Beatlemania – John & Paul
In our world, when we chat about music, we often get stuck on things like sales numbers, streaming stats, and how songs rank on charts. But honestly, that’s not the best way to really get or talk about music.
Ian Leslie’s book “John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs” isn’t about that at all. Instead, it dives into how two incredibly talented guys helped each other out, pushed each other, taught each other, and learned from one another.
Looking back at famous composer duos before John Lennon and Paul McCartney—like Rodgers and Hart or Bacharach and David—you’d usually see one person making the music while the other worked on the lyrics. But John and Paul flipped that script; they both pitched in on the music and the words. Right from the start, they agreed to share credit for everything they created together. Through what they did, they formed this special duo called Lennon and McCartney. Their teamwork, where their individual egos mixed and shifted together, created a music force that took things to another level, one that still stands alone today.
Rock On
I fell head over heels for rock ‘n’ roll when I was 9 back in 1957 after hearing “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis. I remember laughing and rolling on the floor, feeling that rush of freedom and joy from that song. At that moment, I knew I wanted to devote my life to music. But by 1960, the excitement of rock ‘n’ roll felt like it was fading away. Buddy Holly had tragically died in a plane crash, Elvis was in the Army, Chuck Berry was behind bars, Eddie Cochran lost his life in a car accident, Little Richard went into ministry, and Jerry Lee Lewis was getting backlash. It felt like rock ‘n’ roll hit a wall.
Then three years later, these two young guys along with friends George Harrison and Ringo Starr from a northern English port, brought back a musical vibe that drew from the Mississippi Delta, the Appalachian Mountains, and gritty city life. Over the next five years, they mixed and matched different art styles and musical influences from the entire century, crafting music that took listeners on a journey through rich sounds and meanings. The creativity they showed felt almost beyond human.
While music has likely never connected with and enhanced pop culture like this before, Ian’s book isn’t just about music as a business. It digs into themes of soul, heartache, and mainly love—the deep bond between two boys who lost their moms young, their strong connection, and the incredible strength that came from that bond.