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Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And After
A unique combination of musical analysis and cultural history, Tell Me Why stands alone among Beatles books with its single-minded focus on the most important aspect of the its music. Riley offers a new, deeper understanding of the Beatles by closely considering each song and album they recorded in an exploration as rigorous as it is soulful. He tirelessly sifts through the Beatles discography, making clear that the legendary four were more than mere teen They were brilliant innovators who mastered an extremely detailed art. Since the first publication of Tell Me Why in 1988, much new primary source material has appeared -- Paul McCartney's authorized biography, the Anthology CDs and videos, the complete Parlophone-sequenced albums on CD, the Live at the BBC sessions, and the global smash 1 . Riley incorporates all the new material in an update that makes this a crucial book for Beatles fans.
475 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
45 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
Tim Riley
27 books26 followersNPR CRITIC, AUTHOR, PIANIST, and SPEAKER TIM RILEY reviews pop and classical music for NPR's HERE AND NOW, and has written for the HUFFINGTON POST, THE WASHINGTON POST, SLATE.COM and SALON.COM. He was trained as a classical pianist at Oberlin and Eastman, and remains among the few critics who writes about both "high" and "low" culture and their overlapping concerns.
Brown University sponsored Riley as Critic-In Residence in 2008, and in 2009 he began teaching multi-media courses as Journalist In Residence at Emerson College in Boston.
His first book, Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (Knopf/Vintage 1988), was hailed by the New York Times as bringing "new insight to the act we've known for all these years..."
A staple author in college courses on rock culture, he gave a keynote address at BEATLES 2000, the first international academic conference in Jyväskylä, Finland. Since condemning the rap group Public Enemy for anti-semitic remarks in his 1990 Boston PHOENIX column, Riley has given lively multi-media lectures at colleges and cultural centers like the Chautauqua Festival on "Censorship in the Arts," and "Rock History."
His current projects include the music metaportal, the RILEY ROCK INDEX.com, and a major new biography of John Lennon for Hyperion, fall 2011.
Brown University sponsored Riley as Critic-In Residence in 2008, and in 2009 he began teaching multi-media courses as Journalist In Residence at Emerson College in Boston.
His first book, Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (Knopf/Vintage 1988), was hailed by the New York Times as bringing "new insight to the act we've known for all these years..."
A staple author in college courses on rock culture, he gave a keynote address at BEATLES 2000, the first international academic conference in Jyväskylä, Finland. Since condemning the rap group Public Enemy for anti-semitic remarks in his 1990 Boston PHOENIX column, Riley has given lively multi-media lectures at colleges and cultural centers like the Chautauqua Festival on "Censorship in the Arts," and "Rock History."
His current projects include the music metaportal, the RILEY ROCK INDEX.com, and a major new biography of John Lennon for Hyperion, fall 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 14, 2013
Been meaning to read this one for a couple years, and finally picked it up at my library. In it, Riley analyzes the Beatles published output song by song, chronologically. I would agree with most of the criticisms others have made-- he seems to have a grudge against George, dismissing most of his songwriting contributions until Rubber Soul, and ragging All Things Must Pass. I'm a big George fan, and always thought his off-kilter early tunes made for a nice contrast to the L/McC stuff (and I think ATMP is the best solo Beatles record -- Apple Jam notwithstanding).
Riley is a highly educated musician and so he can get bogged down in jargon, but if you know what he's talking about I'm sure his descriptions are enlightening. (From page 95: "The added harmony for this line is C major, the neapolitan of the dominant, B major, pivoting on the held tonic note E as a common tone between E major and C major.")
Additionally there are numerous factual errors throughout the book, including some that would be considered Beatles 101 (he repeatedly states that George played the solo on Taxman -- it was Paul; and he attributes Helter Skelter's "I've got blisters on my fingers" tag to John, when everyone knows it was Ringo). I was reading the first edition of the book, from the mid-80's, so I don't know if these errors have been corrected since then.
I started at the back for some reason, reading his takes on the Beatles solo material, then went back to the beginning of the book. Around Sgt. Pepper's, where Riley's interest begins to wane, mine did too, but then things pick up again with the White Album and continue in an interesting fashion to the end.
All in all, it's a book Beatles fanatics will enjoy reading, even if, and maybe because, you disagree with the author's opinions. It's a great gateway to thinking critically about this ubiquitous music if you haven't before, and there's a lot to chew on here. There's another book of this type (song by song analysis) called Revolution in the Head that adds more of a sociological slant to the analysis, and I recall liking that one better.
Riley is a highly educated musician and so he can get bogged down in jargon, but if you know what he's talking about I'm sure his descriptions are enlightening. (From page 95: "The added harmony for this line is C major, the neapolitan of the dominant, B major, pivoting on the held tonic note E as a common tone between E major and C major.")
Additionally there are numerous factual errors throughout the book, including some that would be considered Beatles 101 (he repeatedly states that George played the solo on Taxman -- it was Paul; and he attributes Helter Skelter's "I've got blisters on my fingers" tag to John, when everyone knows it was Ringo). I was reading the first edition of the book, from the mid-80's, so I don't know if these errors have been corrected since then.
