Without doubt, the Beatles are the most curiously exciting musical phenomenon to hit the world in a long, long time. There
have been Crosbys, Sinatras, and Elvis Presleys, but no musicians have ever appealed to such a wide spectrum of taste as do the Beatles. These four fantastic young Englishmen have revolutionized pop
music in the twentieth century. This book is a behind-thee-scenes, irreverent view of the Beatles as people. It is a biography plus, the plus being a fascinating, and appreciative analysis of the boys, their fans, their songs, their sound—and of the total impact of the entire Beatle phenomenon.
In August 1967, the Beatles, accompanied by their friend Mick Jagger, attended a public lecture given by the Indian philosopher and mystic, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. After the lecture the Maharishi invited the four Beatles to accompany him to Bangor in North Wales. “Life is a homogenous whole. It consists of spiritual values and material values,”
Maharishi told the Beatles. “Consciousness of self has to be found because without inner spiritual values, the ordinary physical and material pleasures which life offers cannot properly be enjoyed. Beyond thought and matter there is an absolute unity which is the basis of all creation. At its ultimate level this constitutes truth, light, and joy.”
Paul: “If we had met the Maharishi before we tried LSD,” he said enthusiastically, “we wouldn’t have needed to take it at all.”
Ringo: “The four of us had the most hectic lives. We have got almost everything money can buy, but when you can do that, the things you can buy mean almost nothing after a time. You look for something else, for a new experience. We have found something new which fills the gap. Since meeting His Holiness I feel great.”
George: “The idea is to transcend from the level of everyday thought to the level of higher thought. The value of meditation is to rid your busy brain of all the trash and unnecessary words that constantly inhabit it. once your mind is clear, you will find yourself capable of thinking on a higher level about things that are truly important, like caring, giving, and loving.”
John: The thing is not to drop out, not at all. It’s to drop in, to lose the old, established narrow concept of life and try to make as many changes as possible. Drop in and try to influence as many people as you can to replace hate and fear with love and friendship. You can only do this if your head is clear, your heart is open, and your spirit is giving.”
Maharishi: “Each young person is presented with the beautiful gifts of life by the generations which have preceded him or her. He or she should enjoy these gifts and this life to maximum, and, in return, he or she must take his or her contribution toward advancing the glories, goodness, and pleasures of this present life and the life of those who come after him or her.”