Books#9 - Recording The Beatles by Brian Kehew & Kevin Ryan

Happy New Year to you all out there.

Personally I have had a Beatletastic Christmas. The two volumes of The Beatles at the BBC and the Kevin Howlett, 'BBC Archives' book came my way, as did this rather hefty package.

Since visiting Abbey Road Studios a couple of years ago to hear Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan talk about the history of that iconic building, I have kind of longed to purchase their book, 'Recording The Beatles'. However I always found the price a little prohibitive, not that I regarded it to be overpriced. At over 500 pages and in superb quality, it really has been a labour of love for the two authors and I doubt they will truly be making much profit from this venture. It was simply a case of did I need to pay so much for yet another book about The Beatles?

Thankfully the decision was taken out of my hands when I received it as a Christmas gift.

The book itself comes in a cardboard slip-case designed to replicate the boxes that spools of reel-to-reel tape used to come in. A nice touch and being quite sturdy, the slip-case should help to protect the dust jacket from getting scuffed or torn when being taken from or returned to book shelves. The book itself is almost the dimensions of an LP record sleeve but is considerably thicker, weighing in at a hefty 11lbs.





There are four main sections. One serves as a detailed introduction to EMI Studios, Abbey Road including descriptions and illustrations of the layout of the building. Also the key individuals who helped to capture and define the sound of The Beatles are introduced. Part Two is quite technical, featuring as it does the various equipment that was used in the studios. Something that may be of more interest to the technically minded.

The third section covers studio effects, in-house instruments used and also the other London studios utilised by The Beatles at various times. Finally the fourth section, which is by far the largest and most accessible, takes the reader on a year-by-year journey through the recording sessions while giving in-depth details of how some of the tracks were actually recorded and produced.

Clearly, like Mark Lewisohn's 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions', this is not a book one would necessarily wish to read from cover to cover. As the authors make clear, it is a reference book. But like Lewisohn's work, it is immensely readable and absolutely perfect for dipping into while researching a particular period or just randomly browsing over a cup of coffee. The weight may make it difficult to pick up, but the book is also difficult to put down.

Throughout there are great photographs and illustrations. Many of the photos have never been published elsewhere and if nothing else, that should appeal to many aficionados of The Beatles work.

As the hectic activity of the past couple of weeks become memories, I now have the coffee machine fired up, The Beatles on the hi-fi and the books laid out before me.

Now, where do I begin?