What do you think?
Rate this book
Visualising The Beatles
The story of the Beatles as you've never seen it before, told using stunning infographics and data visualisations.
Journey through the Beatles years - from the band's first ever gig at the Cavern Club to the release of their final album Let It Be - in a visual exploration of their evolution from four young men to one of the greatest bands the world has ever seen.
From witty stories and surprising facts to beautiful visuals created from the data Beatles music left behind, even the most avid fan will discover something new. The book, divided into albums, enables you, in an instant, to spot patterns, anomalies and transformations. VISUALISING THE BEATLES transports readers back to the vibrant sixties and explosive days of Beatlemania through the beautiful world of infographics.
‘With Visualising the Beatles, John Pring and Rob Thomas trace the contours of the Beatles’ incredible career in all of its pictorial splendor. Through an arresting collection of Beatles-oriented illustrations and infographics, they challenge casual fans and die-hard aficionados alike to “see” John, Paul, George, and Ringo in vastly new and revealing ways’
Huffington Post (Kenneth Womack, author of The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four)
Journey through the Beatles years - from the band's first ever gig at the Cavern Club to the release of their final album Let It Be - in a visual exploration of their evolution from four young men to one of the greatest bands the world has ever seen.
From witty stories and surprising facts to beautiful visuals created from the data Beatles music left behind, even the most avid fan will discover something new. The book, divided into albums, enables you, in an instant, to spot patterns, anomalies and transformations. VISUALISING THE BEATLES transports readers back to the vibrant sixties and explosive days of Beatlemania through the beautiful world of infographics.
‘With Visualising the Beatles, John Pring and Rob Thomas trace the contours of the Beatles’ incredible career in all of its pictorial splendor. Through an arresting collection of Beatles-oriented illustrations and infographics, they challenge casual fans and die-hard aficionados alike to “see” John, Paul, George, and Ringo in vastly new and revealing ways’
Huffington Post (Kenneth Womack, author of The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four)
250 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2016
16 people are currently reading
866 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 1, 2022
"Were you worried about the oversized roughnecks who tried to infiltrate the crowd on your arrival?" -- reporter at a New York city press conference in Feb. 1964
"That was us . . . " -- Ringo Starr, responding with trademark Beatles dry wit (on page 43)
Pring and Thomas' Visualizing the Beatles seems to have taken some inspiration from Liz Flavell's illustrated and factoid-based Biographic series (she's written about David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Prince -- I've read only her Bowie book but really enjoyed it), although I'm not sure the Fab Four translates well in this instance to this stylish medium. This volume basically traces the history of the group via a chronological and straight-faced look at the content of their albums released from 1962 to 1970. It's not quite interestingly detailed enough for the staunch fans - although I'll admit I did learn (or at least I had forgotten and was now reminded again) that 1964's A Hard Day's Night was their first album of fully original compositions, and was the only one in their entire discography to feature solely 'Lennon/McCartney'-credited songs - yet it may be considered a little too matter-a-fact for the newbies and/or those looking for a gateway tome on 'the boys.' Since I fall firmly into the longstanding fandom faction, I can say this was often a pleasant but sort of non-essential book.
"That was us . . . " -- Ringo Starr, responding with trademark Beatles dry wit (on page 43)
Pring and Thomas' Visualizing the Beatles seems to have taken some inspiration from Liz Flavell's illustrated and factoid-based Biographic series (she's written about David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Prince -- I've read only her Bowie book but really enjoyed it), although I'm not sure the Fab Four translates well in this instance to this stylish medium. This volume basically traces the history of the group via a chronological and straight-faced look at the content of their albums released from 1962 to 1970. It's not quite interestingly detailed enough for the staunch fans - although I'll admit I did learn (or at least I had forgotten and was now reminded again) that 1964's A Hard Day's Night was their first album of fully original compositions, and was the only one in their entire discography to feature solely 'Lennon/McCartney'-credited songs - yet it may be considered a little too matter-a-fact for the newbies and/or those looking for a gateway tome on 'the boys.' Since I fall firmly into the longstanding fandom faction, I can say this was often a pleasant but sort of non-essential book.
March 1, 2021
VISUALISING THE BEATLES takes you through the basic history of The Beatles through stunning graphic imagery. I have read many, many books on The Beatles on a wide range of topics and I found this to be a well-researched and interesting analysis with its presentation executed in a unique and stylish way. The material you will find among these pages is displayed via charts, maps, timelines, etc. and include The Beatles discography, influences, personal history, formation, the post-Beatles era, and so much more. Pring and Thomas have definitely offered something new for Beatles Fanatics to add to their collection.
