BEATLES ROUNDUP
he won’t release anymore albums — but an EP is fair game, Starr recording the five-track (UMe) at his home studio. Some famous friends drop by, like Robby Krieger, who contributes a nice guitar line to “Zoom In Zoom Out,” which also serves up some self-help aphorisms (“A distant star is reachable/Every moment is teachable”). The feel-good, upbeat optimism continues on the nostalgic “Here’s to the Nights” (check out the video for all the cameos), the light reggae of “Waiting For the Tide to Turn,” the lively “Teach Me to Tango” and the self-explanatory “Not Enough Love in the World.” Overall, it’s more robust than Starr’s recent releases. Available in a variety of formats: red vinyl, black vinyl, CD and cassette. Starr’s also announced he won’t reissue in 2020, but we did get (498 Productions), the latest in Bruce Spizer’s series on individual Beatles albums, and the longest to date. Spizer and other contributors detail the making of the album, the Glyn Johns and Phil Spector versions, the bootlegs, the American, British, and Canadian perspectives, and more. Essential? But of course. Spizer will also provide an addendum (download or printed) to cover any forthcoming reissues (info: ) ■ As the title of Bob Gruen’s book puts it, he was in the (Abrams Books). After meeting John and Yoko at New York’s Apollo Theater in 1971, Gruen went on to take some the most iconic shots of the two (e.g., John flashing the peace sign by the Statue of Liberty). Throw in Ike & Tina Turner, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Blondie and the Sex Pistols, among others, and you’ve got the basis for one heck of a rock and roll story. ■ (Rizzoli International Publications) is a beautiful book of Barry Feinstein’s photography, including the iconic cover shot, the Concert for Bangladesh, and photos for . Feinstein had a great rapport with Harrison, giving the shots a real warmth. ■ Richard Perry has no shortage of luminaries to write about in (Redwood Publishing), from Tiny Tim to Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon to Ray Charles. And The Beatles — Perry working with Ringo Starr at his commercial peak, as the producer of and . Perry still sounds starry-eyed as he marvels at the accomplishment of bringing Ringo, George and John together in the studio. His chapters on working with Beatles pal Harry Nilsson are also insightful. But the text could’ve used some fact-checking.
