1964: Eyes of the Storm by Paul McCartney

Last night, when I was griping about writing in the blog, I was taking a short break from finishing this book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, by Paul McCartney (with a great introductory essay by Harvard history professor Jill Lepore).

The book features a treasure trove of photographs taken by McCartney in late 1963 and early 1964, none of which had been published before, and in fact had been in storage for decades. These candid photos of the Beatles and their entourage (Brian Epstein, George Martin, Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, Cynthia Lennon, and others) document Beatlemania as it was exploding and taking the world by storm.

As I said, Jill Lepore's accompanying essay is excellent, as she places the Beatles in historical context by discussing many of the world events of '63 and '64 (Kennedy assassination, Civil Rights Act, Freedom Summer, Barry Goldwater and the Republican National Convention) and how the Beatles fit in.

Of course, the photos are the real selling point. The best ones have to be the color pics Paul took in Miami. We see the Fab Four relaxing poolside surrounded by their friends and loved ones. One gets the sense that these quite possibly were the last moments of bliss and serenity the band would experience until, say, they went to India in 1968. (And even that India trip was fraught with Ringo's dislike of the food, John's fallout with the Maharishi, and the crumbling relationships between Paul & Jane Asher and John& Cynthia). The Beatles look completely at ease in Miami Beach, splashing around in the pool, smiling, lounging, and just looking content with life just before their lives (and the lives of their entourage) will irrevocably change.

If you like the Beatles, I highly recommend this book. I only checked it out of the library, but might have to break down and buy it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ron Swanson's hilarious "Visions of Nature" speech

Image
The funniest speech I’ve heard in quite awhile. Ron Swanson’s "Visions of Nature" art show grand opening speech from Parks and Recreation. Worth quoting in its entirety: "Ok, everyone, shut up and look at me. Welcome to Visions of Nature. This room has several paintings in it. Some are big and some are small. People did them and they are here now. I believe that after this is over they will be hung in government buildings. Why the government is involved in an art show is beyond me. I also think it's pointless for a human to paint scenes of nature when they could just go outside and stand in it. Anyway, please do not misinterpret the fact that I am talking right now as genuine interest in art and attempt to discuss it with me further. End of speech."
Read more

Billy Joel vs. R.E.M.

Awhile ago, a friend of mind sent me, via a Facebook message, the "assignment" of comparing and contrasting Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" and R.E.M.'s "It's the End of World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)." This friend is someone I've known since about sixth grade, and we often go back and forth about music and pop culture. Anyway, this is my extemely off-the-cuff reply to his challenge. Thought you might find it fun: Billy Joel's “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is a litany of baby boomer-era cultural touchstones, and in the chorus Billy basically, in typical curmudgeonly Billy Joel style, says, "look, if you're pissed off about how f***ed up things are now, don't look at us (i.e. the boomers), it was already f***ed up when we got here, but we've been trying to make it better, so there!--and you know what, it'll probably continue to be f***ed up after we're dead." Billy Joel is the official apo...
Read more
 All we did tonight was watch the new episodes of Slow Horses and Fargo , and I could barely keep my eyes open during Fargo. Next reading, must finally finish Absolute Beginners .
Read more