My favorite part of this book was the manner in which Pring and Thomas break down the evolution of The Beatles discography. These pages offer some really interesting information on the development of these albums and are displayed over a majority of the book’s pages. Infographics on who wrote which songs, the keys used, instrumentation used, how long each member sang on a track, and much, much more. These graphics were a phenomenal way to visualize this data in a chronological order. I also really enjoyed the graphic that showed the change in wardrobe and hairstyles through the years.
My almost 2-year-old has taken such a liking to the Beatles music, with Yellow Submarine being one of his favorite songs that can always calm him down when he’s on a trip to Meltdown City. I feel this book would be a great option for him to learn about the history of the iconic foursome. The illustrations are bright and the information contained within is offered in such a simplistic way; making it very easy to read and understand. When he is a bit older I think this may become one of his favorite books to read.
While there was not a whole lot here that added to my knowledge of the group, this was definitely an extremely fun and interesting take on their history and presented all the key facts on The Fab Four. A word of advice would be to definitely set yourself out to get a physical copy and don’t cheat yourself buying the ebook for this one. If you are a Beatlemaniac this would be a really fun coffee table book to have and would also be a very well-suited book for your child who has also discovered an interest in The Beatles!
Many thanks to Dey Street Books for a free finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite part of this book was the manner in which Pring and Thomas break down the evolution of The Beatles discography. These pages offer some really interesting information on the development of these albums and are displayed over a majority of the book’s pages. Infographics on who wrote which songs, the keys used, instrumentation used, how long each member sang on a track, and much, much more. These graphics were a phenomenal way to visualize this data in a chronological order. I also really enjoyed the graphic that showed the change in wardrobe and hairstyles through the years.
My almost 2-year-old has taken such a liking to the Beatles music, with Yellow Submarine being one of his favorite songs that can always calm him down when he’s on a trip to Meltdown City. I feel this book would be a great option for him to learn about the history of the iconic foursome. The illustrations are bright and the information contained within is offered in such a simplistic way; making it very easy to read and understand. When he is a bit older I think this may become one of his favorite books to read.
While there was not a whole lot here that added to my knowledge of the group, this was definitely an extremely fun and interesting take on their history and presented all the key facts on The Fab Four. A word of advice would be to definitely set yourself out to get a physical copy and don’t cheat yourself buying the ebook for this one. If you are a Beatlemaniac this would be a really fun coffee table book to have and would also be a very well-suited book for your child who has also discovered an interest in The Beatles!
Many thanks to Dey Street Books for a free finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2020
Great fun, especially for a forever-Beatles-fan like me! It was a little tough to read some passages on the Kindle so I do believe I'll be treating myself to the hardcover.
May 24, 2019
This was a really cool book!
From the very beginning, the authors looked at the Beatles - who they were, who their parents were, when they were born, some oddball facts, and more (at the end of the book, we even got to see each member's hair styles, through the years)!
From here, we are re-introduced to each of their albums. Information shared is the name of the album, information about the album cover design or an album overview, quotes, some interesting facts, Vocals: Which Beatle took the lead? (How many songs on the album did each guy lead), Track Lengths & Covers vs Originals (remember this is a graphical history, so it's really neat to see how all of this is laid out!), Song Keys, Songwriting: Who Wrote That? On some songs, there was only one songwriter, while on others a couple of people had their hand in, Success (UK Single Releases), Album Chart Positions, World Timelines, Instrument: What Can You Hear?, Performances (# countries, tours, live shows), Clothing / Hair styles through the years - this was really interesting to see! and more!
For some albums, there are word diagrams for "Lyrics: the Words They Sang the Most."
At the very end are a couple of mentions of a 5th Beatle, but you'll have to read the book to learn more!
Fabulous!
From the very beginning, the authors looked at the Beatles - who they were, who their parents were, when they were born, some oddball facts, and more (at the end of the book, we even got to see each member's hair styles, through the years)!
From here, we are re-introduced to each of their albums. Information shared is the name of the album, information about the album cover design or an album overview, quotes, some interesting facts, Vocals: Which Beatle took the lead? (How many songs on the album did each guy lead), Track Lengths & Covers vs Originals (remember this is a graphical history, so it's really neat to see how all of this is laid out!), Song Keys, Songwriting: Who Wrote That? On some songs, there was only one songwriter, while on others a couple of people had their hand in, Success (UK Single Releases), Album Chart Positions, World Timelines, Instrument: What Can You Hear?, Performances (# countries, tours, live shows), Clothing / Hair styles through the years - this was really interesting to see! and more!
For some albums, there are word diagrams for "Lyrics: the Words They Sang the Most."
At the very end are a couple of mentions of a 5th Beatle, but you'll have to read the book to learn more!
Fabulous!
May 13, 2017
An interesting idea, presenting the Beatles story through visual data. However, even though this book promised "even the most avid fan will discover something new", unfortunately, I didn't.
December 22, 2023
Not a lot of new information in here, but the graphical format of the book was really fun. A new way to look at and think about The Beatles.
May 21, 2018
To check out my reviews: https://dancinginth3dark.wordpress.co...
I am in love with The Beatles. I remember the first song that I ever heard from this famous band was Twist and Shout and the rest is history. Actually I was late on the Beatles train because I remember during middle school when Across the Universe came out in theaters and all the theater geeks were rocking out to the songs and I was completely indifferent about going to see the film, listening more to the Beatles, and joining in on the fun. That is one thing about me, when everyone is going crazy about something whether it be a book, film, tv show, or music I naturally stay away from it like the plague. I think it is the mentality that if I join with the masses then it loses its special novelty.
A few years ago I finally had enough money to buy the entire Beatles catalogue on iTunes and my life has never been the same. Their music is timeless and even though we are living in the 21st century I can play any album of The Beatles and it would be 1000x better than the crap that is on the radio at the moment. The lyrics are astounding, the harmonies are unique, and deep down they changed the course of history with the definition of what it means to be an artist and a musician. It is no wonder that I admire them and they influence me with my creativity. Hence when I saw this book being displayed at my local library I immediately snatched it up.
If you are a Beatles fanatic then this book might not be for you because it provides a basic history of the Beatles discography, the formation of the group, and ultimately their break up. Every page you get colorful illustrations, maps, and timelines that show how the Beatles were influenced and how their music shaped the culture and how world events were influencing them. I am more interested about the group in the musical aspects so it was interesting to see maps and locations of where they lived, places they visited, and other sites that inspired classic songs like Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, and countless others.
I wanted to rate this 5 stars but there was some details that lacked in this book and I wish they added more. This book is by no means an encyclopedia of The Beatles and they do not pretend to act like it is. Like the early years of the Beatles most of their albums until the Rubber Soul era consists of some original songs and then cover songs. In this book they tell you how many covers vs originals in each album but they do not tell you exactly which songs are original and which are cover songs from other bands. I wish they could have used some symbols to illustrate this and it would have made it fascinating to see.
One huge thing that I absolutely loved was the songwriting credits for each album. It is known to most people that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote most of the Beatles music with a few exceptions where they let George Harrison and Ringo Starr take a crack at songwriting. In each album, the authors of this book illustrates who truly wrote which songs and I think that is beautiful and mind blowing to discover. You finally get to see which of your favorite songs were written by which member and if they either wrote the entire song by themselves or had a helping hand. If you were ever curious as to the fashion of their outfits, the cover images of their albums then you should buy this book.
The illustrations are phenomenal and I think this is great book to give to kids or teenagers who are starting to get into the Beatles and discover that these four handsome men accomplished a lot in a matter of 8 years and changed pop culture forever. One thing that I am so happy about is that the authors acknowledge that the album Let It Be is not their last album. It is technically their last because it was released when they broke up but recording wise their album Abbey Road was the last album where they officially had their final recording sessions. I think that is crucial information because it changes the entire catalogue and ideology of their sound. I haven't marathon The Beatles catalogue in a few years now but after reading this book I definitely will again.
I am in love with The Beatles. I remember the first song that I ever heard from this famous band was Twist and Shout and the rest is history. Actually I was late on the Beatles train because I remember during middle school when Across the Universe came out in theaters and all the theater geeks were rocking out to the songs and I was completely indifferent about going to see the film, listening more to the Beatles, and joining in on the fun. That is one thing about me, when everyone is going crazy about something whether it be a book, film, tv show, or music I naturally stay away from it like the plague. I think it is the mentality that if I join with the masses then it loses its special novelty.
A few years ago I finally had enough money to buy the entire Beatles catalogue on iTunes and my life has never been the same. Their music is timeless and even though we are living in the 21st century I can play any album of The Beatles and it would be 1000x better than the crap that is on the radio at the moment. The lyrics are astounding, the harmonies are unique, and deep down they changed the course of history with the definition of what it means to be an artist and a musician. It is no wonder that I admire them and they influence me with my creativity. Hence when I saw this book being displayed at my local library I immediately snatched it up.
If you are a Beatles fanatic then this book might not be for you because it provides a basic history of the Beatles discography, the formation of the group, and ultimately their break up. Every page you get colorful illustrations, maps, and timelines that show how the Beatles were influenced and how their music shaped the culture and how world events were influencing them. I am more interested about the group in the musical aspects so it was interesting to see maps and locations of where they lived, places they visited, and other sites that inspired classic songs like Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, and countless others.
I wanted to rate this 5 stars but there was some details that lacked in this book and I wish they added more. This book is by no means an encyclopedia of The Beatles and they do not pretend to act like it is. Like the early years of the Beatles most of their albums until the Rubber Soul era consists of some original songs and then cover songs. In this book they tell you how many covers vs originals in each album but they do not tell you exactly which songs are original and which are cover songs from other bands. I wish they could have used some symbols to illustrate this and it would have made it fascinating to see.
