5 comments about Inside the Yellow Submarine: The Making of the Beatles' Animated Classic.

1. I'm a Beatle fan from way back. Love them, will forever! As such, I buy every book about them, I have for years! A couple of years ago, this Hieronimus non-book came out. What a DISSAPOINTMENT!!! So BORING! Over and over again... the same info. It was like the author, Hieronimus (Bosch?) was some kind of street reporter, getting reactions from people who wanted to do nothing but sing their own praises. What a BORE! I couldn't believe such a trashy book would in any way start to explain how such a classic picture came to be, and it certainly didn't!
   
   And then to top it all, something I've never seen before in a book, advertising in the last pages!! The entire book is a study in bad taste, and that muddy cover which is hard to believe was done by Heinz Edelman.
   
   But there is good news!!! Last spring, another book came out on the Making of the Yellow Submarine. It's called UP PERISCOPE YELLOW by Al Brodax and it's just FANTASTIC!!! For one thing it's AUTHENTIC, written by the producer who was there, and knew the Beatles for a long time, he also produced their TV cartoons. It's clear that the wonderful stories he tells in his book (Al Brodax) came out of the close relationship he had with the Beatles. There are pictures in the book of Brodax and Segal working on the script, (Brodax was one of the co-writers) with Ringo playing the piano for him and Eric, with Brodax arguing with Paul about the script, etc... He knew them well. UP PERISCOPE YELLOW-WHAT A READ.



2. "Inside the Yellow Submarine" is a marvelous compendium of first person interviews with the Sub's chief creative officers.

   Anyone interested in learning about the design and creation of the Yellow Submarine, as well as the adventure we the crew had in the Sub's construction, is well advised to buy Dr. Bob's intricate and dedicated chronicle.

   As Dr. Bob has mentioned, the untold story behind this unique motion picture intrigued him, as it has many of YS's fans for decades.

   During those decades I firmly believed somewhere, someday, someone with the necessary energy, determination, organizational powers, breadth of insight and boundless curiosity would investigate the entire 'back story'.

   This is Dr. Bob's first volume about a voluminous subject, and what he has achieved here is a hurculean work in unearthing the answers to many 'lost' mysteries about the film's genesis.

   This seminal book has served not only to open dialog and solve many mysteries about Yellow Submarine, but it has happily led to locating and reuniting many of we crew members.

   Following our completing production, we all dispersed across the globe, many going on to launch our own animation studios and animation training schools.

   The tremendously original creative splash Yellow Submarine made at the time (1968), sent out such graphic tsunami waves worldwide, it influenced pop art culture itself; resonating undercurrents and surface highlights from YS are discernible in today's digital animation productions.

   YS was a trailblazer opening new graphic directions for mainstream animation entertainment, just as the Beatles did musically.

   Dr. Bob's book is far more than an excellent collection of remarkable first-person interviews, it sheds much needed light on many facets of the creative genius and innovative spirit involved in the film's creation, by a team of artists who, in the words of the late director, George Dunning, "Were brought together from all over the world and who seemed to be at a peak in their creative powers". (Chuck Jones/PBS 1980's memorium to George Dunning).

   If you're at all interested in animation, its history, trends and processes--and particularly if you've wondered about the creative people involved in it's construction and launching, this book (and hopefully subsequent volumes yet to come!) is a 'Must Have' for your reference shelf; be it innovative animation or inspiring creativity.

   Addendum:

   Apparently YS has found an entirely new audience today among children. A creation of the '60's consciousness and regarded somewhat askance by the so-called 'Establishment', with secondary references and meanings ascribed to it (like 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Alice in Wonderland'); today it's being enjoyed as what it essentially is: a bright, colorful, musical fairy tale with hilariously funny villains, and a happy ending.




3. I've always been curious about this film and what the people were like who were behind the curtain. It's been well documented elsewhere that The Beatles didn't make this film, but I never read much about this crazy group of artists in the swinging London of the 1960s who did. Finally, in this book, we get to hear what these creative people thought about while they developed the revolutionary ideas that went into this film. And unlike many other authors of Beatles-related books, who tend to focus on the glamour of The Beatles' personalities instead of the work itself, Dr. Bob Hieronimus does not skimp with the quotes from my new heroes, the struggling artists who brought Yellow Sub from concept to screen. The book reads like a communal diary from all the participants. The absorbing style is largely comprised of first-hand accounts from the film's creators, organized in such a clever way, with just enough commentary between, to allow readers to reach their own conclusions of who among the film's creators were Blue Meanies and who were Pepperlanders. I, for one, wouldn't want to miss one word of them. It's about time they had a chance to tell their own story and be given a stage to do so.



4. "Yellow Submarine", in its day, was a remarkable achievement in animation. While not exactly a Beatles movie, more inspired by their songs than anything truly related, it spun a lovely fairy-tale and used the spirit of the group members as heroes. More than 30 years after its release, the story of how it was made remained fascinating to fans of classic animation.

   So it was with some disappointment that I slogged through this book. The author has certainly done his homework. He's turned over every remaining stone and then some, found virtually all living participants, documented every step of the way to the screen for this story. And he's turned the story of one of the most imaginative movies of the 60s into the dullest book on the planet.

   It's not that what he has researched isn't in itself interesting. It's just that he can't tell what's real important information and what isn't. It seems like he collected masses of information and interviews, typed it all up on 3x5 cards and simply pasted it together into a book. Minutiae are treated as revelation; no detail is too minor to be included, and repeated. Redundancies abound; he has three participants telling the same story, one after the other, with little new between them. He repeats similar items 4 chapters beyond the first mention. Order and organization? Hardly. It just goes on and on and on.

   I can't fault the material that he's come up with, and in fact I applaud it. But what this author desperately needed was an editor, someone to assist him in crystallizing the material into a narrative that best told the tale of the creation of this landmark film. Instead, this "author" has simply assembled his notes into a word processor, and left it to the reader to sort it out. That's not scholarship - that's clerical.

   Nonetheless, it's all that's out there and the information throughout is valuable. If you've got the patience to sit through it.




5. With INSIDE THE YELLOW SUBMARINE, Dr. Robert Hieronimus has fashioned a captivating adventure that will appeal to far more than just Beatles completists or animation fans. I was thrilled at the inclusion of many, many pre-film design sketches, which I'm pretty sure have never been seen anywhere else before! As for the other reviewer on this site complaining about the color section, I read an interview with the author in a UK publication called "Record Collector" saying Apple did not want him to use any previously unpublished artwork, for reasons of their own. Maybe we will see an official coffee-table style "picture book" from them in the future! If so, there's still no way any other book will ever come close to containing the extraordinary detail that Hieronimus has compiled into INSIDE THE YELLOW SUBMARINE. This book does not suffer in the least from a lack of illustrations. There is one on almost every page and they are all large and well reproduced. I for one was very pleased to learn who the faces were behind this film, and thanks to the extraordinary effort of Dr. Robert Hieronimus, they are no longer anonymous!

5 comments about American Premium Record Guide 1900-1965 (American Premium Record Guide).

1. I have been collecting 78 rpm records for about 38 years.
   I became aware of this book when I was given a copy (the 2nd edition) as a gift many years ago.Since then I have bought each new edition as they have come out.
   I have not come across another guide for the collector of 78 rpm records which compares with this one.
   It doesn't cover every 78 ever issued.It would have to be huge (and expensive).Left out mostly are the common 'pop' discs of the 40's and 50's.
   Great label pictorial sections.
   Another very nice feature is that all names used by one artist or group are listed at the beginning of that entry.
   My only complaint is a lack of an index.(Earlier editions had one.)This is helpful since many artists appear in more than one section.Also,sometimes you might not be sure which section an artist might be in.(Such as Blues vs Jazz)
   I highly recommend this book.
   Thank you!



2. les docks has been the sole responsible book writer for pre war blues and jazz for a long long time.
   his books are facinating.
   his prices have always been absurdly LOW which he addresses in all honesty in the prelude pages.
   his scans are fantastic! truly one of the best books you can own to start looking for rare records.
   what it lacks and there probably good reason,is information about unknown records.but you can still see them pictured and hes finally admitting robert johnsons records are worth more than 50 dollars each! keep rockin les and id love to see the shellack shack someday!



