World-renowned Beatles experts Scott Freiman and Kenneth Womack reveal groundbreaking insights into the Fab Four's artistry, from Please Please Me to the incredible heights of Rubber Soul and Revolver. Dive into the songwriting, musicianship, and production of some of the most influential popular music ever created. In this revelatory assessment of the band's artistic development from 1962 to 1966, Womack and Freiman provide accessible, close readings of songs — based on cutting-edge Beatles research — and tackle hard-hitting questions: What were the song's origins, and how was it written? How was the song transformed in the studio? What instruments were used and how did that impact the song's arrangement? Discover the lyrical and musical elements that give these songs their magic and the techniques used by producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick that add that extra spark, bringing these songs to fruition. The unparalleled artistic journeys of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr as the Beatles are revealed here.