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The story of Badfinger is the shining example of the wrongs of the music business and their tale shows the dark side of the music business, where money and greed chews up bands and spits out empty shells. Often described as the "successor to the Beatles", Badfinger was the "golden child" of Apple Records (behind of course the Fab Four). With hit albums and singles, the band SHOULD have profited financially. But due to bad management, the band ended up nearly penniless, resulting in the distraught suicide of two members. Other than Big Star and perhaps the Raspberries, Badfinger was the only true power-pop band between 1970-74 (but Badfinger was the FIRST of these three). And "Tragic" is the best one-word description of their tale, hence its inclusion in the title of this book. If the band's story wasn't true, you would think it was Spinal Tap-like saga, complete with band electrocutions on stage, gig-bound van wrecks, drummers getting left behind (not once but twice!), record producers being shot to death by police, a record label halting the sale of a great album (right as it was taking off), and band member suicide's (two members).
While some rock books can overwhelm you with National Enquirer-like sensationalism and bore you with rambling record and studio statistics, WITHOUT YOU weaves pertinent info about the band with the story behind their music. It explains their legal problems without boring legalese and gives you real insight into the creative workings of Badfinger. The book also covers Welsh music scene, which I had not really been aware of before. And for rock and roll trivia hounds like me, there is plenty of info; for instance, I wasn't aware that drummer Mike Gibbons played drums on Bonnie Tyler's "It's Heartache"!
A stellar achievement, this is one of the best rock band bios that I have read in quite awhile, not only entertaining but informative. And, if that wasn't enough, a 72 minute CD of rare Badfinger tracks and recorded interviews is included! With this book, proper credit is finally given to THE first power-pop band.
The STANDARD CATALOG OF AMERICAN RECORDS 1950-1975 is a book of "Biblical" proportions! Within its 1,400-pages are over 150,000 listings of American records released between the years 1950-1975. Four types of records are listed: 45 rpm singes, LP's, EP's (extended play 7" records), and 12" singles. The book also has useful check-boxes, which can actually come in handy if you are doing an inventory of records that you have (some insurance companies require you to inventory each record in your collection for their policies). While there is a small color photo section in the middle of the book, but it is pretty much superfluous, since the important thing in this volume is the info itself! In the beginning of the book is a "frequently asked questions" section, covering such topics as: How do I sell/get rid of my records; selling to dealers; selling direct; and of course the most important topic when it comes to record collecting - "how to grade your records". Grading your records is the most misunderstood area of record collecting and I can tell you two stories to illustrate this. First, I had a relative who happened to have an Elvis record from 1970 and he was CONVINCED that not only was it mint condition, but that it must be worth a lot! Well, I actually saw the record (and it is NOT in mint condition, more like G [good] condition) and looked up its value if it had been in VG condition. It was only worth $3.50. The second happened to me about five years ago when I came across three original Elvis Presley Sun records in my father's storage unit ("That's All Right", "Milkcow Blues Boogie" and "Mystery Train"). I had read somewhere that these were some of the most valuable records in rock 'n roll and thoughts of this cash cow started entering my head. There happened to be a record convention in town and I just knew someone would offer me beau coups of dough for them. My hopes were dashed when the first vendor that I approached played the 45's on his portable stereo - tons of hisses, pops, and scratches louder than the music itself emanated from the speakers. "Sorry," he said, "it sounds like bacon frying, so I can't offer you much for these." Sure, they WERE valuable records…IF they had been in the right condition! If you are serious about record collecting, this is the ONLY book you'll need! The STANDARD CATALOG OF AMERICAN RECORDS 1950-1975 is simply the BIBLE for hardcore record collectors. But be prepared to spend hours upon hours checking your collection against the entries in this book - it is that addictive!
WARMAN'S AMERICAN RECORDS (2nd Edition) is an excellent "introduction" into record collecting. Not only does it give history/background information on such topics as: 45's, bootlegs, colored vinyl, picture discs, flexi-discs - but it also covers popular music genres (blues, country & western, disco, heavy metal, jazz, etc), collectible artists (such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis and the Rolling Stones), collectible labels (such as Apple, Motown and Sun Records) and even tips on proper record care. Although the prices shown are a simple overview and even seem like an afterthought, the real strength of this book is the historical perspectives given and the generous assortment of color photographs of both the records and their sleeves. There were several segments of this book that I found interesting, including a section on "how to un-warp a record"! (Didn't know this was even possible?). "The Million Dollar Pages" shows some "Holy Grails" of record collecting and some of the rarest of the rare. I noticed that the 'bootlegs' section mentioned the early '70s Beatles bootleg "Alpha Omega" - well, this boot has returned recently in a CD format and I have seen ads for it! The 'Beatles' section even mentions a little trivia that I wasn't aware of before - some companies produced special 'Beatle labels' that could be applied to 45's (with sayings such as "this disc belongs to a Lennon nut") Even if you are an advanced level record collector, of just someone who is curious about the hobby, WARMAN'S AMERICAN RECORDS (2nd Edition) is a great resource of background information and photos on the hobby of record collecting!
