Geoff Emerick became an assistant engineer at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in 1962 at age fifteen, and was present as a new band called the Bea...
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Dec 17, 2009
Chris
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I really enjoyed this book but I'm also the type that enjoys anything related to the Beatles. Emerick's insider view of many of the recordings sessions informs on the Beatles working and personal dynamics. He's clearly most enamored with Paul McCartney which at times seemed to interfere with objectivity of his stories. But his opinions are obvious and therefore easy to ignore if they annoy you like they did me.
I wasn't aware how inseparable John and Yoko actually were. Yoko eve More...
I wasn't aware how inseparable John and Yoko actually were. Yoko eve More...
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Aug 21, 2010
Ed Wagemann
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Lately I'm starting to believe that 90% of what makes a good book is the subject matter and the other 10% is the author not being a total ass hat. In Geoff Emerick's Here There and Everywhere it would be hard pressed to find a subject matter that is more interesting to me right now. Emerick was like 15 years old when he started working for EMI and participating on Beatle recordings. He was there in fact for the first ever Beatle recording and eventually became the sound engineer for all of th
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Aug 24, 2009
Anton
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Priceless treasure trove of Beatles engineering, musical, psychological, and gossipy tidbits, written by the greatest engineer of pop music, who was instrumental in creating Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, and Abbey Road. Also a great window into the Abbey Road recording culture of the 60s and recording history in general. He comes off as an amiable guy with excellent ears, good will, and a great memory. None of the Beatles escape quite unscathed, but it's nice to see them described as normal moody hum
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May 31, 2009
maricar
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This is the book that I was waiting for…
…Ever since I picked up my first Beatles biography-slash-memoir, I always felt that there was a side to their story that was missing. And Emerick’s accounts filled that void.
The fact that this book takes the point of view of someone who was with the band at their most essential—their music—is enough to merit this a place on any fan’s shelf.
More important for me, though, was the fact that Emerick provided yet another ins More...
…Ever since I picked up my first Beatles biography-slash-memoir, I always felt that there was a side to their story that was missing. And Emerick’s accounts filled that void.
The fact that this book takes the point of view of someone who was with the band at their most essential—their music—is enough to merit this a place on any fan’s shelf.
More important for me, though, was the fact that Emerick provided yet another ins More...
Feb 28, 2011
David
rated it:
Do you consider yourself a Beatles fan? Then you need to read this book. This is doubly true if you have any interest whatsoever in how music is made and recorded.
Emerick was the audio engineer for Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, part of The White Album, and lots of The Fab Four's singles. In the book, he recounts his experiences recording The Beatles. You read about his observations about the individual bandmembers' personalities, and most interestingly, about how the band's creati More...
Emerick was the audio engineer for Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, part of The White Album, and lots of The Fab Four's singles. In the book, he recounts his experiences recording The Beatles. You read about his observations about the individual bandmembers' personalities, and most interestingly, about how the band's creati More...
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May 21, 2011
Don
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Fantastic read. One of the best Insider books I have ever read about The Beatles.
It's all too often that the multitude of historical books written about The Beatles are generally created from that author's interviews with people who where either involved with the band or knew them to some degree. Not many books were written by 'Insiders', people who were there as the craze known as Beatlemania was taking form. Geoff Emerick was one of these people.
His story describes the More...
It's all too often that the multitude of historical books written about The Beatles are generally created from that author's interviews with people who where either involved with the band or knew them to some degree. Not many books were written by 'Insiders', people who were there as the craze known as Beatlemania was taking form. Geoff Emerick was one of these people.
His story describes the More...
Jul 19, 2010
charlie
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I can only review from the pov of a complete Beatles geek. I have read most of the biographies by various journos and hangers on... and i love the music pure and simple... thats the context.
This is my favorite of them all (shout out to Philip Nolan's Shout bio tho). Its the stories I really wanted to know... not the chisme about who did drugs and who was gay - its about the creation of the music sonically. And what is happening behind the scenes when the songs we have heard a milli More...
This is my favorite of them all (shout out to Philip Nolan's Shout bio tho). Its the stories I really wanted to know... not the chisme about who did drugs and who was gay - its about the creation of the music sonically. And what is happening behind the scenes when the songs we have heard a milli More...
Sep 11, 2009
HHS
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If you are at all excited about the remastering of the Beatles albums, this is a must-read. Check out articles about the event on CNN or in The New York Times; none mention that Emerick was the man who made most of those sonic innovations on records like REVOLVER, SGT. PEPPER'S, and THE WHITE ALBUM possible. Emerick began working with the Beatles in what would become known as Abbey Road studios while in his early teens--got the job thanks to a school guidance counselor! The two best things the b
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Apr 04, 2011
Michael
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My daughter pointed this out to me on the remainder table at Borders two or three years ago...got it for a dollar.
Emerick does a wonderful job of showing us the how the Beatles got those sounds in the studio...sometimes by design, sometimes by accident and most often by trial and error. It's also a wonderful insight into how one group changed modern recording techniques (being the only group with the clout to fight EMI's fossilized engineering culture and win).
The letdowns? More...
