The Beatles In Cleveland
ClassicRock@
The Beatles In Cleveland
Memories,
Facts & Photos About The Notorious 1964 & 1966 Concerts
Review by Dave White, About.com
Such was the cultural phenomenon that infused itself in the world's collective consciousness that, yes, there could BE something else to write about The Beatles some 50 years after John Lennon's high school skiffle band played its first notes.
Cleveland Rocks
The Beatles toured the US three times, in the summers of 1964, 1965 and 1966. Their first and last tours featured concerts in Cleveland. Both ended in riots. Sounds like an interesting subject for a book, eh?
It's no coincidence that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland. It was a Cleveland DJ, Alan Freed who coined the term "rock and roll" (he was actually describing up-tempo R&B) in the very early 1950s and put together what is believed to have been the first rock and roll concert, The Moondog Coronation Ball, at Cleveland Arena in 1952.
Against that backdrop, it seemed only fitting that The Beatles should make Cleveland one of the stops on their first US tour. It looked good on paper, but it turned out to be a decision that the band and the city would come to regret.
After the '64 concert ended with the audience storming the stage of Public Hall, the city actually banned any future Beatles concerts. But the promise of a bigger venue, better preparedness for crowd control, and the chance to erase the bad memory of the first concert, convinced the city to relent and allow the band to return in 1966. Sadly, the outcome was the same, except that there were many more people who stormed the stage at Cleveland Stadium ... twice!
The Truth is in the Telling
Dave Schwensen is an accomplished author, with three books and a syndicated newspaper column on his resume. In this book, he sets the scene, but then turns the actual storytelling over to people who were actually involved in the concerts -- radio stations that sponsored them, bands who opened for them, reporters who covered them, and fans who attended them.
The stories are fascinating, although the format takes some getting used to. Chapters devoted to the various pieces of the story switch back and forth between the various storytellers. Some of their names become familiar, but I found myself on several occasions having to stop and refer back to the section that identifies this "Cast of Characters" to remember who did what.
That minor bump aside, these are fascinating stories, well told. There was one chapter in which I thought the material got a bit repetitive, but otherwise the book flows nicely from one "scene" to the next.
Is It For You?
Of course, any serious Beatles fan will want to read this book, as will past and present residents of Cleveland who will be able to relate to the landmarks, personalities and other bits of local memorabilia.
Less rabid, more casual fans will find this to be an interesting glimpse behind the curtain at this fascinating cultural phenomenon.
If you've never read a Beatles book, this would not be the one to start with, only because it covers such small slivers of The Beatles' career. But you would want to put it on your list for later reading after you pass Basic Beatles 101.
Dave Schwensen writes, "The influence of The Beatles should never be underestimated. Their impact on music, society and history ignited the 1960's and continues to this day. It's a safe bet to say that your children's grandchildren will know of The Beatles."
Could there BE any more Beatles books? To you, Chandler Bing, I say an unqualified "Yes!" and this book proves it.