Kevin Ryan & Brian Kehew: Recording The Beatles

Subtitled The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums, this 540-page hardbound book arrives in a pseudo EMI tape box and is heavier than a 2" reel of tape. It has three sections: I -covering Abbey Road and the people involved; II -the equipment used there; III -effects, in house instruments, and other studios used; and IV -"Production", chronologically covering sessions, gear, and techniques. This is an extensively researched book (read an interview with the authors in Tape Op #53), with details never before explained on gear, tracking, and techniques. There are also pages of rare or previously unseen photos of gear, Abbey Road, and The Beatles; and the whole book is laid out very logically and pleasing to the eye. Even if you are into recording but couldn't care less about The Beatles, this book is essential in its coverage of the history of Abbey Road, the advances in equipment they saw, and the history of recording techniques used. This is information that might have been lost without the work that Kevin and Brian put into it. I'd also like to point out that the authors self-published this book-not some faceless company! The bottom line of my disjointed review is that if you are an avid reader of the magazine you have in you hands, you will be blown away by Recording The Beatles, and it will provide untold days of reading and astonishment. Now if someone would do the same for other famous studios and artists; I always get the feeling we're racing against time to interview everyone out there and document the history of the world of recording. ($100 direct; www.recordingthebeatles.com)