When Allen Klein's son Jody (who now runs Klein's ABKCO Records) turned over his father's files to Fred Goodman to write Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll, he accepted that the result might show an extremely flawed individual, and it does. Klein was capable of being a bully, cheat, and self-centered manipulator. But it also shows there were other sides to Allen Klein, and in doing so it is possible to realize that few things in life are one-dimensional: Allen Klein was as revolutionary to the business of music as his artists were to the music; the impact of the work of each is still being felt today. Klein's story was obscured by his legend and reputation, and this account is a fascinating look at one of the most important non-musicians who shaped rock history.

Like many rock fans, prior to reading this book, my perception of Allen Klein was pretty one-sided: he was a villain, a scammer, a guy that ripped off artists such as the Rolling Stones, and he may have been the major cause of the breakup of the Beatles (sorry, Yoko). It turns out the truth is more nuanced, and with this book, music journalist Fred Goodman (The Mansion on the Hill) turns the story of rock's most famous accountant into a page-turning drama from Klein's semi-orphaned childhood, through his successes finding money for artists (and along the way, himself), and his eventual fall from grace after getting fired by both the Beatles and Stones.

Klein became one of the best negotiators on behalf of artists after forging a deal that would have made Sam Cooke a rich mogul (had he lived), striking fear in the hearts of label execs with audit after audit exposing their underpayment to artists. Striking lucrative deals for British Invasion acts like Donovan, the Kinks, Animals, and producer Mickie Most, Klein broke thru the patriarchal British music industry of the mid-'60s and soon found himself rewriting business dealings of the Rolling Stones, paving the way for the band to see their first millions, while Klein would call his large home in suburban New York "the house that Jagger built."

The book focuses on the crucial years between 1968 and 1972, a period when Klein would effectively manage both the Stones and the Beatles, helping Jagger and Richards get out of their drug bust, shoring up the Beatles' finances after the disaster that was Apple, and helping his artists facilitate albums like Imagine, All Things Must Pass and Let It Bleed. But while Klein's artists would admit that he had greatly improved their fortunes, most would eventually come to feel ripped off by his accounting practices — with Paul McCartney eventually suing the other Beatles to dissolve their partnership and extricate himself from Klein. Meanwhile, Klein's ABKCO Records still controls Sam Cooke's, Phil Spector's, and the Stones' entire '60s catalog, and continues to profit off of those artists to this day.

The beauty of the book is the way Goodman recreates pivotal scenes in rock's history with a depth of detail and backstage intrigue that turns fields as dry as accounting and publishing into a riveting read from start to finish.

The Current is giving away copies of Fred Goodman's book Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll, DVD copies of the Rolling Stones documentary Charlie Is My Darling, plus vinyl copies of Beggars Banquet (1968) and Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970). Enter for your chance to win using the form below.

Allen Klein and Rolling Stones Grand Prize Giveaway

Use this form to enter the Allen Klein and Rolling Stones Grand Prize Giveaway between 12:30 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, July 29, and 11:59 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015.

Two (2) grand prize winners will receive one (1) hardcover copy of Fred Goodman's book Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll, one (1) DVD copy of the Rolling Stones documentary Charlie Is My Darling, one (1) vinyl copy of the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet (1968) and one (1) vinyl copy of Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970).

Prize retail value: $101

We will contact the winner on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015. Winner must accept by 10 a.m. CDT on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015.

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