Emerick does a wonderful job of showing us the how the Beatles got those sounds in the studio...sometimes by design, sometimes by accident and most often by trial and error. It's also a wonderful insight into how one group changed modern recording techniques (being the only group with the clout to fight EMI's fossilized engineering culture and win).
The letdowns? More...
Jul 29, 2011
Le meilleur livre qu'il m'ait été donné de lire sur les Beatles ! Que vous soyez musicien, producteur ingé-son ou tout simplement fan des Beatles, ce livre est une vrai leçon de musique !
Au delà des anecdotes incroyables sur l'enregistrements de leurs albums mythiques, Geoff Emerick ébauche le caractère de chacun des Beatles et, même s'il n'est pas tendre avec tous, il nous laisse entrevoir les raisons qui font qu'un groupe marche ou marche pas.
Bref un livre qui va bien au-delà des simples ane More...
Au delà des anecdotes incroyables sur l'enregistrements de leurs albums mythiques, Geoff Emerick ébauche le caractère de chacun des Beatles et, même s'il n'est pas tendre avec tous, il nous laisse entrevoir les raisons qui font qu'un groupe marche ou marche pas.
Bref un livre qui va bien au-delà des simples ane More...
May 13, 2011
Jason
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A fantastic look at the Beatles from the perspective of those recording and producing the sessions. I listened to the audio book version which is (unfortunately) abridged so I undoubtedly missed some good material, but I was enthralled start to finish by the quality of the reading and the level of detail. Some of the dialogue recounted by Emerick seems a bit contrived at times (I honestly have a hard time believing he remembers all of these one off conversations with the minute detail that he po
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Sep 01, 2011
John D.
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Listened to the audio book while traveling on vacation. If you're a Beatles fan this is the best book you will ever read for learning what the "Fab Four" were like in the recording studio. Great insight into the personalities of each band member apart from all of the hype and media glamor.
The audio book would have been better if it had been interspersed with the songs that were being described and chronicled, but copyright permissions would have been a great hassle, perhaps More...
The audio book would have been better if it had been interspersed with the songs that were being described and chronicled, but copyright permissions would have been a great hassle, perhaps More...
Jun 03, 2010
Derek
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Geoff Emerick was an eyewitness to musical history. Emerick began his career as a recording engineer just as the Beatles to EMI. He was chosen to engineer the Beatles albums and the rest is history. His pairing with producer George Martin allowed the Fab Four's music to roam free and innovate in wild and wonderful ways.
Emerick tells story after story and, in the process, gives outstanding details about the albums and the personalities that created them. Paul McCartney comes across be More...
Emerick tells story after story and, in the process, gives outstanding details about the albums and the personalities that created them. Paul McCartney comes across be More...
Dec 11, 2011
John
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This look at the Beatles is from the sound engineer who recorded them from Revolver through Sergeant Pepper, Abbey Road and the rest until they broke up. He provides an interesting account of the band and the personalities. He also talks about the way they engineered the sounds that gave the later Beatles albums the unique sound that they have. Remember that the Beatles never performed live after 1964 or so until a concert in 1969 at Apple Records before they broke up. If you like the Beatl
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Jul 29, 2011
Malcolm
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Geoff Emerick has the privilege of being the man who can claim to have done more direct engineering for the Beatles and subsequently the solo artists than anybody else. He also can boast some serious chops as a gifted engineer in his own right.
In the book, he talks about his experiences, primarily in the control room during sessions, in and around the Beatles. Imagine that your job involved something historic happening over there, in the conference room, and now you're able to tell More...
In the book, he talks about his experiences, primarily in the control room during sessions, in and around the Beatles. Imagine that your job involved something historic happening over there, in the conference room, and now you're able to tell More...
Feb 10, 2010
Sally
rated it:
I really liked this book. It's the first Beatles-related book I've read with any real substance, so I don’t have others to compare it to really, but I LOVE reading about how the music itself was made.
My only annoyance is how he describes the Beatles. I just kept thinking "OMG, dude, please calm down, you love Paul, he’s the best person in the whole world, we get it." But if that wasn’t enough, he then rips apart all the other Beatles every chance he gets. Once I was done wi More...
My only annoyance is how he describes the Beatles. I just kept thinking "OMG, dude, please calm down, you love Paul, he’s the best person in the whole world, we get it." But if that wasn’t enough, he then rips apart all the other Beatles every chance he gets. Once I was done wi More...
