The book is not a hard read at all, but it did take me a while to finish it (mainly because I'm busy, and also because I'm one of those people who will be in the middle of 4 or 5 books at a time). Having grown up in the Cleveland media market, the book brought back a lot of great memories of the Cleveland radio stations, the marketing of the Beatles concert, and the entire phenomenon that was Beatle Mania.
As I said in the original post, it is hard to describe the mania to one who didn't experience it. That's a good reason to read this book. The Beatles were essentially in the eye of the storm, and what a storm it was. The second Cleveland concert described in the book took place just 15 days before their final concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, and it's no wonder that they chose to quit touring. Thousands of fans stormed the stage in Municipal Stadium, some actually GETTING ON THE STAGE. You have to marvel at how the Beatles handled all of it.
I'm going to cite directly from the book -- and again, Dave, let me know if there are any problems with me doing so. These comments came from John T., who attended many concerts in Cleveland, including both Beatles concerts:
I have seen almost every major musical act there was to experience from 1965 through the 90's. I can honestly tell you, there was nothing compared to the Beatles' wild shows in Cleveland. The Beatles even stated on an old Ed Rudy interview album that Cleveland was the wildest, most out of control city they ever played in. Why do you think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is there - by accident? Cleveland is no accident; just ask any rock and roll band that has ever played there.
I recommend this book to anyone who attended the concert, or wish they had; to anyone who grew up anywhere near Cleveland; to anyone who grew up anywhere else during the mania; and to anyone who did not grow up at that time, but who wants to understand the enormous influence the Beatles had - and still have - on music.
Note: Since original post, I have received approval from Dave Schwensen to use the poster and the excerpt. I should also note that Dave attended the concert, so not only am I jealous, but he has first-hand experience.
2 comments:
Interesting. Cleveland is special to me as it was there - at Red Raider Camp in nearby Novelty that I worked as a camp counsellor in the mid seventies. To think The Beatles had wowed Cleveland just ten years before -probably with one of those awful sound systems they had in the sixties... What was it - sociologically speaking - that American youth found in The Beatles? Why were they embraced so wildly? It wasn't just th music - that's for sure.
Volumes have been written about the sociological impact/reasons, but from my viewpoint, it probably had more to do with the relative prosperity of the post WWII generation, and the Kennedy assassination. Kids had more time on their hands than their parents did at that age, and the assassination upset the great cosmic machine. Change was needed, and the Beatles certainly were different. And I beg to differ, the music (particularly starting with Revolver and Rubber Soul) was groundbreaking.
The Cleveland concerts were vastly under amplified...think of an amp that a band would use at a wedding reception, and put that in Municipal Stadium. Not that anyone could hear the music!
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