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Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Later Years, 1966–2016
More than anyone besides the bandmates themselves, George Martin was the man who created the unique sound of the Beatles. Sound Pictures offers a powerful and intimate account of how he did so.
The second and final volume of the definitive biography of the man, Sound Pictures traces the story of the Beatles’ breathtaking artistic trajectory after reaching the creative heights of Rubber Soul. As the bandmates engage in brash experimentation both inside and outside the studio, Martin toils along with manager Brian Epstein to consolidate the Beatles’
fame in the face of growing sociocultural pressures, including the crisis associated with the “Beatles are more popular than Jesus” scandal.
Meanwhile, he also struggles to make his way as an independent producer in the highly competitive world of mid-1960s rock ’n’ roll. As Martin and the Beatles create one landmark album after another, including such masterworks as Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (The White Album), and Abbey Road, the internal stakes and interpersonal challenges become ever greater.
During his post-Beatles years, Martin attempts to discover new vistas of sound recording with a host of acts, including Jeff Beck, America, Cheap Trick, Paul McCartney, and Elton John, his creative breakthroughs followed by unprecedented commercial success. Eventually, though, all roads bring Martin back to the Beatles, as the group seeks out new ways to memorialize their achievement under the supervision of the man who has come to be known as Sir George. Now, more than fifty years after the Beatles’ revolutionary triumphs, Martin’s singular stamp on popular music has become more vital than ever, as successive generations discover the magic of the Beatles and their groundbreaking sound.
The second and final volume of the definitive biography of the man, Sound Pictures traces the story of the Beatles’ breathtaking artistic trajectory after reaching the creative heights of Rubber Soul. As the bandmates engage in brash experimentation both inside and outside the studio, Martin toils along with manager Brian Epstein to consolidate the Beatles’
fame in the face of growing sociocultural pressures, including the crisis associated with the “Beatles are more popular than Jesus” scandal.
Meanwhile, he also struggles to make his way as an independent producer in the highly competitive world of mid-1960s rock ’n’ roll. As Martin and the Beatles create one landmark album after another, including such masterworks as Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (The White Album), and Abbey Road, the internal stakes and interpersonal challenges become ever greater.
During his post-Beatles years, Martin attempts to discover new vistas of sound recording with a host of acts, including Jeff Beck, America, Cheap Trick, Paul McCartney, and Elton John, his creative breakthroughs followed by unprecedented commercial success. Eventually, though, all roads bring Martin back to the Beatles, as the group seeks out new ways to memorialize their achievement under the supervision of the man who has come to be known as Sir George. Now, more than fifty years after the Beatles’ revolutionary triumphs, Martin’s singular stamp on popular music has become more vital than ever, as successive generations discover the magic of the Beatles and their groundbreaking sound.
560 pages, Hardcover
Published September 4, 2018
58 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Womack
76 books170 followersKenneth Womack is a world-renowned authority on the Beatles and their enduring cultural influence. His latest book project involves a two-volume, full-length biography devoted to famed Beatles producer Sir George Martin.
Womack's Beatles-related books include Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007), The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), and The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014).
Womack is also the author of four novels, including John Doe No. 2 and the Dreamland Motel (2010), The Restaurant at the End of the World (2012), Playing the Angel (2013), and I Am Lemonade Lucy! (2019).
Womack's Beatles-related books include Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007), The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), and The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014).
Womack is also the author of four novels, including John Doe No. 2 and the Dreamland Motel (2010), The Restaurant at the End of the World (2012), Playing the Angel (2013), and I Am Lemonade Lucy! (2019).
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 14, 2018
A must-have addition to any Beatlemaniac’s “Fab Four” library. This is the second of a two-volume biography of the Beatles’ producer and the executive overseeing EMI’s Parlophone Records label from 1951 to 1965 before becoming an independent producer and studio owner. This volume covers Martin’s life from the Beatles' 1966's "Revolver" through his death in March of 2016.
The coming together of Martin, Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, and the band was a perfect alignment of the stars….it’s unlikely any of them would have reached the heights they did without the collaboration of all six. Martin was a musical/piano prodigy from a young age (composing his first songs by the age of 8) but remained largely self-taught until formal music education via the UK version of the GI Bill following his service in the Royal Navy during WW2. His mastery of the largely primitive state of recording technology during his time at Parlophone in the 50’s including the use of vari-speed recording, double-tracking, echo, and electronic effects would come to the fore along with his expertise at scoring, arranging and composition when he finally connects with the Beatles in 1962 after a multi-year search for a “beat group” of his own to produce after years of producing ground-breaking comedy records with the likes of Peter Sellers & Spike Milligan of the UK’s the Goons.