I started at the back for some reason, reading his takes on the Beatles solo material, then went back to the beginning of the book. Around Sgt. Pepper's, where Riley's interest begins to wane, mine did too, but then things pick up again with the White Album and continue in an interesting fashion to the end.
All in all, it's a book Beatles fanatics will enjoy reading, even if, and maybe because, you disagree with the author's opinions. It's a great gateway to thinking critically about this ubiquitous music if you haven't before, and there's a lot to chew on here. There's another book of this type (song by song analysis) called Revolution in the Head that adds more of a sociological slant to the analysis, and I recall liking that one better.
October 9, 2007
Riley achieves what I would have thought impossible - he allows us a fresh listen to the most familiar music of the late twentieth century. Plus he makes it clear how underrated Ringo Starr is. This book (which must be read with recordings of all the songs at the ready) is a must for any serious music fan.
November 25, 2008
it was stupid, got stuff wrong.
October 29, 2023
Very well written. He was extremely complimentary for the first half and then seemed to get more overly critical (which seems backwards since their final 5-7 albums were basically perfect). Even though he seems harsh at times, it was still a very enlightening read!
January 18, 2009
I accept the role of professional critics. We've got food critics, movie critics, political commentators, etc. Somebody annointed Siskel and Ebert as movie critics and people like me listen to their recommendations and act or not accordingly. Don't ask me what makes their opinion more valid than my next door neighbors, although my next door neighbors opinion on restaurants and movies and such carries as more weight with me as the professional opinions do, often times. Yet we still assume that critics know more about their subject than we do.
Tell Me Why is written by a rock music critic, Tim Riley. He reviews every Beatle song and every Beatle album in this book. I have alot to say about this. One, I am glad this book was written. There are books adinfinitum about the Beatles lives and events. I've often looked for a book, however, that delves into their music and not their marriages. As Lennon always said, 'Its about the records. The Beatles is about the records'. The Beatles considered themselves recording artists. It says alot about their abilities as recording artists that this book was even written. Seen any books lately about Madonna's records? The Rollling Stones? Too many in the music industry are personalities with music as a sidelight. The Beatles were both. Personalities and Musicians. Songwriters and recording artists. And they were better than anybody.
Riley explains why, from the music point of view, the Beatles are better than anybody. Not that I understood half of what he says. The reader needs two foundations to get anything out of this book. One nees to know their music. When Riley explains why the intro to I Want to Hold Your Hand creates a 3 measure buildup that explodes when the vocals come in with "Oh Yeah I..", you've got to hear the song in your head. Second, one needs musical theory to understand some of his analysis. Speaking of 'Birthday' off the White Album, Riley notes that 'song sections play off one another; after the main riff (in A major) with the bass echoing the rest of the band (center), Paul's leading vocal (doubling himself at the octave) enters on the far side of both channels.' Huh? This is one of his easier to understand sentances.
The best part of the book is its appreciation of the Beatles as musicians. People rag on Ringo as being the Ed McMahon of rock n roll; lucked out in being in the right place at the right time. Riley exposes this misconception with their very first song, Please Please Me. Riley shows why and how Ringo's drumming compliments a song, how his drumming allows the band to surge or retreat as the song requires, how Ringo knows just when to fill in a space, leave a gap of silence, or compliment a vocal, all which turns the song into a superior listening experience. George always said the Beatles never hit it big until Ringo joined the group. Riley confirms why. Riley also gives Paul his props as a bass player. Bass and drums go together underneath, while George's and John's lead and rythem guitars play on top of each song. Paul, like Ringo, had an intuitive feel for bringing in the bass at those perfect moments.
Tell Me Why is not for the casual fan. One has to be a serious groupie nerd to get anything out of it. But if you are a serious groupie nerd, and I am one, this is about the best book about the group written.
Tell Me Why is written by a rock music critic, Tim Riley. He reviews every Beatle song and every Beatle album in this book. I have alot to say about this. One, I am glad this book was written. There are books adinfinitum about the Beatles lives and events. I've often looked for a book, however, that delves into their music and not their marriages. As Lennon always said, 'Its about the records. The Beatles is about the records'. The Beatles considered themselves recording artists. It says alot about their abilities as recording artists that this book was even written. Seen any books lately about Madonna's records? The Rollling Stones? Too many in the music industry are personalities with music as a sidelight. The Beatles were both. Personalities and Musicians. Songwriters and recording artists. And they were better than anybody.
Riley explains why, from the music point of view, the Beatles are better than anybody. Not that I understood half of what he says. The reader needs two foundations to get anything out of this book. One nees to know their music. When Riley explains why the intro to I Want to Hold Your Hand creates a 3 measure buildup that explodes when the vocals come in with "Oh Yeah I..", you've got to hear the song in your head. Second, one needs musical theory to understand some of his analysis. Speaking of 'Birthday' off the White Album, Riley notes that 'song sections play off one another; after the main riff (in A major) with the bass echoing the rest of the band (center), Paul's leading vocal (doubling himself at the octave) enters on the far side of both channels.' Huh? This is one of his easier to understand sentances.
