On their weekly public radio show, “Sound Opinions’’ (billed as “the world’s only rock ’n’ roll talk show’’), DeRogatis and Kot bicker like an old married couple, arguing passionately about musical acts past and present. That dynamic translates seamlessly to the book, the text of which is mostly transcriptions of verbal sparring between the pair. The technique perfectly captures their enthusiasm for the subject and breathes extra life into what might otherwise be seen as a dry, professorial take on this pop culture enigma.
For fans who grew up listening to the bands’ music, “The Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones’’ will likely be reminiscent of a yearbook. Particularly fascinating is the inclusion of two nostalgia-inducing timelines, which juxtapose milestones in each group’s career with major historical events. In addition to hundreds of images, the coffee table book contains no shortage of trivia and anecdotes that are probably unknown to the majority of casual fans. For instance, the Beatles’ relationships with one another had disintegrated so much by the recording of “The White Album’’ that the album was essentially made with each member in a different studio. It’s also an important history book for younger music fans, who may know the groups only through video games or Martin Scorsese documentaries.
The authors’ discussion draws from other works in the large canon of Beatles and Rolling Stones literature, debunking some myths and validating others. Some sections are bound to raise a few eyebrows, and it becomes clear that while the Stones inarguably held the more “bad boy’’ reputation, the Beatles were basically up to all the same antics and just did a better job of hiding it from the public.