While the first volume contained a lot of overlap with the first volume of the epic trilogy by Mark Lewisohn (only the first of that has been published and it ends with the Beatles signing with Parlophone in 1962), there was enough there to make it a must-read. This volume takes into account the highly creative time when the Fab's abandoned live performance and focused all their energies on making the studio itself an instrument....stretching the boundaries of existing technology and recording techniques couple with the brilliant song-writing of Lennon & McCartney and to a lesser extent, George Harrison. Martin's talent as arranger, scorer, and musician along with his production skills....coupled with the technical skills of engineer Geoff Emerick...took popular music recordings to new heights. The book covers all of the highs and lows of the late Beatles period through to their final dissolution in 1970.
It also covers Martin's paradigm-shifting business foray into independent production and studios...his state-of-the-art AIR studios, first in London and then adding facilities on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat, were utilized by the A-list of rock acts including the Rolling Stones and Elton John. With the demise of the Beatles, Martin became a "gun-for-hire" for both musical acts and movie soundtrack scoring. He worked with McCartney on "Live and Let Die" and scored the film. He produced the classic Jeff Beck album "Blow by Blow" and resuscitated America's career with their late period albums. Again collaborated with McCartney on "Tug of War" and "Pipes of Peace."
He remained a protector of the Beatles legacy by overseeing the quality of 1970's & 1980's compilations and overseeing the remastering for the first generation of CD releases in 1987. In his final years, he worked with his producer son, Giles (who became George's ears because of diminished hearing), on the brilliant remastered releases of all albums in the early 21st century and the 1990's Anthology series and albums.
A must read for diehard Beatles fans.
The coming together of Martin, Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, and the band was a perfect alignment of the stars….it’s unlikely any of them would have reached the heights they did without the collaboration of all six. Martin was a musical/piano prodigy from a young age (composing his first songs by the age of 8) but remained largely self-taught until formal music education via the UK version of the GI Bill following his service in the Royal Navy during WW2. His mastery of the largely primitive state of recording technology during his time at Parlophone in the 50’s including the use of vari-speed recording, double-tracking, echo, and electronic effects would come to the fore along with his expertise at scoring, arranging and composition when he finally connects with the Beatles in 1962 after a multi-year search for a “beat group” of his own to produce after years of producing ground-breaking comedy records with the likes of Peter Sellers & Spike Milligan of the UK’s the Goons.
While the first volume contained a lot of overlap with the first volume of the epic trilogy by Mark Lewisohn (only the first of that has been published and it ends with the Beatles signing with Parlophone in 1962), there was enough there to make it a must-read. This volume takes into account the highly creative time when the Fab's abandoned live performance and focused all their energies on making the studio itself an instrument....stretching the boundaries of existing technology and recording techniques couple with the brilliant song-writing of Lennon & McCartney and to a lesser extent, George Harrison. Martin's talent as arranger, scorer, and musician along with his production skills....coupled with the technical skills of engineer Geoff Emerick...took popular music recordings to new heights. The book covers all of the highs and lows of the late Beatles period through to their final dissolution in 1970.
It also covers Martin's paradigm-shifting business foray into independent production and studios...his state-of-the-art AIR studios, first in London and then adding facilities on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat, were utilized by the A-list of rock acts including the Rolling Stones and Elton John. With the demise of the Beatles, Martin became a "gun-for-hire" for both musical acts and movie soundtrack scoring. He worked with McCartney on "Live and Let Die" and scored the film. He produced the classic Jeff Beck album "Blow by Blow" and resuscitated America's career with their late period albums. Again collaborated with McCartney on "Tug of War" and "Pipes of Peace."
He remained a protector of the Beatles legacy by overseeing the quality of 1970's & 1980's compilations and overseeing the remastering for the first generation of CD releases in 1987. In his final years, he worked with his producer son, Giles (who became George's ears because of diminished hearing), on the brilliant remastered releases of all albums in the early 21st century and the 1990's Anthology series and albums.
A must read for diehard Beatles fans.
December 27, 2018
Four-fifths of this book covers the final years of Martin working with the Beatles (1966-1970), and at first I thought it was kind of sad to have 46 years of such a distinguished life summarized in the final 100 pages. On the other hand, as a Beatles nut I'd naturally rather delve into pages of detail on the recording sessions for "Strawberry Fields Forever" than I would America's "Tin Man". As the subtitle suggests, it's really a biography of The Beatles' recording sessions from the perspective of Martin, and the two volumes are more than worthy additions to the mountain of Beatles books available.
December 25, 2018
Does the world need another book about The Beatles? If you have to ask, then Kenneth Womack’s spirited, new book on Beatles producer George Martin, or any other book about the four Liverpool lads, is not for you. For the rest of us, the story never gets old. While Martin gets top billing, The Beatles take center stage for much of the time, which, even Martin would agree, seems fitting.
When The Beatles were touring or on holiday, Martin didn’t remain idle, of course. He had other projects, other bands to oversee. This doesn’t come as a shock, yet upon learning of his non-Beatles life, you feel a little like the kindergarten student, who believes that the teacher exists only in the classroom, or in this case, only in the studio, when The Beatles need him. In fact, Martin worked with Elton John, Cheap Trick, and a host of other acts.
Many of the stories here are familiar: the frenetic pace, both in and out of the studio; The Beatles’ remarkable innovations, despite the pace; the technical constraints of what came to be known as the Abbey Road Studios. More specifically, we learn about how the Beatles became enamored with backward tracks on Revolver in 1966, a process that Martin himself had played around with back in 1962; how two distinct segments of “Strawberry Fields” became magically fused; how Martin used Artificial Double Tracking [ADT] to distort John’s vocals, as John, incomprehensibly, hated his voice.
Even when traversing this familiar territory, Womack manages to infuse the stories with suspense. Not exactly Apollo 13 suspense, as no lives hang in the balance, but for Beatles fans, this is gripping stuff. Since this is a book about Martin, Womack focuses on the technical challenges and the creative solutions Martin and balance engineer Geoff Emerick concoct, time and again.
Many of the “solutions” Martin supplied were nontechnical. For instance, he was a master at vocal harmony. And he wrote and arranged the music for the world class musicians he happened to know and invited to the studio. Some of these musicians are forever famous for these sessions. And the arrangements, of course, are brilliant. It’s impossible to think about “Eleanor Rigby” without hearing the strings, which are influenced by Bernard Hermann, who wrote the score for Psycho.
What did The Beatles think of Martin? They had affectionate, regal nicknames for him, such as Duke of Edinburgh that Martin rather enjoyed, which reflects both their high esteem of him and their slight remove.
Martin was never the stern headmaster, yet he provided the steady and constant guidance necessary to get work done. During a brief illness when Martin was unable to attend a recording session, his fiancé stepped in, and the boys acted out childishly, as when a substitute teacher takes over a classroom. By the time Sgt. Pepper’s came along, Martin had become more collaborator than taskmaster, yet still a guiding force—and remained so until the troubled Let It Be sessions, when no one could save the group.
The title, Sound Pictures, stems from a time Martin watched Picasso apply layer upon layer to a canvas. “‘I have often thought how similar his method of painting was to our way of recording. We, too, would add and subtract, overlaying and underscoring within the limitations of our primitive four-track tape.’”
The writing here may not be as lyrical as Bob Spitz’s fine book on the Beatles. But there are many gems, as when he describes the Mellotron, most famous from the opening bars of “Strawberry Fields”: “It was as if a Neanderthal piano had impregnated a primitive electronic keyboard.” And the book is not as emotionally stirring as Cynthia Lennon’s book on John. Yet Womack captures quite well the joy and exhilaration and challenges of working at Abbey Road. Given the constraints of that studio, with its strict, lab coat regimes and its four-track recording equipment, it’s all the more remarkable what four young lads from Liverpool and one regal gentleman were able to create in under a decade.
When The Beatles were touring or on holiday, Martin didn’t remain idle, of course. He had other projects, other bands to oversee. This doesn’t come as a shock, yet upon learning of his non-Beatles life, you feel a little like the kindergarten student, who believes that the teacher exists only in the classroom, or in this case, only in the studio, when The Beatles need him. In fact, Martin worked with Elton John, Cheap Trick, and a host of other acts.
Many of the stories here are familiar: the frenetic pace, both in and out of the studio; The Beatles’ remarkable innovations, despite the pace; the technical constraints of what came to be known as the Abbey Road Studios. More specifically, we learn about how the Beatles became enamored with backward tracks on Revolver in 1966, a process that Martin himself had played around with back in 1962; how two distinct segments of “Strawberry Fields” became magically fused; how Martin used Artificial Double Tracking [ADT] to distort John’s vocals, as John, incomprehensibly, hated his voice.
Even when traversing this familiar territory, Womack manages to infuse the stories with suspense. Not exactly Apollo 13 suspense, as no lives hang in the balance, but for Beatles fans, this is gripping stuff. Since this is a book about Martin, Womack focuses on the technical challenges and the creative solutions Martin and balance engineer Geoff Emerick concoct, time and again.
Many of the “solutions” Martin supplied were nontechnical. For instance, he was a master at vocal harmony. And he wrote and arranged the music for the world class musicians he happened to know and invited to the studio. Some of these musicians are forever famous for these sessions. And the arrangements, of course, are brilliant. It’s impossible to think about “Eleanor Rigby” without hearing the strings, which are influenced by Bernard Hermann, who wrote the score for Psycho.
