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Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties [Paperback]

Ian MacDonald (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 4 Dec 2008

As dazzling as the decade they dominated, The Beatles almost single-handedly created pop music as we know it. Today, their songs are cited as seminal influences by stars like Oasis and Blur. Eloquently giving voice to their time, The Beatles quite simply changed the world.

Fully updated to include material from The Beatles Live at the BBC and the Anthology series, this acclaimed book goes back to the heart of The Beatles - their records. Drawing on a unique resource of knowledge and experience to 'read' their 241 tracks - chronologically from their first amateur efforts in 1957 to 'Real Love', their final 'reunion' recording in 1995 - Ian MacDonald has created an engrossing classic of popular criticism in which the extraordinary songs of The Beatles remain a central and continually surprising presence.

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Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties + The Beatles: The Authorised Biography + You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle For The Soul Of The Beatles
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Product details

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; 2nd Edition edition (4 Dec 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099526794
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099526797
  • Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 3.2 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 6,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

"The finest piece of fabs scholarship ever published" (Mojo )

" The masterpiece The Beatles deserved" (Max Bell Vox )

"The most sustained brilliant piece of pop criticism and scholarship for years. An astonishing achievement" (Stuart Maconie Q )

" No book has ever taken us closer to the actual music of The Beatles...A brilliant piece of work" (Tony Parsons Daily Telegraph )

" Consistently brilliant. The Beatles have never been so discriminately adored" (Robert Sandall Sunday Times )

Book Description

This extraordinary work of popular criticism provides the story behind every single Beatles song ever recorded. Unprecedented and unparalleled.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best Beatles books 13 Jan 2009
By vectisfabber
Format:Paperback
The late Ian MacDonald's Revolution In The Head is, if not the best book on the music of The Beatles, certainly the best written, and arguably the most interesting. Comprising a mixture of fact and opinion, always set in the context of The Beatles total output, their lives in general, and the Sixties overall, it always holds the interests even when the author holds opinions one may not agree with. And the quality of the prose is a delight come what may.

This is a book I return to again and again.
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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Peerless 10 Dec 2008
By Guardian of the Scales
Format:Paperback
This book details every known song the Beatles ever recorded from Love Me Do to Real Love, giving details of composition, recording, release and any other relevant info. It also includes a long introductory essay and a few shorter ones interspersed analysing 60's society and culture, and the Beatles place therein. At various points in the individual song entries, MacDonald also gives psychological analyses of the Beatles and their relationships with each other and all the factors that affected them.

MacDonald was a teenager during the sixties and clearly has a lifetime interest in the Beatles, though he is highly critical of their actions and their music, at times. It is this lack of sentimentality and nostalgia, as well as his considerable erudition and musical knowledge, that makes this book such a standout. His opinions, sometimes deviating from the critical consensus, are always objectively reasoned, and his negative judgements of such sacred cows as "All you need is Love" and "Across the Universe", are completely justified, in my opinion, and his contention that the Beatles' quality control and capacity for self-criticism went out the window post-Sgt. Pepper (expanded upon in the entry for "Magical Mystery Tour")is also a key point in considering their later work.

Some have suggested a pro-McCartney bias in this book, but this is a valid recognition of McCartney's greater work ethic and musical technique. He does not fail to recognise McCartneys "patronising" attitude to Harrison and Starr and pours scorn on Macca's "granny songs" like "Maxwell's Silver Hammer".... Read more ›
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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest books about the one of the greatest bands 6 Jan 2009
By R. Brewer
Format:Paperback
Revolution in the Head is one of those books that is impossible to put down once started. Nor can it be read just once. Every piece of information Ian McDonald provides is riveting and describes not just the writing and recording process, but the cultural and personal back stories behind each song and each band member.

The power of this book is the fresh light it throws on the Beatles as a dynamic unit, their thought processes, their relationships with the other Beatles and the outside world and their general approach to life encapsulated whilst writing and recording songs. Although muscicians will appreciate the detailed analysis of the songs' structure, it is not just a musicians' book, neither is it strictly for Beatles fans. But as it says on the cover, you will want to return to your record collection and hear the songs again in a re-evaluated light.

Although the author includes every song recorded by the band, he quite rightly only concentrates his efforts on those songs worth evaluating. So, for example 'A Day in the Life' covers about 5 pages, whereas 'Baby You're a Rich Man' barely receives a paragraph. McDonald is not afraid to criticise band members as well as the song when required, but his criticisms are always supported with strong arguments and are often even-handed. This is summed-up perfectly in his analysis of the the friction between Lennon and McCartney towards the break-up, by way of his evaluation of 'The Long and Winding Road', which is nothing short of exceptional. Neither Lennon or McCartney come out on top, instead you feel that you have been given a priviledged insight into the minds of two great artists, who had their own agendas for their own reasons.... Read more ›
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on Fab Four ever 17 Jun 2009
By Asko
Format:Paperback
This brilliant effort by late Ian MacDonald is my favourite book on The Beatles there is - hands down. The core of the book consists of musical analysis of every single song (approx. 200) The Beatles released, with also some stories behind the songs and, of course, the author's opinions of them.

After reading the book, you should pretty much know, for example, which Beatles tunes were written or mainly written by Lennon and which by McCartney and the ones that were 50-50 collaborations. Sure, most of this information can be found somewhere else too (usually you need only to recognize who is doing the lead vocal), but MacDonald digs a little deeper than others. For instance, it emerges that the music for "In My Life" was very probably written by McCartney even though it is generally considered a Lennon song (lyrically, it obviously is). This is not just based on what Sir Paul has claimed but also on the fact that the song shows more of Macca's touch than Lennon's, and I, for one, believe what MacDonald is saying. And if you don't know which songs were written by Harrison and Starr, well, that will be revealed as well.

And while the book is not underrating John Lennon in any way, it also proves that Paul McCartney is the one who's mostly responsible for those great mid/late 60s albums. I've always liked a bit of mythbusting, and I believe this book is a true eye-opener for many.

If I had to say something negative, it would be the fact that I don't sometimes agree with the author's opinions at all. For example, MacDonald pretty much dismisses songs like Nowhere Man, Across The Universe, I Want You (She's So Heavy), and While My Guitar Gently Weeps which I all like.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Really informative read
If you like The Beatles and want to know the background to thier songs this is a must read. Full of interesting facts.
Published 14 days ago by Chay
5.0 out of 5 stars YES IT IS
If you are a Beatles fan this is a must. Also anyone interested in the sixties you won’t regret reading it. Read more
Published 26 days ago by REDSHIRT
2.0 out of 5 stars That Hole Book
As the former editor of Britain's New Musical Express Ian Macdonald saw an open goal for writing a book about each track The Beatles had recorded using the highly technical... Read more
Published 9 months ago by W. Rodick
5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Beatles
The best book about the Beatles yet written. Ian MacDonald listens to the records and takes you back to listen to them again, and he is very sound on the music and the history. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Timothy J. Haigh
4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the Beatles
Beatles lovers cannot help being attracted to this book for its comprehensiveness (as well as its reputation). Read more
Published 16 months ago by J
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Book
If you like the Beatles and want to understand how they came up with all those wonderful songs then this is the book for you. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Peter Jay
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all Beatles boffins
I had heard glowing reports about this book, so was pleased to purchase it. It goes into minute detail about every song the Beatles recorded - even those that were not released -... Read more
Published 17 months ago by HornchurchJohn
5.0 out of 5 stars The heat death of popular music
The value of the sections on each Beatles song goes without saying. However, for me it is the accompanying essays that constitute the real value of this book, and which demonstrate... Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. Patterson
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Beatles Book
Revolution in the Head is in my opinion one of THE best books written about the music of The Beatles. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Brawny Withed
5.0 out of 5 stars Beatlephile
The early Beatles were before my time, but time makes me realise just how great they were, how unique and how ground-breaking. Read more
Published 23 months ago by MalCo
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