BOOK REPORT #2

Geoff Emerick's book Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles is a first hand account of what it was like to work with the Beatles from their first session when they were nobodies through to the end. The first time I picked up this book was when Bel Air was recording at Cowboy Technical Services in Williamsburg. There was a copy hanging around by the couch. In some downtime, I started reading it and had a hard time putting it down. I had that same feeling thoughout the book once I got my own copy.

This was the first book I'd ever read about the Beatles. When I was a kid I thought of myself as quite the little Beatles scholar because I had memorized the documentary "The Compleat Beatles" by watching it on repeat one summer. But, despite this comprehensive education, I really knew nothing about them before reading this. I was riveted by stories that others have probably heard many times over. What is new in this book is the account of Emerick's life - his childhood and how he developed a passion for music and recording at a very early age. He was a teenager when he started working with the Beatles.



Naturally, given the author, the sections about the recording process are some of the best. It's incredible what Emerick was able to do with such limited recording equipment. Sgt. Pepper was recorded using four track recorders! Reading about how they overcame the challenges of this in brilliantly inventive ways was fascinating. I found myself turning down corners of pages in which Emerick explains the tricks they used so that I could go back and listen to those songs with that in mind. I really wish I had loaded up my iRiver with Beatles albums before starting this book.

Emerick's accounts of the Beatles themselves were, at times, harsh. He is decidedly in Paul's camp and has no problem telling stories about what a sub-par guitar player George Harrison was in the beginning or how moody and self-involved John was. This may have been the way things were but I can't help but find his point of view overly biased. Emerick had a close relationship with Paul, eventually having him as the best man at his wedding. He also went on to engineer Wings albums and some of Paul's solo stuff. There is a chapter near the end about recording Band on the Run in Africa that is particularly engrossing.

I recommend this to fans of the Beatles and particularly those interested in engineering and recording. It's an entertaining, informative and inspiring read.

Book Report #1