The splintering of the Beatles wasn’t a single event – the demise of rock’s most famous quartet was a lingering process that took months, if not years.
But the final decision to end the Fab Four is best marked sometime in September, 1969. And this appears to be the news hook for Mikal Gilmore’s analysis of the event for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine’s current issue.
While some may question the need to rehash the whole thing 40 years later, Gilmore’s account of the Beatles’ end is in fact intriguing and a worthwhile read for music buffs.
Gilmore’s piece is something of an expansion of Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary ‘Let It Be,’ which captures the tension within the band, even as their music was at its best.
Obviously, the band’s breakup was outwardly dramatic. But, as Gilmore recounts, it had more to do with internal turmoil – a musical parting of the ways between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, conflicting business decisions, simple jealousies – than it did with Yoko Ono’s intrusion into the band.
It would be unfair to say that Gilmore breaks new ground. But he certainly compiled a cohesive re-telling of the drama that slowly unfolded within the Beatles.
That’s what makes it a worthy read.
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