New book combines fiction and Beatles history
Who Could Ask For More: Reclaiming The Beatles is a new book by Chris Gregory which differs radically from the many other books about the 'Fab Four'. Chris Gregory has created a work which pushes forward the boundaries of writing about popular music. By interspersing a commentary on The Beatles' music and lyrics (and a detailed discussion of their influences) with fictionalised sequences written from the point of view of the main 'players' in their story, he has combined an overview of The Beatles' art and times with poignant insights into the psychology of their creative processes.
The 'Beatles Story' (already chronicled in countless books and films) is re-imagined in a unique way. The author's aim is to 'reclaim' The Beatles from the aura of idealised nostalgia now promoted around the notion of 'The Sixties' by certain sections of the media. Chris sees The Beatles' art as essentially subversive; a soundtrack to the sexual, social and cultural 'revolutions' of their time; and their determination not to be 'sucked in' by the machinery of showbiz as one of their key strengths.
Tracing their main influences in 50s rock'n'roll and early soul, he recounts how, having invented an all-conquering 'hit formula' which shot them to unprecedented heights of global megastardom, they proceeded to develop at an astonishing pace, absorbing a huge range of influences to create an incredible capacity for diverse styles of music. He also examines in some detail how Bob Dylan inspired them to develop a more personal, poetic style of lyric writing and the ways in which drugs and meditation affected the nature of the journey through various states of consciousness which characterised their later songs. All this is echoed by the author's recreation of the 'inner voices' of The Beatles themselves.
Chris Gregory's passionate belief in the qualities of various forms of popular media has motivated him towards developing a highly distinctive and original approach to his writing in this field. A prize winning author at the age of thirteen, he has pursued a parallel career as a performing poet and writer of prose. A number of his poems and stories have been published over the years.
A former lecturer at the University of Lancaster, his books on popular media have expressed his commitment to exploring the aesthetics of television, film and popular music in a way which transcends what he regards as the narrowness of established academic approaches to these forms. Be Seeing You: Decoding The Prisoner (1997) is a study of the ground breaking 1960s TV series which identifies it as not only a key text of televisual art but a prophetic vision of today's 'surveillance society'. Star Trek: Parallel Narratives (2000) looks at how this multi-faceted group of TV series and films has grown to become a kind of 'future mythology' which has consistently reflected key contemporary social, political and psychological concerns.
In recent years he has developed a blogsite, From The Pen Of Chris Gregory, which showcases his writing on music, film and television as well as his poetry and short stories. His series of blog essays Modern Times Track By Track, an in-depth analysis of Bob Dylan's most recent album, has attracted a large readership and considerable critical plaudits.
Who Could Ask For More: Reclaiming The Beatles is available through the major internet booksellers. You can read excerpts from the book and pick one up at www.chrisgregory.org/blog.
Published May 10, 2008
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