Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles

In"LongandWindingRoads：TheEvolvingArtistryoftheBeatles，"KennethWomackbringstheband'sstoryvividlytolife--fromtheirsaladdaysasaLiverpoolSkifflegroupandtheirapprenticeshipinthenightclubsandmeanstreetsofHamburgthroughtheirearlytriumphsatthelegendaryCavernClubandthemassiveonslaughtofBeatlemaniaitself.Bymappingthegroup'sdevelopmentasanartisticfusion，WomacktracestheBeatles'creativearcfromtheirfirst，primitiverecordingsthrough"AbbeyRoad"""andthetwilightoftheircareer.Inordertocommunicatethenatureandpoweroftheband'sremarkableachievement，WomackexaminestheBeatles'bodyofworkasanevolvingartobject.Heinvestigatestheoriginsandcreationofthegroup'scompositions，aswellasthesongwritingandrecordingpracticesthatbroughtthemtofruition.Womack'sanalysisoftheBeatles'albumstransportsreadersonajourneythroughtheBeatles'heydayasrecordingartistsbetween1962and1969，whenthebandenjoyedastaggeringmusicalandlyricalleapthattookthemfromtheirfirstalbum"PleasePleaseMe，"whichtheyrecordedinthespaceofasingleday，to"Sgt.Pepper'sLonelyHeartsClubBand，"the"WhiteAlbum，"and"AbbeyRoad"--albumsthatcollectivelyrequiredliterallythousandsofhourstoproduce.Inadditiontoconsideringtheband'sincreasingself-consciousnessabouttheoverallproduction，design，andpresentationoftheirart，WomackexplorestheBeatles'albumsasacollectionofmusicalandlyricalimpressionsthatfindsthemworkingtowardsasenseofaestheticunity.In"LongandWindingRoads，"WomackrevealsthewaysinwhichtheBeatlesgavelifetoamusicalsynthesisthatwouldchangetheworld.>