Visualizing the Beatles

April 2, 2018
Pring and Thomas, British graphic designers and first-time authors, present a history of the Beatles that manages to add something new to the shelves of books already written about the Fab Four. Through a range of graphic devices—including charts, drawings, maps, concert set lists, and historical time lines—the authors succeed in their stated attempt “to create something beautiful, vibrant, and original from the data their music left behind.” It is one thing to read about the Beatles’ songwriting, but it is another to see striking full-page charts for each Beatles album comparing song keys and instrumentation, allowing readers to see patterns and changes in various aspects of the band’s work and career. Organized chronologically by albums as they were originally released in England—from Please Please Me to Let It Be—the book charts the band’s evolution throughout the 1960s and offers visual treats including a map of “The Beatles First Ever Tour” in 1961 of 25 provincial British cities, and an illustration of the countries where Abbey Road sold more than 10 million copies. This is a volume that will be enjoyed by both hardcore Beatlemaniacs and more casual fans.

April 1, 2018

Offering everything from a basic map of key Fab Four addresses in London to word clouds of song lyrics in each album, freelance designers Pring and Thomas use creative infographics to deliver at-a-glance Beatles facts: clothing styles, instruments played, who wrote which songs, and more. The material is organized by album and usually accompanied by bright and clever design elements, while album overviews, time lines, and snippets of background material fill in around the edges. VERDICT Entertaining and educational. Suitable for all public libraries.--Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2018
Decades after the breakup heard around the world, the Fab Four continue to be the subject of biographies and analyses. The latest entry in the catalog of all things Beatles is something completely different?their story told in full-color infographics. Most of the book consists of an examination of every Beatles album from 1963's Please Please Me to 1970's Let It Be, in which lyrical content, songwriting credits, instruments used, cover design, and more are analyzed. Tours, hairstyles, fashion choices, and all manner of other Beatles lore are also addressed throughout the text. All of this information is presented in clear, clever, and colorful full-page spreads. Beatlemaniacs old and new will say yeah, yeah, yeah to this unique compendium.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)