What did The Beatles think of Martin? They had affectionate, regal nicknames for him, such as Duke of Edinburgh that Martin rather enjoyed, which reflects both their high esteem of him and their slight remove.
Martin was never the stern headmaster, yet he provided the steady and constant guidance necessary to get work done. During a brief illness when Martin was unable to attend a recording session, his fiancé stepped in, and the boys acted out childishly, as when a substitute teacher takes over a classroom. By the time Sgt. Pepper’s came along, Martin had become more collaborator than taskmaster, yet still a guiding force—and remained so until the troubled Let It Be sessions, when no one could save the group.
The title, Sound Pictures, stems from a time Martin watched Picasso apply layer upon layer to a canvas. “‘I have often thought how similar his method of painting was to our way of recording. We, too, would add and subtract, overlaying and underscoring within the limitations of our primitive four-track tape.’”
The writing here may not be as lyrical as Bob Spitz’s fine book on the Beatles. But there are many gems, as when he describes the Mellotron, most famous from the opening bars of “Strawberry Fields”: “It was as if a Neanderthal piano had impregnated a primitive electronic keyboard.” And the book is not as emotionally stirring as Cynthia Lennon’s book on John. Yet Womack captures quite well the joy and exhilaration and challenges of working at Abbey Road. Given the constraints of that studio, with its strict, lab coat regimes and its four-track recording equipment, it’s all the more remarkable what four young lads from Liverpool and one regal gentleman were able to create in under a decade.
June 1, 2021
If you a Beatles fan – and really, who isn't – you'll enjoy Sound Pictures, the life of famed Beatles producer George Martin. If you're an audiophile – someone who loves the technical side of music reproduction – you'll enjoy Sound Pictures. If you're both (and you're British), well, you'll LOVE Sound Pictures.
Sound Pictures is a great addition to the voluminous literature on The Beatles. The work they and Martin put into albums like Sgt. Pepper's, the White Album, and Revolver is mind-boggling; literally hundreds of hours simply to produce one or two songs. Of course, it was all worth it.
Not surprisingly, Martin comes off very well in Sound Pictures, simply because by all accounts he was a wonderful gentleman. I found that, as someone who is not an audiophile, much of Sound Pictures I skimmed over; it was just beyond me. But even jumping over pages of technical stuff, Sound Pictures is still an fine read, meticulously researched and involving. It could have used a little bit of editing (Womack much have used "wee hours" about 20 times), but otherwise it's well worth your time if your into The Beatles, and technology, and music history.
Sound Pictures is a great addition to the voluminous literature on The Beatles. The work they and Martin put into albums like Sgt. Pepper's, the White Album, and Revolver is mind-boggling; literally hundreds of hours simply to produce one or two songs. Of course, it was all worth it.
Not surprisingly, Martin comes off very well in Sound Pictures, simply because by all accounts he was a wonderful gentleman. I found that, as someone who is not an audiophile, much of Sound Pictures I skimmed over; it was just beyond me. But even jumping over pages of technical stuff, Sound Pictures is still an fine read, meticulously researched and involving. It could have used a little bit of editing (Womack much have used "wee hours" about 20 times), but otherwise it's well worth your time if your into The Beatles, and technology, and music history.
June 8, 2025
I've seen this book on the library shelf for years and always resisted it; I mean how many book about the Beatles does one need to read? But my resistance finally wore down and I borrowed this title, foregoing the companion eary years version, because, honestly more interested in his later years with the Beatles rather than learning about the producers formative years and Fab Four introduction story. Well, frankly, this delivered a pretty good read. The story behind the production of all the Beatles records from Revolver onward is here. The book takes adequte time to explain the processes and thinking behind classic songs like Tomorrow Never Knows and Strawberry Fields and really just about every track the Beatles produced in the second half of the 60s. We also get insight into the band's politics and George Martin's changing roles withing the unit as teacher, co-creator and occasional mediator. This book works as great companion reading to the Get Back film released a few years ago. I may go back to read the early years forerunner title to this book at some point.
August 22, 2020
This is the 2018 follow-up to the author's 2016 work "Maximum Volume" which dealt with the early years of George Martin's career up to 1966 when his main charges, the Beatles, decided to no longer be a rock and roll band, but recording "artistes" instead. Being a member of the Baby Boomer generation, the Beatles were kind of "our band" and I really liked their music until they decided to rock less and be more of an art band. For example, I was never all that greatly enamored with "Sergeant Pepper" (they had done better) and with the exception of a couple of songs, thought the infamous "White Album" to be a lot of self-indulgent garbage. And I really didn't care for "Hey Jude" (the single) all that much either!
