Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Sheena (dazeerae) - Reviews

1 to 20 of 56 - Page:
All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Review Date: 9/27/2009


The last 7 chapters of this book make the whole interview worthwhile, in which Lennon delves into the background of Beatles' songs, including Strawberry Fields, Revolution, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and many many more. He talks about what was going on at the time of each song, who was the primary author (usually himself or McCartney), and the inspiration for the lyrics and instrumentation.

It's interesting to note which songs were "given away," such as "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" and "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" (both written by Lennon with lead vocal responsibilities given to Harrison) and "I Wanna Be Your Man" (first given to The Rolling Stones, later recorded by The Beatles with Ringo on lead vocals). John is very forthcoming on which songs were Paul's, heaping high praise or harsh criticism on numerous McCartney compositions, with equal parts praise and criticism of his own work.

He eventually discusses some post-Beatles songs, including Jealous Guy, Imagine, Mind Games, and others. The interview done just days before his death is summed up beautifully and prophetically with Lennon saying, "Something could change [...] Who knows what's going to happen?"


An American Haunting : The Bell Witch
An American Haunting : The Bell Witch
Author: Brent Monahan
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 31
Review Date: 7/30/2008
Helpful Score: 6


This is a detailed first-hand account of the Bell family's supernatural experiences. Although the author is listed as Monahan, the book is actually written by Richard Powell who witnessed the events. Powell was married to Elizabeth Bell, the young woman who bore the brunt of the ghost's violence. Determined to make sense of the haunting, Powell eventually learns the ugly truth from his own wife.


Beatles Forever
Beatles Forever
Author: Helen Spence
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 10/30/2011


This is a quick read, with lots of great oversized pictures. This would make a nice coffee table book, or a great read for a new Beatles fan. It gives a good overview of the Beatles' career.


The Beatles In Hamburg
The Beatles In Hamburg
Author: Jurgen Vollmer
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 12/15/2009


Sorely lacking...this book contains only 20 photographs of various members of The Beatles, with the bulk of the photos of John Lennon and George Harrison as the main subject. The best picture in the book is the one on the cover, with a blurry Stuart Sutcliffe, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison walking by Lennon. There's another notable picture in the book of Stuart & John looking at one another while performing in Germany. Although Harrison was 17 when the pictures in this book were made, he could have passed for 14 or 15 years old! Aside from pictures of The Beatles, there are a handful of pictures of Hamburg youth, including rockers and "exis" (existentialists).

I was really looking forward to this book, thinking it would be a coffee table photography book. Actually, it's the size of a children's hardcover book. With fewer than 20 pages of text and only 20 photos of The Beatles, this book is a disappointment to fans of the greatest band of all time.


Beatles in Their Own Words
Beatles in Their Own Words
Author: Barry Miles (Editor), Pearce Marchbank (Editor)
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 2.3/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 8/17/2008
Helpful Score: 4


This book contains many large photos of the Beatles and great quotes from each member of the band on their lives, song lyrics, extra curricular activities, and politics. It is an interesting read for any fan.


The Beatles in their Own Words:  Paul McCartney Beyond the Myth (Audiobook) (Unabridged)
Review Date: 12/30/2009


Track listing for the interviews in this audio book:

1. Introduction by Author
2. Paul's Younger Brother, Mike McCartney
3. Mike McCartney
4. Paul McCartney
5. Cavern Club Compere, Bob Wooler
6. Beatles Personal Assistant, Alistair Taylor
7. Early Beatles Compere, 'Father' Tom McKenzie
8. Mike McCartney
9. Carvern Club Doorman, Paddy Delaney
10. Paul McCartney
11. Paul McCartney
12. Apple Executive Peter Brown
13. Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Member, Roger Ruskin Spear
14. Bonzo Dog Man Neil Innes
15. Roger Ruskin Spear
16. Neil Innes
17. Bonzo Dog Drummer, 'Legs' Larry Smith
18. Paul McCartney
19. Mike McCartney
20. Denny Laine
21. Denny Laine
22. Steve Holly
23. Mike McCartney
24. Denny Laine
25. Paul McCartney
26. George Harrison
27. Paul McCartney
28. Paul McCartney
29. More exclusive reminiscences from Paul McCartney and Julia Baird


The Beatles: Unseen Archives
The Beatles: Unseen Archives
Author: Tim Hill, Marie Clayton
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 2.8/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 9/13/2008
Helpful Score: 6


This book is filled with numerous photographs chronicling the entire span of the Beatles. I particularly enjoyed the chronology notes on each time period, which lists both professional and personal events in each of the lives of the band members.

There are slight factual errors and typos. For example, John Lennon's song, "Beautiful Boy," is called "Beatiful [sic] Boys" in the book, and once John's name is incorrectly substituted for Paul's in a statement about "John and Linda" rather than Paul and Linda.

Despite the typos, the chronology notes make interesting reading. For instance, John married Yoko only eight days after Paul married Linda. Also, George and Pattie were busted for cannabis possession on the same day as Paul's wedding. Lots of great Beatles trivia and rare photographs.


The Bell Witch : An American Haunting
The Bell Witch : An American Haunting
Author: Brent Monahan
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
 31
Review Date: 6/6/2008
Helpful Score: 2


This is a detailed first-hand account of the Bell family's supernatural experiences. Although the author is listed as Monahan, the book is actually written by Richard Powell who witnessed the events. Powell was married to Elizabeth Bell, the young woman who bore the brunt of the ghost's violence. Determined to make sense of the haunting, Powell eventually learns the ugly truth from his own wife.


