Book Review: Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles, Britain, And America by Jonathan Gould

Of the three Beatles books I've read in the past year, right now I'd have to rate Jonathan Gould's new Can't Buy Me Love as the best. Not that there are any earth-shattering revelations or even any significant, previously unearthed information or facts — because there really aren't.

Of the other two Beatles books I've read this year, one told the story from the perspective of a record company insider, while the other related it from behind the mixing board.

In Ken Mansfield's The Beatles, The Bible, & Bodegga Bay, Mansfield quite lovingly relates his years as the Beatles go-to guy at the record company — first with Capitol, then with Apple. Mansfield recalls the history making events, as well as the parties and the jam sessions with candor, while at the same time going out of his way to avoid dishing any dirt. He then remembers his fall from grace after the Beatles split, and how his subsequent marriage and finding his God ultimately saved him.

In Geoff Emerick's Here, There, And Everywhere, the author recounts many of the same events, but from the unique perspective of being the guy twisting the knobs in the engineer's seat. Emerick likewise shows respect for his former employers by steering clear of the juicier tidbits for the most part — although he doesn't hold back when it comes to revealing the members of that inner circle that he wasn't particularly fond of. Being a recording engineer, Emerick's narrative also tends to get bogged down in the sort of tech-speak that only a fellow recording geek could really appreciate.

What makes Gould's book different is the way the author simply tells the story of the greatest rock band of all time, in a very straightforward way rarely colored by any kind of bias. The other thing that makes this a great read, though, is the way Gould emphasizes the music. Using the sort of descriptive language that only a music critic — or someone who is truly emotionally invested in the music — could love, Gould breaks down various Beatles songs and albums in a way that carries you straight back to that magical time in music history. As opposed to telling the story from an insider's point of view, Gould actually comes off as the ultimate fan.

Article Author: Glen Boyd

You'll find Blogcritics music editor Glen Boyd sharing his Thoughtmares on his personal blog The Rockologist. Glen is also the author of Neil Young FAQ, published in May 2012 by Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard Publishing.

Visit Glen Boyd's author page — Glen Boyd's Blog