3. This book has a lot of holes and should be considered a supplemental guide to the more thorough price guides out there like Rockin' Records. What I really enjoy about this book is how it indirectly communicates to the masses how small the percentage of 78's out there have any value in the marketplace.
   
   Typical flea-market hunters will come across large assortments of 78's over years of hunting but will find very little of any value. They will open up this guide and look up their records and not find them or find that they have little to no value. It's refreshing to have a guide that will humble the amateur collector and not give them false hopes about the values of their records. Selling 78's in most markets is next to impossible. Most dealers are relegated to selling them online, which is not a profitable venture unless the records are established collectables. This book helps delineate such records.
   
   It's hardly worth looking through the 45/EP/LP section with the other guides out there. The separation by genre is kind of unnecessary in my opinion. Also, it's true this book has little to say about international records. Russian and Chinese records are collectible but they are beyond the scope of this book. I can't really evaluate the high-end prices in this guide because I'm undereducated on the subject. Use auction results to help.
   
   I would only recommend buying this guide to those who have access to either a real large quality 78 collection (hot jazz, pre-war blues, rockabilly perhaps) or a desire to understand the patterns of 78 values. You will NOT turn your grandma's collection or your garage sale find into cash using this guide (99 times out of 100). Consider this a supplemental guide for 78's only.



4. If you have discovered a pile of old 78 rpm records of your grandparents and would like to know their value this book is probably NOT the right book for you. As the author indicates, most of the 78 rpm records are without any value for serious collectors. In this book you'll find names of artists that you have never known... Yes believe me: Your Bing Crosby "White Christmas" is not a rare item. It's quite common. Enjoy such a record as a vintage item but not as a collectible record. This is what the author says at the beginning. So once again: Don't buy this book in order to learn the value of your Dinah Shore, John McCormack, Frank Sinatra records..
   
   I cannot judge the values in the blues / rockabilly / country part of the book because I don't listen to such music. The values in the jazz part are in my opinion too low. Example: A rare Gennett in E condition (the book indicates the value of records in E) is very very hard to find and therefore the value is much higher than in the book. I have always paid more for a rare record than the value indicated in the book.
   
   However, the guide gives you an idea of the value of a rare record and this makes the book a must for any serious collector.



5. If you collect records by well-known artists or mainstream recordings from the 1960s-1990s,
   this probably isn't the guide for you.
   
   But, if you have 78s or obscure labels or titles, this is a great
   addition to your record guides. When I was collecting more
   intensely a few years back, I found that I ended up using about 6 different guides,
   and subscribed to Goldmine magazine, a tabloid out of Iola, Wisconsin. Out of all of these guides together,
   I could usually find out what I wanted to know about the records I was collecting.
   
   When it came to 78s, though, this was the book that I always turned to for
   information. I didn't always agree with what I saw listed as the value ( of course, I thought my records were worth more. Just look at all the guides till you find a price you like! ) but there
   is a lot of good info here. It's worth looking at just to see the record labels
   in the front of the book. I found that I could search through stacks of records while hunting armed with the knowledge of what were labels to zero in on for Blues, Jazz and the like, and if I could get the records
   cheaply enough, it was often worth the gamble to buy them and listen to unfamiliar artists once I got home.
   
   If you just want a price guide for mainstream music, there are better guides, like:
   Jerry Osborne's Official Price Guide to Records,
   Goldmine has good guides on 45s and records in general, and if you collect Doo-Wop try "Doo-Wop, the forgotten third of Rock 'n Roll" by Dr. Anthony J. Gribin & Dr. Matthew M. Schiff, and Warman's has guides just on Elvis and the Beatles (two separate books.)
   
   The Official Price Guide to Records has 13 pages on the Beatles compared to a handful of entries in les Docks' book. But, on the other hand, I found a price for a 45 by the 1950s R&B group, the "Go-boys," featuring Dudley Callicutt, in Les' book and nothing in the other guides.
   
   It's all a matter of what you're looking for. And if you have an artist's name, there's an index in the back.

5 comments about The Official Price Guide to Records, Edition #17 (Official Price Guide to Records).

1. welp..here it is.another book by jellyroll that says read it and become an expert!
   really now.come on.
   jerrys books have been going downhill for decades in my opinion.
   his early books were great and showed great pics of rare 45s although they ignored 78s mostly untill ten years ago.
   but the quality of this book and to honest the last ten or so has been decreasin down to the level of a newspaper.if fact its so bad that if you are blessed with bad eyesight like me,you shouldnt waste your time on this at all.
   worse yet there are countless horrid errors.
   many groups are thrown together only because they had the same name(although jerry is a nice guy and you can write or call him and tell him if he messes up or if you wanna contribute to his books.)
   my real pet peeve on his guides are not only the horrible print,but the awfull and often pointless pictures given on individual pages.
   like we wanna see some of these records at all?let alone in black and white>???
   many color pics are now included but are mindlessly thrown in.
   much attention if i want to be fair is elvis gets a load of attention..but its too confusing.
   by the time i found a few of his titles to price my eyeballs were hurting and popping out!
   last but not least,many artists have only labels and numbers listed.no names of the records.
   sigh.
   but if you want it buy it.
   its a good book if you are starting out or if you are into whitburn who will probably do his own gudes eventually.
   sorry jerry but thats how i feel after all the dough is spent.



2. My low score for this book is based not so much on the book's content but on how it is titled and marketed. The title should be "The Official Price Guide to ROCK Records," because that's basically what it is. I purchased this book as a reference for records BEFORE the Rock era and found it virtually useless for that purpose. I am an antique dealer and most of the records I come across are from the 1940s and before. For example, I wanted to reference vintage records on the original cast of the musical "South Pacific", early Lawerence Welk, Gordon MacCrae, 1940s "Peter Pan" Children's records--not exactly "obscure" artists. NONE of these records were listed. For goodness sake, the book even contains a explanation in it's introduction on how its [precious few] "NON-ROCK" records (yes, they actually used the term "non rock")were selected for inclusion! If that's not a dead give away as to this book being basically a ROCK record reference I don't know what is! If you want a reference for ROCK music this may be your cup of tea, but if you seek to research "non rock" records this is NOT the book you want. I'm returning mine today!



3. The book was very informative about history of records. I was looking for something that would help me with pricing, unfortunately this book did not help.



4. Bought this book to look up some very old records that my folks had. Maybe 1 out of 50 is listed. This book is a piece of doodoo.



5. It was exactly what I ordered, and was delivered on time

1 comments about Brambly Hedge Collectors Book & Price Guide.

1. What is the greatest boondoggle/stumbling block to the run ofthe mill avid Brambly Hedge aficionado/collector?
   Hands down, ithas to be a lack of information.
   
   Whether you are speaking of pieces ever done, dates of release, or countries availabe, it's all here in Louise Irvine's outstanding work. The photographs are well worth the price of the book, but on top of those is the documenting of the very complex and phenomenal merchandizing tale which is so indicative of not only the tremendous enthusiasm which exists for Jill Barklem's world of characters/stories/artwork, but this day in age in which it is occurring....ie the tail end of the 20th century.
   
   In America, when it comes to obtaining Brambly Hedge merchandise, we are at a big disadvantage compared to most of the other markets, that is the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia and Japan. In those places when you ask after Brambly Hedge Items at a gift or china shop there is instant product recognition. Here you are more likely to get a response like: "That's those little bunnies, right?" Louise's book somewhat levels the playing field for us poor Yanks with previously unavailable information.
   
   Louise Irvine has taken on the daunting task of identifying and photo cataloguing every item of major significance related to the community of English mice, known as the Brambly Hedge. These critters first appeared on the literary scene in 1980, in the form of the first four books by authoress, Jill Barklem. Since the introduction of the Spring; Summer; Autumn; and Winter "Stories" there have been no fewer than 2 dozen companies from all over the world with lines of merchandise with everything from China plates, figures in china, resin, and pewter, to stationery and even cosmetics in which to feature the mice made famous in Ms. Barklem's extremely eloquent and exquistitely illustrated children's books.

   The Collector's Book has an introduction of the general story of Jill and how she came to write and illustrate her stories. The chapters are then listed in descending order of the most prolific of the Brambly Hedge Licensees....32 pages devoted to Royal Doulton, with pictures of everything ever available from them, followed by a 27 page chapter devoted to Border Fine Arts and Enesco, on down the list to a final chapter of "Useful addresses". Included with each book is a very helpful price guide insert.

   Thank you, Mrs. Barklem, for your creativity and magnificent artistry captured in your eight wonderfully illustrated children's books. Thank you Louise, for the dogged persuit needed to put this fantastically documented and illustrated volume out there for the the consuming Brambly Hedge public to 'devour', as I am sure that they will. Best of luck and fortune to you and the Publishers of this volume. From a devoted "Brambly Hedger", Jo Ann Travis, USA

3 comments about Goldmine Standard Catalog of Rhythm & Blues Records (Goldmine Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums).

1. finally a book thats afordable about soul and real r&b recvords?
   welp..almost.
   not quite enough though because somhow towards the end of the listings it makes disco and hip hop rhythm and blues thereby scarring any well meaning attempt to show wonderfull people like ray charles,the robins and maybe even the hollywood flames respect.
   no real r&b artist deserves to be scraped into a book with all that crap.
   but neely did aGREAT!!! job on the early and scarcer records.
   unlike the kreiter guide which is nearly impossible to find and usually trashed,this bbook is more afordable and gives good insite to the music.(untill like i said..disco hits home).
   but its a good start.thanks tim!



2. Goldmine is to Music like what sports Card Magazines are to there Sports.very detail&tell you what to look for&how certain covers or records are more valuable than others.I've always dug Goldmine&this along with other collections from them is a must have.



3. being that there are no other books of this type out there to choose from, this book is essential for the discography information. gripes: 1st: there's too much recent muck listed in with the good stuff . 2nd: as usual, some of the prices these guys come up with are extremely debatable - but then, these guides are SUPPOSED to be a rough "guideline" to appraise lp's . 3rd: didn't find much on the rare soul and funk 45's & lp's i bought this book for. 4th: got a question: why are EXTENSIVE elvis presley and beatles discographies in every one of these price [...]guide books? geez! get over it already! both of those artists ALREADY HAVE THEIR OWN PRICE GUIDES and tons of books out there already covering every thought in their drug addled brains. i would have rather seen reproductions of some rare or unusual picture sleeves or lp covers. thank you. p.s. wouldn't all the price guide books be excellent if they were just music discography books instead of [...]price guides? yes, they would.

3 comments about Goldmine's Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (Goldmine Record Album Price Guide).

1. I found this book to be extremely informative, even though it may be missing many artists and albums in its price guide. The information pertaining to what to look for and what *not* to look for helped me immensely when I decided that I wanted to become a collector of vinyl.



2. I am very surprised about this issue missin many imprtant singers and has alot of wrong information the 4th addition is much much better than this issue.



3. Umphred is pretty sharp and his book is too. There are loads of good pictures and a host of informative essays in the front. The one about the Beatles and about the Dylan rarities are notable, as well as his list of the 100 most valuable albums. My collection is not that big, but I love this book and bought it even though a friend had already lent it to me. Enjoy

3 comments about Good Things from Tag Sales and Flea Markets (Good Things with Martha Stewart Living).

1. I know Martha Stewart has had bad press lately but her ideas are still pretty cool (plus this book was from a few years ago). I'm having a blast with this book because I love to go antiquing and looking for stuff to make things with. Granted, you may not find the extact items she uses but you can certainly find the same general items (e.g. egg cups, button covers, vintage fabrics). I really like how the book is laid out in terms of glass, textiles, etc. Also, she has tips for caring and cleaning different types of items which is great since you generally need to clean things that you find at flea markets etc. The ideas are all really neat and really they are easy to do. Five stars all around from me. The ideas I've gotten from this book have really spawned my creativity to make other sorts of things too. Lots of fun!



2. Try Second-Hand Style: Finding and Renewing Antique Treasures or Decorating With Flea Market Finds or Flea Market Decorating (Better Homes and Gardens Books). I love these three books.



3. I have never seen some of those things available when I've done some scrounging, but the ideas to use them are pretty interesting. My favorite is the linen cabinet made from the shutter doors; you'd have to see it to understand what I mean. Having met a man who is into collecting, I thought we could use it, but so far, not. Thumb through it, see if it's for you.

3 comments about Understanding and Crafting the Mix, Second Edition: The Art of Recording.

1. This is the kind of thing that makes so many college graduates drift to other pursuits far away from what tormented them in the primes of their youth. The professor is a wretched and self-loathing individual who failed miserably and is intent on having everyone else fail as well, by sucking the air and life out of a topic, but in a way that the wretch can defend in academic discourse.
   
   If you are a masochist or wish to be dissuaded from ever enjoying the process of making music, buy books like this one and attend college programs that rank you based on resistance to natural and crushing boredom. If you want to enjoy this as a career just buy the gear you need to get started, read the manuals and try everything you can think of, copy the masters, and hang out with cool people doing it as well.



2. there are many books out there that are full of information, but few that are actually "life-changing." if you are serious about music, i highly recommend this book. this book was very intimidating for me at first. most of the first chapter seemed to be over my head. but it made me dig deeper into the text, which i believe is what the author intended. he admits himself that this is not a book full of quick tips and tricks that most of us often look for. it is designed to teach concepts, principles, and practices that promote better understanding of the whole recording process. it even goes into to talking about human perception of sound and how the brain interprets it. knowing how to get into the very heads of the consumers is an obvious advantage for an engineer who wants to guarantee that his mixes are pleasing to the ear. also, each chapter comes with a list of exercises designed to develop critical listening skills. to sum it up, consider this to be a college-level course that will serve as a foundation for everything you will be doing in the recording world.



3. while it may be a little dry and hard to understand at first, it is well worth the time investment necessary to get this stuff. entirely life-changing material. 20 million stars.

5 comments about The Beatles: A Private View.

1. I purchased this as a gift for a friend, and I was excited to see how beautiful it was. I am a Beatles fan as well and I was very tempted to keep it for myself. :)
   It's a heavy, well made picture book. You can't help but smile when looking at some of the photos. You just wish you could have been there at that moment they were taken.
   If you love the Beatles then I am very sure you'll love this book. Don't pass it up!



2. Freeman really doesn;t have a lot to say about either the Beatles or the photos he took of them...no professional insights on photography and no intriguing thoughts on the Beatles in the context of the British pop culture scene in the 1960's. Photos are nothing new beyond the album covers, nothing we haven't scene in Hoffman's, Gunther's, Benson's and even Beatle Biographies from Davies, Schaffner and Norman, etc.
   Don't waste your money - by Hoffman's or Lewisohn's chronicles book if you want nice photos, and more insightful text.



3. This book is a treat anybody would love. There are a plethora of delightful photographs that will make readers, from the inveterate fans to those just becoming familiar with the Fab 4 feel as if they are "meeting" the Beatles.

   This author has a real flair for natural expression and the writing style is crisp and fresh. This is a book with something to offer everyone and I cannot recommend it highly enough. As the only Beatles' fan in my family, I've "introduced" many relatives to the wonderful phenomenon that was the Beatles!

   This one gets a stellar endorsement and an enthusiastic "YEAH, YEAH, YEAH!" from me! I love it!




4. For anyone who thinks this is just a re-issue of the the previous book, think again. There are something like 30 "new" pictures. I just loved the new look on some of the older one's like Lennon with the Panda that's now in color and the pic of The Beatles with Mick Jagger really brings you back. This book was such a delight, I purchased the collector's edition that includes a limited edition print for my husband. At the price listed here on Amazon, you will not be disappointed by this book.



5. This book makes you feel like you really met the Beatles! The NEW book has a revised text that is great and many new pictures I never saw before! This book is a winner and a must for every Beatles fan.

No comments about Goldmine Records & Prices: A Concise Digest With over 30,000 Listings (Goldmine Records and Prices).