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The McCartney Legacy #2
The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80
The follow-up to The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, the most complete work on the life and work of Paul McCartney ever published. Volume 2 continues to paint the portrait of one of the world’s greatest musicians, his work post-Beatles, and his life from 1974 to 1980.
By 1974 the Beatles were a distant memory, and Paul McCartney had already gone on to release a solo album and form a new band, Wings. By the end of the decade Wings would be the bestselling band of the 1970s. The McCartney Legacy, Vol. 2 begins in 1974 at the height of Wings popularity and the beginning of McCartney’s next chapter.
Picking up immediately after The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, authors Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair have brought the same exhaustive research ethos to Volume 2 that made the first volume a critical success. Arguably the most authoritative text on the life of Paul McCartney, Volume 2 follows McCartney the man, establishing himself as a musician beyond Beatlemania and his legacy throughout the 20th century through the present day.
By 1974 the Beatles were a distant memory, and Paul McCartney had already gone on to release a solo album and form a new band, Wings. By the end of the decade Wings would be the bestselling band of the 1970s. The McCartney Legacy, Vol. 2 begins in 1974 at the height of Wings popularity and the beginning of McCartney’s next chapter.
Picking up immediately after The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, authors Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair have brought the same exhaustive research ethos to Volume 2 that made the first volume a critical success. Arguably the most authoritative text on the life of Paul McCartney, Volume 2 follows McCartney the man, establishing himself as a musician beyond Beatlemania and his legacy throughout the 20th century through the present day.
768 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 2, 2024
Just like the first volume, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Exhaustively researched, and engagingly written the overwhelming amount of detail didn't distract from the pleasure I had reading about Paul McCartney's post Beatle years. Almost 800 pages covering only 1974-1980, this track by track, overdub by overdub can at times seem like forensic stalking but it is so well written that I couldn't put it down. The insightful exploration of Paul trying to balance his goal of having a democratically run band while also exerting his perfectionist control over the music was the highlight of this volume. I found myself revisiting each album in this volume with a renewed focus on the complexity of these recordings. So cue up the playlist and listen along as you read. Highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley and Dey Street Books for an advanced reader copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dey Street Books for an advanced reader copy.
December 6, 2024
I was very excited to read this as I had so enjoyed the previous book, The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1: 1969-73. This second volume picks up where the last left off, with the very successful album "Band on the Run" having been released. The book started off a little boring with Paul helping out his younger brother Mike to record an album. The structure of this book is such that every recording session is dissected in minute detail. There is a listing of what studio the songs were recorded in, and a detailed description of takes and each song's evolution. Like its predecessor, this is a huge book- the book proper is about 800 pages and the last 20% of the additional pages account for Acknowledgements, Notes, Bibliography, Discography, Videography, Concert Tours, and Illustration Credits. These authors have left no stone unturned in documenting the life of Paul McCartney as a solo artist, along with his wife Linda McCartney, and the Mark II and Mark III lineups of WINGS. The book chronicles their journey recording the albums "Venus and Mars", "Wings at the Speed of Sound", "London Town", "Back to the Egg", and "McCartney II", along with concert tours and music videos. Interspersed are commentary from the musicians and other music personnel involved, as well as reproductions of record advertisements and reviews from critics. There is also a lot of information about the various homes that the McCartneys purchased, offices and recording studios built, business deals for record royalties and publishing, and the frustrating lingering legalities to iron out amongst Paul and his former Beatles brothers: John, George and Ringo. The book ends with Paul McCartney's marijuana bust at the airport in Japan in January 1980 which derailed WINGS' tour. If you are a diehard Beatles and/or Paul McCartney fan, this book will be right up your alley. However, if you're not inclined to delve so deeply into the bowels of recording to dissect every fact about the creation of McCartney's music, this might not be for you.
