World renowned Beatles experts provide groundbreaking insights into the Fab Four's artistry, from Please Please Me to the incredible heights of Rubber Soul and Revolver.

Dive into the songwriting, musicianship, and production of some of the most influential popular music ever created. In this revelatory assessment of the band's artistic development from 1962 to 1966, Kenneth Womack and Scott Freiman provide accessible, close readings of songs – based on cutting-edge Beatles research – and tackle hard-hitting questions: What were the song's origins, and how was it written? How was the song transformed in the studio? What instruments were used and how did that impact the song's arrangement?

Discover the lyrical and musical elements that give these songs their magic and the techniques used by producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick that add that extra spark, bringing these songs to fruition. The unparalleled artistic journeys of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr as the Beatles are revealed here.

Kenneth Womack is one of the world’s foremost writers and thinkers about the Beatles. The music culture critic for Salon, Womack has contributed to a host of print and web outlets, including Slate, Billboard, Time, Variety, USA Today, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, The Independent, and NBC News. He serves as Professor of English and Popular Music at Monmouth University.

Scott Freiman is the composer, producer, musicologist, and music tech entrepreneur behind the acclaimed PBS series Deconstructing the Beatles. One of the most sought-after speakers on the Beatles, he regularly draws sold-out audiences to his lectures at theaters, colleges, universities, and major corporations.

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