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List Price: $19.95 | | Publisher: Continuum
Salesrank: 913110
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| Our Price: $9.00 |
| Used Price: $0.34 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
True, it was before my time, but the Beatles were the sociological and cultural phenomenon of the twentieth-century. In the 1960s, the musical messiahs from Liverpool pioneered a new fulfi lling era of music based on the simple concepts of love, peace and enlightenment. Seventy-three million spectators and 43% of all television sets in the country witnessed the Beatles' first appearance in the United States. The crime rate amongst American teenagers dropped to virtually zero that evening. The most popular, repeatedly covered, infl uential and enduring rock group of all time made rock and roll an artistic medium with recognizable images and idols.
In the mid-80s...U2 was reaching global fame with The Joshua Tree, and "With Or Without You" was the hottest thing on MTV; you remember, back when they actually showed music videos. A few years later, "Desire" was aired just prior to Rattle And Hum's release in theatres. I was immediately hooked. Listening to the record's introductory song, "Helter Skelter," I even got a history lesson on Charles Manson and the Beatles. In the early 90s, I was in high school when Achtung Baby and Zoo TV conquered the planet. The singles, "The Fly" and "Mysterious Ways" immediately won me over. Their Zoo TV tour in 1991 was a multimedia extravaganza like I had never before experienced...
Although there may be a general feeling that the careers of the Beatles and U2 parallel one another, especially the work and political interests of John Lennon and Bono, they have yet to be compared at length. Bono himself has admitted the deep connection he has always had to Lennon and the music of the Beatles, and it seems fair to say that Bono has drawn inspiration from both. Since the 1980s U2 has captured the attention of thoughtful rock fans in a similar, if less frenzied, way as the Beatles did. To compare the two, Todd McFliker discusses their monumental concerts, their many tribute bands, films and documentaries, and draws a direct comparison of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's with U2's Achtung Baby.
All You Need Is Love to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: How the Beatles and U2 Changed the World Reviews:
Disappointed 
2009-04-12 - I was excited to read this book--it seemed like it was going to be such a great read. The title itself really drew me in being clever and catchy. But by the second chapter it became clear that this book was going to be a waste of my time and money. There are so many mistakes in this book, it's embarrassing. Especially with regards to U2, lots of errors. Not knowing alot about the Beetles, I don't know if mistakes were made about them but since the author got so many details wrong about U2, I'm sure there are factual errors about the Beetles. For example on page 32, he says "Lemon" was sung by the Edge on the album Zooropa. Edge did not sing "Lemon"--he sang "Numb". Lots of errors like that appear throughout the book. Plus the author, Todd McFlicker, seems to contradict himslef from time to time. I advise that you keep your money--buy a different book! This one is awful!
Fun Read 
2008-12-08 - Amazon came up with this book as a suggestion when I was looking at other items and boy am I glad it did. What a fun read. I am a big fan of both U2 and the Beatles and I had never seen a author conpare and contrast the two bands before. Todd McFliker put together a good book that really makes you think and look deeper into the music of these two great bands. I Can't wait to see what bands he works on next...
Awesome book!
2008-10-21 - Interesting approach with lots of details. It just helps me appreciate more two of the best bands ever.
Unfortunate Read
2008-01-06 - I agree with the other "one star" reviewer. This book had great potential but was a big disappointment. I don't agree with some of the information given to the reader about U2 (as a person studying Bono from an academic framework - I believe the author isn't entirely correct on some of his analysis). The repetative parts got to be annoying and insulting to the reader. A good alternative read is "U2 and Philosophy".
This book is "All You Need"
2008-01-02 - A great book from an ardent fan. A must-read for any music lover looking to delve deeper into the world of U2 and/or The Beatles. An informative yet personal approach to the interesting material makes this the perfect piece for any aficionado of either band.