Thank you to the publisher Dey Street Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
January 25, 2025
For reasons inexplicable even to me, I am reading the McCartney Legacy books out of sequence, starting with volume two—covering 1974-1980. Paul McCartney and band-after-The-Beatles Wings settling into a sort of stable success, especially in the immediate years after the release of Band on the Run. Paul McCartney’s solo career is my favorite of the four Beatles, and as a Macca devotee for many, many years I was blown away by the quality of the writing as well as the intensive research. I learned so much about this era of Paul’s career about which I thought I knew pretty much everything. Complete with plenty of pictures and handwritten memos from the era, this is well worth the read. At over 700 pages it’s dense but offered no less the entertainment given by the best fiction novels. Eagerly awaiting volume three, meanwhile I will read volume one… soon…
November 28, 2024
Allan and Adrian continue the superb work that they did with volume one, giving in-depth narrative of events in Paul McCartney’s life and career, as well as recording and live performance details. All of the details provided are backed up by documentation garnered by the years of research.
The fact that the two authors backed up everything with multiple sources from those around at the time adds to the quality of the writing.
A must have for anyone interested in McCartney, The Beatles, or music in general.
Special thanks to Harper Collins Publishers for allowing me to read the book before its release.
The fact that the two authors backed up everything with multiple sources from those around at the time adds to the quality of the writing.
A must have for anyone interested in McCartney, The Beatles, or music in general.
Special thanks to Harper Collins Publishers for allowing me to read the book before its release.
January 12, 2025
Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair’s first volume of The McCartney Legacy was not just well received, it has become an essential text. There are a few books about The Beatles that are required reading: The McCartney Legacy: Vol.1 is one, and The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80: A Comprehensive Look at Paul McCartney’s Life and Work Post-Beatles is another. The first volume ended with McCartney’s (and the Wings’) classic Band On The Run, which brought the reader to the end of 1973. This volume picks up in 1974 and takes the reader to the end of 1980. McCartney did a lot during these six years, and Kozinn and Sinclair documented it all.
They also include what was going on in McCartney’s personal and business life to add the necessary context. Diving into an unimaginable amount of archives, interviews, reviews, news stories, as well as conducting new interviews, all go into making this an extremely well-researched and informative book. It is also extremely readable. Kozinn was a music critic and culture reporter for The New York Times from 1977 to 2014, and Sinclair is a freelance filmmaker who has worked for almost every major broadcaster in the world, including the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4, National Geographic, Discovery, and MTV. These guys know how to write and tell a story, because in the end this is a story about a portion of McCartney’s extensive career.
The details in the book and the amount of work the two put into this volume needs to be congratulated. It is really quite flawless. And, for these writers, the fact that they do not offer reviews of the albums, singles, or any of the work makes it much more enjoyable. They let the fans come to their own conclusions about each of McCartney’s works, but they do offer contemporaneous reviews of the records to inform the reader as to how the albums and singles were received at the time of release.
It is hard to imagine today, but in the 1970s, McCartney and Wings were one of the largest bands in the world. Their record sales and concert attendance rivalled Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, and Queen. McCartney was able to establish himself distinctly from The Beatles and created a whole new career. It was not part two of The Beatles, but rather a brand-new artist developing over time. The authors, through their research and writing, explore this and it makes for fascinating reading.
The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80: A Comprehensive Look at Paul McCartney’s Life and Work Post-Beatles is an excellent book, and one of the best rock diaries in existence. Both volumes are examples of brilliant writing and thorough research. They tell the story of an artist who is driven to create, and the lives McCartney (and his family) have during this time period goes a long way in explaining his success at this time. But it is equally interesting reading about McCartney’s own self-doubts and the impact critics have on him. It is all here in this brilliant book.
They also include what was going on in McCartney’s personal and business life to add the necessary context. Diving into an unimaginable amount of archives, interviews, reviews, news stories, as well as conducting new interviews, all go into making this an extremely well-researched and informative book. It is also extremely readable. Kozinn was a music critic and culture reporter for The New York Times from 1977 to 2014, and Sinclair is a freelance filmmaker who has worked for almost every major broadcaster in the world, including the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4, National Geographic, Discovery, and MTV. These guys know how to write and tell a story, because in the end this is a story about a portion of McCartney’s extensive career.
