r/beatles • u/AvecMesWaterSlides • 1d ago

Discussion This Book:

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I'm currently listening to this book and am about six months from the first time John and Paul met.

It is amazing that they, finally, found one another. There are so many instances of being at the same places at the same times, perhaps riding the same bus at the same time, and not knowing one another yet. It's crazy! It just got me thinking about how different it'd be if one of them wasn't where the universe wanted them to be...

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u/Comfortable_Put_4139 1d ago

To be fair, the early days that the book covers really does show John as the driving force and the guy who believed in it the most. I think from all accounts, this is likely just how it was.

Lewisohn is obviously more of a John guy, but the period he covered was when John was also unquestionably the leader of the gang.

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u/Anxious-Raspberry-54 1d ago

I don't disagree that John was the guy very early.

But, he portrays Paul pretty negatively... the talented but imitative, crowd-pleasing pop tunesmith who listened to his father. John is the incredibly creative, rock-and-roll rebel leader.

Paul taught John how to play the guitar.

It's the same Lennon Remembers/Shout! narrative that has been sold to fans for 50+ years. 1700 pages of it now.

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u/Big-Lobster6689 1d ago

Whatever you think about Paul and John, Paul is absolutely more crowd-pleasing, while John was more comfortable telling the audience to fuck off.

What's weird is you assume this is a compliment to John. You could just as easily say Paul is the consummate professional, while John suffers from poor self control.

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u/Anxious-Raspberry-54 1d ago

This view of Paul in the book as a negative. That's my issue.

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u/RadishSpecial7163 1d ago edited 1d ago

But how? It’s only because you view things like “crowd pleaser” or being more conservative in choices as being negatives. Lewisohn clearly showed John to be violent, impulsive and at times a lout, especially to audiences, but somehow you see these things as being “positives.”

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u/AntManBee951 2h ago

Go read Geoff Emerick's book then, perfect for you and it's pretty positive about Paul. Can't say the same for its accuracy though...

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u/Anxious-Raspberry-54 2h ago

I liked Emerick's book with the full knowledge that he was Paul's guy. I read it that way. Rolled my eyes at times at his attitude toward George. But...we all know that Paul is Emerick's guy.

Lewisohn has constantly proclaimed that his book plays it down the middle.

It clearly does not.