Customer Reviews
This is what really happened - By: John A, 14 Jul 2008 
If you've ever wondered what actuallly happened during the recording of such classic albums as 'Revolver', 'Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band', 'The White Album' & 'Abbey Road' then you must get this book. Geoff Emerick was the engineer for these albums & had as much involvement with the fab four as the more famously known producer George Martin. Great technical insight is given regarding the rather rudimentary technology of the day, along with the outdated working practices at EMI. Geoff also covers some major events in the Beatles history - end of touring, the death of Brian Epstein, the India trip, Yoko's influence etc. It also documents the disintegrating relationships within the group. It's well written & a fascinating & unique insight, I had to read this slowly as I didn't want to finish it! If you're a Beatles fan, & interested in the technology of recording, you'll love this book
A really good read for Beatles fans - By: Chris O'donnell, 08 Jun 2008 
I've read numerous books & articles about the Fab Four & you tend to hear the same stories retold over & over. Emerick's book comes from a slightly different angle, due to his more technical involvement in the Beatles' story. As a result, there was a lot in here that I'd not heard before.
His story is told suprisingly candidly, & he appears to pull no punches. His criticism of both Georges (Harrison & Martin) being referenced by other reviewers. Although you've got to be wary of the subjectiveness of his account, there's little in the book & isn't confirmed by various bootlegs, demos & actual albums (e.g. George wasn't a brilliant lead guitarist).
Definitely worth a look, even if you think you've consumed everything there is to know about the Beatles.
AN INFORMATIVE VIEW FROM A TRUE AUTHORITY - By: PETER XUEREB, 14 Apr 2008 I found this particular book quite enjoyable to read. I felt envious of Geoff as he discovered at an early age what he reallly wanted to do & to his credit he set out & achieved a career path that many of us can envy, more so because he is a person who is actuallly doing what he loves for a living. His development over time is apparent mostly due to his "open musical mind" which alllowed him to broaden his skills to a level that made him a much requested recording engineer by so many musical luminaries.
I had read reviews of the book before I bought & read it & will admit to being a little put off about certain aspects. However having read the book I feel more informed. Yeah Geoff does make certain "negative" observations about the various musical talents of The Beatles. However I guess there are many of us fans out there that don't want to read that their idols are less than they are perceived in our own minds. What is apparent is that the Beatles DID develop into better musicians as time wore on. Geoff's criticism of both George Harrison & Ringo Starr's playing at times should be taken in perspective particularly as much praise is lauded upon George especiallly, later in the book. Remember George Harrison wasn't a "Clapton/Hendrix calibre" guitar player but his guitar style became very distinctive later in his career. I'm also grateful for the fact that Mr. Emerick refrained from commenting about things that he didn't observe. Therefore after his departure during the "White Album" there is a gap to Abbey Road with a slight reference to the "Let It Be" sessions. He does offer some opinions but he prefaces those with "maybe this happened..." type provisos. His revelations about the recording & mixing of "Revolver" LP & particularly "Yellow Submarine" (the random tape experiment) were surprising & had me playing the original Mono vinyl to hear things for myself. His comments about John's impatience & at times caustic manner only confirm what's been written before about the man. We also already knew that Paul was the band's diplomat but also was the man driving the Beatles at the end when some of his other bandmates were distracted by other diverions (John - Yoko, George - India)
His stories about Paul McCartney's "Band On The Run" & Elvis Costello's "Imperial Bedroom" were also nice diversions. Overalll The book is recommended to those with an interest in how the music was made & how a man took a boyhood hobby & turned it into an incredible career.
Read with a big pinch of salt!! - By: Gadget Man, 22 Jan 2008 
It is difficult to take much of this book seriously. I say this because Ken Scott was an engineer at Abbey Road at the time & he believes much of this book is fabricated & has many (i.e. over 100 'errors'. He actuallly says "Since copies of his book leaked out, there has been a movement from fans & EMI employees past & present; alll are shocked at what Geoff is purported to say in this book, as SO much of it is untrue. There are long lists of factual errors being compiled around the world to be released when this book is published. (The last list I saw was well over 100 errors, & climbing as more people read the book)."
He adds "I cannot bring this missive to an end without mentioning the book's relentless tirade against George Harrison. As a second engineer I was on more Beatles sessions than Geoff & saw none of the problems talked about constantly, & as an engineer, the same. Sadly, George is not in a position to defend himself today. I think I know what his reaction would have been anyway... Mine is utter disgust.
This book is NOT accurate, it is not "the truth" & does not deserve to be supported. It is very damaging to the good reputations of such people as George Harrison, George Martin, John Lennon, Chris Thomas, Ringo Starr, Phil McDonald & the list goes on. The only one who is rarely mentioned negatively is Paul McCartney, the only one to have employed Geoff after the Beatles."
So enjoy this book if you are a fan of the Beatles but remember it is seriously flawed!
Very factual, but.... - By: Martin Boyt, 14 Oct 2006 I reallly enjoyed reading this book because Emerick had inside information that no one else outside the group knew. He used this well, however I was very disappointed in his individual assessment of each Beatle.
He dismissed Ringo almost as a nobody; John was portrayed as someone to stay clear of; & I was disgusted at his treatment of George. He made out the man was utterly imcompitant! It was no surprise, however, of the glowing references to Paul........not altogether a surprise seeing that he is still very much in touch with him to this day!
These comments have let Emerick down. There was no need to write what he constantly said about George.
And I do think he rather milked his contribution a little too much. He may have been clever & offered a lot of input, but sometimes he was giving the impression he was running the entire recording session.
However, any true Beatle fan will enjoy this book, as I did.
