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Another Beatles hit -- their anthology
Thursday, October 05, 2000 By Ed Masley, Post-Gazette Pop Music Critic
"THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY"
I did not know that Ringo Starr refused to sing "Would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me" for fear that fans would do it, thereby forcing Paul McCartney's hand to go back in and change the line to "Would you stand up and walk out on me."
By that point, pages deep into the "Sgt. Pepper" memoirs, I had long since read past what, for me, was Revelation No. 9 -- the fact that no one liked the name, perhaps? -- in "The Beatles Anthology." A massive coffee table book, it's out to set the record straight about the most important pop group ever, from four individual cradles to the common grave that was their breakup.
In the band's own words, no less.
Unlike the group itself, the story takes a while to draw you in, with a chapter on each of the childhoods, of which only Ringo's story really sings -- a funny, fascinating read in which the drummer covers everything from his hospital stays to gang members lining their jacket lapels with razor blades so anyone who grabbed them got their fingers lopped right off. Compared to Ringo's Starr report, the Lennon stuff has all been done to death (no pun intended). George Harrison's story (although he does eventually emerge as second most outspoken Beatle) is more about his interest in guitars than anything remotely interesting to anyone who doesn't play guitar. And McCartney's is notable mainly for the unapologetic stand it takes in favor of his sentimental streak.
It's when those stories come together in the Reeperbahn -- around the time Gene Vincent hands his gun to Harrison as the rockabilly icon is about to bust in on his wife -- that Beatlemania invades the printed page and the book begins to feel like a project deserving of all the attention its been getting in the Beatle-happy media.
And more than just a captivating read, it's guaranteed to be the hit of any coffee table, with amazing photos -- more than 1,300, from the early days in Liverpool through "Help!" and "Let It Be" to what the Beatles never knew would be their final photo session (at Lennon's estate).
I'd hesitate to fault the layout, gorgeous as it is, but proper captions would have made the whole experience that much better. Who exactly are these people with the Beatles? I don't know Mal Evans or Neil Aspinall to see them. And what about Stu then?
Also missing is a sense of context. If you're wondering what the critics thought of "Rubber Soul" or why the Bible Belt was so offended by those comments Lennon made on Jesus, you won't find your answer here.
But then, the world has had its chance to weigh in on the Beatles -- ad nauseum, even.
This is the story from their perspective.
And a fascinating one at that, as told by witty, fascinating men -- although it's more than just a little sad that Lennon was never given the opportunity to mellow as a human being. While his mates from Liverpool have had a chance to grow reflective and less cruel in their later years, too often Lennon comes across as immature and arrogant, especially in that first chapter, prattling on about his "genius." And I say this as an unapologetic Beatlemaniac whose favorite always has been John.
There's loads of Beatles trivia to captivate the casual fan and hard-core Beatlemaniac alike.
And they've certainly captured the rush of Beatlemania, in good times (the thrill of recording those earliest sessions) and in bad (the nightmare in the Philippines, sparked by their snubbing of Imelda Marcos).
Still, the thing that really makes this story sing in ways no other Beatles book has ever sung is the actual narrative style. As the lads themselves admit on more than one occasion, half the reason they stood out from all the other British bands is they were funny.
And provocative, of course.
In 1964, you've got the man who later wrote "Give Peace a Chance" insisting, "All our songs are anti-war."
Of all the Americans brandishing weapons, Harrison quips, "If everybody who had a gun just shot themselves, it wouldn't be a problem."
On a lighter note, of cleaning up the act -- or selling out, as he would call it and frequently does -- an ever-cynical Lennon says, "It was a choice of making it or still eating chicken on stage."
They chose to make it.
And because they did, their story finds the band, like Forrest Gump, in the eye of the hurricane that was the Beatle Boomer generation.
It's not every band whose story could include a stoned Bob Dylan answering the hotel phone for kicks with "This is Beatlemania here."
Because the goal of "The Beatles Anthology" is to tell the story from as many sides as possible -- including Brian Epstein, Aspinall, Evans, George Martin and others who were there to share the ride, there is a tiny problem with redundancy. The Beatles, in particular, have a way of repeating -- or is it confirming? -- each other's reports from the front.
At times, it works, as when we learn that only Paul McCartney looked at "Sgt. Pepper" as a concept album. To the others, it was just an album.
Elsewhere, though, the sense of deja vu can be a little wearing. By the time you get to Ringo's childhood (he goes last), you'll more than likely want to scream, "Enough already with the Teddy Boys!"
But these are minor flaws in what I'm sure will be remembered as the final word on Beatlemania.
And as you know, the word is love.
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