When I saw that MOJO was the creator of THE BEATLES-10 YEARS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD, I was practically salivating whilst perusing the pages! MOJO puts its trademark style on this book (with its pop-art layout and fab pictures), which covers those important Beatles years from 1961 to 1970, complete with lavish pictures, British album info, pertinent interview shorts with other musicians and a timeline of important Beatles events. There is a myriad of noted Beatles writers, including Bill Harry, Mark Lewisohn, Hunter Davies and many more. And a foreward by Brian Wilson to boot! Being a Beatles fanatic since 1975, of course I found some of the stories familiar. But to me, the most interesting articles included: the true story of Raymond Jones, the story behind the official Hunter Davies Beatles biography, the section on the band's attempt to buy a Greek island, a very cool Apple timeline, a surprising story of the Abbey Road medley and an excellent article by Mark Lewisohn on how the Beatles lost control of their songs. In the book's intro, Paul Trynka (Editor-in-chief at MOJO) calls the book an "epic tome", and that's exactly what it is! This book is a true 'must have' for any Beatles fans and positive proof that there IS something more to be said about The Beatles.
BAD BOOK ALERT! 
Up Periscope: the Making of the Beatles Yellow Submarine
By Al Brodax BEATLES FANS BEWARE: This has got to be the worst Beatles-related book I have ever read! Not only is it factually incorrect (I could have possible let a few errors slide, but I lost count after reading it half-way through), but it simply doesn't read well. Mr. Brodax could have really used the services of a good editor because the book reads like a boring college textbook. You would think that a book about the YELLOW SUBMARINE film would be exciting and colorful! Ahh, those errors! Where to begin? Al recalls Mary Stewart (one of his associates) hearing about the Beatles starring in a film called A HARD DAY'S NIGHT film in December of 1963! However, the title (and the song) did not come about until April of 1964 after filming had already commenced! Brodax intimates that "Baby You're a Rich Man" was written about him. I guess ALL those other books, which describe the song being about Brian Epstein, are WRONG? He goes on to state that he wanted to include "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" in the film in 1967. (This is the first I've heard of Paul's 1969 song being played for someone in 1967!). Mr. Brodax should have checked his sources, like the easy-to-use: www.beatles-discography.com The book could have redeemed itself (slightly) if it had included interesting photos from the project. But what you get is a small selection of drab, boring black and white photos. That's right, black and white! We are talking about YELLOW SUBMARINE, one of the best glorious uses of psychedelic color in pop culture! To be fair, there are a few interesting moments: Brodax keeps petitioning to include "She's Leaving Home" and the humorous story of how they found George Harrison's voice counterpart for the film in a bar. But, with the sheer volume of errors in this book, you are left with a lingering doubt to the validity of ANY of the stories recalled! So do yourself a favor - if you want the definitive book on YELLOW SUBMARINE, check out "Inside The Yellow Submarine: The Making of the Beatles Animated Classic By Dr. Bob Hieronimus" (click here for our November, 2004 review) Note:
This book is a very detailed and informative look at the recording process of 2 Beach Boy's albums by the talented Steven W. Desper whose sonic abilities helped the group set new standards in the early 70's. Many fans of the group have long acknowledged that "SUNFLOWER" is one of the best in the catalogue. Bruce Johnston said in the documentary "ENDLESS HARMONY" that it was his favorite album by the group because of the full group participation and the good times they had making it with the great engineer Steve Desper. This book takes us into the studio as we learn both technical information and the stories behind each song's creation. The recording techniques are thoroughly explained. as well as which member played and sang on each song. For Beach Boys fan's this is a fascinating read. I also think it should be required reading for any students of recording and engineering. Many have read about George Martin's developing ways to record what The Beatles had in mind for the experimental songs such as "STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER" and "TOMMOROW NEVER KNOWS", Steven Desper did the same thing for The Beach Boy's even recording in remote locations to record water sounds for "COOL COOL WATER", as well as piecing together song excerpts from different source tapes and even playing synth on some of the tracks. The second part of the book concern's the SURF"S UP album and is notable for fully explaining how the title song was put together. It's a great story and one that I never fully understood until reading this. The info on one of my all time favorite Carl Wilson songs "FEEL FLOWS" is another high point of the book. I really got a sense of the enthusiasm of the group in that era that I as a fan was picking up at the concerts at that time, but the book makes us feel like flies on the wall in the studio. Speaking of the studio, we learn much about the home studio in Brian Wilson's house where this music was recorded. Steven's contribution's to The Beach Boy's as engineer and mixer as well as his co-production on the legendary album SPRING are undeniable. After his initial time with the Beach Boy's, he went to work on for Frank Zappa , contributing his sonic expertise to his live shows as well as two of his most popular records-APOSTOPHE, and OVERNIGHT SENSATION. Those album's as well as his work with The Beach Boy's and his forward thinking concepts regarding the possibilities of surround sound give him a special place in recording history. This book will delight and educate many a long time fan and perhaps lead other's who didn't grow up with The Beach Boy's to investigate these classic works. You can also purchase a device that plugs into your stereo that let's you hear the music as it was heard during mix down sessions.