One huge thing that I absolutely loved was the songwriting credits for each album. It is known to most people that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote most of the Beatles music with a few exceptions where they let George Harrison and Ringo Starr take a crack at songwriting. In each album, the authors of this book illustrates who truly wrote which songs and I think that is beautiful and mind blowing to discover. You finally get to see which of your favorite songs were written by which member and if they either wrote the entire song by themselves or had a helping hand. If you were ever curious as to the fashion of their outfits, the cover images of their albums then you should buy this book.
The illustrations are phenomenal and I think this is great book to give to kids or teenagers who are starting to get into the Beatles and discover that these four handsome men accomplished a lot in a matter of 8 years and changed pop culture forever. One thing that I am so happy about is that the authors acknowledge that the album Let It Be is not their last album. It is technically their last because it was released when they broke up but recording wise their album Abbey Road was the last album where they officially had their final recording sessions. I think that is crucial information because it changes the entire catalogue and ideology of their sound. I haven't marathon The Beatles catalogue in a few years now but after reading this book I definitely will again.
May 15, 2018
As a lifetime Beatle fan, it takes a special book to impress me...but this one does it. It is a really great summary of the Fab Four, album by album. I really liked the addition of pop culture facts of what was going on simultaneously in the world with each album. And they included a great graphic that showed which Beatle wrote which song, including the percentage of the involvement if it was a co-written song. Great book!
January 3, 2025
Para quem quer saber curiosidades sobre os Beatles de forma divertida, com infográficos que mostram desde a duração das músicas, quem as compôs, que instrumentos foram usados, as suas roupas e informações sobre o que acontecia no mundo na época do lançamento de cada disco, esse livro é perfeito.
Apenas a simplicidade das imagens (vetores), conta como um ponto negativo ao livro. Mesmo assim a leitura é fluída e bem divertida.
Mais uma boa homenagem aos Beatles.
Apenas a simplicidade das imagens (vetores), conta como um ponto negativo ao livro. Mesmo assim a leitura é fluída e bem divertida.
Mais uma boa homenagem aos Beatles.
June 17, 2018
An entire book of infographics regarding The Beatles??!!!!! This book is so visually appealing and such a fascinating read in small doses just so you can digest all the incredible info between the covers. Each album is thoroughly analyzed with both new and commonly known facts. An absolute must-read for any hard core Beatles fan! A great resource! Loved it!
June 18, 2018
This is kind of lame. I love the idea, but it’s boring, and it uses a huge format for no reason, since there is a ridiculous amount of blank space, repetition, and tiny print. I gave up before their third album, skipping through to the end. Read Shout! instead.
September 27, 2018
Always good reading a Beatle book with a new twist.
July 19, 2018
How do you sum up one of the most influential bands of modern times? John Pring and Rob Thomas have managed to do it graphically in this volume. From graphs that tell the run time and composition of covers vs. original songs of each album to maps that chart the locations of their tours, it is a feast for the eyes and the brain. Visualizing the Beatles is for both the Beatles neophyte as well as the hardcore fans. You will learn something new while enjoying a pleasing visual.
February 24, 2021
"Offering everything from a basic map of key Fab Four addresses in London to word clouds of song lyrics in each album, freelance designers Pring and Thomas use creative infographics to deliver at-a-glance Beatles facts: clothing styles, instruments played, who wrote which songs, and more. The material is organized by album and usually accompanied by bright and clever design elements, while album overviews, time lines, and snippets of background material fill in around the edges. " from Library Journal
A definite fun dive for those of us who grew up during Beatlemania.
A definite fun dive for those of us who grew up during Beatlemania.
July 17, 2020
Surprisingly enjoyable!
As it is a collection of infographics, this was light, quick, and easy reading. I finished it in 2 hours. I thought it might be childish and trivial, but I found myself highly entertained by the creative applications of different graphic designs to represent sets of data. I didn't really learn anything new about the band, because the information itself was rather simple and surface-level, however, it was a nice refresher overall, and reading it was like taking a pleasant trip through a gallery.
One weird thing about this particular ebook I read though, that I noticed, was that it is absolutely rife with typos. I'm not sure if the originally released hard copy also has the same mistakes, but this ebook had an embarrassingly large number of typos in the text, one of the biggest being the calling of Ringo's former band "Roy Storm and the Hurricanes" rather than "Rory Storm and the Hurricanes"! Other than that, I have no major critiques.
