The Act You've Known for All These Years: A Year in the Life of Sgt. Pepper and Friends

By Clinton Heylin

Book Overview

"It was forty years ago today" that Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles was released, an LP which changed the face of popular culture and continues to top public and critical polls of the greatest albums ever made. The Act You've Known for All These Years reconstructs the life and times of Sgt. Pepper, the cultural backstory of the band and rock's turbulent early adulthood. Weaving the activities of the Beatles in with those of their contemporaries and rivals -- notably Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and Pink Floyd -- heralded music critic Clinton Heylin reveals the inspirations and explodes the myths behind this talismanic, iconic album -- and "the summer of love" itself. In addition, the book surveys what happened next, telling the history of the LP's "afterlife" from 1967 to the present day. Featuring interviews both with those who were there at the time and those who followed in the Beatles' wake, The Act You've Known for All These Years is the definitive book on the defining LP of the pop era.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1841959189
• ISBN13: 9781841959184
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Canongate U.S.
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Great book about the spirit of 1967.

Very interesting reading. It encapsulates the hopes, fears and most of all the music scene on both sides of Atlantic, a fascinating journey back to 1967. Plus an interesting list of albums and singles of that period. Recommended reading not only for Beatles fans but also for those interested in the so-called Summer of Love.

Baby Boomer's Review

If you grew up in the 50's, 60's, or 70's and rock music was a part of your life, this book is required reading. I thought I knew a lot about the early rock bands, but I was enlightened on how much I really didn't know. The pictures bring back wonderful memories of a great time.