Ticket 2 Ride

On Track is a series of books about bands and recording artists, published by SonicBond Publishing in the UK. Each book is written by a different author, an expert about his or her subject. There are 112 books in the series, with additional books arriving every month or so. Books go out of print and are updated as necessary with new releases or music from the vault.

There is a companion book series called Decades, which follows a specific decade in the life of a band or artist. For example:

I own several of the On Track books, but I’ve read many others, including The Beatles 1962-1966, by Andrew Wild and Alberto Bravin. I found this book at our public library. I’m no expert on The Beatles, although I’ve read dozens of books and written extensively, there is still so much to learn.

The Beatles were known for an incredible output of material in the seven or so years they recorded and released music as a band. The book is organized by year and lists each single, LP and EP released, and the variations between each. Until Sgt. Pepper, UK and U.S. albums contained different lists of songs and running orders. The U.S. approach was to include non-album singles on album releases and squeeze a few more albums from the versions released in the UK.

Every song is discussed, regardless of how it is released. The song’s writer, the list of musical and vocal credits, when the track was recorded, and what individual Beatles might have said about that track, including what might have inspired the song.

In addition, notable events, like concert tours, filming, holidays, family matters and other things influencing The Beatles are mentioned, but the primary focus is the music. Overall, this book and others I’ve read are well-researched and written in an engaging style.

For example, this is part of the description of the song, “Drive My Car.”

‘Drive My Car’ (Lennon/McCartney) Recorded: 13 October 1965. Paul McCartney – lead vocals, bass, piano, slide guitar; John Lennon – lead vocals, tambourine; George Harrison – backing vocals, lead guitar; Ringo Starr – drums, cowbell. The asymmetric opening of ‘Drive My Car’ is described by Alan W Pollack as, ‘two measures-worth of the Beatles’ most rhythmically disorienting music ever. It starts with an eighth note pickup before the downbeat but the melodic contour of the syncopated guitar part combined with the offbeat entrance of the bass guitar make it virtually impossible for you to find the meter?

Here’s another entry for “I Feel Fine.”

‘I Feel Fine’ (Lennon/McCartney) Recorded 18 October 1964. John Lennon – double-tracked lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar; Paul McCartney – backing vocals, bass; George Harrison – backing vocals, lead guitar; Ringo Starr – drums. ‘I Feel Fine’ opens with a buzz of feedback from John’s Gibson J-160E acoustic guitar. This was no accident – it was included in every take. John Lennon to Playboy’s David Sheff in 1980: “I defy anybody to find a record – unless it’s some old blues record in 1922 – that uses feedback that way. I mean, everybody played with feedback on stage, and the Jimi Hendrix stuff was going on long before.”

Because the use of feedback was a new tool to use for the rock and roll guitar, the riff, and the reaction to what recording personnel would refer to meddlesome distortion, are unique characteristics of this song.

On Track books can be found on Amazon, or ordered from other book sellers. If you have an artist or band you followed from the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s, this might be a book series to investigate.