Another enjoyable aspect of the book was the occasional musical influences spotlights, featuring rockstars such as Berry and Orbison. There are also the occasional timelines featuring major events in world history, with milestones in sports, science, cinema, and more. It leads to a greater appreciation of culture beyond just music. The sixties was truly a standout decade of the 20th century, and I'm excited to read more about it. All in all, I "really liked it". Kudos to the authors and illustrators!
As it is a collection of infographics, this was light, quick, and easy reading. I finished it in 2 hours. I thought it might be childish and trivial, but I found myself highly entertained by the creative applications of different graphic designs to represent sets of data. I didn't really learn anything new about the band, because the information itself was rather simple and surface-level, however, it was a nice refresher overall, and reading it was like taking a pleasant trip through a gallery.
One weird thing about this particular ebook I read though, that I noticed, was that it is absolutely rife with typos. I'm not sure if the originally released hard copy also has the same mistakes, but this ebook had an embarrassingly large number of typos in the text, one of the biggest being the calling of Ringo's former band "Roy Storm and the Hurricanes" rather than "Rory Storm and the Hurricanes"! Other than that, I have no major critiques.
Another enjoyable aspect of the book was the occasional musical influences spotlights, featuring rockstars such as Berry and Orbison. There are also the occasional timelines featuring major events in world history, with milestones in sports, science, cinema, and more. It leads to a greater appreciation of culture beyond just music. The sixties was truly a standout decade of the 20th century, and I'm excited to read more about it. All in all, I "really liked it". Kudos to the authors and illustrators!
January 22, 2020
As the title suggests, the visuals in this compendium of the evolution of the musical lives of the Beatles are a feast for the eyes. There's lots of information on everything from hairstyles and clothing to who wrote and sang each song.
It will have you looking for your favorites in whatever medium you have them stored. My first album purchase was "Meet the Beatles" for 99 cents--I still own it. Although I'll be listening to the CD versions...
It will have you looking for your favorites in whatever medium you have them stored. My first album purchase was "Meet the Beatles" for 99 cents--I still own it. Although I'll be listening to the CD versions...
October 24, 2021
Some of the infographics are fun, but others are just ridiculous. The ones for the keys of the songs are are just bad in every respect.
June 14, 2021
I'm always on the lookout for books surrounding my favorite artists, and there are always plenty of Beatles books to discover and dive into. I enjoyed how vibrant this book was, the graphics were gorgeous and the artwork was beautiful. The book was designed nicely, and I loved the use of different visuals and formats to display all the information. I thought it was interesting how the book used timelines, charts, bar graphs, wheels, cloud maps, fun symbols, and satellite maps to provide fun information about the band and it's background, and I liked how the graphics of the Beatles subtly changed as the years went by. I thought this was a nice, fun, quick read that was a good waste of an hour, and it would entertain any Beatles fan.
Although I enjoyed it, it didn't really leave an impact on me. It was a fun read and nothing more. I have a habit of collecting books about my favorite subjects, in particular Queen, and my mom even asked me if I wanted this book for my collection, and I said no. There were two big things that didn't particularly enjoy about this book, with the first being the odd contrast between small text and blank space. You would have pages upon pages with practically nothing on it, but then on the next page it would be coated in tiny text, that honestly didn't provide that much information. It was rather jarring, and it would have been much stronger if there was a better balance between the graphics and the writing. On the other hand, I feel like only big Beatles fans would really get something out of the book. There are books that have the opposite issue, and don't provide much for die-hard fans, but I found myself struggling to get things out of certain sections. The book required background knowledge, and assumed that readers knew the general history of the band and the timeline that they faced. Although that alone wasn't too much to ask for (people who didn't know anything would not understand much of the book), the graphics about the specific albums would not mean much to you as a casual listener. Although I'm a Beatles fan, I still haven't gotten to the point where I know every single song, there's still a fair chunk of the discography that I have not become familiar with. It was just strange to see these lists, with the song lengths, keys, and writing credits, where the songs were complete gibberish to me. I just completely glossed over those parts, and I only found myself truly invested on the albums that I know through and through. To a fan who knows every single song, it is heaven, but to anyone else it's a bit confusing.
I do want to mention one other thing- the list of all the bands who had covered the Beatles. I will say, that was sort of misleading, seeing as all the artists listed had apparently "recorded" one or more "Beatles" songs, but in reality it turned into any artist who had covered any song written by any of the Beatles, even if said artist didn't actually record it. Of course me, being the Queenie I am, noticed Queen on the list and I know that Queen never covered any Beatles songs. They did perform Imagine a few times at concerts later in their touring career, but they never did any straight up Beatles songs, and they never recorded it. That section was just very misleading and the music snob in me saw these inconsistencies and felt irrationally annoyed. Obviously, it really isn't a big deal, but I still saw the mistake and felt inclined to mention it.