The best part of the book is its appreciation of the Beatles as musicians. People rag on Ringo as being the Ed McMahon of rock n roll; lucked out in being in the right place at the right time. Riley exposes this misconception with their very first song, Please Please Me. Riley shows why and how Ringo's drumming compliments a song, how his drumming allows the band to surge or retreat as the song requires, how Ringo knows just when to fill in a space, leave a gap of silence, or compliment a vocal, all which turns the song into a superior listening experience. George always said the Beatles never hit it big until Ringo joined the group. Riley confirms why. Riley also gives Paul his props as a bass player. Bass and drums go together underneath, while George's and John's lead and rythem guitars play on top of each song. Paul, like Ringo, had an intuitive feel for bringing in the bass at those perfect moments.
Tell Me Why is not for the casual fan. One has to be a serious groupie nerd to get anything out of it. But if you are a serious groupie nerd, and I am one, this is about the best book about the group written.
January 16, 2018
OK, served the purpose
At times Riley describes the sweeping movement of a song with eloquence. At other times he bogs down in an obsession with which instrument or voice is playing on which stereo channel - the (left), (right), and (center) tags appear repeatedly and are emphasized as if they somehow contribute to the meaning of the song. Maybe they do: my ears (and equipment) are often not good enough to pick up the details the author refers to; but it seemed to me an irritating mannerism.
On the bright side, he follows the order of the British releases - was he, as he claims, one of the first authors to do so? - and he clearly articulates his emotional response to many of the songs. And he does a pretty good job summarizing the solo careers. McCartney’s disappointing efforts come in for particular criticism: he has, says Riley, come to see songs as “product” rather than art and grinds them out mechanically, with one good one for every 30 released. Seems about right to me.
There are many weaknesses in Riley’s approach. But the job of the book, for me, was to provide something to read as I listened to all the albums and tracks in order. It did that job quite well. It gave me a perspective other than my own, which is all I wanted. I don’t see it as anything more than a beginning, though: other books with a similar track-by-track commentary are beckoning.
UPDATE: I meant to comment on something I found odd. His antipathy to George is nothing to his antipathy to the producer Jeff Lynne. Because of this, he undervalues the song “Free as a Bird,” which I happen to love.
What’s curious is that Riley accuses Paul of plagiarizing the middle eight. I have a recording of John doing this solo on the piano; I don’t know if it’s the same version used as a basis for the new production, but John most definitely wrote the melody for the middle eight; and he even starts it with the words “Whatever happened to...” before trailing off into filler syllables. Riley is right that the first line of the middle eight is almost identical, verbally and musically, to a line from “Remember Walk-in’ in the Sand” by the Shangri-las. But the similarity ends there, at least in my opinion; and if there IS plagiarism involved, the guilt is shared by John and Paul.
At times Riley describes the sweeping movement of a song with eloquence. At other times he bogs down in an obsession with which instrument or voice is playing on which stereo channel - the (left), (right), and (center) tags appear repeatedly and are emphasized as if they somehow contribute to the meaning of the song. Maybe they do: my ears (and equipment) are often not good enough to pick up the details the author refers to; but it seemed to me an irritating mannerism.
On the bright side, he follows the order of the British releases - was he, as he claims, one of the first authors to do so? - and he clearly articulates his emotional response to many of the songs. And he does a pretty good job summarizing the solo careers. McCartney’s disappointing efforts come in for particular criticism: he has, says Riley, come to see songs as “product” rather than art and grinds them out mechanically, with one good one for every 30 released. Seems about right to me.
There are many weaknesses in Riley’s approach. But the job of the book, for me, was to provide something to read as I listened to all the albums and tracks in order. It did that job quite well. It gave me a perspective other than my own, which is all I wanted. I don’t see it as anything more than a beginning, though: other books with a similar track-by-track commentary are beckoning.
UPDATE: I meant to comment on something I found odd. His antipathy to George is nothing to his antipathy to the producer Jeff Lynne. Because of this, he undervalues the song “Free as a Bird,” which I happen to love.
What’s curious is that Riley accuses Paul of plagiarizing the middle eight. I have a recording of John doing this solo on the piano; I don’t know if it’s the same version used as a basis for the new production, but John most definitely wrote the melody for the middle eight; and he even starts it with the words “Whatever happened to...” before trailing off into filler syllables. Riley is right that the first line of the middle eight is almost identical, verbally and musically, to a line from “Remember Walk-in’ in the Sand” by the Shangri-las. But the similarity ends there, at least in my opinion; and if there IS plagiarism involved, the guilt is shared by John and Paul.
August 24, 2011
Tell Why: The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, the Sixties and After is a must read for any Beatles fan. Tim Riley goes through, album by album, song by song, and critiques each and every one. What makes this book so good is that Mr. Riley isn't simply some music critic with a journalism degree. He is an actual musician himself, both a pianist and composer. He has a bachelor's degree and a master degree in piano. Mr. Riley then has a good understanding of music theory, which he puts to good use in this book.
