Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A unique and beautifully presented book., 16 Oct 2004
This book is simply a must-have for anyone with even a slight passing interest in The Beatles, and particularly shows, in the days before e-mail etc. how the lads kept in touch when apart.
Beautifully presented in a glossy page format are 53 postcards from either John, Paul or George which have been sent to Ringo over the years.
A full colour photo and text occupy one side of the page, whilst the other side contains an explanation from Ringo about the content/date etc.
All in all, this is a very different book which, for me, shows how much strength in depth of feeling the lads held for each other. I'd never dream of routinely sending a postcard to my mate. Then again, I wasn't a member of the most influential group ever.
You won't be able to put this book down, and at Amazon's price, the book is a bargain!!
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting archive of the past, 18 Oct 2008
An extremely versatile human being, Ringo Starr's life has been a success story all-round, with achievements in a wide variety of fields. Some people may be unaware that some years before Ringo discovered his true calling (as he first drawled his way across the unforgettable phrase "Ivor the Engine rolled into the station"), he had also achieved a degree of success in his career as a musician. Although Starr was not initially one of the 'fantastic four', George Martin was allegedly unimpressed by the handywork of their original drummer and young Jeremy was thrown out of the band (prompting a change of name from the 'Beadles' to the 'Beatles', for legal reasons). As luck would have it, comedian Freddy Starr had frequently shared stages with the group in Germany- enabling him to wangle an audition for his younger brother. As they say, the rest is history!
Anyway, many intriguing postcards that were sent by Ringo's fellow band-members have been reproduced here. It is interesting to note the individual tastes of each musician. Lennon's postcards are rather soulessly commercial choices, featuring vapid images of tourist attractions like Disney World and the first ever branch of McDonalds etc. Harrison's choices demonstrate a rather greater degree of sophistication. Among others, one finds a saucy seaside caricature of some busty strumpets on the beach and a hilarious cartoon of a vicar chasing after his trousers in a gale etc. McCartney is without doubt the least inspiring in his selection- having scrawled each and every one of his tedious rants onto plain white cards (all of which can be seen to have been sent by the cheapskate using 2nd class stamps!).
It could hardly have escaped anyone's attention that George Harrison is no longer with us- having been tragically stabbed to death within his own home by Mark Chapman. However, if the other remaining Beatles (Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Mickey Dolenz) are hoping to correspond with Ringo any further, then they had better pull their socks up! In the event that their postcards are sent off any later than the 20th of October, they should not expect to receive a response from the chirpy Cockney (whose mother famously invented correctional fluid). Personally I now intend to contact Ringo, so I can express my sentiments to him while the opportunity remains. Recently I have been been taking a course in French, a tongue in which I understand that Ringo is quite fluent. Admittedly, my own command of the language is far from adequate, but it strikes me as being a good chance to get some practise in. Seeing as Ringo will not be accepting fan mail after the 20th, before this very day is out I shall get cracking and post him a couple of (somewhat sloppy) 'French letters'.
Peace and love!!! Peace and love!!!
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Indispensable, 21 Nov 2004
There have been so many books about the Fab Four but here we have what must surely be in the top few alongside Lewisohn's Recording Sessions, Ian Macdonald's Revolution In The Head and the earlier classics such as The Beatles Illustrated Record by Roy Carr and Tony Tyler and Nicloas Schaffner's superb The Beatles Forever. But this book has something which none of those books had: facsinating first hand comments on various points in their career from all four Beatles. Not even The Anthology book had this, or at least not without the benefit of hindsight. The most moving moments for me are the cards from Paul to Ringo at the time of the difficult Let It Be sessions, and Lennon's card to Ringo from Jan 1971 when Paul was forced to take the other Beatles to court to dissolve the Beatles partnership. Lennon's card simply says: "Who would have thought it would come to this?". For all the public slagging of thos early 70s years, particularly between John and Paul, this card shows just how traumatic and upsetting the break up of this band was for all of them I would assume. Despite what George said to the contrary. This band was tight and it is still tragic to see how it ended in such an ugly fashion. Completely out of tune with The Beatles eternal message of Love and Hope. But as Ringo says in this book, the relationships between the four of them never waned. And I for one believe him. A great Xmas present for anyone who needs confirmation of this.
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