THE BEATLES LITERARY ANTHOLOGY has a simple concept: collecting various words & essays written about the Beatles into one book. While most of these are contemporary accounts, there are a few that are retrospective. I tend to prefer the contemporary stories because it is fascinating to read what these various "experts" thought about the Beatles when they first got famous. You see a wide variety of opinions from the press at the time - a press that still really wasn't ready to take rock 'n roll seriously. Those familiar to Beatles-books will recognize some of the authors: Peter Brown, Cynthia Lennon, Philip Norman, Mark Lewisohn, Hunter Davies, Richard Dilello, Derek Taylor, Ray Coleman, etc. But there are many more that make this book interesting including: the 1965 Playboy interview (The Beatles comments on religion are remarkable in that they aren't too far off from the 'bigger than Jesus' comment that set off a furor just a year later); a 1964 Cosmopolitan article by non other than feminist Gloria Steinem; a very telling 1968 Rolling Stone interview with Lennon; and a great account of the Apple years by Tony Palmer. While some might have all the Beatles books by the authors that I have mentioned, it doesn't make this anthology obsolete. In fact, there are numerous essays that I haven't seen before (and I consider myself of the 'advanced Beatles study' caliber). Sprinkled throughout the book are various Beatles-related quotes, not only by the Beatles themselves, but various relevant celebrities and pop icons. While it might be tiresome for beginning Beatles fans, THE BEATLES LITERARY ANTHOLOGY is a must-read for those dedicated to advanced Beatles studies. Not only is it a telling look inside the minds of the journalists of the '60s, but an excellent reference manual as well.
"Let It Be" is from the "33 1/3" series of books by Continuum, in which each volume tells the story behind the making of a classic album. In this case, The Beatles "Let It Be" album is featured, from the origins of the project (originally to be titled "Get Back") through the filming, the bickering, the changing of producers (how Phil Spector came aboard) up to the final commercial project of the "Let It Be" film and album. Finally, "Let It Be Naked" is also discussed, which pretty much brings the project full circle. The book did bring out some interesting points. The origins of the project actually started with the filming of the "Hey Jude" promo in 1968. The Beatles (and surprisingly enough, especially John!) really liked the atmosphere of playing in front of a select audience and wanted to try it again. Also included is an excellent account of both the recording equipment used and the musical gear that the Beatles themselves use. One of the 'firsts' that I found about this book is the humorous story about the studio techs transporting the equipment for the rooftop concert (their day began at 4am) and getting stopped by the police! But they were sworn to secrecy, so you can imagine the concerns of the police and the resulting pandemonium! As for the actually rooftop concert, I wasn't aware that the police really didn't want to shut down the concert - saying that they wouldn't stop the show, "providing we can watch them"! Finally, I wasn't aware that almost two minutes of "I Want You (She's So Heavy) was played at the rooftop show? Hopefully there is a bootleg of this. Of course with every new Beatles book I read, I'm always scouting for 'errors' and I'm glad to report that I found no such errors in Steve Matteo's "Let It Be". Additionally, I applaud the author for taking up such a daunting task (there have been whole books written on the "Get Back/Let It Be" saga) and condensing a sometimes confusing story into a mere 136 pages of enjoyable text. Hopefully there will be more Beatles-related books of this caliber in the "33 1/3" series!
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Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger (revised edition with 72 minute cd)
Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1975. 4th Edition
Warman's American Records, 2nd Edition
The Beatles 10 Years That Shook the World
Recording the Beach Boys
The Beatles Literary Anthology
Beatles-Let It Be (33 1/3 Series)