Adapted from a stage play by Alfie author Bill Naughton, The Family Way finds its material in the trials of a pair of northern newlyweds who, having been fleeced by a crooked travel agent, end up having to spend their honeymoon at home. What's worse, given their impecuniousness, "home" meant a room in the house of the groom's parents.
Shot by photographer Michael Ochs, the band appears completely wrapped in a single sheet of translucent pink plastic or fabric, a playful literal riff on their name that perfectly suits the whimsical, experimental spirit of the psychedelic era.
Sutcliffe, who was born in Edinburgh but grew up in Liverpool, met John Lennon while they were both studying at the Liverpool College of Art. By early 1960, the pair were living together and Sutcliffe joined Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison 's band in May. Sutcliffe played acoustic guitar and took on the responsibility of booking gigs, but various accounts suggest he was no more than a competent musician. Sutcliffe's real talents lay in his "marvelous art portfolio," according to Lennon's description.
Neville might not dig up any new revelations or eyebrow-raising moments, but it does elevate the voice of McCartney and relates how some naysayers have discounted his post-Beatles work while others—including John Lennon's son, Julian—consider some of his so-called misfires to be ingenious.
"I'll Follow the Sun" is "a 'Leaving of Liverpool' song," McCartney explained in his 2021 book The Lyrics. "I'm leaving this rainy northern town for someplace where more is happening." Once they did leave, the band's rise to fame was stratospheric.
Things begin promisingly enough with the darkly powerful Going Up and All That Jazz from 1980's Crocodiles, the first of the terrific four-album run which blended psychedelia, post-punk and classic songwriting to turn the Liverpudlians into one of most hallowed bands of the decade.
Becoming Led Zeppelin, a film about the British band that dominated the music industry in the 1970s, was the most successful feature documentary at the US box office in 2025, taking over $10m. (Taylor Swift's The Official Release Party of a Showgirl grossed considerably more, with $34m, but as an album-promoting clipshow it is evidently in a different category.) Despite breaking up in 1980 after the death
"When I read the fine print, it was 'an experience with REO Speedwagon's music.' It's none of the original members," Fletcher recalls. "I don't want to promote the show unless it's the real thing. I don't know why you would want to see that. It's just a cover band. To me, that's a little bit strange." He adds, with a sigh, "If there are no original members, who cares?"
Vernon's upbringing in Surrey was typical of many children born in the mid-1940s: he sang in his church choir, listened to the jazz and show tune LPs his parents owned and was bowled over by the arrival of rock'n'roll, responding most strongly to the likes of Little Richard, Fats Domino and Larry Williams.
Revolución to Roxy begins long before glam, synthesizers, or LP covers became cultural landmarks. Manzanera's earliest memories are shaped by upheaval: childhood in Cuba during the revolution, displacement, and an upbringing that crossed Venezuela, Colombia, England, and beyond. That instability, he says, produced something lasting-understanding. "If you grow up speaking two languages, you are scientifically proven to be more compassionate," Manzanera says. "You have this kind of duality, and one of those is the power to be empathetic. For a musician, that is such a helpful tool."