Indeed, for the most part I agree with Mr. Riley in his assessment of The Beatles' various songs. In fact, off the top of my head, there were only three times I disagreed with him. The first is his assessment of "All You Need is Love," which Mr Riley doesn't think too highly of. For me it is one of my favourite songs of all time. The second is "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." While he does't praise the song, he doesn't condemn it either. For me it is the only Beatles song I actively hate (I don't count "Revolution No. 9" as a song. The third is "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." Mr. Riley dislikes the song. I actually like it. I enjoy the contrast between the bouncy, music hall tune and what is described in the lyrics (namely, Maxwell Edison running around killing people with his silver hammer). It's not one of Paul's best songs, but it is very enjoyable. Of course, even when I disagree with Mr. Riley, I at least understood and respected why he didn't like certain songs. This is much more than I can say for many music critics!
Indeed, for the most part I agree with Mr. Riley in his assessment of The Beatles' various songs. In fact, off the top of my head, there were only three times I disagreed with him. The first is his assessment of "All You Need is Love," which Mr Riley doesn't think too highly of. For me it is one of my favourite songs of all time. The second is "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." While he does't praise the song, he doesn't condemn it either. For me it is the only Beatles song I actively hate (I don't count "Revolution No. 9" as a song. The third is "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." Mr. Riley dislikes the song. I actually like it. I enjoy the contrast between the bouncy, music hall tune and what is described in the lyrics (namely, Maxwell Edison running around killing people with his silver hammer). It's not one of Paul's best songs, but it is very enjoyable. Of course, even when I disagree with Mr. Riley, I at least understood and respected why he didn't like certain songs. This is much more than I can say for many music critics!
July 24, 2017
Tell Me Why is one of the definitive books to analyze The Beatles discography and make sense of every song that the Fab Four took the time to create in their illustrious time together.
Most of the salient points about Tell Me Why made here are fairly accurate: Riley knows his stuff, Riley gets a bit conceited at times (although that's a larger issue with music criticism as a whole), and he has some strange thing against George Harrison. I do find it kind of strange that Riley would fail to mention Frank Sinatra's praise of "Something", where Sinatra even called it "the greatest love song of the past 50 years".
Still, Beatles fans both old and new will find lots to take away from Tell Me Why. Definitely an interesting read.
Most of the salient points about Tell Me Why made here are fairly accurate: Riley knows his stuff, Riley gets a bit conceited at times (although that's a larger issue with music criticism as a whole), and he has some strange thing against George Harrison. I do find it kind of strange that Riley would fail to mention Frank Sinatra's praise of "Something", where Sinatra even called it "the greatest love song of the past 50 years".
Still, Beatles fans both old and new will find lots to take away from Tell Me Why. Definitely an interesting read.
November 10, 2012
A frustrating analysis of the Beatles work. On the one hand, Riley is trying to do some actual analysis of their music, on the other, he gets LYRICS wrong and is a bit too in love with the scratch of his critic's pen for his own good. There are some worthwhile insights in there, but there is also a lot of annoyingness.
December 16, 2021
I enjoyed some of the author’s more esoteric analysis of the Beatles’ songs; he’s clearly thought deeply about the music. However, the book is riddled with errors, from mistakenly attributing the authorship of songs to which Beatle handled lead vocals on a given track. And this is the “revised” edition!
March 19, 2008
Riley offers an accessible but musically informed analysis of every album and significant single released by the Beatles. Lots of intriguing and satisfying discussions of melody, innovative uses of harmony and instrumentation, and other aural aspects of the music on record.
February 15, 2010
I had to read this book for a college class! It gives background to all Beatles songs and albums. But I don't like how the authors are a bit dismissive of everything George Harrison put out. Not cool.
July 28, 2025
"Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" by Tim Riley is a book that takes an in-depth look at the Beatles' music, album by album and song by song. The author, Tim Riley, is a music journalist and critic who has written extensively about the Beatles and other popular music.
The book covers all of the Beatles' albums, from "Please Please Me" to "Let It Be," and provides detailed analysis of each song on each album. In addition to discussing the music itself, Riley also delves into the cultural and historical context in which the Beatles were creating their music.
One of the unique features of this book is that it includes a "Listening Guide" at the end of each chapter, which provides recommendations for further listening based on the songs and albums discussed in that chapter. This makes it a great resource for anyone who is interested in deepening their understanding and appreciation of the Beatles' music.
Overall, "Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" is a comprehensive and insightful exploration of one of the most important and influential bands in the history of popular music.
"Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" covers a wide range of cultural and historical contexts that influenced the Beatles and their music. Some of the topics discussed in the book include:
The social and political changes of the 1960s, such as the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the counterculture movement, and how these issues influenced the Beatles' music and worldview.
The Beatles' own personal experiences, including their upbringing in working-class Liverpool, their early days playing in clubs in Hamburg and Liverpool, and their later experiences touring the world and dealing with fame and fortune.
The musical and cultural influences that shaped the Beatles' sound, such as rock and roll, skiffle, R&B, and Indian classical music.
The Beatles' relationships with each other and with other musicians and artists, including their collaborations with producer George Martin, their interactions with other bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys, and their connections to the art and literary scenes in London.
Throughout the book, Riley provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the cultural and historical contexts that influenced the Beatles and their music. By exploring these contexts, he helps readers to appreciate the complexity and depth of the Beatles' music and its enduring legacy.
One important theme that runs throughout the book is the way that the Beatles' music intersected with and responded to the social and political changes of the 1960s. For example, Riley discusses how songs like "Revolution" and "Blackbird" reflected the band's engagement with issues of civil rights and anti-war activism. He also explores how the Beatles' own experiences of fame and success, as well as their relationships with other musicians and artists, shaped their music and worldview.
Another key aspect of the book is its focus on the Beatles' musical influences and innovations. Riley provides detailed analysis of the band's musical style, including their use of harmony, melody, and rhythm, as well as their incorporation of non-Western musical traditions, such as Indian classical music. He also discusses the impact that the Beatles had on popular music more broadly, and how their innovations paved the way for new developments in rock, pop, and other genres.
In addition to these themes, the book also offers insights into the Beatles' personal lives and relationships. Riley delves into the band's dynamic and complex interpersonal dynamics, including their friendships and rivalries, and their romantic relationships. He also explores the way that the Beatles' experiences of childhood and adolescence, as well as their later experiences of fame and success, influenced their music and their personal lives.
"Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" provides a rich and multifaceted exploration of the cultural and historical contexts that shaped the Beatles and their music. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the Beatles' legacy and the broader cultural and social changes of the 1960s.
The book covers all of the Beatles' albums, from "Please Please Me" to "Let It Be," and provides detailed analysis of each song on each album. In addition to discussing the music itself, Riley also delves into the cultural and historical context in which the Beatles were creating their music.
One of the unique features of this book is that it includes a "Listening Guide" at the end of each chapter, which provides recommendations for further listening based on the songs and albums discussed in that chapter. This makes it a great resource for anyone who is interested in deepening their understanding and appreciation of the Beatles' music.
Overall, "Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" is a comprehensive and insightful exploration of one of the most important and influential bands in the history of popular music.
"Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" covers a wide range of cultural and historical contexts that influenced the Beatles and their music. Some of the topics discussed in the book include:
The social and political changes of the 1960s, such as the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the counterculture movement, and how these issues influenced the Beatles' music and worldview.
The Beatles' own personal experiences, including their upbringing in working-class Liverpool, their early days playing in clubs in Hamburg and Liverpool, and their later experiences touring the world and dealing with fame and fortune.
The musical and cultural influences that shaped the Beatles' sound, such as rock and roll, skiffle, R&B, and Indian classical music.
The Beatles' relationships with each other and with other musicians and artists, including their collaborations with producer George Martin, their interactions with other bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys, and their connections to the art and literary scenes in London.
Throughout the book, Riley provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the cultural and historical contexts that influenced the Beatles and their music. By exploring these contexts, he helps readers to appreciate the complexity and depth of the Beatles' music and its enduring legacy.
One important theme that runs throughout the book is the way that the Beatles' music intersected with and responded to the social and political changes of the 1960s. For example, Riley discusses how songs like "Revolution" and "Blackbird" reflected the band's engagement with issues of civil rights and anti-war activism. He also explores how the Beatles' own experiences of fame and success, as well as their relationships with other musicians and artists, shaped their music and worldview.
Another key aspect of the book is its focus on the Beatles' musical influences and innovations. Riley provides detailed analysis of the band's musical style, including their use of harmony, melody, and rhythm, as well as their incorporation of non-Western musical traditions, such as Indian classical music. He also discusses the impact that the Beatles had on popular music more broadly, and how their innovations paved the way for new developments in rock, pop, and other genres.
In addition to these themes, the book also offers insights into the Beatles' personal lives and relationships. Riley delves into the band's dynamic and complex interpersonal dynamics, including their friendships and rivalries, and their romantic relationships. He also explores the way that the Beatles' experiences of childhood and adolescence, as well as their later experiences of fame and success, influenced their music and their personal lives.
"Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album By Album, Song By Song, The Sixties And…" provides a rich and multifaceted exploration of the cultural and historical contexts that shaped the Beatles and their music. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the Beatles' legacy and the broader cultural and social changes of the 1960s.
April 11, 2025
I picked up this book because I was impressed by a quote I saw from it. The blurb was an intelligent analysis that Tim Riley wrote about the song Yesterday. As a musician, I was hooked. After that excellent, musically savvy commentary, I looked forward to reading Riley's musician-oriented critique of "The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, the Sixties and After."
That's precisely what the book is. A deep dive into the entire Beatles catalog. Riley offered consistently astute examinations of the songs, and sometimes new information I hadn't read before. Sprinkled throughout were some lyric corrections. After all these years, discovering I was still getting some lyrics wrong was quite a surprise. One example is from "Come Together" - Riley says it's not "Hold you in his armchair..." but instead, it's "Hold you in his arms till you can feel his disease." He's especially adamant about "armchair" being wrong, mentioning it twice, even though that's the way it's always been printed in other books. .
