Abbey Road/Let It Be : The Beatles

by Peter Doggett

Presents the inside story of the recording sessions for "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be," and including interviews and reviews

Genres: Biography, Music

151 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1998

About the author

Peter Doggett has been writing about popular music, the entertainment industry and social and cultural history since 1980. A regular contributor to Mojo, Q and GQ, his books include The Art and Music of John Lennon, a volume detailing the creation of the Beatles’ Let It Be and Abbey Road albums; the pioneering study of the collision between rock and country music, Are You Ready for the Country? and, most recently, There’s a Riot Going On: Revolutionaries, Rock Stars and the Rise and Fall of 60s Counter-culture.

Reviews

[Jay Clement · Rating 2 out of 5]

26-2018. A slight volume recounting the recording sessions for the last two Beatles studio albums. Some interesting information about the genesis of those songs and the recording sessions, but it’s a pretty thin book.

[Ryan Splenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although short and clearly meant for beginners, this Classic Rock Albums Series book on The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be albums is equally informative about the making of each album and the band's rising tensions that led to their eventual breakup. Peter Doggett does a great job of summing up the events that occurred during this tumultuous time in the Fab Fours existence. Even after reading about some of the ridiculous fighting and quibbles, it's amazing that The Beatles were able to pull off two really great albums. I still contend to this day that Abbey Road is their crowning achievement although most say Sgt. Pepper's.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another look over the last period of the Beatles, and one which retains it's fascinations.

This is a solid overview of the fateful months of 1969 and early 1970.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and compelling account of the Get Back sessions--especially interesting for one (as in this one) who has yet to see the movie. The guy steers remarkably clear of injecting his personal musical opinions into things--especially for one of these guys; even the section recounting the individual songs isn't too bad in that regard. A lot of nice droll humor to go along with things too--and he rightly castigates Lennon for being a bit of a snot. Harrison's troubles too are well-highlighted--as well as McCartney's unenviable (and uncomfortable) position of being bandleader, which was not really of his own devolving. Only lame part is predictably the critics at the end, with that dink John Mendelssohn (the same guy who wrote an awful book about the Kinks, I believe), another slumming classical type (William Mann) and some lobotomy case named Ed Ward.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great document on the creation of Let it Be and Abbey Road. Using the extensive recordings of the Let it Be sessions, the author tells us about the many conflicts that occurred in the making of this album. The story behind Abbey Road is a lot more sparse since the songs were written during the Let it Be sessions and the film crew was no longer there, but it is still fascinating.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's a book about recording - I'm in.

If it's also a book about The Beatles - I'm doubly in.