So what does all the foregoing have to do with the book and George Martin? If you aren't into the production of music (and not everyone is), you might find some of the chapters boring and tedious since it seems like every song on every album is dissected. But, if you read closely - and even between the lines - the genius that was George Martin shines through and you gain a new appreciation for the music, maybe even music you didn't care for before. I gained new appreciation for the albums mentioned previously, and while they still aren't among my favorite Beatle works, reading how Martin lovingly crafted them together gave me new insight into the artistry involved.
Once the Beatles disbanded, Martin moved on to other artists and produced numerous others over the years. Eventually though, his hearing began to fail him and in the last 10 - 15 years of his life, while he still did a small (very small) amount of work, and in time he had to even give that up and instead became a senior citizen of the rock world - and to many a rock god of sorts.
Had there been no George Martin, the Beatles never would have conquered the world of music and we might all be listening to polka music today! If you appreciate and enjoy the music of the Fab Four, you owe it to yourself to read this book and its predecessor.
So what does all the foregoing have to do with the book and George Martin? If you aren't into the production of music (and not everyone is), you might find some of the chapters boring and tedious since it seems like every song on every album is dissected. But, if you read closely - and even between the lines - the genius that was George Martin shines through and you gain a new appreciation for the music, maybe even music you didn't care for before. I gained new appreciation for the albums mentioned previously, and while they still aren't among my favorite Beatle works, reading how Martin lovingly crafted them together gave me new insight into the artistry involved.
Once the Beatles disbanded, Martin moved on to other artists and produced numerous others over the years. Eventually though, his hearing began to fail him and in the last 10 - 15 years of his life, while he still did a small (very small) amount of work, and in time he had to even give that up and instead became a senior citizen of the rock world - and to many a rock god of sorts.
Had there been no George Martin, the Beatles never would have conquered the world of music and we might all be listening to polka music today! If you appreciate and enjoy the music of the Fab Four, you owe it to yourself to read this book and its predecessor.
February 14, 2019
his is an excellent review of George Martin's career starting in 1966 with The Beatles 'Revolver.' It's interesting to hear Beatles stories through the lens of George. He was their champion, confidant and protector before and after the breakup. There is also considerable talk about his post-Beatles work, including groups like America, UFO, and Cheap Trick. I found this section very interesting as well as the tale of his AIR studios. This is a must read for any Beatles fan, and if you are a Beatles fan, then you're a George Martin fan. Kenneth Womack has done a great job here.
----Steve McGowan
----Steve McGowan
August 4, 2024
THE SOUND OF SUCCESS
“I expect a third of their songs still to be played in AD 2000” - Dick James, music publisher
Dick James, in case you didn’t know, started Northern Songs which owned the rights to the Beatles’ songs. But in 1965, who could have predicted that nearly every song they recorded would still played sixty years later? At least he had the prescience to observe that they were no “nine-day wonder.”
The second volume of Kenneth Womack’s biography of Beatles producer Sir George Martin came out a year after the first volume, Maximum Volume, which I read in 2017. Somehow, I missed the memo that the second volume came out a year later. As fate would have it, Sir Martin shuffled off his mortal coil in time for Womack to include a nice send-off for the producer with the posh manners and urbane accent.
This volume picks up where the Beatles turned their backs to live audiences, and turned the studio into their new playground. All the tricks they used to produce the remainder of their oeuvre are detailed here: the variable-speed and backward recording; snippets of recording of circus calliopes and barnyard animals; inventive mic usage; pushing the boundary of the recording apparatus – yeah, calling the studio a “playground” hits just the right note. George Martin and small band of merry-makers formed an indispensable crew.
Like any close relationship, professional or personal, some awkward and unpleasant moments often mar the working relationship. When Paul was working “on heat,” nothing could wait. When Martin was unavailable to arrange a score for “She’s Leaving Home,” Paul simply rang up another musician to devise something. Needless to say, Martin was miffed.
Around this time, there was no covering up the band’s use of drugs: “To George’s way of thinking, the Beatles were the most ingenious recording artists he had ever met, and they simply didn’t need psychotropic or other enhancements to heighten their creativity.”
Amid the organized chaos, by the second album, Martin knew he was part of a unique relationship producing a unique sound. Womack gives us an idea of the magnitude of Martin’s work. He tells another producer who is filling in for Martin: “There will be one Beatle there, fine. Two Beatles, great. Three Beatles, fantastic. But the minute four of them are there that is when the inexplicable charismatic thing happens, the special magic not one has been able to explain.”
“I expect a third of their songs still to be played in AD 2000” - Dick James, music publisher
Dick James, in case you didn’t know, started Northern Songs which owned the rights to the Beatles’ songs. But in 1965, who could have predicted that nearly every song they recorded would still played sixty years later? At least he had the prescience to observe that they were no “nine-day wonder.”
