Lennon : The Man, the Myth, the Music - The Definitive Life

In his commanding new book, the eminent NPR critic Tim Riley takes us on the remarkable journey that brought a Liverpool art student from a disastrous childhood to the highest realms of fame.Riley portrays Lennon's rise from Hamburg's red light district to Britain's Royal Variety Show; from the charmed naivete of "Love Me Do" to the soaring ambivalence of "Don't Let Me Down"; from his shotgun marriage to Cynthia Powell in 1962 to his epic media romance with Yoko Ono. Written with the critical insight and stylistic mastery readers have come to expect from Riley, this richly textured narrative draws on numerous new and exclusive interviews with Lennon's friends, enemies, confidantes, and associates; lost memoirs written by relatives and friends; as well as previously undiscovered City of Liverpool records. Riley explores Lennon in all of his contradictions: the British art student who universalized an American style, the anarchic rock 'n' roller with the moral spine, the anti-jazz snob who posed naked with his avant-garde lover, and the misogynist who became a househusband. What emerges is the enormous, seductive, and confounding personality that made Lennon a cultural touchstone.In "Lennon," Riley casts Lennon as a modernist hero in a sweeping epic, dramatizing rock history anew as Lennon himself might have experienced it. The Author, A Music Historian And Journalist Writes A Biography That Challenges Many Popular Assumptions About Lennon's Life, From His Widely Misunderstood 'working Class Hero' Origins To His Epic Romance With Yoko Ono. Also Critic For Npr He Takes Us On The Remarkable Journey That Brought A Liverpool Art Student From A Disastrous Childhood To The Highest Realms Of Fame. He Portrays Lennon's Rise From Hamburg's Red Light District To Britain's Royal Variety Show; From The Charmed Naïveté Of Love Me Do To The Soaring Ambivalence Of Don't Let Me Down; From His Shotgun Marriage To Cynthia Powell In 1962 To His Epic Media Romance With Yoko Ono. This Narrative Draws On Numerous New And Exclusive Interviews With Lennon's Friends, Enemies, Confidantes, And Associates. He Explores Lennon In All Of His Contradictions: The British Art Student Who Universalized An American Style, The Anarchic Rock 'n' Roller With The Moral Spine, The Anti-jazz Snob Who Posed Naked With His Avant-garde Lover, And The Misogynist Who Became A Househusband. What Emerges Is The Enormous, Seductive, And Confounding Personality That Made Lennon A Cultural Touchstone.--from Publisher Description. Pre-beatles, 1940-1959. No Reply ; Something To Hide ; She Said She Said ; Nobody Told Me ; Pools Of Sorrow -- Beatlehood, 1960-1969. Well Well Well ; I Found Out ; A Man You Must Believe ; Isolation ; Hold On ; Thick Of It ; One Sweet Dream ; Watching The Wheels ; Another Kind Of Mind ; In A Play ; I Should Have Known Better ; How? ; Thank You Girl -- Beyond Beatles, 1970-1980. Just We Two ; I'll Cry Instead ; You Can't Do That ; I'm A Loser ; Get Back ; Three Of Us. Tim Riley. Includes Bibliographical References, Discography, And Index. In his commanding new book, the eminent NPR critic Tim Riley takes us on the remarkable journey that brought a Liverpool art student from a disastrous childhood to the highest realms of fame. Riley portrays Lennon's rise from Hamburg's red light district to Britain's Royal Variety Show; from the charmed naivetéf "Love Me Do" to the soaring ambivalence of "Don't Let Me Down"; from his shotgun marriage to Cynthia Powell in 1962 to his epic media romance with Yoko Ono. Written with the critical insight and stylistic mastery readers have come to expect from Riley, this richly textured narrative draws on numerous new and exclusive interviews with Lennon's friends, enemies, confidantes, and associates; lost memoirs written by relatives and friends; as well as previously undiscovered City of Liverpool records. Riley explores Lennon in all of his contradictions: the British art student who universalized an American style, the anarchic rock 'n' roller with the moral spine, the anti-jazz snob who posed naked with his avant-garde lover, and the misogynist who became a househusband. What emerges is the enormous, seductive, and confounding personality that made Lennon a cultural touchstone. In Lennon , Riley casts Lennon as a modernist hero in a sweeping epic, dramatizing rock history anew as Lennon himself might have experienced it. In his commanding new book, the eminent NPR critic Tim Riley takes us on the remarkable journey that brought a Liverpool art student from a disastrous childhood to the highest realms of fame. Riley portrays Lennon’s rise from Hamburg’s red light district to Britain’s Royal Variety Show; from the charmed naivet? of “Love Me Do” to the soaring ambivalence of “Don’t Let Me Down”; from his shotgun marriage to Cynthia Powell in 1962 to his epic media romance with Yoko Ono. Written with the critical insight and stylistic mastery readers have come to expect from Riley, this richly textured narrative draws on numerous new and exclusive interviews with Lennon’s friends, enemies, confidantes, and associates; lost memoirs written by relatives and friends; as well as previously undiscovered City of Liverpool records. Riley explores Lennon in all of his contradictions: the British art student who universalized an American style, the anarchic rock ’n’ roller with the moral spine, the anti-jazz snob who posed naked with his avant-garde lover, and the misogynist who became a househusband. What emerges is the enormous, seductive, and confounding personality that made Lennon a cultural touchstone.In Lennon, Riley casts Lennon as a modernist hero in a sweeping epic, dramatizing rock history anew as Lennon himself might have experienced it. In his commanding new book, the eminent NPR critic Tim Riley takes us on the remarkable journey that brought a Liverpool art student from a disastrous childhood to the highest realms of fame. Riley portrays Lennons rise from Hamburgs red light district to Britains Royal Variety Show; from the charmed naivet of Love Me Do to the soaring ambivalence of Dont Let Me Down; from his shotgun marriage to Cynthia Powell in 1962 to his epic media romance with Yoko Ono. Written with the critical insight and stylistic mastery readers have come to expect from Riley, this richly textured narrative draws on numerous new and exclusive interviews with Lennons friends, enemies, confidantes, and associates; lost memoirs written by relatives and friends; as well as previously undiscovered City of Liverpool records. Riley explores Lennon in all of his the British art student who universalized an American style, the anarchic rock n roller with the moral spine, the anti-jazz snob who posed naked with his avant-garde lover, and the misogynist who became a househusband. What emerges is the enormous, seductive, and confounding personality that made Lennon a cultural touchstone. In Lennon , Riley casts Lennon as a modernist hero in a sweeping epic, dramatizing rock history anew as Lennon himself might have experienced it. Eminent NPR critic Tim Riley takes us on the remarkable journey that brought a Liverpool art student from a disastrous childhood to the highest realms of fame. Riley portrays Lennon's rise from Hamburg's red light district to Britain's Royal Variety Show; from the charmed naïveté of "Love Me Do" to the soaring ambivalence of "Don't Let Me Down"; from his shotgun marriage to Cynthia Powell in 1962 to his epic media romance with Yoko Ono. This narrative draws on numerous new and exclusive interviews with Lennon's friends, enemies, confidantes, and associates. Riley explores Lennon in all of his contradictions: the British art student who universalized an American style, the anarchic rock 'n' roller with the moral spine, the anti-jazz snob who posed naked with his avant-garde lover, and the misogynist who became a househusband. What emerges is the enormous, seductive, and confounding personality that made Lennon a cultural touchstone.--From publisher description The author follows Lennon's rise from Hamburg's red light district to world fame, explores Lennon's many contradictions, and, and casts Lennon as a modernist hero