Tracing the development of the Beatles song-by-song, this book places the group in the wider cultural context of the '60s. It considers all the elements which combined to create each song as it was captured on vinyl - the songwriting process, the stimuli of contemporary pop hits and events, the evolving input from the bandmembers, the innovations pulled off in the studio and the influence of psychedelic drugs - all set against the backdrop of the era.