Despite the book's few flaws, I do think it's strengths outweighed it, and I do think it was a very beautiful and visually pleasing book. I think this would be an interesting read for a Beatles fan, even if it isn't the best Beatles book of all time, it still was nice and very well put together. It was clear that this was something that the authors were passionate about, and I thought they did a very good job showing that passion in the book. I liked how the book mentioned the different inspirations of the band, and showed how, despite some people thinking otherwise, the Beatles and its success should be credited to much more people than just George, Paul, Ringo, and John. Of course they made the music and did the performances, but so many people had a hand in making them who they were, and it's still fascinating to see the impact that they made even on the people of the day.
By the way, Paul is totally dead. Don't listen to that propaganda that tells you otherwise. He is dead.
Although I enjoyed it, it didn't really leave an impact on me. It was a fun read and nothing more. I have a habit of collecting books about my favorite subjects, in particular Queen, and my mom even asked me if I wanted this book for my collection, and I said no. There were two big things that didn't particularly enjoy about this book, with the first being the odd contrast between small text and blank space. You would have pages upon pages with practically nothing on it, but then on the next page it would be coated in tiny text, that honestly didn't provide that much information. It was rather jarring, and it would have been much stronger if there was a better balance between the graphics and the writing. On the other hand, I feel like only big Beatles fans would really get something out of the book. There are books that have the opposite issue, and don't provide much for die-hard fans, but I found myself struggling to get things out of certain sections. The book required background knowledge, and assumed that readers knew the general history of the band and the timeline that they faced. Although that alone wasn't too much to ask for (people who didn't know anything would not understand much of the book), the graphics about the specific albums would not mean much to you as a casual listener. Although I'm a Beatles fan, I still haven't gotten to the point where I know every single song, there's still a fair chunk of the discography that I have not become familiar with. It was just strange to see these lists, with the song lengths, keys, and writing credits, where the songs were complete gibberish to me. I just completely glossed over those parts, and I only found myself truly invested on the albums that I know through and through. To a fan who knows every single song, it is heaven, but to anyone else it's a bit confusing.
I do want to mention one other thing- the list of all the bands who had covered the Beatles. I will say, that was sort of misleading, seeing as all the artists listed had apparently "recorded" one or more "Beatles" songs, but in reality it turned into any artist who had covered any song written by any of the Beatles, even if said artist didn't actually record it. Of course me, being the Queenie I am, noticed Queen on the list and I know that Queen never covered any Beatles songs. They did perform Imagine a few times at concerts later in their touring career, but they never did any straight up Beatles songs, and they never recorded it. That section was just very misleading and the music snob in me saw these inconsistencies and felt irrationally annoyed. Obviously, it really isn't a big deal, but I still saw the mistake and felt inclined to mention it.
Despite the book's few flaws, I do think it's strengths outweighed it, and I do think it was a very beautiful and visually pleasing book. I think this would be an interesting read for a Beatles fan, even if it isn't the best Beatles book of all time, it still was nice and very well put together. It was clear that this was something that the authors were passionate about, and I thought they did a very good job showing that passion in the book. I liked how the book mentioned the different inspirations of the band, and showed how, despite some people thinking otherwise, the Beatles and its success should be credited to much more people than just George, Paul, Ringo, and John. Of course they made the music and did the performances, but so many people had a hand in making them who they were, and it's still fascinating to see the impact that they made even on the people of the day.
By the way, Paul is totally dead. Don't listen to that propaganda that tells you otherwise. He is dead.
September 14, 2018
In so many ways, the Beatles are the most fascinating rock group in history. Their productivity in the years where their fame was highest was incredible, with all the live concerts, interviews and the number of original songs that they produced, it is easy to see whey they simply burned out on each other. Between 1962 and 1970, they released 12 studio albums as well as different versions of their albums and other songs that did not appear on an album. Everywhere they went they were mobbed and screamed at, finding it difficult to do even the simplest tasks of life.
This book is a graphic chronology of the group, their songs, who wrote them as well as which Beatle contributed which sound. While many facts are fascinating, I found the changes in authorship of the songs over time to be the most interesting. For each album, there is a bar chart for each song on the record parceling out authorship credit. In the early years, it is Lennon/McCartney in roughly equal credits. In the later years, there is more McCartney with increasing contributions from Harrison and Starr.
If you want to know the history of the Beatles and prefer that it be presented in visual format, this is the book for you. Their affect on music, entertainment in general and how the world viewed celebrities cannot be overstated. As I read this book I went online to see videos of their most memorable moments, from their first appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” as well as their final rooftop concert. They were the best ever.
This book is a graphic chronology of the group, their songs, who wrote them as well as which Beatle contributed which sound. While many facts are fascinating, I found the changes in authorship of the songs over time to be the most interesting. For each album, there is a bar chart for each song on the record parceling out authorship credit. In the early years, it is Lennon/McCartney in roughly equal credits. In the later years, there is more McCartney with increasing contributions from Harrison and Starr.
