Andrew Grant Jackson has written for Rolling Stone, Yahoo!, Slate’s “Blogging the Beatles,” Baseline Studio System, music magazines Burn Lounge, Mean Street, and Dispatch, and copyedited the Hollywood monthly magazine Ingenue. He directed and cowrote the feature film The Discontents starring Perry King and Amy Madigan and served as actor Jeff Bridges’s development associate at AsIs Productions.
In this creative history of the solo careers of John, Paul, George,
and Ringo, Jackson reimagines the artists’ individual output into
“fantasy albums” that could have been put out had the Fab Four
remained an intact group—“The Beatles Albums That Should Have Been”
(which would have made a fine subtitle). Nearly 200 songs have been
cherry-picked, with extensive information offered, such as
musicians, chart history, story behind the creation of the song,
and the meaning of the lyrics. The chummy tone and the sheer
subjectiveness make this unsuitable as a reference work but loads
of fun for Beatles fans.
*Booklist*
The celebration of the Fab Four's 50th anniversary continues with
Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles' Solo
Careers. Author Andrew Grant Jackson, a music journalist and
filmmaker, delves into the more than 70 albums and 900 songs
collectively unveiled by John, Paul, George and Ringo since they
disbanded 42 years ago. "There are a dozen brilliant Beatles albums
to be carved out of their solo albums," Jackson has observed.
Included, too, are collaborations with other icons such as Phil
Spector, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Elvis Costello.
*USA Today*
Analysis, commentary, and biography on the Beatles abound, but
relatively little has been written about John, Paul, George, and
Ringo’s post-Beatles recordings. Freelance music writer Jackson’s
first book spotlights what he considers the best of the ex-Beatles’
oft-underrated post-1970 recordings as solo artists, and as members
of Wings and the Plastic Ono Band. Jackson, an obvious Beatles
fanatic, compiles his chosen cuts into 12 fictitious albums spread
across the past 40 years. Jackson critiques and analyzes each song
and puts it into biographical context, adding detailed studio
session information, recording credits, and sales-chart peaks. The
analyses are insightful and informed, with the author relying
heavily on previous scholarship and interviews with the ex-Beatles
and associates, and adding his own strong opinions. Jackson
admirably digs beneath the obvious hits to uncover and discuss deep
album tracks, commercial flops, and rare b-sides. Ringo fans will
be delighted by Jackson’s insistence on finding room on each
“album” for at least one of the funny Beatle’s tracks....VERDICT
This creative, enlightening, and informative work by a welcomed
entrant to Beatles scholarship is highly recommended to anyone
interested in learning more about the Fab Four’s sporadically great
post-breakup recordings.
*Library Journal*
Overall, it's an interesting take on what might have been; an
imaginary glimpse of what The Beatles may have released to the
world as a group had they remained together....Going over each
track with a fine-toothed comb, Jackson not only gives us details
of where each Beatle was at that stage of their career but also
what lead them there. On top of that he includes extensive
production details for each song, including session musicians and
where and when it was recorded.
*Examiner*
Still the Greatest is a very interesting and creative look at The
Beatles’ solo careers, and makes for a more enjoyable read than a
typical reference volume. Still the Greatest is an excellent volume
and definitely a worthwhile read for music scholars, music
enthusiasts, or fans of The Beatles.
*American Reference Books Annual*
If God is truly in the details, this exhaustive second-act gospel
radiates holy ghostliness.
*The Austin Chronicle*
[This book] skillfully manages to blend in the right amounts of
reference material and imagination to make this one of the most
enjoyable Beatles books in years … An inevitable yet delightful
by-product of reading the book is the “I’d have chosen this song
instead of that one” factor (witness the author’s presentation in
front of a captive audience at the recent Fest for Beatles Fans in
Chicago) … And while subjectivity naturally comes into play here,
Jackson demonstrates not only a solid knowledge of post-Beatles
history, but he astutely balances the biographical back story for
each of the songs as well. Beyond the musicians’ credits, release
dates, chart positions and such, he captures the songs’ essence
eloquently … Aesthetically, Jackson demonstrates an uncanny ability
to turn words (his, and the artists) into mini aural landscapes in
his descriptions of the songs’ musicality. His take on “Uncle
Albert / Admiral Halsey” paints a picture of the sound so vivid
that if one had never heard the actual record, they could virtually
imagine it quite precisely. Jackson demonstrates a deft
command of pop/rock culture as well, connecting the dots beyond the
Beatles’ world … Intellectually stimulating and at the same time
lots of fun, this one should be on every Beatle fan’s
bookshelf.
*Beatlefan Magazine*
Great addition to any Beatles library.
*Houston Press*
I love his book. Over the course of 300 or so pages, Jackson
explores the high points from the solo careers of John, Paul,
George and Ringo. More than simply presenting release dates,
recording info and chart positions, Jackson delves into the
inspiration for the lyrics and where the key players were at in
those moments. It's a new take on a much-chronicled band.
*Bobby Tanzilo, OnMilwaukee.com*
Andrew Grant Jackson gives us an indispensable book with the inside
story of the second career of the Beatles. The most exciting
aspect-the stories of each song and the unusual motives of the
writers. The book is a winner!
*Larry Kane, author of Ticket to Ride and Lennon Revealed*
I’m happy to be able to recommend a new book by a man with the
interesting name of Andrew Grant Jackson and it’s called Still the
Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles’ Solo Careers. Many of
us were traumatized by the breakup of the Beatles and you would not
believe how often it keeps coming up in my class on the culture and
politics of the seventies. The fellow is pretty smart and the book
is wonderfully well researched … With the Beatles having been
covered to death, this is really new territory, at least for me …
It’s really both quite fun and impressive, though he does not hate
the songs I hate and I find this a bit unnerving, given how on the
ball he is otherwise. Do I really need to rethink My Love?”
*Eric Alterman, The Nation*
Jackson (independent scholar) bases his chronological study of the
Beatles' solo careers on the idea that solo tracks recorded after
the Beatles' breakup can be grouped into theoretical Beatles
albums. Each tune included in his list of essentials receives
detailed and knowledgeable commentary covering session locations
and dates, personnel, production credits, release information, and
UK and US chart positions. Themes emerge, linking the solo outputs
of the various Beatles to evolving trends in pop music. Jackson's
treatment of each band member is evenhanded and appreciative, and
his book succeeds in inspiring readers, both serious fans and
novices, to return to the recordings. This volume does not aim to
replace or supersede The Beatles Solo on Apple Records, compiled by
Bruce Spizer (2005), but it ably supplements this key resource.
Jackson's commentary situating the output of solo members of the
Beatles within contemporary music is particularly enlightening.
This one-of-a-kind study of a cultural phenomenon discusses 70-plus
albums and some 900 songs. Excellent appendix; discographies.
Summing Up: Recommended. Collections emphasizing contemporary pop
music; general readers.
*CHOICE*
"The Beatles was just the beginning--the four fabs had extensive
solo careers. Here, a comparison."
*Sunday Denver Post*
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