The details in the book and the amount of work the two put into this volume needs to be congratulated. It is really quite flawless. And, for these writers, the fact that they do not offer reviews of the albums, singles, or any of the work makes it much more enjoyable. They let the fans come to their own conclusions about each of McCartney’s works, but they do offer contemporaneous reviews of the records to inform the reader as to how the albums and singles were received at the time of release.
It is hard to imagine today, but in the 1970s, McCartney and Wings were one of the largest bands in the world. Their record sales and concert attendance rivalled Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, and Queen. McCartney was able to establish himself distinctly from The Beatles and created a whole new career. It was not part two of The Beatles, but rather a brand-new artist developing over time. The authors, through their research and writing, explore this and it makes for fascinating reading.
The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80: A Comprehensive Look at Paul McCartney’s Life and Work Post-Beatles is an excellent book, and one of the best rock diaries in existence. Both volumes are examples of brilliant writing and thorough research. They tell the story of an artist who is driven to create, and the lives McCartney (and his family) have during this time period goes a long way in explaining his success at this time. But it is equally interesting reading about McCartney’s own self-doubts and the impact critics have on him. It is all here in this brilliant book.
January 5, 2025
Much like the literal day-to-day movements of the Beatles in Mark Lewisohn's excellent TUNE IN book about their rise (ending in 1962), this second volume follows McCartney and his inner circle on a virtual day-to-day forensic accounting of their activities.
So, fair warning...though I assume anyone looking at this volume has already experienced the first one...you really need to be a major Beatles/McCartney fanatic to push through 800 pages of detail that can be sometimes a touch dry (I'm thinking about the listing of some of the chord progressions, or the overdub details here).
But overall, it does paint an interesting and, to my mind, more nuanced version of McCartney than I've read up to now. I've always known that Paul is a bit of a control freak and that there's time when he can trade his musical genius—or maybe, more accurately, he can, at times, mistake a silly little ditty as something that's musically genius.
But this volume in particular, as it runs through the rise and fall of Wings 2.0 as well as 3.0, and you get the small comments that have so much impact when they start to add up, in regard to McCartney defending his increasingly terrible lyric writing, or his bandmates tying themselves in knots to pay homage to the guy who basically tells them exactly how he wants things played (not always, but the majority of the time)...it shows how he really needed that equally genius musical peer to push him harder.
McCartney, when with the Beatles, was in constant competition with both Lennon as well as Brian Wilson. (Lennon, for his part, competed with McCartney and Dylan). In all cases, it pushed McCartney to be better both musically and lyrically.
In this book, we see him in far less of a competitive role and far more in an observational mode. Disco's hot right now? Let's try a disco song. Punk's getting big? Let's try some punk influences. The Mills Brothers want a song? Here's something from that era. It feels like he's given up on greatness and settled for homage. 1974 to 1980 feels like the years where McCartney relaxed.
After all, this is the period where he put out the worst Christmas song of all time. I was also shocked at another song that I hadn't heard. I had no idea he'd written the title song for the 1978 film, SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR, starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burnstyn. I'd never noticed the song attached to any of his collections, but come on! His movie songs were usually pretty good? SPIES LIKE US? LIVE AND LET DIE? So I googled this one and listened to it on YouTube. Once.
Never again. It's utterly awful, and they were right to not include it in the film.
For all of that, it's still a really interesting, deep view into where McCartney was, who he was with, and what was pushing him to create what he created.
And, while we all know how the story ends (well at least until the early days of 2025), I love that they ended the book on a cliffhanger.
So, fair warning...though I assume anyone looking at this volume has already experienced the first one...you really need to be a major Beatles/McCartney fanatic to push through 800 pages of detail that can be sometimes a touch dry (I'm thinking about the listing of some of the chord progressions, or the overdub details here).
But overall, it does paint an interesting and, to my mind, more nuanced version of McCartney than I've read up to now. I've always known that Paul is a bit of a control freak and that there's time when he can trade his musical genius—or maybe, more accurately, he can, at times, mistake a silly little ditty as something that's musically genius.
