The Beatles Solo: The Illustrated Chronicles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo after the Beatles

by Mat Snow

Together they were a phenomenon, but separated they became a fascination. The Beatles as a group released 12 studio albums in 8 years. As solo artists, however, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr have released a collective 70 LPs and 900 songs since 1968. Never before have the Fab 4 been covered like masterpieces and missteps, triumphs and tragedies, moments of clarity and serious lapses in judgment - they're all here. From George Harrison's lush Wonderwall (the shot that launched the post-Beatles era), to the Plastic Ono Band, Wings, the Traveling Wilburys, The Firemen, Ringo's hit singles and All-Starr Bands and more. An examination of their individual musical catalogues, their film careers, and their personal lives far and away from the studio are all covered for Beatles fans to enjoy.This stunning gift set contains four beautifully illustrated books - one for each Beatle - covering their lives since they broke up in 1969. Jam-packed with nearly 400 pages, 200 photos, quotes, lyrics, and memorabilia all packaged in an elegant slipcase, this is a must-have gift item for the Beatle-lover in your life. Longtime music journalist and former editor of Mojo magazine, Matt Snow has been writing about the Beatles for years, and he's doing fresh interviews with friends and colleagues of the Beatles to gain insight into the solo lives of these four extraordinary men.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[April Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic idea of a four volume matching set to focus on each of the Beatles solo careers (to date), is marketing genius. However, although the books are not bad at all, they're little more than just an introduction to the music and other aspects of each member's life since 1969. A great introduction for the novice, there isn't much new here for the long term fan, except a nice stroll down Memory Lane, nostalgia, and a happy smile.

[Wendy Zuern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing on this, not so great. However, I learned a few new things about The Beatles which is always appreciated. For example, John sang backup on Fame by David Bowie! The pictures were really good. I recommend only for collectors, Beatlemaniacs, or if you just want a quick library read.

[Stuart]

A fun book, with a focus on their musical development over the years. I appreciated the critical reviews, as well as the insights and trivia.

[Rod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a good book (or book set) for fans of The Beatles -- but read it with some reservations, or at least a grain of salt. It's a "breezy", rather quick read -- as I'm sure you'll notice from how quickly I finished -- and I'm certain there are other books out there that go into some of the events here in more detail. The author seems to consider it part of his style that he lets his personal opinions show through. He fawns a bit too much on Paul, I think, and at times he's unnecessarily sneering at George. And my GODDESS does this guy love run-on sentences! More than once I had to re-read one or even a whole paragraph to figure out where in the time-line he was talking about. In other words, a good Beatles book, but definitely not the best I've read.

[Davide Genco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un piacevole ed esaustivo bignami della carriera dei Beatles dopo i Beatles. L'autore fa un bel lavoro di sintesi e distacco critico senza cedere agli ossequi o celebrare il mito, snocciolando discografie e qualche misurato gossip. Due note negative: il progetto grafico interno che - a fronte invece di una bella confezione - è un po' grossolano e pare un libro delle scuole medie; la traduzione italiana, davvero terribile con le sue perifrastiche macchinose, refusi e passaggi tradotti troppo alla lettera.

[Chris Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coffee-table collection of four separate books of the solo careers of the Beatles. Written evenly-handed between praise and criticism, the author makes many statements about the pros and cons of their solo work that a knowledgeable fan would also make. Pictures included several rarities and not just the typical standard fare. Excellently researched with no significant event uncovered.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

My full detailed review can be found at my website: http://rnrchemist.blogspot.com/2013/1...

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

These copiously illustrated volumes are a gloss on The Beatles but they are still about, you know, THE BEATLES, and they are surprisingly well-written.

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but well written and well researched books. Great, unseen photos. Great book set