The Beatles as Musicians : Revolver through the Anthology

Download or read book The Beatles as Musicians : Revolver through the Anthology written by Walter Everett Associate Professor of Music in Music Theory University of Michigan and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1999-03-31 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Given the phenomenal fame and commercial success that the Beatles knew for the entire course of their familiar career, their music per se has received surprisingly little detailed attention. Not all of their cultural influence can be traced to long hair and flashy clothing; the Beatles had numerous fresh ideas about melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, form, colors, and textures. Or consider how much new ground was broken by their lyrics alone--both the themes and imagery of the Beatles' poetry are key parts of what made (and still makes) this group so important, so popular, and so imitated. This book is a comprehensive chronological study of every aspect of the Fab Four's musical life--including full examinations of composition, performance practice, recording, and historical context--during their transcendent late period (1966-1970). Rich, authoritative interpretations are interwoven through a documentary study of many thousands of audio, print, and other sources.