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Here are some of the things people are saying about FAB Four FAQ!
Fab Four FAQ review by Colin Hall
While Stuart Shea and Robert Rodriguez’s fascinating tome Fab Four FAQ doesn’t do anything particularly new, what it does, it does extremely well. All-encompassing compendiums of Beatle info have been attempted before but Beatle fans will find this one digs deeper and more insightfully than most.
Superbly compiled, eloquently written, intelligently observed and deliberated it’s a veritable treasure house of Beatles facts, trivia, myths and myth busting. As such it will delight Beatles fans insatiable for all (and more) there is to know about John, Paul, George & Ringo.
50 Chapters long Fab Four FAQ’s always entertaining path through The Beatles’ history illuminates the journey with a plethora of detail that will add to the knowledge of even the most ardent and informed of fans. Indeed it’s the kind of book that finds you desperate to impart some newly garnered fact to anyone who will listen or indulge in some Beatle mastermindery with questions like, “Do you know what record the Beatles knocked off the top spot with their first American number one?”
A book that constantly rewards whether read from start to finish or dipped into wherever your interest lies, it is further blessed with a modest ‘Foreword’ by ex-Byrd Chris Hillman and a touching, insightful ‘Afterword’ from Jackie Lomax. Shea and Rodriguez are to be applauded for not allowing their love/admiration of The Beatles to cloud their judgement and so are able to cast a critical eye over some of the band’s less successful endeavours, such as their solo ‘cinematic achievements.’
Mind you, somewhat reassuringly, they don’t get it all right all the time – stating that John’s marriage to Cynthia took place in 1963 when in fact it took place on August 23, 1962. Such nit-picking aside Fab Four FAQ deserves a place on any discerning Beatle fan’s bookshelf.
For the past five years Colin Hall has been the custodian of 'Mendips', John Lennon's former childhood home in Liverpool. He spent his formative years in Liverpool and somewhat unusually for his generation remembers The Sixties. He also writes about music and was the researcher for the Sony Award nominated Bob Harris radio documentary, 'The Day John Met Paul'. Broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in Late June 2007 the programme was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of that momentous day.
From Ugly Things, Winter/Spring '08, #26
www.ugly-things.com
I must admit I approached Fab Four FAQ with some trepidation, fearing a boring rehash of material previously dealt with by other authors, or a simple "beginner's guide" book of lists. Thankfully, this book is neither. Fans with a burgeoning Beatles library are probably familiar with some of the minutia; however, having the information neatly organized in a very well written, thoroughly researched book makes this an enjoyable read, as well as a handy reference tool.
An interesting aspect to Fab Four FAQ is the organization of contents. Beginning with early Beatles' history and proceeding to important concert dates, events, films, recording sessions, colleagues, and friends, co-authors Shea and Rodriguez choose their own top ten (or so) examples to illustrate each cleverly titled section. Fans who appreciate more serious study should take particular interest in the authors' selections of notable performances by each Beatle on his respective instruments, and the skillful way they articulate their positions. As pop culture aficionados and baseball fanatics, the authors' obsessive attention to detail elevates Fab Four FAQ to more than just another book on a ubiquitous subject.
From Vintage Guitar magazine, November 2007
www.vintageguitar.com
What’s more amazing, a musical group with seven years of recorded output that was supremely influential, or the fact that musical historians are obsessed with the group and have published over 1,000 books about the band?
What is it about the Beatles that prompts dozens of new titles each year on some facet of the band, band members, recordings, history, and influence, or, to put it another way, what is left to write?
Rather than look for new material about the Beatles, the authors here try and condense the wealth of information already out there into a more digestible form. And on nearly every account, they succeed.
Organized under a variety of headings that jump back and forth in time, and thither and yon makes for interesting reading. What were the Beatles’ greatest live performances? Their worst moments? The best books about the band? Who was Klaus Voormann? What were the band members’ favorite drugs? Answers to all these and many more questions are found in the 50 chapters and 500-plus pages of fact, trivia, and even supposition about the storied band from Liverpool.
One of the more interesting sections is “Interesting Releases We’d Like to See” which chronicles some of the known (and unknown) Beatles recordings that haven’t been released, even in the flurry of CD reissue/rarities/box set madness that descended over the past decade. The alleged 27-minute recording of the song “Helter Skelter” is not known to have been released in bootleg form but is said to exist and is rather explosive, according to the authors.
More than “just another Beatles book” this one you can pick up, thumb through, and every stop is interesting. – Eric C. Shoaf, Vintage Guitar magazine
From Record Collector magazine, November 2007 - used with permission.
Fab Four FAQ (Everything Left To Know About The Beatles...And More!)
Stuart Shea and Robert Rodriguez
**** (four stars)
More to learn? Are you serious?
As any serious Beatles historian will tell you, every area of The Fab Four's career has been completely dissected. In many punter's eyes, it's the end of the line for worthwhile books on the band; what appears now is a rehash of what's appeared previously. For the few interesting new tidbits that (amazingly) still come up, the general consensus is that they'd be best in a pamphlet.
So what is left for the Beatles in print? Fab Four FAQ is a good answer. With a foreword by The Byrds' Chris Hillman and afterword by former Apple recording artist Jackie Lomax, the 510-page lighthearted paperback features a treasure-trove of new and familiar trivia from every facet of The Beatles' career. You have short probing sections on the day John Lennon's mother, Julia, was killed by a drunk off-duty policeman, and an examination of the young Beatles' homes in Liverpool. A very detailed section examines the variations in released songs (hear Ringo's five-tap hi-hat intro on All My Loving, only on the German compilation Beatles Greatest), while there's a look at the mistakes The Beatles made, yet still released (the out-of-tune guitar in I'm Looking Through You, for instance). Enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy this extremely well-researched book. – Keith Badman
Fab Four FAQ authors note: Keith Badman is the author of several books, including The Beatles Off the Record 1 and 2, as well as The Beatles: The Dream is Over. Check out his website at http://www.keithbadman.com/.
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