Book Review: THE BEATLES: TUNE IN (ALL THESE YEARS, VOL. 1) (Extended Special Edition) by Mark Lewisohn

Yet another book about The Beatles? There are literally hundreds of books, maybe thousands, about the Fab Four. What’s so special about this one?

I think that’s a perfectly legitimate question, and one that should be asked before anyone ventures into a writing project treading already-well-trodden ground. Does the world need another book about Star Wars, or another biblical commentary, or another book on learning Spanish, or another cook book, or another fantasy novel? There are so many books in the world, each new one ought to make a case for its existence, a reason why we should consume our precious time reading it. Especially when it’s 1,700 pages long.

Mark Lewisohn’s case is simple: Yes, there are many Beatles biographies in the world. But none of them do the job correctly. They are written by enthusiasts, journalists, people with an agenda or an ax to grind. So far, few, if any, historians have taken on the subject, treating it as worthy of serious, scholarly study. At least not to the depth the subject deserves.

Make no mistake, Lewisohn is a fan, and has been all his life. But at heart, he’s a researcher with a passion for documents. He has the journalist’s nose for a story, and the historian’s discipline to step back, weigh evidence, and discard the unverifiable no matter how juicy it might be. He also has the scholar’s (and, one might say, the geek’s) bent to dig into a topic and get to the hows, whys, and wherefores. For example, John, Paul, George, and Ringo were into rock and roll. But what exactly did they listen to? What was on the radio when they were teens? What kind of music made up their youth and influenced what they played? Where did that music come from? And why were these particular songs by these particular artists strikingly important to their sound and their lives? Lewisohn surveys the history of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and how American music came to be in Liverpool. Along the way, he debunks popular myths, such as the Beatles getting their American records from U.S. seamen who were docked in Liverpool. They actually bought them in their local record store.

However, Lewisohn has made it clear more than once that his purpose in writing is not to debunk myths. That just happens as a course of doing thorough research, and not allowing himself to be led astray by uncorroborated (or uncorroboratable) stories. In most cases, the true story is much more fascinating than the myth (for example, the story of how The Beatles were signed to Parlophone records–let’s just say, it wasn’t on the strength of any demo recording).

One of the things that sets this work apart from other Beatles biographies is the range of material Lewisohn draws from. Everything from account books to fan letters to local newspaper archives and a host of other memorabilia. As well as the usual interview subjects, he also draws on interviews with people who were around at the time, such as Cavern Club regulars, fans as well as acquaintances. He deliberately did not interview any of the surviving Beatles, or those closest to the story for this project. They have already given many interviews over the years and would likely add nothing more than what they’ve already said. Lewisohn does have his own personal interviews to draw from, having been involved in the Beatles’ Anthology project in the 90s, and having worked for Paul McCartney for a number of years. But aside from a quick email to Macca to verify or clarify something, he let their existing words stand.

To sum up, this book is an absolute must for the Beatles enthusiast. If you think you know everything there is to know about The Beatles, I guarantee you will still learn something from Lewisohn’s work. Many other books may claim to be the “definitive” word on the Fab Four, but truly, this is it. What’s more, it’s immensely readable. This is not a stodgy, dull textbook. Lewisohn writes with the integrity of a real scholar, and the joy and enthusiasm of a fan. He has put a lot of effort into making this huge work accessible, and as page-turning as a thriller.

You may notice that this is “Part 1.” That massive tome is only the first part in a multi-part series. Part 2 is in production with at least one more part to follow. Part 1 follows The Beatles’ story up to the end of 1962, right before Beatlemania hits the UK. There are two editions of Part 1: an edited-down 800-page version, edited by Lewisohn himself, and this “Special Expanded” or uncut edition, which is 1,700 pages long (hence it is split into two books–see the picture above). It took him 10 years to research and write part 1, and part 2 might come out next year, but there are no promises on that. While Lewisohn is anxious to get the complete story into readers’ hands, he doesn’t want to rush it. He refuses to cut corners on the research, insisting that this incredible story be written in a way that does justice to the material.

So we wait. Patiently.

If you’re a Beatles fan but still not convinced you should get this book, check out this 1 hour and 20 minute interview Lewisohn did with Conan O’Brien: