The Beatles, popular music, and society : a thousand voices

More has been written about the Beatles than any other performing artists of the twentieth century. Accounts of their lives and times have been retold, reproduced and reinvented to the extent that their achievements have passed into contemporary folklore and popular mythology. What has been surprisingly absent, however, is any sustained critical investigation of the numerous debates and issues the group provoked. This book provides that long overdue analysis, by seeking to present the academic study of the Beatles in its appropriate contexts - historical, political, musical and sociological. Consisting entirely of newly commissioned articles and written by an international group of scholars, its contents challenge many of the traditional assumptions about the Beatles and offer fresh and provocative insights into the nature of their success and its continuing influence. It is essential reading for those wishing to understand not only the phenomenon of the Beatles but also the cultural environment within which popular music continues to be practised and studied. Men Of Ideas?: Popular Music, Anti-intellectualism And The Beatles / Ian Inglis -- Coming Out Of The Rhetoric Of 'merseybeat': Conversations With Joe Flannery / Mike Brocken -- The Beatles And The Spectacle Of Youth / John Muncie -- Lennon-mccartney And The Early British Invasion, 1964-66 / Jon Fitzgerald -- From Me To You: Austerity To Profligacy In The Language Of The Beatles / Guy Cook And Neil Mercer -- The Postmodern White Album / Ed Whitley -- You Can't Do That: The Beatles, Artistic Freedom And Censorship / Martin Cloonan -- Tell Me What You See: The Influence And Impact Of The Beatles' Movies / Bob Neaverson -- The Celebrity Legacy Of The Beatles / P. David Marshall -- Refab Four: Beatles For Sale In The Age Of Music Video / Gary Burns -- 'sitting In An English Garden': Comparing Representations Of Britishness In The Songs Of The Beatles And 1990s Britpop Groups / Andy Bennett. Edited By Ian Inglis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xxii Men of Ideas? Popular Music, Anti-Intellectualism and the Beatles....Pages 1-22 Coming Out of the Rhetoric of ‘Merseybeat’: Conversations with Joe Flannery....Pages 23-34 The Beatles and the Spectacle of Youth....Pages 35-52 Lennon-McCartney and the Early British Invasion, 1964–6....Pages 53-85 From Me to You: Austerity to Profligacy in the Language of the Beatles....Pages 86-104 The Postmodern White Album....Pages 105-125 You Can’t Do That: The Beatles, Artistic Freedom And Censorship....Pages 126-149 Tell Me What You See: the Influence and Impact of the Beatles’ Movies....Pages 150-162 The Celebrity Legacy of the Beatles....Pages 163-175 Refab Four: Beatles for Sale in the Age of Music Video....Pages 176-188 ‘Sitting in an English Garden’: Comparing Representations of ‘Britishness’ in the Songs of the Beatles and 1990s Britpop Groups....Pages 189-206 Back Matter....Pages 207-211

The Beatles' evolution from a Liverpool rock and roll group into one of the 20th century's defining images has been repeatedly chronicled but rarely analyzed; a critical appreciation of their music and career, and the issues and debates they provoked, is long overdue. This book provides the first sustained investigation of some of the many historical, cultural, musical, and sociological facets of the group's career. Written by an international group of scholars, it is essential for those wishing to understand not only the phenomenon of the Beatles, but the broader social contexts which popular music continues to be practiced and studied.

The Beatles' evolution from a Liverpool rock and roll group into one of the twentieth century's defining images has been repeatedly chronicled but rarely analyzed; a critical appreciation of their music and career, and the issues and debates they provoked, is long overdue. This book provides the first sustained investigation of some of the many historical, cultural, musical, and sociological facets of the group's career. Written by an international group of scholars, it is essential for those wishing to understand not only the phenomenon of the Beatles, but the broader social contexts which popular music continues to be practiced and studied. Using newly commissioned article and written by an international group of scholars, this offers fresh and provactive insights into the nature of their success and their continuing influence Written by an international group of scholars, this book provides an investigation into some of the many historical, cultural, musical and sociological facets of the Beatles' career