If you want to know the history of the Beatles and prefer that it be presented in visual format, this is the book for you. Their affect on music, entertainment in general and how the world viewed celebrities cannot be overstated. As I read this book I went online to see videos of their most memorable moments, from their first appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” as well as their final rooftop concert. They were the best ever.
June 7, 2018
Organized chronologically by album, graphic artists John Pring and Rob Thomas send readers on a brightly-colored jaunt through Beatles history in //Visualizing the Beatles//. Covering album art, track length and authorship, the changing fashion styles of the group, and more, Pring and Thomas take readers on an entertaining, image-heavy ride through each Beatles album. Pages and spreads are also dedicated to various elements of Beatles lore, such as noteworthy tours and television appearances that the group made, and insight into the inspiration behind the group’s more famous tracks.
Fans of music and infographic-style design will appreciate what this book sets out to accomplish, and will be impressed by the scope of Pring and Thomas’ research and design work. The full-page looks at artists that influenced the sound and style of the Beatles are especially impressive. While some Beatles fans may find the information a little repetitive and wish for more commentary, this well-organized volume would make the perfect coffee table book for relaxed browsing, or serve as a great introduction for younger readers who are interested in the history of music and are discovering the sounds of the Beatles for themselves.
Fans of music and infographic-style design will appreciate what this book sets out to accomplish, and will be impressed by the scope of Pring and Thomas’ research and design work. The full-page looks at artists that influenced the sound and style of the Beatles are especially impressive. While some Beatles fans may find the information a little repetitive and wish for more commentary, this well-organized volume would make the perfect coffee table book for relaxed browsing, or serve as a great introduction for younger readers who are interested in the history of music and are discovering the sounds of the Beatles for themselves.
November 26, 2024
As any self respecting Millennial does, I love a good infographic. This book delivers on that front. As a Beatles fanatic, I don't think I learned any new facts, BUT the information is presented in such interesting ways, and everything is incredibly digestible to even casual fans. This would be stellar for young people just getting into the band, because it's clear and concise and super accessible. A few mentions of drugs and alcohol, but absolutely nothing inappropriate for most. I also love the timelines for added historical context, and for the necessary reminder that the 70s were bleak as hell.
One star off because I always welcome new information, and I just didn't get any here. I also genuinely think they could have added 10ish pages with more information, like facts about specific songs or photographs, because I was left wanting more. Nothing on Pete Best, the wives (besides Yoko), the time in India, etc. This book mostly focused on professional statistics, but more personal information would have fit right in.
One star off because I always welcome new information, and I just didn't get any here. I also genuinely think they could have added 10ish pages with more information, like facts about specific songs or photographs, because I was left wanting more. Nothing on Pete Best, the wives (besides Yoko), the time in India, etc. This book mostly focused on professional statistics, but more personal information would have fit right in.
March 31, 2021
This is how I began a 4-part review of the book on my blog. You can find part 1 here:
http://tao-talk.com/2020/01/07/visual...
I read about “Visualizing The Beatles: A Complete Graphic History of the World's Favorite Band” on another blog (sorry, can't remember which one) and was blessed because the local district library had it. I'm about 50 pages in and have to say that I love the visual format of the book. For visually-oriented individuals like myself, my eyes soak this stuff up like a body on a sunny beach soaks up the coconut oil (PC is SPF 100 lotion.)
Written/designed by the duo of John Pring and Rob Thomas, its copyright is 2018. In no way am I going to attempt to describe what's in the book; you'll have to borrow or buy it to see it for yourself. What I am going to do is note some things that jumped out at me that had an impression more than the rest of the steady presentation of entertaining, educational eye candy...
http://tao-talk.com/2020/01/07/visual...
I read about “Visualizing The Beatles: A Complete Graphic History of the World's Favorite Band” on another blog (sorry, can't remember which one) and was blessed because the local district library had it. I'm about 50 pages in and have to say that I love the visual format of the book. For visually-oriented individuals like myself, my eyes soak this stuff up like a body on a sunny beach soaks up the coconut oil (PC is SPF 100 lotion.)
Written/designed by the duo of John Pring and Rob Thomas, its copyright is 2018. In no way am I going to attempt to describe what's in the book; you'll have to borrow or buy it to see it for yourself. What I am going to do is note some things that jumped out at me that had an impression more than the rest of the steady presentation of entertaining, educational eye candy...
January 6, 2022
The coolest Beatles history book to date!