But this volume in particular, as it runs through the rise and fall of Wings 2.0 as well as 3.0, and you get the small comments that have so much impact when they start to add up, in regard to McCartney defending his increasingly terrible lyric writing, or his bandmates tying themselves in knots to pay homage to the guy who basically tells them exactly how he wants things played (not always, but the majority of the time)...it shows how he really needed that equally genius musical peer to push him harder.
McCartney, when with the Beatles, was in constant competition with both Lennon as well as Brian Wilson. (Lennon, for his part, competed with McCartney and Dylan). In all cases, it pushed McCartney to be better both musically and lyrically.
In this book, we see him in far less of a competitive role and far more in an observational mode. Disco's hot right now? Let's try a disco song. Punk's getting big? Let's try some punk influences. The Mills Brothers want a song? Here's something from that era. It feels like he's given up on greatness and settled for homage. 1974 to 1980 feels like the years where McCartney relaxed.
After all, this is the period where he put out the worst Christmas song of all time. I was also shocked at another song that I hadn't heard. I had no idea he'd written the title song for the 1978 film, SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR, starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burnstyn. I'd never noticed the song attached to any of his collections, but come on! His movie songs were usually pretty good? SPIES LIKE US? LIVE AND LET DIE? So I googled this one and listened to it on YouTube. Once.
Never again. It's utterly awful, and they were right to not include it in the film.
For all of that, it's still a really interesting, deep view into where McCartney was, who he was with, and what was pushing him to create what he created.
And, while we all know how the story ends (well at least until the early days of 2025), I love that they ended the book on a cliffhanger.
June 1, 2025
'The McCartney Legacy Vol 2 1974-1980' (2023) by Allan Kozinn & Adrian Sinclair
My extensive reading experience includes numerous books, yet I have never encountered a 700+ page book that I wished would continue. This was true for Volume 1 and remains so for Volume 2 of the McCartney Legacy series.
The author's extensive expertise in Beatles and broader music history, has produced an exceptional and unparalleled work. Their comprehensive coverage encompasses every song, recording session, side project, film appearance, and live performance.
Vol 1 left off with the positivity brought on by 'Band on the Run.' Vol 2 commences during the 'Venus & Mars' era and concludes with Paul's 1980 arrest in Japan.
Key findings:
- the many times John and Paul chatted after the Beatles split, and how often Paul saw each of the other guys.
- numerous occasions where the members spoke positively about the band reforming.
- Paul's anxieties regarding the critical comparison of his solo work to that of the Beatles.
- Paul's dictator-like work style with band members.
- Consistent negative press coverage and criticism from some Wings members regarding Linda's musical abilities.
- the amount of unreleased material that Paul has collected.
The authors plan to produce three additional volumes: Vol 3 will cover the 1980s, Vol 4 the 1990s, and the final volume will encompass the period from approximately 2000 onward.
Let's be clear: familiarity with Paul McCartney and his discography is essential for appreciating these books. Regardless of your existing knowledge of McCartney's work from the 1970s, Vol 2 provides new insights. In short, for anyone interested in McCartney’s work, these books are essential.
My extensive reading experience includes numerous books, yet I have never encountered a 700+ page book that I wished would continue. This was true for Volume 1 and remains so for Volume 2 of the McCartney Legacy series.
The author's extensive expertise in Beatles and broader music history, has produced an exceptional and unparalleled work. Their comprehensive coverage encompasses every song, recording session, side project, film appearance, and live performance.
Vol 1 left off with the positivity brought on by 'Band on the Run.' Vol 2 commences during the 'Venus & Mars' era and concludes with Paul's 1980 arrest in Japan.
Key findings:
- the many times John and Paul chatted after the Beatles split, and how often Paul saw each of the other guys.
- numerous occasions where the members spoke positively about the band reforming.
- Paul's anxieties regarding the critical comparison of his solo work to that of the Beatles.
- Paul's dictator-like work style with band members.
- Consistent negative press coverage and criticism from some Wings members regarding Linda's musical abilities.