The second volume of Kenneth Womack’s biography of Beatles producer Sir George Martin came out a year after the first volume, Maximum Volume, which I read in 2017. Somehow, I missed the memo that the second volume came out a year later. As fate would have it, Sir Martin shuffled off his mortal coil in time for Womack to include a nice send-off for the producer with the posh manners and urbane accent.
This volume picks up where the Beatles turned their backs to live audiences, and turned the studio into their new playground. All the tricks they used to produce the remainder of their oeuvre are detailed here: the variable-speed and backward recording; snippets of recording of circus calliopes and barnyard animals; inventive mic usage; pushing the boundary of the recording apparatus – yeah, calling the studio a “playground” hits just the right note. George Martin and small band of merry-makers formed an indispensable crew.
Like any close relationship, professional or personal, some awkward and unpleasant moments often mar the working relationship. When Paul was working “on heat,” nothing could wait. When Martin was unavailable to arrange a score for “She’s Leaving Home,” Paul simply rang up another musician to devise something. Needless to say, Martin was miffed.
Around this time, there was no covering up the band’s use of drugs: “To George’s way of thinking, the Beatles were the most ingenious recording artists he had ever met, and they simply didn’t need psychotropic or other enhancements to heighten their creativity.”
Amid the organized chaos, by the second album, Martin knew he was part of a unique relationship producing a unique sound. Womack gives us an idea of the magnitude of Martin’s work. He tells another producer who is filling in for Martin: “There will be one Beatle there, fine. Two Beatles, great. Three Beatles, fantastic. But the minute four of them are there that is when the inexplicable charismatic thing happens, the special magic not one has been able to explain.”
March 24, 2024
While I truly enjoyed this book (though I truly got tired of the terms "calculus" and "on heat" and "for the ages" and "bravura"...Womack truly needs a thesaurus...and a better editor), overall, this and the preceding volume are a fantastic overview of Martin's role in producing the Beatles.
...The problem is...that's most of what the two books are about. Though this one spans 1966 to 2016, over 80% of the book is 1966 to 1970—four years—then he crams the next four and a half decades into that last 18% of the book. And, yes, while Martin perhaps never again saw the solid run of success he had with the Beatles, he contributed significantly to a lot of incredible musicians' albums, and also built three major recording studios. While I love the Beatles, and I loved learning his influence on them...this IS a book about Martin. I was looking forward to getting past the Beatles and learning more about the last almost fifty years of his life as well.
So, that was a bit of a disappointment.
...The problem is...that's most of what the two books are about. Though this one spans 1966 to 2016, over 80% of the book is 1966 to 1970—four years—then he crams the next four and a half decades into that last 18% of the book. And, yes, while Martin perhaps never again saw the solid run of success he had with the Beatles, he contributed significantly to a lot of incredible musicians' albums, and also built three major recording studios. While I love the Beatles, and I loved learning his influence on them...this IS a book about Martin. I was looking forward to getting past the Beatles and learning more about the last almost fifty years of his life as well.
So, that was a bit of a disappointment.
March 20, 2019
Read my review of Part 1 of this biography to see my standard techniques (I'm shocked he still refers to Martin as "George" throughout the book, causing constant confusion with Harrison). Womack is not an especially skilled writer. He gets his point across and provides the information he deems necessary for basically every track on every Beatles' album, but it does get repetitive. Also, the Beatles break up at roughly 80% of the way through this book--meaning the last 46 years of Martin's life receive only 10% of the two-part work! This is either a rush job or a rational choice to focus on what Womack knows best--the Beatles. This work will certainly appreciate anyone's appreciation for Revolver, the white album, Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper's, the Yellow Submarine soundtrack, and yes, even Let It Be (and I am very much looking forward to hearing the "naked" release from several years back, which is supposed to be closer to the Beatles' original intent).
In conclusion, this two-volume biography is workmanlike, not earth-shattering. If nothing else it clued me in on the pun that is the band's name, which only took me 33 years to get!
In conclusion, this two-volume biography is workmanlike, not earth-shattering. If nothing else it clued me in on the pun that is the band's name, which only took me 33 years to get!
September 30, 2024
If you've never read a book on The Beatles recording sessions, this is not a bad place to start. That said, approximately 90% of this book is a rehash of other worthy volumes, such as
• Beatles Anthology, The by The Beatles
• Beatles As Musicians, The by Walter Everett
• Beatles Day By Day, The by Mark Lewisohn
• Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, The: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970 by Mark Lewisohn
• Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles by Geoff Emerick
• That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966-1970 by John C. Winn
In short, this book is 80-90% Beatles (which isn't a bad thing) and the rest George Martin.
• Beatles Anthology, The by The Beatles
• Beatles As Musicians, The by Walter Everett
• Beatles Day By Day, The by Mark Lewisohn
• Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, The: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970 by Mark Lewisohn
• Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles by Geoff Emerick
• That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966-1970 by John C. Winn
In short, this book is 80-90% Beatles (which isn't a bad thing) and the rest George Martin.
March 13, 2024
I'm a little conflicted about this book. As a big fan of The Beatles, it was a delight to read all the material about the Fab Four--arguably Martin's biggest achievement. But on the other hand, the book was almost more of a documentary of The Beatles from the eyes of Martin, rather than a biography of Martin. About 85% of the book is about The Beatles, and really, this was the best part of the book.
If you like The Beatles, I think this is a great book. BUT it doesn't do much that hasn't been done better with BBC docuseries on the band, and the book doesn't have any music, of course.
Still, it was an enjoyable book worth reading if you like The Beatles.
If you like The Beatles, I think this is a great book. BUT it doesn't do much that hasn't been done better with BBC docuseries on the band, and the book doesn't have any music, of course.
Still, it was an enjoyable book worth reading if you like The Beatles.
April 24, 2021
Second volume of George Martin’s biography/role as a producer.Martin’s career was so dominated by his work with The Beatles, inevitably his work with them take up the major part of the book. At time it feels that this is more a book/biography about the Beatles rather than Martin and at times I found myself having to remind myself whose biography I was reading.
Nevertheless, if you like the Beatles you’ll find this a good read about the production side of those famous recordings, but Martin remains a bit of a mystery still.
Nevertheless, if you like the Beatles you’ll find this a good read about the production side of those famous recordings, but Martin remains a bit of a mystery still.
October 5, 2018
Sound Pictures From a Sound Man
This is exhaustive on George’s time spent with the Beatles but I wish it delved more into the man himself as well as his work. The book is slighted in making George Martin look like a saint without any blemishes. The last forty-six years of his life are glossed over quickly but the author knows his audience and knows that his Beatles’ work is what the readers are looking for. He delivers those goods very well.
This is exhaustive on George’s time spent with the Beatles but I wish it delved more into the man himself as well as his work. The book is slighted in making George Martin look like a saint without any blemishes. The last forty-six years of his life are glossed over quickly but the author knows his audience and knows that his Beatles’ work is what the readers are looking for. He delivers those goods very well.
September 23, 2022
I finally finished this book!!! This was a really detailed account of George Martin’s life, specifically mentioning how almost every Beatles track was produced and recorded. I felt like there wasn’t anything superfluous in the descriptions and really appreciated how both volumes fit together chronologically and stylistically. Definitely a must have for Beatles fans to get the full story of Martin’s achievements and innovations throughout his lifetime.
September 26, 2025
An unbelievable deep dive into George Martin and ultimately the Beatles
Together with part one, Maximum Volume, these two books may be the two most important books to read for those interested in George Martin, The Beatles and music in general. These are not for the faint of heart, they are a deep dive into music, engineering and production. Both books like the man and the music are a masterpiece.
Together with part one, Maximum Volume, these two books may be the two most important books to read for those interested in George Martin, The Beatles and music in general. These are not for the faint of heart, they are a deep dive into music, engineering and production. Both books like the man and the music are a masterpiece.
October 1, 2019
I love anything related to The Beatles including George Martin and found this book worth reading but a little drawn out at times. The narration was engaging as far as Audible books go which helped because this is a book that runs almost 24 hours.
All in all if you're looking to find out more about The Beatles and their producer I highly recommend it.
All in all if you're looking to find out more about The Beatles and their producer I highly recommend it.
January 18, 2023
Womack's two part biography of George Martin is very worthy of the man.
It's interesting to understand his involvement with the band from the technical perspective, and to get a wider perspective on his whole, lengthy career.
Maybe could have benefited from a discography of Martin productions, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the book.
It's interesting to understand his involvement with the band from the technical perspective, and to get a wider perspective on his whole, lengthy career.
Maybe could have benefited from a discography of Martin productions, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the book.
January 1, 2019
A great follow-up to Womack's previous book on Martin, Maximum Volume. While I wish more time had been focused on his post-Beatles production era (1970 through 2016 takes up only the last third of the book and feels a bit rushed), it was nonetheless a fantastic read.
December 11, 2020
Great read about George and, of course, The Beatles post Rubber Soul plus the other artists he worked with.
Some really interesting detail of the studio sessions, often where the band were coming up with stuff almost from scratch, with the tape always running to catch what was being worked through.
Some really interesting detail of the studio sessions, often where the band were coming up with stuff almost from scratch, with the tape always running to catch what was being worked through.
