If you grew up in Britain or the United States during the 1960s, the Beatles were part of the fabric of life - their presence and influence inescapable.
And, if you were a fan of the group, this presence and influence was magnified a hundredfold.
First-generation Beatles fans - those who watched the group on "Ed Sullivan" and other TV shows, bought the records as they came out, heard the latest singles on the radio, and watched the Beatles' films in their local movie theaters - developed a deeply intimate relationship with the band.
The four Beatles were like big brothers they never had, or teasing young uncles. As the 1960s wore on, for some fans, the Beatles were teachers and spiritual leaders, more influential than parents, schoolteachers or pastors.
American sociologist Candy Leonard, herself a first-generation fan, calls this state of envelopment in all things Fab "Beatleness."
Her book of the same name captures a time when, as one fan she interviews puts it, "you brushed your teeth, you went to the bathroom, you went to school, you listened to the Beatles."
Leonard uses interviews with hundreds of first-generation fans - by her definition, those born between 1945 and 1961 - to describe what it was like growing up during the 1960s with the Beatles as a big part of your life. Thankfully, though, it's not just page after page of fond nostalgia and fawning.
Leonard explores aspects of Beatles fandom that are often overlooked. She understands that fans had (and still have) a relationship with the group. And relationships aren't always rosy.
After the warm glow of early Beatlemania, "Ed Sullivan," and "A Hard Day's Night," the Beatles started the change and mature. From Rubber Soul on, the music became more varied and challenging, the lyrics more serious and cryptic. Some younger fans decided they'd rather listen to the Monkees. With Sgt. Pepper and, particularly, the "White Album," the Beatles, in the eyes of some of their followers, started to get "weird" and "dark."
The band's public acknowledgements of drug use, their political and social stances, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono's antics, including posing nude on the cover of their Two Virgin LP, put some fans off and left them missing the days when the Beatles seemed innocent and embraced pure fun.
Leonard makes it clear that being a fan didn't necessarily mean you liked everything the group did. This point is sometimes easy to forget from our vantage point of 50 years later, when we tend to look back on it all fondly, even L.S.D. and Yoko's screams, and forget how the Beatles frequently alienated and disappointed segments of their audience.
The book even mentions how many fans were disappointed by the U.S. soundtrack albums of "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" because they were half full of "boring" orchestral music.
Other fans, of course, surfed along with all the Beatles changes, which seemed to reflect the transitions they also were going through. The Beatles taught these kids to challenge assumptions and question authority, and inspired them to live more authentically individual lives.
It's interesting to hear the stories of fans who made career choices, became politically active and were otherwise influenced and inspired by the Beatles' music and actions.
Leonard describes all the Beatles activities and changes against a backdrop of Sixties touchstones -- JFK, Civil Rights, Vietnam, hippies, the moon landing, Woodstock and Women's Lib -- and, on occasion the book can take on the tone of an historical survey.
Leonard doesn't dig deeply into the significance of any of these trends or events, and sometimes stretches to link the Beatles to them. But the quotes from fans provide a human perspective to it all and liven things up when the narrative threatens to get dull.
The writing is nice and clear, and Leonard packs a lot of detail and history into under 300 pages. On a few occasions, however, she summarizes a bit too much, which can leave those not intimately familiar with Beatles' history in the dark.
For example, she references the "Paul is Dead" rumors and the "clue" provided by the VW Beetle on the cover of Abbey Road. But she doesn't tell us why the VW was viewed as a clue. (ANSWER: the car's license plate reads "28-IF," Paul's age if he were still alive.)
She also mentions, late in the book, the Beatles having made statements about segregation. But she doesn't tell use what these comments were or in what context they were made.
Leonard also doesn't delve into why some kids became "fans" while others were just as happy listening to the Herman's Hermits or the Rolling Stones.
Nearly anyone who listened to pop music in the 1960s liked the Beatles to some degree. But what's the dividing line between "fandom" and casual appreciation? The question likely has the makings or a longer, and maybe separate, book. But it seems at least worth touching on.
It should also be noted that the book's focus is squarely on the United States. Readers curious about how Beatles fandom played out in Britain or elsewhere will need to read another book.
Still, the book explores a vital, yet overlooked aspect of the Beatles' phenomenon, and the many quotes from fans provide invaluable perspective on the band's impact on U.S. teens during the Sixties.