Unfortunately, I ended up not being able to give the book as many stars as I thought I would at first. As informative as Riley is about both The Beatles and their musical output, his tone is so academic, even dour. It's a book about a universally beloved pop music group. In a book about The Beatles, it would be much better to match that light, happy tone in the text. The excellent 2017 book Dreaming The Beatles by Rob Sheffield captures that fun and energy superbly.
Annoyingly, Riley has some prejudices that spoil his narration to some degree. VERY oddly, he emphasizes how he thinks the song MONEY by Berry Gordy, which The Beatles covered on an early album - is one of THE BEST if not THE best track they ever recorded! He mentions the song no less than 26 times throughout the book, often pointing out that such-and-such a song has a good John Lennon lead vocal, but then adds that it doesn't surpass the pure gold of Lennon singing MONEY. -- wow - I found that especially grating because I can't think of a Beatles track I like less than MONEY. - Well, maybe Mister Moonlight.
Riley also has a prejudice against George Harrison. He constantly offers his off-putting opinion that George is a weak singer and songwriter. He perpetually puts him down. When he finally arrives at George's last few tracks done with the group, Riley admits that he Fiiinally did something decent. All that negativity made for unpleasant reading.
In a nutshell, Riley has great musical analysis, sometimes spelling out complex chords, such as the famous opening chord of A Hard Day's Night: - "...a G7 with added ninth and suspended fourth...makes the opening to the record a stunning jolt of crash and ripples." The man Does know of what he speaks.
Chock full of information and interesting observations - If only Riley had delivered his book with a lighter, more entertaining tone.
That's precisely what the book is. A deep dive into the entire Beatles catalog. Riley offered consistently astute examinations of the songs, and sometimes new information I hadn't read before. Sprinkled throughout were some lyric corrections. After all these years, discovering I was still getting some lyrics wrong was quite a surprise. One example is from "Come Together" - Riley says it's not "Hold you in his armchair..." but instead, it's "Hold you in his arms till you can feel his disease." He's especially adamant about "armchair" being wrong, mentioning it twice, even though that's the way it's always been printed in other books. .
Unfortunately, I ended up not being able to give the book as many stars as I thought I would at first. As informative as Riley is about both The Beatles and their musical output, his tone is so academic, even dour. It's a book about a universally beloved pop music group. In a book about The Beatles, it would be much better to match that light, happy tone in the text. The excellent 2017 book Dreaming The Beatles by Rob Sheffield captures that fun and energy superbly.
Annoyingly, Riley has some prejudices that spoil his narration to some degree. VERY oddly, he emphasizes how he thinks the song MONEY by Berry Gordy, which The Beatles covered on an early album - is one of THE BEST if not THE best track they ever recorded! He mentions the song no less than 26 times throughout the book, often pointing out that such-and-such a song has a good John Lennon lead vocal, but then adds that it doesn't surpass the pure gold of Lennon singing MONEY. -- wow - I found that especially grating because I can't think of a Beatles track I like less than MONEY. - Well, maybe Mister Moonlight.
Riley also has a prejudice against George Harrison. He constantly offers his off-putting opinion that George is a weak singer and songwriter. He perpetually puts him down. When he finally arrives at George's last few tracks done with the group, Riley admits that he Fiiinally did something decent. All that negativity made for unpleasant reading.
In a nutshell, Riley has great musical analysis, sometimes spelling out complex chords, such as the famous opening chord of A Hard Day's Night: - "...a G7 with added ninth and suspended fourth...makes the opening to the record a stunning jolt of crash and ripples." The man Does know of what he speaks.
Chock full of information and interesting observations - If only Riley had delivered his book with a lighter, more entertaining tone.
June 10, 2023
It took me well over five months to read this book and I discovered half way through that I was doing it all wrong. When I started reading about the songs in Revolver, I decided to listen to each of the songs as I read. That opened my mind up so much to what Tim Riley was saying about the musical aspects featured in each song. My daughter suggested at that point that I listen to the songs with headphones on so I could appreciate that stereo aspects of each song. Doing that just blew my mind. I've never listened to the Beatles songs with headphones on before. From The While Album forward, I finished up listening to every song that way. WOW. New appreciation. But because each song is around 4 minutes long, it would take a long to read a paragraph if trying to line up my reading with what was happening musically. Who cared. I was in Nirvana.
About the book, it is dated. Published in 1988 it misses a lot of post Beatles careers of the Fab Four...for example there is no mention of The Traveling Wilburys (George), The All-Star Bands (Ringo) or all the varied musical/non-musical projects Paul has engaged in beyond his work with Wings.
I got the distinct impression that Tim Riley liked/appreciated John's contributions to the Beatles the most, but he would find ways to compliment Paul at times, too. He didn't, however, have much to say about George's guitar playing, or he wouldn't attribute licks to George. In fact, I don't think he mentioned who was playing the guitar in most of the songs, so the reader is left with the impression that George isn't doing as much as John and Paul, as the predominate songwriters.
I really geeked out on the Beatles through this book which goes through every song they recorded as a band and several after they broke up. A lot of the musical information was way over my head, which is fine. I am just impressed when someone can tell me what key the song started on and where it went from there. But he would point out when their were rhythm changes and why that made the music interesting, etc.
I had thought I'd donate this book to the library for their upcoming sale but decided to place it back on the book shelf where it has lived for the past few years since my sister gave it to me. I had so much fun with the book and listening to Abbey Road, I decided I might want to repeat the experience.
I recommend to only the geekiest of Beatles fans. Start with your computer open and your headphones on. You'll love it.
About the book, it is dated. Published in 1988 it misses a lot of post Beatles careers of the Fab Four...for example there is no mention of The Traveling Wilburys (George), The All-Star Bands (Ringo) or all the varied musical/non-musical projects Paul has engaged in beyond his work with Wings.
I got the distinct impression that Tim Riley liked/appreciated John's contributions to the Beatles the most, but he would find ways to compliment Paul at times, too. He didn't, however, have much to say about George's guitar playing, or he wouldn't attribute licks to George. In fact, I don't think he mentioned who was playing the guitar in most of the songs, so the reader is left with the impression that George isn't doing as much as John and Paul, as the predominate songwriters.
I really geeked out on the Beatles through this book which goes through every song they recorded as a band and several after they broke up. A lot of the musical information was way over my head, which is fine. I am just impressed when someone can tell me what key the song started on and where it went from there. But he would point out when their were rhythm changes and why that made the music interesting, etc.
I had thought I'd donate this book to the library for their upcoming sale but decided to place it back on the book shelf where it has lived for the past few years since my sister gave it to me. I had so much fun with the book and listening to Abbey Road, I decided I might want to repeat the experience.
I recommend to only the geekiest of Beatles fans. Start with your computer open and your headphones on. You'll love it.
December 15, 2025
Review: So I didn't necessarily know exactly what to expect with this. It was more technical than I expected and I do think it was better to listen to the tracks when reading (which I probably should have done more often) but the thing is sometimes if you do listen to the track being written about, you only need listen to about 30 seconds of the song before he's done on his commentary. I also really feel like this guy could not hide his biases even remotely! He does not seem to think too highly of George and that's blatant. I mean for crying out loud, he seems to insult Within You, Without you while praising When I'm 64...I mean the previous may not be my fave George song but come on, it's a bit ridiculous to say it's worse than When I'm 64!!
I mean I think he was just overall quite critical of the songs and hey maybe I'm the opposite but still, why write about a band if you don't like them? (not saying that's the case here but I just took issue with the critiques often). You even get to the epilogue about their solo careers and he can't hide his discontent for much of their solo stuff (again particularly George and even Paul!). Even much of the Beatles related content released in the 90s (the live at the BBC and Anthology discs) he seems not to take kindly to!
Also, there are numerous times when he gets song titles wrong!!! And this is the revised edition! It may seem minor but it bugged me.
Overall, I think this was a bit of a disappointment. I think if you're going to read a detailed book about Beatles tracks, I would go with Revolution in the Head: The Beatles Records and the Sixties (which he mentions and critiques in his bibliography!).
Grade: C-
I mean I think he was just overall quite critical of the songs and hey maybe I'm the opposite but still, why write about a band if you don't like them? (not saying that's the case here but I just took issue with the critiques often). You even get to the epilogue about their solo careers and he can't hide his discontent for much of their solo stuff (again particularly George and even Paul!). Even much of the Beatles related content released in the 90s (the live at the BBC and Anthology discs) he seems not to take kindly to!
Also, there are numerous times when he gets song titles wrong!!! And this is the revised edition! It may seem minor but it bugged me.
Overall, I think this was a bit of a disappointment. I think if you're going to read a detailed book about Beatles tracks, I would go with Revolution in the Head: The Beatles Records and the Sixties (which he mentions and critiques in his bibliography!).
Grade: C-
February 9, 2018
Growing up with the Beatles, I took them for granted. They were a constant - they always were and always would be. One year I decided to finally attempt to contextualize them, listening to the albums in order with other music from the period. As I listened, I read this book. It has become my favorite Beatles book by far - I don't agree with all of the opinions, but the musical breakdown provided by Riley is impeccable. With each album, Riley plays his own critical analysis and synthesis back and forth, building to a deeper understanding of the What and the Why of all their music. This is an invaluable resource that I cannot recommend enough.
Leave "A Hard Day's Write" and the innumerable memoirs/tabloid splashes behind, this is the Beatles book for the truest of Beatles fans.
Leave "A Hard Day's Write" and the innumerable memoirs/tabloid splashes behind, this is the Beatles book for the truest of Beatles fans.
April 26, 2020
I bought this around the time it was published and go back to it from time to time to see what his take is on a particular song. I hadn't spent much time thinking the songs had hidden meanings or interesting inspirations. Before this book the Beatles were fun to listen to and after I read it the songs were much more interesting.