I am not a fan of visual data presentation as much as most people do. But, being a huge fan of the Fab Four, this book was hard to resist. The premise of this book sounds highly convincing and I am extremely happy that I bought the physical copy instead of the e-book version. Despite the fact that this book does not offer rare or unknown facts to avid fans, the presentation of the well-known facts is somewhat refreshing and brilliantly executed. In my opinion, this book is a good introduction to young fans of the Beatles and the visual data makes it easier for them to follow their growth and history. However, if you are interested in knowing or learning about the band to its core, this book is not a suitable choice for that purpose. Overall, this book is so entertaining and easy to read!
I am not a fan of visual data presentation as much as most people do. But, being a huge fan of the Fab Four, this book was hard to resist. The premise of this book sounds highly convincing and I am extremely happy that I bought the physical copy instead of the e-book version. Despite the fact that this book does not offer rare or unknown facts to avid fans, the presentation of the well-known facts is somewhat refreshing and brilliantly executed. In my opinion, this book is a good introduction to young fans of the Beatles and the visual data makes it easier for them to follow their growth and history. However, if you are interested in knowing or learning about the band to its core, this book is not a suitable choice for that purpose. Overall, this book is so entertaining and easy to read!
January 21, 2023
Some graphics were interesting (which Beatle wrote which song on an album), others completely pointless (song keys, track lengths) or poorly executed (what instruments were played by whom, track success, location maps—especially the useless too-zoomed-out London one). Fonts were often too small or difficult to read when reversed in white from a color background. In many cases, a graphic representation muddied the information rather than celebrating it; this was most noticeable on the pages discussing album covers, which would have been better reprinted as photographic images. Timelines seemed a bit random in what they included. Overall, for a Beatles fan, did this graphic book add to my enjoyment of the band? Only marginally.
February 8, 2024
Visualizing the Beatles is a very interesting and very enjoyable look at the the career of the Beatles. While I would say it's not a complete graphic history of the group, certainly it covers all of the important stuff. I really enjoyed the graphic representation of the data about each album, including which keys the songs were in, who played what instruments, who wrote (or co-wrote) each song, etc.
The book is organized around the Beatles albums, so a few things fall through cracks, but it's a pretty good way to present the story. And it shows how the group's clothing and hairstyles changed through the years. I thought this books was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it to all fans of the Beatles.
The book is organized around the Beatles albums, so a few things fall through cracks, but it's a pretty good way to present the story. And it shows how the group's clothing and hairstyles changed through the years. I thought this books was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it to all fans of the Beatles.
August 14, 2018
This is an interesting, graphic art take on Beatles' history. It's a coffee table book, arranged in chronological order, covering phases of the Beatles' career as a group (and solos afterwards) by albums. It gives no sources, is a bit over-simplistic, and has a few errors which any real Beatles fan will catch (Paul and George took the bus through Penny Lane on their way to school, not Paul and John. And McCartney had a solo album called Tug of War which apparently did not exist in the minds of these authors.)
However, the charts and graphs are clever and interesting. I enjoyed it in spite of its problems.
However, the charts and graphs are clever and interesting. I enjoyed it in spite of its problems.
March 8, 2019
It's a cute idea and interesting enough to flip through the pages once. It gets repetitive since the same 10-page sequence of full-page infographics is presented for every album.
Unfortunately some of the information presented is incorrect; I noted about five factual errors, starting with the name of the band Ringo was in before the Beatles being given as "Roy Storm and the Hurricanes" instead of "Rory Storm and the Hurricanes." So while the book may be more than 95% accurate, you can't actually depend on it.
Also, the word "complete" has no business being in the title.
Unfortunately some of the information presented is incorrect; I noted about five factual errors, starting with the name of the band Ringo was in before the Beatles being given as "Roy Storm and the Hurricanes" instead of "Rory Storm and the Hurricanes." So while the book may be more than 95% accurate, you can't actually depend on it.
Also, the word "complete" has no business being in the title.
April 4, 2022
Visualizing the Beatles is precisely what it tells you that it's going to be: a history of the Beatles in various graphic forms. As such, it does its job and I was able to read through it in one sitting. I never even put a bookmark in it.
As such, it has its purposes. I like having it as a reference book, but it shed very little light, nor did it provide new insights. I suppose that it also would serve to introduce readers who are looking for a starting place to Meet the Beatles, but it's less useful to anyone who already has a grounding in the band's history and music.
As such, it has its purposes. I like having it as a reference book, but it shed very little light, nor did it provide new insights. I suppose that it also would serve to introduce readers who are looking for a starting place to Meet the Beatles, but it's less useful to anyone who already has a grounding in the band's history and music.
June 2, 2018
In this nice non fiction title, we are given a history of the Beatles. Beginning with their very early career, there are facts and figures about their early starts. From there we get an album by album breakdown that includes information about who sings the most lead on an album, who songwrote which song, and which song was the biggest hit. The book is very well done. It is a quick read but a fun one for a Beatles fan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews