THE BEATLES BOOK

Now that the Blessed Ones have changed in appearance from Edwardian angels to members of the House of David, and have left the ""Yeah, yeah's"" for higher reaches of exposition, a book of retrospective and current criticism is inevitable. Here is a responsible and entertaining selection. With the observation that ""the Beatles are now Art."" Nat Hentoff leads off on a diverting mind bender which includes the musing: ""Who can put down magic that works for the magician?"" Among the contributors: Ralph Gleason the jazz critic; Ned Rorem the composer; Peter Stafford, expert on psychedelia; writer Larry Neal (the Beatles are ignored the black community): other observers on the music/social scene; There is Richard Goldstein's defense of Richard Goldstein's Times depth charge on Sgt. Pepper; Timothy Leary plays with Apple and the Garden of Eden; William Buckley, in a very brief emanation, eye-rolls in disdain. Beware of confusing this with the McGraw-Hill biography by Davies (p. 791). On the whole the selections are imaginative, pioneering. Good show.