A Cellarful of Noise
A Cellarful of Noise
Author: Brian Epstein, Martin Lewis
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 10/26/2008
Helpful Score: 4


This book by the Beatles' manager is somewhat boring and rambling, but sprinkled with great tidbits of insight into what the Fab Four were really like in the chapter called, "Them." The book is filled with shameless self-promotion and feigned modesty, and yet Epstein manages to come off as likable and gentlemanly. It is apparent that he cared a great deal for the Beatles as well as the other bands he managed. It is a shame that he died so young, and one can't help but wonder if Beatles' history would have been greatly altered if the man who promoted them to fame hadn't passed all too soon.


Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul: Stories of Love and Inspiration for the Single, Divorced and Widowed
Review Date: 9/8/2008
Helpful Score: 2


I found this book disheartening. I thought it would be a book filled with uplifting stories about people living life as a single person. Instead, it was filled with stories of finding romantic love at unexpected places and times. I didn't find it to be inspirational for someone who is staying single.


Cookin' Healthy With One Foot Out the Door/Quick Meals for Fast Times
Review Date: 7/7/2008
Helpful Score: 4


This is one of my favorite vegan cookbooks! The recipes are very easy, and the book is fun to read. There is a pantry list of suggested items and a glossary to explain the more unusual ingredients. Also, there is a section of things you can make up ahead of time to use in recipes, like a baking mix or a spice mix. This small cookbook is packed with lots of good recipes and fun commentary.


Dakota Days
Dakota Days
Author: John Green
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 10/20/2009


Inside information on the last 5 years of John Lennon's life from the perspective of Yoko Ono's tarot card reader. The years that John referred to as his househusband period, was actually a time of lethargy, apathy, & songwriter's block. The Lennons employed too many servants-including a nanny- to necessitate a househusband.

Green documents John's descent into depression, sometimes bordering on psychosis, culminating in a 15-month period of self-imposed solitude in his Dakota apartment bedroom. Yoko copes with John's hermeticism by throwing herself into the business of making money for the family by acting as John's Apple representative, and through a number of unusual investments-including organic farming and the purchase of an ancient sarcophagus.


Delta of Venus
Delta of Venus
Author: Anais Nin
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 23
Review Date: 6/18/2008
Helpful Score: 4


The first story has disturbing scenes involving children.


The First Four Years (Little House, Bk 9)
Review Date: 7/7/2008
Helpful Score: 4


I love this book because it tells about Laura and Manly's first few years of marriage. The manuscript was not prepared for publication by Laura, because it was not found until after her death. Therefore, the book is not as well-written or detailed as the previous Little House books. However, if you enjoy Laura's other books, this book will be of interest. I found out things about Laura's life that I never knew until I read this book.


Gift from the Sea
Gift from the Sea
Author: Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 109
Review Date: 6/8/2008
Helpful Score: 6


Gift from the Sea is a beautiful story about the author's summer of solitude on the shore. She uses the different shells she finds to represent the different stages of a woman's life. While living alone in a beach shack, she learns to appreciate living simply, finding joy in the mundane while reflecting on the richness of life.


Here, There and Everywhere
Here, There and Everywhere
Author: Geoff Emerick
Book Type: Audio CD
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 10/18/2009


Fantastic fly-on-the-wall view of The Beatles in the recording studio. Emerick gives details & anecdotes of each of The Beatles albums he helped record, along with his personal opinion on John, Paul, George, & Ringo. His views on their personalities is somewhat one-dimensional with most of the praise being heaped on McCartney. However, his insight into The Beatles in the studio more than makes up for it. Interesting tidbits include how the band and their friends created all the ambient sounds on A Day in the Life, and how the underwater sound was achieved on the song Yellow Submarine (it involves water, a microphone, and a condom!).


Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles
Review Date: 10/19/2009


Fantastic fly-on-the-wall view of The Beatles in the recording studio. Emerick gives details & anecdotes of each of The Beatles albums he helped record, along with his personal opinion on John, Paul, George, & Ringo. His views on their personalities is somewhat one-dimensional with most of the praise being heaped on McCartney. However, his insight into The Beatles in the studio more than makes up for it. Interesting tidbits include how the band and their friends created all the ambient sounds on A Day in the Life, and how the underwater sound was achieved on the song Yellow Submarine (it involves water, a microphone, and a condom!).


How Will We Get to the Beach? (Michael Neugebauer Book)
How Will We Get to the Beach? (Michael Neugebauer Book)
Author: Brigitte Luciani
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 13
Review Date: 6/3/2009


Roxanne wants to go to the beach, but her car won't start. She wants to take her umbrella, the beach ball, her book, the pet turtle, and her baby, but every form of transportation she tries prohibits her from taking one of the items. Your child will have to look carefully to see which item cannot be taken on each vehicle: the bus, the boat, the hot air balloon, and the bicycle. Finally, along comes a way to go to the beach that allows her to take all five things to the beach.

This is a great book for young children (age 3-6), because it makes kids think, helping them learn to focus on the details of the story and its illustrations.


Imagine
Imagine
Author: John Lennon
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 3/22/2010


This is a children's book with illustrations to go with the lyrics to John Lennon's song, Imagine. The artwork is sweet and colorful, and seems to be set in New York city with pictures appearing to show Central Park and the New York skyline. (I can't say for sure since I've never been there.) This is a nice book for broad-minded peace-loving parents & teachers to share with children.


Imagine: A Celebration of John Lennon
Imagine: A Celebration of John Lennon
Author: John Lennon
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 4/21/2009


This is a slim coffee table book with photographs of John Lennon, interspersed with song lyrics from "Imagine," and includes a handful of photos of John with Yoko. I love the photos of John when he was younger, looking so handsome and often sporting a witty smirk. Overall, though, I wasn't enthused with the book. With so few pages -only 48- there isn't much room to showcase the artistic beauty of the man who dreamed of "all the people living life in peace."


1 to 20 of 56 - Page: