Beatles '66

The Revolutionary Year

By: Steve Turner

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting look at the transformative year in the lives and careers of the legendary group whose groundbreaking legacy would forever change music and popular culture

They started off as hysteria-inducing pop stars playing to audiences of screaming teenage fans and ended up as musical sages considered responsible for ushering in a new era.

The year that changed everything for the Beatles was 1966 - the year of their last concert and of Revolver, their first album created to be listened to rather than performed. This was the year the Beatles risked their popularity by retiring from live performances, recording songs that explored alternative states of consciousness, experimenting with avant-garde ideas, and speaking their minds on issues of politics, war, and religion. It was the year their records were burned in America after John's explosive claim that the group was "more popular than Jesus", the year they were hounded out of the Philippines for "snubbing" its First Lady, the year John met Yoko Ono, and the year Paul conceived the idea for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Music journalist and Beatles expert Steve Turner investigates in detail the enormous changes that took place in the Beatles' lives and work during 1966. He looks at the historical events that had an impact on the group, the music they made that in turn profoundly affected the culture around them, and the vision that allowed four young men from Liverpool to transform popular music and serve as pioneers for artists from Coldplay to David Bowie, Jay-Z to U2.

By talking to those close to the group and by drawing on his past interviews with key figures such as George Martin, Timothy Leary, and Ravi Shankar - and the Beatles themselves - Turner gives us the compelling, definitive account of the 12 months that contained everything the Beatles had been and anticipated everything they would still become.

©2016 Steve Turner (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

66 was quite a year!

In depth review of Beatles- very interesting. A number of new things presented and concepts. Very interesting. A few parts were overly wordy but in all a great book and well read.

Fantastic Book

I've read a lot of books on the Beatles, but this has to be one of the very best. It's really engrossing and I learned a lot of things that I did not know. Also, the narrator is excellent. Highly recommended!

1966 was more important than I'd thought

One year in the Beatles' history seems like a strange slice, but it turns out that quite a lot of their true significance beyond the Beatlemania happened, or began to happen, in 1966. There are mundane and profound details about their lives, thoughts, and influences here that are inspiring. This is a good book for people interested in the Beatles generally, 20th century cultural changes, and becoming broader thinkers.

Sad, But True

Major Beatles fan, here. I love everything about them and have read plenty of material about the group. That said, while I liked this book and found it well-researched and thorough, I also found it sad as it covers the months that show the group growing tired of live concerts (and even of each other)...knowing as we do that this is the beginning of the end.

I was hoping for more specific detail about the creation of music on Rubber Soul and Revolver. This was the time period when their in-studio creativity was developing and became so critical to the music of their later years. George Martin is mentioned in a few of the songs but I wish his influence had been explored in more depth.

The narrator, Simon Vance, is his usual expert self, narrating this story with professionalism and clarity.

Mostly, I was sad listening to this book as it signaled the oncoming end of the greatest band of all time. And this is not on the author but on me!

Beautifully written and narrated

A wonderful book about the pivotal year in the Beatles career and lives. There are so many great events described in detail; the recording of Revolver, the intensity and frustration of the last tour, and the beginning of Sgt. Pepper. Simon Vance does an excellent job narrating the Beatles individual voices.

One of the best books about the Beatles

Extraordinary detail and insight. No gossipy tabloid stuff. Just music, art, history and John Paul George and Ringo.

Fascinating, for those of us who lived through it-

A detailed examination of the pivotal year 1966 in the life of the Beatles. If you're a Beatles fan or enjoy music history from the 1960s, this will be a pleasure.

History laced with a charming Liverpool accent

Simply fantastic book. I like the honing down on one year in their lives. Good idea. (I bought their Anthology book, but it is way too big and cumbersome and weighty to actually read! The only way you can actually read it is sitting uncomfortably at a desk.) Anyway, this book basically gives the history of them moving from pop to rock. What I learned: All four were extremely intelligent and -- of course -- musical geniuses, too. I did not know things like: The LPs put out in Britain and US had different lineups. I learned that George Martin really did play a huge role in their experimentation in the studio, and that he knew geniuses when he saw them, and let them run. I totally get that the Beatles were tired of touring. Screaming fans, being manhandled in Manila, holed up in hotel rooms due to security, etc. I learned that Paul was the workhorse of the group: on time, ready to work, but yet completely open to different music styles. I had no idea that the song "Got To Get You Into My Life" was about LSD, though, after Paul tried it! The book is not worshipful, either, as many are. It researches the events that happened in that one year to those four people. Those songs you know by heart: There is delight, pain, change, insecurity, pride, frustration and talent behind them. You will love listening to this book. And one other thing: I am absolutely delighted when Simon Vance reads a quote from one of the four. He can put on the Liverpool accent just perfectly. I smile every time.

Excellent!

Very well researched and written, and an equally superb job done on the narration, slightly imitating the voices and accents of each of the fabs. So captivating I listened to its entirety over 2-3 days. For any Beatles fan, and for anyone interested in the culture, music, art of this very transformative year, I highly recommend this book!

Another good book on the Beatles

I enjoyed this book. I didn't realize all that had happened in 1966, compared to the years before and after.
Was there anything new that I didn't know?
not really. However, I am a die-hard Beatles fan and have read a lot during my 60 plus years. However, the author talked about the Beatles in a very interesting way, which kept me interested and I still wanted to hear more!
I recommend this book.
The reader also did a good job.