- the amount of unreleased material that Paul has collected.
The authors plan to produce three additional volumes: Vol 3 will cover the 1980s, Vol 4 the 1990s, and the final volume will encompass the period from approximately 2000 onward.
Let's be clear: familiarity with Paul McCartney and his discography is essential for appreciating these books. Regardless of your existing knowledge of McCartney's work from the 1970s, Vol 2 provides new insights. In short, for anyone interested in McCartney’s work, these books are essential.
January 1, 2025
A great read though the notation of chord progressions is a bit tedious for those of us who can’t really make anything of it. Also the fact Ian Bairnson and David Paton of PILOT were mentioned, and quoted, was nice except for Paton’s name being misspelled and crediting him as “the drummer” as well as not mentioning Pilot but Alan Parson’s Project, which was odd to me. Still, looking forward to volume 3 and the reunion with George Martin.
December 21, 2024
Filled with exquisite detail
I didn't know much about Paul's years with Wings after the release of Band On The Run. Volume 2 filled the void of my ignorance brilliantly. I've discovered new Wings songs that I like while learning the details of how those songs were created. Bring on Volume 3!
I didn't know much about Paul's years with Wings after the release of Band On The Run. Volume 2 filled the void of my ignorance brilliantly. I've discovered new Wings songs that I like while learning the details of how those songs were created. Bring on Volume 3!
January 10, 2025
Rounded up to 3.5 stars. Very detailed and full of information I had never read, however, the microscopic amount of detail regarding recording sessions, chord progressions and technical specifications was a tad, overwhelming, and tended to take me out of the narrative.
January 9, 2025
Paul McCartney's 70s was a long series of estrangements, reunions, tours, and pot busts. Much like volume 1 this made for deeply engaging and enjoyable listening. Once again, ready for the next one.
August 29, 2025
I don’t have much interest in post-Beatles Paul. Or, like most people, my interest extends no further than BAND ON THE RUN - which was covered in a previous volume. But such is the magic of this book I found myself engrossed. It’s minutiae, incredibly - almost insanely - in depth, and yet I was riveted.
December 12, 2024
Thank you so much to @deybooks for sending me a copy of The McCartney Legacy, Volume 2: 1974 – 80 by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair. Of course, I am thrilled to the point of jumping with joy when I receive anything related to The Beatles.
Kozinn and Sinclair are so detailed in this series. It is not only a record of all the recording sessions in which McCartney participated during this time, it’s a chronicle of his personal relationships and business dealings. I can’t imagine wanting to know something about Paul McCartney in this period that isn’t in this book.
I love learning about any of The Beatles, and I admit that my post-break-up knowledge is spotty, so this book (and it’s predecessor) have really opened my eyes. The tone is very journalistic and non-judgmental. At times, like anyone, McCartney is generous and compassionate. And, at times, not. The authors do not unduly praise him nor do they take him to task.
Hearing about the recording sessions and the development of McCartney’s music during this time makes me appreciate it more as well. Interestingly, One Hand Clapping was recorded in August 1974 so reported in this volume. The album and film weren’t released until this year, June 2024.
I would only change one thing about the book: adding more images.
In 2002, I was fortunate enough to see Paul McCartney in concert in Oklahoma City. I don’t think I appreciated it as much then as I would now!
Kozinn and Sinclair are so detailed in this series. It is not only a record of all the recording sessions in which McCartney participated during this time, it’s a chronicle of his personal relationships and business dealings. I can’t imagine wanting to know something about Paul McCartney in this period that isn’t in this book.
I love learning about any of The Beatles, and I admit that my post-break-up knowledge is spotty, so this book (and it’s predecessor) have really opened my eyes. The tone is very journalistic and non-judgmental. At times, like anyone, McCartney is generous and compassionate. And, at times, not. The authors do not unduly praise him nor do they take him to task.
Hearing about the recording sessions and the development of McCartney’s music during this time makes me appreciate it more as well. Interestingly, One Hand Clapping was recorded in August 1974 so reported in this volume. The album and film weren’t released until this year, June 2024.