First-generation fans, of course, will eat it up. The pictures included of fans unwrapping Beatles LPs at Christmas, dressing up as the group, and going to Beatles concerts evoke the times and their giddy spirit.
And, if you were a fan of the group, this presence and influence was magnified a hundredfold.
First-generation Beatles fans - those who watched the group on "Ed Sullivan" and other TV shows, bought the records as they came out, heard the latest singles on the radio, and watched the Beatles' films in their local movie theaters - developed a deeply intimate relationship with the band.
American sociologist Candy Leonard, herself a first-generation fan, calls this state of envelopment in all things Fab "Beatleness."
Her book of the same name captures a time when, as one fan she interviews puts it, "you brushed your teeth, you went to the bathroom, you went to school, you listened to the Beatles."
Leonard uses interviews with hundreds of first-generation fans - by her definition, those born between 1945 and 1961 - to describe what it was like growing up during the 1960s with the Beatles as a big part of your life. Thankfully, though, it's not just page after page of fond nostalgia and fawning.
Leonard explores aspects of Beatles fandom that are often overlooked. She understands that fans had (and still have) a relationship with the group. And relationships aren't always rosy.
After the warm glow of early Beatlemania, "Ed Sullivan," and "A Hard Day's Night," the Beatles started the change and mature. From Rubber Soul on, the music became more varied and challenging, the lyrics more serious and cryptic. Some younger fans decided they'd rather listen to the Monkees. With Sgt. Pepper and, particularly, the "White Album," the Beatles, in the eyes of some of their followers, started to get "weird" and "dark."
The band's public acknowledgements of drug use, their political and social stances, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono's antics, including posing nude on the cover of their Two Virgin LP, put some fans off and left them missing the days when the Beatles seemed innocent and embraced pure fun.
Leonard makes it clear that being a fan didn't necessarily mean you liked everything the group did. This point is sometimes easy to forget from our vantage point of 50 years later, when we tend to look back on it all fondly, even L.S.D. and Yoko's screams, and forget how the Beatles frequently alienated and disappointed segments of their audience.
The book even mentions how many fans were disappointed by the U.S. soundtrack albums of "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" because they were half full of "boring" orchestral music.
Other fans, of course, surfed along with all the Beatles changes, which seemed to reflect the transitions they also were going through. The Beatles taught these kids to challenge assumptions and question authority, and inspired them to live more authentically individual lives.
It's interesting to hear the stories of fans who made career choices, became politically active and were otherwise influenced and inspired by the Beatles' music and actions.
Leonard describes all the Beatles activities and changes against a backdrop of Sixties touchstones -- JFK, Civil Rights, Vietnam, hippies, the moon landing, Woodstock and Women's Lib -- and, on occasion the book can take on the tone of an historical survey.
Leonard doesn't dig deeply into the significance of any of these trends or events, and sometimes stretches to link the Beatles to them. But the quotes from fans provide a human perspective to it all and liven things up when the narrative threatens to get dull.
The writing is nice and clear, and Leonard packs a lot of detail and history into under 300 pages. On a few occasions, however, she summarizes a bit too much, which can leave those not intimately familiar with Beatles' history in the dark.
For example, she references the "Paul is Dead" rumors and the "clue" provided by the VW Beetle on the cover of Abbey Road. But she doesn't tell us why the VW was viewed as a clue. (ANSWER: the car's license plate reads "28-IF," Paul's age if he were still alive.)
She also mentions, late in the book, the Beatles having made statements about segregation. But she doesn't tell use what these comments were or in what context they were made.
Leonard also doesn't delve into why some kids became "fans" while others were just as happy listening to the Herman's Hermits or the Rolling Stones.
Nearly anyone who listened to pop music in the 1960s liked the Beatles to some degree. But what's the dividing line between "fandom" and casual appreciation? The question likely has the makings or a longer, and maybe separate, book. But it seems at least worth touching on.
It should also be noted that the book's focus is squarely on the United States. Readers curious about how Beatles fandom played out in Britain or elsewhere will need to read another book.
Still, the book explores a vital, yet overlooked aspect of the Beatles' phenomenon, and the many quotes from fans provide invaluable perspective on the band's impact on U.S. teens during the Sixties.
First-generation fans, of course, will eat it up. The pictures included of fans unwrapping Beatles LPs at Christmas, dressing up as the group, and going to Beatles concerts evoke the times and their giddy spirit.
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