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Abbey Road
Book by Lawrence, Alistair
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 13, 2021
It goes without saying that a book about EMI's famous Abbey Road studios must be dominated by a detailed discussion of the recording processes that happened there during the years that the Beatles worked with George Martin. Sadly this book doesn't really do justic to this important aspect of its history, and whilst it does do a very good job at outlining the broader and longer story of the studios, to not really get into the nitty gritty of the Beatles/Martin partnership seems a waste.
That the author has written a broader study of the studios is fine, and he is to be commended for outlining upwards of at least 60 recording artists and their relationship with Abbey Road. The amount of coverage given to classical musicians and their work at the studios is most informative. There is also some discussion of the recording activities of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and other comedic or dramatic performaers. However aside from Pink Floyd no other recording act gets more than a page or so.
The focus on the technical elements of the studio and those who used the mics, mixing desks, amps etc will probably fascinate studio geeks. However, in my case I thought all those details were rather dull and uninteresting. Another issue I had with this ebook edition was the quality/resolution of the images. This book is dominated by photos and many were barely legible when expanded.
In summary this is a slight, entertaining but I would argue disappointing book. Instead of being what it could have been it seems to be not much more than a high value promotional pamphlet with all the extended elements of a large picture book.
That the author has written a broader study of the studios is fine, and he is to be commended for outlining upwards of at least 60 recording artists and their relationship with Abbey Road. The amount of coverage given to classical musicians and their work at the studios is most informative. There is also some discussion of the recording activities of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and other comedic or dramatic performaers. However aside from Pink Floyd no other recording act gets more than a page or so.
The focus on the technical elements of the studio and those who used the mics, mixing desks, amps etc will probably fascinate studio geeks. However, in my case I thought all those details were rather dull and uninteresting. Another issue I had with this ebook edition was the quality/resolution of the images. This book is dominated by photos and many were barely legible when expanded.
In summary this is a slight, entertaining but I would argue disappointing book. Instead of being what it could have been it seems to be not much more than a high value promotional pamphlet with all the extended elements of a large picture book.
July 6, 2024
Interesting, informative, and detailed. Artists and works are named, including lot of photos. A history of the equipment and techniques used, of the building itself, and of the not-so-famous behind the scenes technicians is all there.
The book seems to have been intended as a coffee table volume but is too small to fit comfortably in that genre. The bulk of the photos are small, some very small. The main text uses a very small font (think Gutenberg Bible on the head of a pin small) which makes a good strong reading light a requirement.
February 25, 2018
Brilliantly done, despite inexcusable omission of Geoff Emerick's contributions.
July 26, 2022
Only here for the photographs.
Wonderful to see Eartha Kitt, Shirley Bassey and of course, Kate Bush.
Wonderful to see Eartha Kitt, Shirley Bassey and of course, Kate Bush.
November 9, 2014
Three Abbey Road, Saint John’s Wood, London probably doesn’t mean much to the average American. When EMI Studios first opened its doors at that address on November 12, 1931, no one could predict that the world’s first custom-built recording studio would become the most famous such venue on the planet.
We know it today as Abbey Road Studios, which was really put on the entertainment map thirty one years later when The Beatles made their first demo there. In fact, the iconic photo of the Fab Four crossing the street in front of the studios on the cover of their last album, 1969’s Abbey Road, caused EMI to change the building’s name.
Pre-Beatles, author Alistair Lawrence takes us on a journey of the recorded history of recording. How the technology has changed since Thomas Edison’s tinfoil-covered cast-iron cylinder phonograph of 1878. On this trip down Memory Lane, you’ll meet some amazing men and their equally amazing inventions. For example, did you know that two-channel audio, what we now know as stereo recording, was first put to limited use by a French mechanical engineer, Clément Ader, towards the end of the nineteenth century?
Abbey Road pioneered much of the recording technology we take for granted today. The studio reinvented itself many times over. It successfully made the transition from gramophone to direct-to-disc, from 78 to 33 and a third vinyl, to 45 rpm discs, from analog tape to digital CD’s. What may come as a shock to you is that Abbey Road may be on the cutting edge of recording technology, but, they rarely throw anything away. That’s especially true of the microphones. It’s not a museum. They actually still use gear from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s along with the latest models. If you consider yourself an audiophile, you need to take this studio tour.
We know it today as Abbey Road Studios, which was really put on the entertainment map thirty one years later when The Beatles made their first demo there. In fact, the iconic photo of the Fab Four crossing the street in front of the studios on the cover of their last album, 1969’s Abbey Road, caused EMI to change the building’s name.
Pre-Beatles, author Alistair Lawrence takes us on a journey of the recorded history of recording. How the technology has changed since Thomas Edison’s tinfoil-covered cast-iron cylinder phonograph of 1878. On this trip down Memory Lane, you’ll meet some amazing men and their equally amazing inventions. For example, did you know that two-channel audio, what we now know as stereo recording, was first put to limited use by a French mechanical engineer, Clément Ader, towards the end of the nineteenth century?
Abbey Road pioneered much of the recording technology we take for granted today. The studio reinvented itself many times over. It successfully made the transition from gramophone to direct-to-disc, from 78 to 33 and a third vinyl, to 45 rpm discs, from analog tape to digital CD’s. What may come as a shock to you is that Abbey Road may be on the cutting edge of recording technology, but, they rarely throw anything away. That’s especially true of the microphones. It’s not a museum. They actually still use gear from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s along with the latest models. If you consider yourself an audiophile, you need to take this studio tour.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews