LIVING THE BEATLES LEGEND - Kenneth Womack

I have read a lot of Beatles-related books over the past dozen years that I've been writing this review blog but this is perhaps the most moving and the most insightful of all that I've read.

Mal Evans was possibly closer to the Beatles than other individual, from their early days at The Cavern Club, to their rise to fame, their international tours, and through their breakup. An argument can be made, of course, for a few other, perhaps more well-known individuals, but because of Mal's presence at so many places, I'd give him the edge.

Who was Mal Evans? To really answer that you should read this book (you should read it anyway, even if you don't care what the answer is). He is often considered to be the Beatles' roadie, or bodyguard, but he was so much more than that. He was exactly what the Beatles needed at the time, although it's more than likely that no one realized that, or just how much he provided, beyond lugging gear and removing rowdy fans. It is certain that he was underpaid as well as underappreciated.

Part of what makes this book such a fascinating read is that Mal is a classic tragic hero - he gave everything he had to serve ("What we do reflects on the band. It's about the band."), to hobnob with the famous, and it ultimately cost him everything as well.

Mal kept a diary/journal nearly all his life, providing fascinating insight to some of the more personal sides of the Beatles (as a group and as individuals).

More than most, Mal was a man of two worlds - a wife and two children at home, whom he loved and missed and truly wanted to support; and the life of music and fame and all the things that go with it (such as the constant parade of young women he could 'sample' before passing them along to the Beatles). Author Kenneth Womack remarks, more than once, that Mal wanted (and mostly succeeded) to live the life of a rock and roll superstar, but on (essentially) a minimum wage salary with a family tucked away elsewhere so that he had a safe place to fall back to. 

Mal ultimately lived the way he did - with great deliberation, often recklessly, and without apology - because he expressly chose to do so, step by step. For him, being in close proximity to the Beatles' special brand of stardom trumped the joys and commitments of family. And with nary an exception, the Beatles won the sweepstakes every time.

Mal did manage to move beyond the Beatles, finding other musical talent (The Iveys/Badfinger) and producing other musicians, but he would return to any of the Beatles without hesitation if they requested (and they did).

Despite the 'safe' family at home in England, Mal did eventually leave them for a young American woman, but his demons (drugs and drink were popular in the 1960's/70's) caught up with him and his life ended tragically.

As I mention at the top, this is incredibly insightful to the Beatles' private world, and it's really moving. How is it that Mal could work for some of the richest men on the planet at the time, for a salary that barely paid the mortgage?  Because he would. Playing 'star' was more important to him than anything else in the world, and that's where the tragedy is.

Looking for a good book? Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack is a powerful biography of Mal Evans, and by extension, a great peek into the often untold side of the Beatles'.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgally, in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

* * * * * *

Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans

author: Kenneth Womack

publisher: Dey Street Books

ISBN: 9780063248526

hardcover, 592 pages

 

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