the same.
Nor has the book dispelled one impression I have of The Beatles – they were a remarkably hard-working set of musicians. It’s been said of drummer Ringo Starr (by their producer, George Martin, I think), that you could set your metronome by him. George, Paul and John were all very hard-working musicians, writers, creators. The book has extensive chronologies and discographies, and news on some Beatles songs I still haven’t heard. Which means, there is still more enjoyment waiting for me in Beatles Land. All ultra-enjoyable.