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Dec 11, 2008
Ben
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I read this a few months ago and I haven't thought of music the same since. Emerick's writing is a more rock journalism style than I expected: he doesn't like George or his music until 69 or so, loves Paul, sympathizes with Cynthia, etc. His stories, however, are true inspiration to anyone recording their own music. All I need to do is open up and read a few pages of this book, and I'm burning to be off to the studio to record. As such, it's a great gift for any home recording musician or B
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May 26, 2011
Liam
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If you are looking for a definitive story on the work of the Beatles, look no further than "Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles". This is an inside story from audio engineer Geoff Emerick, who begins by telling about his interest in the music industry, and soon tells how he got a job at EMI studios. From there on, he tells of his experiences of working with famous musicians (such as Judy Garland and Elvis Costello), but mostly his many ric
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Dec 15, 2009
Jeremy
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5 starts doesn't seem like enough for this gem of a book. I literally feel like I was present in the studio with the Beatles for the albums that Geoff engineered. His descriptions of the recording techniques, personalities and abilities of all involved, and interesting tidbits that occurred on songs made this book an EXCELLENT read and one that I will refer to again and again in the course of my life. Listening to Abbey Road again for example after learning so much of the context behind it, wa
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Jan 25, 2009
Dr. Michael
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Geoff Emerick was an engineer Abbey Road Studio and worked closely with George Martin on many of The Beatles albums. It is interesting to get inside the recording studio with Geoff and The Beatles to see how many of their later albums were conceived and the many tricks Geoff & George Martin had to pull out of their hats to accomplish the sounds the Beatles were hearing in their heads. Geoff is a bit tough on George Harrison. He does not speak highly of George as a guitar player and I must take c
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May 30, 2009
Lindsay
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 25, 2008
Jim
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I didn't read this whole book because I find the Beatles kind of boring past Revolver. Also I didn't want to hear about things turning ugly, Yoko showing up at the studio, how they all got to hate each other and so forth.
What I found fascinating about this book was the insight into the the uptight culture in EMI studios that The Beatles helped destroy. A time when the musicians made the music and the professionals recorded them. Now there's a radical thought!
What I More...
What I found fascinating about this book was the insight into the the uptight culture in EMI studios that The Beatles helped destroy. A time when the musicians made the music and the professionals recorded them. Now there's a radical thought!
What I More...
Jun 15, 2008
Quite a fascinating book. More than their wit, charm and personalities, the Beatles were recording artists first and foremost. Their legacy is the music they created.
The author worked as a recording engineer under George Martin almost from the very beginning of the Beatles' recording output. He didn't contribute to every album, but almost. It is still remarkable to me how certain sounds were created from materials at hand - and how questionable sound effects experiments usually contr More...
The author worked as a recording engineer under George Martin almost from the very beginning of the Beatles' recording output. He didn't contribute to every album, but almost. It is still remarkable to me how certain sounds were created from materials at hand - and how questionable sound effects experiments usually contr More...
Nov 25, 2007
Paul
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Got this today and have had to put it down in the middle of Sgt Pepper or I won't get anything else done today. Like a lot of books about music it's appallingly (ghost)written, with ghastly cliches and corny embarrassing dialogue all over the place which is impossible to believe (why do people think they have to invent 40 year old dialogue anyway?) but the fact remains Geoff Emerick was there, he engineered those sessions, he saw, he remembered and he's still alive. So for a Beatle fan like me,
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May 28, 2008
Donald
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Geoff Emerick was the recording engineer behind such seminal works as Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. He was also privy to most of the inner workings of the Beatles' recording sessions even if he wasn't the chief engineer on all their albums. Through careful observations of the Beatles' compositional styles and perceptive insights into the dynamics of their personalities, Emerick brings a welcome clarity to the subject of how the Beatles worked in the studio and how their vision of rock evolved. The e
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Jun 07, 2009
Joel
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I thought it would provide some recording studio insights on how the music was made. The author was barely old enough to shave when he got the job as recording engineer. Paul, being Paul, was polite to him early on. The rest were indifferent at best. Thus from this guy's perspective the group was really Paul McCartney and the 3 lesser Beatles. He actually describes Harrison as if he were a largely incompetent hanger-on. I didn't finish the book.
Jan 23, 2010
ba
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I dug the matter-of-fact tone and seeming lack of hidden agenda. I found my conceptions of the personalities and rolls of the individual band members of The Beatles challenged, as was my understanding of how they recorded.
All that aside, what a cool story, of a teenager lucking into a job that eventually involved engineering many of the Beatles songs from the very first time they arrived at Abbey Road.
All that aside, what a cool story, of a teenager lucking into a job that eventually involved engineering many of the Beatles songs from the very first time they arrived at Abbey Road.
Nov 25, 2008
Justin
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Freaking awesome. Geoff Emerick is so under-appreciated it's not even funny. George Martin gets all the recording credit when it's really Geoff Emerick that came up with the most bad ass shit the beatles did. Don't get me wrong, GM was a sick ass composer and his parts added so much to songs but most people give him all the recording cred. too. This book sets the record straight.
Jan 16, 2012
Joel
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This guy who wrote the book fell into one of the best jobs and worse jobs in the world. I think Paul really like Geoff the best. It was great reading about at first how the beatles really cared about the music. No power strugle. Wanting to do albums different. Cant beleive how many albums were sold and they did not tour later in there career. This was a great read. I am going to get a book on Paul and read up on him, what makes him tick.
Jun 02, 2011
Grkchkruns
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Perhaps it's not the fastest read, but it was very interesting and entertaining. It was somewhat technical and detailed with regard to engineering of the music, but at the same time there many Beatles anecdotes that a fan like me love to hear about. I also had some aha moments after I read about the recording of Sargent Pepper then listened to it.
