John StevensThe Songs of John Lennon: The Beatle Years

I'm enjoying this, have gone through two songs so far, he's clear and concise in his analysis. he doesn't over analyze, just gives the bare bones analysis of the song, the rhyme scheme the lyrical content themes, harmonic analysis. I think if songwriters would take this approach they could make a lot of progress very quickly in their art.

Songwriting, much like painting, sculpting and dancing, is an art form. The ability to construct a series of repetitve phrases, set against a (typically) diatonic tune, one which hopefully sticks in your brain, long enough to force you to buy a CD of something you heard only once is not only art - it's simply magic...And in John Stevens' "The Songs of John Lennon", the magician's secrets are revealed...Throughout the course of this book, we're not only given some very interesting and detailed history about the song(s) in question (as well as recording and release information) but all this, together with comprehensive and brilliantly detailed descriptions relating to Lennon's song Structure, Phrasing and 'Prosody' (ie, versification/metrical structure).Now, if these terms are a bit scary to you, fear not -- as Stevens carefully outlines the basic terminology and is consistent with his usage throughout. Whether you're in the garage band, a professional songwriter, or a student looking for some answers about how great pop songs are constructed, this book serves not only as a reference guide, but almost as a 'Songwriting Cookbook', full of great, original recipes...and as Stevens reveals, just like in cooking, the essence of a great song still requires you to 'salt to taste'. This was often Lennon's game, as a few simple twists here and there (either melodically or lyrically) often changed the entire feel of a particular song, delivering the critical element to make it a hit.Quite simply, this book is unlike any other. And for the musicians, songwriters, and even music lovers out there who've ever wondered, "How did he do it?", you'd be hard-pressed to find another piece of prose that is more poetic and lyrical than this.So, if you can't make it to Boston to take Stevens' Lennon class (he's a professor @ Berklee College of Music), don't fret...(no pun intended). "The Songs of John Lennon" just might be the most valuable 4-year college course you've ever taken - and you don't even have to live in the dorm!All you need is love? Indeed...and *this* book.

Book binding faulty. Entire sections of book fell out. It was a gift so no time to reorder for Christmas. It really doesn't even deserve 1 star.

First of all, I've really enjoyed this book so far. My reasons for purchasing it were to gain a better understanding of songwriting as a craft. There are lots of books out there (some of which I also own!) that go into the construction of a song, but usually only provide a few subpar examples of the technique in real life practice. This book is filled with excellent songs to use as examples for different ways to craft a song.I haven't found understanding this book terribly difficult, but there are a couple of techniques which could have used a bit more of an explanation. Particularly melodic/lyrical phrasing, as to me it appears there are several ways to break a phrase up. It's not very clear what guidlines the author uses regarding that.Even with some confusion, I've still found it very informative. I really wish there were more books just like it. I'd love to see this done with more modern bands as well.

As a songwriter and longtime fan of John Lennon, this is the best book I have found on his songs. I refer to it over and over. When I travel, it is one of the few books that finds its way into my backpack. If you are a songwriter, and/or a fan of John Lennon, you will treasure this book.Sincerely,Lynette Yetter, author of the novel,  Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace

An interesting analysis of 20+ Beatles era John Lennon songs. The highest praise I can offer the book is that I did honestly gain a greater understanding of the manner in which Lennon composed his songs. I did have trouble understanding some of the musical jargon Stevens used, though to his credit he explains most of the terminology he employs in the book in the first chapter. Most irritating to me were a couple of misquotes of Lennon's lyrics, numerous typos, and surprisingly (since this was written by a college professor) a number of usage errors. Worth buying if you're interested in this sort of thing. However, Alan W. Pollack's analysis of the ENTIRE official Beatles' canon is a far more informative, better written, and comprehensive look at Lennon's ouvre.

Il libro, in sè, nasce da una idea molto bella in quanto tocca una tematica praticamente mai affrontata dai numerosi testi pubblicati in giro per il mondo. Tuttavia non è per neofiti, occorre più di una infarinatura circa le nozioni di base di armonia musicale altrimenti non si capisce che cosa viene analizzato dall'autore.In ogni caso, è data molta rilevanza all'analisi della scrittura dei testi, della loro iterpuzione ritmica e melodica e la loro disposizione metrica e sillabica. Diciamo che tale aspetto ricopre il 50% del contenuto del libro. Però, se qualcuno si attendesse di vedere spiegato il perchè delle scelte accordali o armoniche adottate nello stile compositivo da Lennon, rimmarrà deluso, tale aspetto non viene per nulla spiegato ma relegato ad una superficiale analisi dei giri di accordi e............in definitivam come asserisce lo stesso autore, Lennon non aveva alcuna conoscenza pentagrammatica o di analisi armonica, il tutto era dettato dal suo genio, orecchio sopraffino e esperienza nel suonare i repertori di moda al suo tempo.

et il le prouve ...:)