By
Mary Ann Shultz
The
Beatles’ Anthology reveals the
Beatles’ story through fairly recent
reflections from Paul, George, and
Ringo. Each speaks through his own
perspective and agenda and each
presents himself as he wishes to be
seen now -- as his own man bearing all
the joys and pains and triumphs and
scars of life.
John
is liberally represented as well and,
though a great deal of his
contribution is familiar to his fans,
his memories and opinions are arranged
and edited in a way that affords a
strong sense of the man. In most cases
John’s comments are followed by a
date which helps the reader trace the
progression of John’s feelings as
they alternately shift or solidify
over the years.
The
first four chapters of the book are
different from the others in that each
one focuses in turn solely on one
member of the band. Although these
chapters deal primarily with the non-
Beatle years, they quickly reveal the
key personality traits of the four men
who lived the tale. They also
foreshadow the mood or tone each one
adopts in its telling.
“With
the fact that I wasn’t tied to
parents I would infiltrate the other
boys’ minds. That was the gift I got
of not having parents. I cried a lot
about not having them, but I also had
the gift of awareness of not being
something.” -- From the first pages
we are met by the chameleon-like John,
radical yet sensitive, somewhat ill at
ease with his own genius, and looking
for acceptance while reveling in his
aloneness. “I always was a rebel
because of whatever sociological thing
gave me a chip on the shoulder. But on
the other hand, I want to be loved and
accepted. That’s why I’m on stage,
like a performing flea.” The
love-seeking rebel artist theme runs
throughout John’s remembrances.
John’s Beatle existence was a
constant struggle between the desire
to be his own person and the need to
fit in. “They all thought I was a
Ted at the art college when I arrived.
Then I became a bit artier, as they
all do, but I still dressed like a
Ted...I imitated Teddy boys, but I was
always torn between being a Teddy boy
and an art student. “ As the book
unfolds we continue to see the
dichotomy in John and how it affected
his art as well as how it came to bear
in his time with the Beatles. He
alternately loved the group and the
security it provided or rebelled
against it’s constraints,
limitations and hypocrisy.
“His
(John’s) mother lived in what was
called ‘sin’ - just living with a
guy by whom she had a couple of
daughters....” “When I used to
talk to John about his childhood, I
realized that mine was so much
warmer.” The second chapter is
Paul’s and in it we are exposed to a
man intent on emphasizing much
different background from that of
John. Paul's pride in his roots is
everywhere apparent. The leit motif of
Paul’s inherit musical ability is
also introduced in this early chapter
as is the very central theme of
Paul’s “studentness.” In
Paul’s introductory chapter he
reveals that, “There was a little
period later in my life when I would
take a paper up onto the top deck of a
bus and sit there feeling like Dyaln
Thomas or someone reading Beckett
plays or Tennessee Williams.”
Throughout the book, Paul takes every
opportunity to remind us of his
grammar school education and how it
set him apart from the majority of the
rockers of the time. Preferring to
concentrate on telling interesting
incidents about others and
explaining musical aspects of his
life, Paul gives fewer insights into
his feeling than found in John’s
chapter. However, there are times
throughout the book when we are
treated to glimpses of the inner man,
such as when Paul reveals himself as
in the story of his regret of
making fun of his mother’s
pronunciation of the word “ask.”
“ I
was born in 12 Arnold Grove,
Liverpool, in February 1943” -- All
the opening sections, save George’s,
begin by giving the date, month, and
year of the respective Beatle’s
birth. George neglects to include the
date. This is typical of his sense of
privacy as well as, bearing in mind
the recent controversy of the 24th or
25th birth date, his sense of humor.
Early on, George remarks, “I have
memories of being taken around by my
mother when she went shopping on
Saturdays. I used to be dragged around
seeing old ladies...” Many times as
the book progresses, we feel
George’s frustration at being
dragged around as a Beatle. In his
solo section, George at times seems
impersonal, as when he spends so much
time discussing guitars. At subsequent
times in the book he likewise holds us
at arm’s length. He makes it
perfectly clear that he is more than a
little resentful of the public’s
intrusion upon his life. Even so, his
humor comes shining through. “I had
a happy childhood with lots of
relatives around -- relatives and
absolutes.” His stories of building
his first guitar and his hiking trip
with Paul are foreshadowings of the
attention to detail that typify his
later recountings of such stories as
the life-altering effects of LSD or
his passion for Eastern music and
philosophy.
“ I
wasn’t a great fighter, but I was a
good runner, a good sprinter -as I
still am- because if you were suddenly
on your own with five guys coming
towards you, you soon learnt to be.”
One reviewer noted that Ringo’s
chapter is the only one that really
sings. It certainly is true that Ringo
makes his Liverpool come to life
through his easy humor and friendly
manner. You can almost see his
grandmother Annie with her sleeves
rolled and her hands clenched into
fists shouting, “Get over here, you
little bastard,” at her much smaller
husband. Like the man, Ringo’s
introductory chapter is arguably the
most personal of the four. It’s not
surprising, then, that many of the
most heart felt and revealing
observations come from him. Ringo’s
chapter is marked by balance. For
example, his years of sickness are
balanced by his joy at tramping
through Liverpool or chasing buses
“so we’d know where they go;”
his anger at his father’s
abandonment is balanced by his happy
acceptance of the love of his mother,
stepfather, and grandparents. Balance
is key to his approach in the rest of
the book. He tells the Beatle story in
his humorous and direct way without
pretense, never getting overly cocky
about the Beatle highs nor defensive
or bitter about the lows. Some may
note that Ringo’s contributions seem
at times less weighty, but after a
ponderous analysis by one of the
others, one of his succinct summations
is just the ticket to get the story
moving again. Ringo describes many of
the events in his chapter as being
“pretty exciting for me.” That
feeling of excitement seems to typify
his Beatle years, too.
The
remaining 318 pages of the book are an
oral history of the Beatles years put
together in conversation-like form as
recounted by the four principal
players with occasional comments by
respected insiders such as George
Martin, Neil Aspinal, and Derek
Taylor. Sometimes the quotes seem a
bit redundant as the same ground is
unnecessarily repeated by each of the
primary four. At other times, key
events are barely mentioned. In some
cases the stories are so different one
wonders if the tellers were even in
the same band.
There
is a plethora of creatively arranged
photographs interwoven within the
text, but few of them are actually new
to the ardent fan. The text is
extensive, and although it tells the
story we all know, there are new
anecdotes and insights. It’s much
more than just a transcript of the
Anthology videos. Although Paul,
George, and Ringo indicate that the
book is closure of the Beatle period
for them, it leaves the reader both
satisfied and yearning for more.
John,
Paul, George, and Ringo are compelling
individuals in their own rights.
Together they become larger than life.
As I read, my emotions go up and down.
Sometimes I find myself laughing out
loud. You can’t resist the wit,
charm, and humor of any of the four.
Each one is a fascinating person.
Other times I get a bit depressed --
as when I read about the drug use or
when the jealousy of various band
members comes shining through. At
times I want to give them big hugs and
at other times I’d like to give each
one of them a swift kick. In other
words, this is a great book. There is
nothing earth-shatteringly new, but
the wonderful personalities shine like
beacons. There are enough fleshings
out of information and differences of
opinion and alternate versions to keep
the book from being boring. I’ve
always maintained that the Beatles’
story is like a sweeping epic novel,
and this book has done nothing to
lessen that feeling. Is the book worth
the price? You bet.
