The Annekenstein Monster

I no longer have the vigor of youth. Both my physical body and mental acuity have become Couch Potatoes. My energy level is akin to a cold, neglected poutine, forgotten in the back seat of a Subaru from Quebec. I still have dreams of breaking through the sludge of this apathy and indifference, yet most days, I feel lucky if I can manage a single, solitary, productive task.

Still, I try not to jealously begrudge others their energy and vigor. Some days that’s easier than other days. And other days, when I see or hear or read about somebody else who is doing or did something pretty extraordinary with their day, I just have to stand up and applaud the effort. Or, I would stand up if the physical act didn’t hurt my knees and back so much.

But I can type! And type I will about one such productive day for a guy named Paul McCartney who was in a band called The Beatles. (I bet you already knew that!)

On June 14, 1965, Paul McCartney had an extraordinarily productive day in the Abbey Road Studios. On that singular day, he and The Beatles, along with George Martin and the engineers etc., managed to record three songs. You might say “Big deal! They recorded their entire initial album in one just one day.” That’s true, and remarkable, but even in the 2 years between then and this day, The Beatles songwriting and recording methods had become more developed and intricate.

Three songs in one day. And each one a Macca creation. Impressive, I say. And more impressive still as they represent the amazing breadth of creativity he and The Beatles were experiencing at that time. It was, undoubtedly, a most fruitful period for everyone involved.

The day started off with the recording of the rollicking acoustic folk tune, I’ve Just See A Face. After 6 takes and a maraca overdub, they considered the song complete. I’ve always thought this song was rather underappreciated. Have a listen and see what you think.

After a relatively quick completion of McCartney’s I’ve Just Seen A Face, and after a short break, they moved on to another new McCartney composition. I’m Down. From the rather pure pop-folk of I’ve Just Seen A Face, to the rip-roaring all out rocker of I’m Down – and a Macca performance that certainly proves it’s not only John who can belt out layrnx-demolishing vocals like on Twist and Shout.

Have a listen. The guy absolutely tears into the vocals! And listen to Ringo showing those cymbals absolutely no mercy, and John pounding those keys on the organ! A fantastic group performance, and a vocal highlight, for sure. Seven takes in total, a couple of overdubs of backing vocals and such, and they decided to move on to the next song.

So far on this day, two songs in the can, each pretty different from the other in terms of style. But there’s still time to get one more song in the can, surely? Wrapping up the day, just after ripping his vocal chords on I’m Down, Paul tackled the melodic ballad Yesterday, which, you know, would only become the most covered song in history.

George Martin had Paul take a crack at both singing and playing the guitar in one take. It landed pretty well. A bit later, as the strings are overdubbed, he had Paul sing the lead again, but in the end, they went with the first vocal. And that was it. Two takes and done!

Three terrific songs. One productive day. Today, I barely managed to get myself through a drive-thru for an Egg McMuffin.

The Beatles: All These Years, Vol.1 (2013)

If you think you know a lot about The Beatles, particularly their formation, and you haven’t read this book, then trust me. You don’t really know anything.

Mark Lewisohn is widely regarded as the undisputed expert and authority when it comes to knowledge about The Beatles. And in this fascinating and enjoyable biography, he’s amassed a stunning amount of information and accounts of the paths and roads that led The Fab Four to the brink of stardom.

First published in 2013 after over a decade of forensic investigation and research, it’s Volume One of a promised three-volume set. He promises Volume Two will be ready in a couple years, after another decade of research and writing. I cannot wait!!

Volume One only takes us up to the end of 1962, just to the point where the group is about to break it big. You may think, like I did before reading this biography, that there can’t really be that much to know about the of the pre-Fab Four history of The Beatles.

Most Beatles fans know the story: Paul sees John’s skiffle band performing at a church fete in the late 50s and is impressed. John, likewise impressed by Paul’s musical knowledge and ability, asks him to join his band. Paul brings George along. Eventually they, along with drummer Pete Best and bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, become The Beatles. They gig in Liverpool and take a couple of trips to play in Hamburg, Germany. Stuart dies, Pete gets sacked, they get Ringo to be the drummer, and the rest is history.

Those are the familiar basics. What more can there be to know? Turns out, there’s an immense amount to discover. Lewisohn doesn’t hold back. He dives deep into everything: the genealogy of each band member, manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin; the history of post-war Liverpool; the history and societal impact of the early years of rock and roll; and of course, the plethora of events and occurrences that lead these people to become The Beatles – and he writes it all in a way the absolutely engrosses and enthralls you. 

How detailed does he get? Well, he unfolds the story in a chronological order. The aforementioned John and Paul meetup at the church fete doesn’t actually occur until over 400 pages into the book. So, yeah, 400 or so pages before John and Paul even meet. And I gobbled it all up! It takes another 400 or so fascinating pages before they eventually meet George Martin.

Despite our knowledge that they will become the biggest and most important band in the world, Lewisohn crafts the story of their early years in such a way that we catch ourselves wondering if this plucky band will even make it, such are the factors that pile up against them. There are several moments throughout this early history of the group where events conspire that cause the members of the band to come oh-so-close to giving up. It’s thrilling to discover just how often The Beatles as-we-know-them almost didn’t happen. It turns out to be a most-exciting read.

One of the aspects of the book that I most appreciated was the discovery of just how punk and alternative The Beatles were in these early years. I knew they were talented and exciting before they “made it”, but Lewisohn really takes the time to explain in a clear way what made/makes The Beatles in 1960-62 such a remarkable group. (even the concept of “group” didn’t really exist until The Beatles demanded to be taken as such. George Martin was trying to decide whether they’d be known as John Lennon & The Beatles or Paul McCartney & The Beatles before they insisted – and he agreed – that they had to be, simply, The Beatles. A rock and roll group)

They were constantly and stubbornly going against the musical trends of the time, subtly demanding the industry bend to their way of doing things, rather than them caving in to “the way things are done”. That was an exciting eye-opener for me, and I now look upon and listen to those early recordings of The Beatles with fresh eyes and ears. Yes, they may be seen to be the epitome of simple pop songs to our 21st century experience, but the music they were creating, and the ways they went about creating it, truly was remarkable and completely different from the sounds of the day.

If you have any interest in the history of The Beatles, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It will absolutely alter your perspective of the band for the better. I can barely wait for Volume 2!!!