December 3, 2021
Amazing read
Every Beatles fan should read these books. I learned so many thing that listening to the Beatles again is whole new experience for me. I hear thing I’ve never heard before. Recommended
Every Beatles fan should read these books. I learned so many thing that listening to the Beatles again is whole new experience for me. I hear thing I’ve never heard before. Recommended
March 6, 2022
Good read about a great producer
As The Man who brought The Beatles Recorded Music to us he was un matched. To read about most of those times and his other interests in music was a joy to read.
As The Man who brought The Beatles Recorded Music to us he was un matched. To read about most of those times and his other interests in music was a joy to read.
March 22, 2021
The 4 stars is for the sheer volume of info. I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into non Beatles stuff, especially recording Stackridge. But a really good book. Beatle fans will not be disapointed.
March 30, 2022
An amazing in-depth story of George Martin's life.
October 17, 2024
This is a fascinating and detailed account of the last phase of The Beatles, winding down live appearances and touring to focus on studio albums and such creations not practical to perform live.
This is the story of George Martin and the Beatles' experimentation inside the studio as Brian Epstein recedes and damage control over “Beatles are more popular than Jesus” and other image-damaging moves. Recorded masterworks recalled in details include Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. During this period is rather the real scandal how little EMI supported The Beatles with recording resources and how much Lennon wanted the sound of his own voice changed. Also, the practical difficulties of doing the sound experiments themselves was immense.
[Audible version]
This is the story of George Martin and the Beatles' experimentation inside the studio as Brian Epstein recedes and damage control over “Beatles are more popular than Jesus” and other image-damaging moves. Recorded masterworks recalled in details include Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. During this period is rather the real scandal how little EMI supported The Beatles with recording resources and how much Lennon wanted the sound of his own voice changed. Also, the practical difficulties of doing the sound experiments themselves was immense.
[Audible version]
March 14, 2025
Just spectacular. Rich in detail and lovingly done.
September 7, 2025
Author Kenneth Womack's sequel to Maximum Volume is Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producers George Martin, The Later Years, 1966-2016, and it is an extraordinary extension of Maximum Volume. In this significantly longer biography, Womack gives the reader an intimate look at The Beatles' creative process as he goes into minute detail about their writing process and of course the creativity of their recordings, assisted by the expertise of producer extraordinaire, George Martin.
We not only learn about how The Beatles' various experiments in the recording studio were responsible for such albums as Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, and The Beatles, but we also see how various experiences in their lives changed them, i.e., the premature death of Brian Epstein, their need to record without George Martin every now and again, their marriages, etc.
It's a long but extraordinarily detailed book that is ostensibly about George Martin and his magic in the recording studio but also about the lives and spectacular creativity of the best band in music history.
I loved it.
ADDENDUM: I listened to the book a second time and it is just as entertaining and informative as the first time...perhaps even more so. If you're a Beatles fan, THIS is a fantastic book to add to your library. Yes, it can get technical, but it also gives us a first-hand look at how their work was created, from Rubber Soul on.
I couldn't get enough and I couldn't get it out of my head. Hence, the second read within one year.
We not only learn about how The Beatles' various experiments in the recording studio were responsible for such albums as Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, and The Beatles, but we also see how various experiences in their lives changed them, i.e., the premature death of Brian Epstein, their need to record without George Martin every now and again, their marriages, etc.
It's a long but extraordinarily detailed book that is ostensibly about George Martin and his magic in the recording studio but also about the lives and spectacular creativity of the best band in music history.
I loved it.
ADDENDUM: I listened to the book a second time and it is just as entertaining and informative as the first time...perhaps even more so. If you're a Beatles fan, THIS is a fantastic book to add to your library. Yes, it can get technical, but it also gives us a first-hand look at how their work was created, from Rubber Soul on.
I couldn't get enough and I couldn't get it out of my head. Hence, the second read within one year.
December 27, 2018
While I enjoyed the first volume of this two-volume set very much, the second volume was a let down. Perhaps not surprisingly, it focuses, in mind-boggling detail, on Martin's production of virtually every Beatles song recorded during this period (other than "Let It Be" and related sessions). Other writers have done this; if you're a Beatles fanatic, most of this part of the narrative (and it's a HUGE part) will seem tedious. By way of example, about 100 pages are devoted to the making of the 13 songs on the Sgt. Pepper album plus "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane."
As a result, "Sound Pictures" doesn't seem like a book about George Martin at all. I suppose Womack's treatment will appeal to a very narrow audience, but not me. And that's too bad - Volume 1 captured more of George Martin the man, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more.
As a result, "Sound Pictures" doesn't seem like a book about George Martin at all. I suppose Womack's treatment will appeal to a very narrow audience, but not me. And that's too bad - Volume 1 captured more of George Martin the man, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more.
January 28, 2020
For people of a certain age with an interest in how the Beatles created their recordings, this book is a must. In addition, this book together with the fist volume provide a very readable account of George Martin’s life.
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