June 20, 2022
I read Mr. Riley's book some years ago. My opinion of his opinions changed significantly when I got to his comments on "Come Together" wherin he patently insists that John Lennon is singing "Holds you in his arms 'til you can feel his disease" and not "Hold you in his armchair/You can feel his disease". Which sounds more Lennonesque??
January 23, 2024
3 and a half, in reality. think tim is a genius, and i need to come back to this book later on, when i have a better understanding of music production terminology and am less overwhelmed by the sheer technicality of his writing. feel guilty giving this book a low rating ah! ah! ah! but would recommend this to musicians who love the beatles, not just silly girls who play the ukulele like me.
January 1, 2020
The author clearly loves John, is puzzled by Paul, hates George, and respects Ringo.
July 7, 2021
fun read
August 30, 2019
The book is very great.
September 1, 2010
I vowed to lay off Beatles books but this was in the library and couldn't resist. It was so much like the later 'Revolution in the Head' - going through song by song, that I didn't read from cover to cover, just picked favourite songs (eg Rain, And Your Bird Can Sing: the guitar solo is flourescent irony.. it glitters with supremacy.) and also read all the stuff on their solo careers (up to late 80s - George still alive). Again too dismissive of George I thought, saying of his wonderful 'All Too Much' points up everything that can go wrong.. subtleties are scattered.. a lack of immediacy, and not mentioning 'I Live for You', my favourite from 'All Things Must Pass'. Really rates Ringo though - as other reviews point out - quite properly.
Worth reading for the bibliography alone, with some great biased comments. He says of DiLello's 'The longest Cocktail Party': Tattle-tales from an office boy whose job included rolling joints and sending out for barrels of apples for press conferences. Paperback writer becomes flesh. I love the chapter in Derek Taylor's 'As Time Goes By' about Paul's trip up north to work with a brass band and how, on acid, they stop in a village on the way back and Paul sings his new song 'Hey Jude' in the local pub, but Riley says the book has a fondness that verges on patronisation. He's probably right.
The edition I read wasn't the one portrayed above, but from 1988, the one above might have been updated.
Worth reading for the bibliography alone, with some great biased comments. He says of DiLello's 'The longest Cocktail Party': Tattle-tales from an office boy whose job included rolling joints and sending out for barrels of apples for press conferences. Paperback writer becomes flesh. I love the chapter in Derek Taylor's 'As Time Goes By' about Paul's trip up north to work with a brass band and how, on acid, they stop in a village on the way back and Paul sings his new song 'Hey Jude' in the local pub, but Riley says the book has a fondness that verges on patronisation. He's probably right.
The edition I read wasn't the one portrayed above, but from 1988, the one above might have been updated.
December 22, 2013
Outstanding detail and insights about how the Beatles constructed every song and album recorded on the EMI/Parlaphone and Apple labels. An unflinching, fair and honest discussion authored by a man who degreed in Piano and Music Theory. At times technical and intricate in deconstructing the Beatles work, it might overwhelm the non-musician at times - but not enough to detract from the enjoyment Riley gives the reader. Musicians, on the other hand, will greatly apprerciate Riley's attention to detail. Having read more than a few books on the Beatles, I was pleasantly surprised that I came across one that was able to further my understanding and appreciation of the greatest pop group ever.
March 3, 2015
Okay, he's a real music critic, so therefore he takes himself too seriously at times (I mean, suggesting songs should end a different way, now really?), but it's fun reading about the music, described over my head, in personal, technical and lyrical ways for the Beatles; meanwhile listening to their albums at the same time; and when he loves songs, he goes into great detail about them, even though it was all focused on the Brit albums, which were so carefully crafted by the Fab Four--little did we know, learning the music through all the Capitol albums here in the OO-S of Ahhh. I give it a 92, Dick, you can dance to it.
May 18, 2012
Song by song (literally) account of the Beatles' recordnigns ,with a focus on discussing them from th epersepctive of music, so there's lots of technical terminology I don't understand. Riley is generally good at providing concrete examples (e.g. by quoting lyrics) to help on figure these thing out, and there's certainly plenty here ot interest the fan as opposed to the musician or scholar, but it's fairly heavy going for someone not well-versed in musical terminology. Still, a book any Beatle fan ought to find insightful.
September 18, 2024
Always loved this Beatle book. The musical analysis can get a little deep sometimes for people who aren't musicians, but Riley's love for the music always shines through. He's fair; the introductory essay is one of the better things written about The Beatles. The beauty of "Tell Me Why" is that you can always go back to it; you can always dip in wherever you want to because it's organized by record, chronologically. Very, very interesting to read from front-to-back to see how The Beatles' records evolved, but a handy companion to any Beatles listening.
January 19, 2013
Very good book. Not thrilled with the anti Harrison stance. I think Riley underestimates his songs. Sometimes this book tends to ramble and be repetitive. However it is worth reading and does do something almost every other Beatle book doesn't, deals with the music and not the mania. I recommend it to friends and students all the time.
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