Today’s the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper? Cool. In a post about The Beatles, Tristero notes :

Sorry, I can’t suggest a bio as I grew up with the story, so there hasn’t been much need to read about it.

It’s been a while since I’ve read any books about The Beatles, but there was a time when I read every Beatles book I could get my hands on. Here are the ones I liked the most :

Beatlesongs – My first Beatles book and still one of my favorites. A great song-by-song reference book full of trivia.

A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles – Probably the first book I’d recommend to anyone interested in reading more about The Beatles

The Beatles – A biography/musical critique from Allan Kozinn for the “20th-Century Composers” series. My favorite until “A Day in the Life” came out.

The Beatles: An Oral History – Avoid any book written by an “insider”. They’re usually lame, self-serving, poorly-written, and transparent attempts to cash-in. This book, however, is a well-organized compilation of quotes from dozens of people that knew The Beatles that’s informative without being boring.

Revolution in the Head – A great examination of The Beatles’ music that, unlike many Beatles books, puts things in historical perspective. For example, the section on Helter Skelter mentions Charles Manson.

Tell Me Why – Another good song-by-song analysis that goes into greater depth musically. If you’re a musician, check this one out.

I’ve also heard good things about The Beatles: The Biography and Walter Everett’s The Beatles As Musicians series. Whatever you do, avoid any Beatles book by Geoffrey Giuliano.

Since this is the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper, here’s a treat for you. When the Beatles were originally mixing the album, they were only present in the studio for the mono version. To them, the stereo version of the album (which is the one currently available on CD) was an after thought. There are numerous subtle differences between the mono and stereo versions, but the biggest difference is this mix of “She’s Leaving Home” :

Happy Birthday, Sgt. Pepper. Maybe someday we’ll get to hear the definitive version without having to buy or download bootlegs.