I would only change one thing about the book: adding more images.
In 2002, I was fortunate enough to see Paul McCartney in concert in Oklahoma City. I don’t think I appreciated it as much then as I would now!
April 21, 2025
In which Paul McCartney gets really big. Again. And his band Wings enters Mark II and Mark III phases and has nearly outlived its usefulness to the former Beatle.
The near-universal acclaim of the Band on the Run album bringing The McCartney Legacy Volume 1 to a close, in Volume 2 the former Beatle continues to build outward from homemade recordings and bucolic home life to conquering the world on tour and releasing a landmark, three-disc live album.
If McCartney's 1970s were a mountain, Band on the Run would be the sudden, unexpected summit after a frustrating trek over irregular ground, Venus and Mars and a year of triumphant touring a successful effort to at least keep the top in sight, and the rest a still-conspicuous journey downward.
The McCartney Legacy Volume 2, which takes us from 1974 to 1980, gets off to a rather slow start with a little too much information about Paul's work on his brother's (Mike McGear) album. As a detailed biography and sessionography, The McCartney Legacy is, of course, a warehouse of detail on all things Paul. But yes, the authors could have moved a little more quickly in reliving how Our Kid (as McGear affectionately and adorably refers to his brother) helped out his less-talented brother.
The Beatles continue to loom over this book, naturally — fascinatingly, of course. The three (John, George, Ringo) against one (Paul) in an epic lawsuit.
Meanwhile, McCartney picks up a couple of new Wings, including frequently wasted and problematic guitarist Jimmy McCulloch. And the lineup would change still further, Paul continuing to stitch Wings back together with new feathers, but the same problems remain: he's a king who wants to live among the peasants. McCartney loved the band format but equality was not something he was suited for and he inevitably and indisputably ran the show. And the Beatles was a tough act to follow.
"I didn't know how to make a group," McCartney says. "I assumed I must have known because I'd been in the Beatles. But I didn't make the Beatles, it made itself, it was a chemical affair. It wasn't like that in Wings."
Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair continue to take us on a fascinating journey through McCartney's 1970s, if one that occasionally collects some mud on the shoes in the form of extreme detail. But the authors show us the little things that make for an involving narrative, and feature a remarkably wide cast of contributing voices.
McCartney tells his farm visitor Michael Lindsay-Hogg, hired to shoot a promo film, to play with his little girls Stella and Mary while Paul takes a phone call. The girls proceed to tie him to a tree. "Oh, that's a game they like," Paul says when he emerges to find Lindsay-Hogg bound.
Fun little details for the McCartney fan pop up all over. When a horde of rock luminaries turns up at McCartney's sessions for Back to the Egg for two songs, it turns out Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, trying to keep things from getting too messy with so many musicians, only played one note continuously.
And while the authors' focus obviously is Paul — and they do a remarkable job of making this complex star a living, breathing, flawed but immensely gifted man — we get to know Linda, too. Everybody loves Linda (except when they don't), a dedicated mother and Paul protector, stubborn and strong but basically kind, who as a music newbie playing on her husband's albums and with Wings in concert was criticized unmercifully.
Paul scrabbles back into critics' good graces by mid-decade, a massive Wings world tour and the triple album that chronicles it successful in every way. But McCartney, weirdly insecure for someone so talented, often reacted artistically to critical complaints. By decade's end, he's on the road to disbanding Wings, but first there's a tour of Britain, then Japan as 1980 arrives. The book ends with McCartney's arrest for bringing marijuana into the country at the start of the Japan tour, a shockingly stupid move for someone who had been busted before but had a not-entirely unjustified sense of his own entitlement.
The McCartney Legacy Volume 2 doesn't have quite as many typos as the first volume, but it's certainly flawed. Unlike the first book, the photos here have captions, but I confess I'm still not sure which guy in the photos is Steve Holley and which is Laurence Juber in the final Wings lineup. And the authors detail the benefit concert for Kampuchea for a couple of pages but neglect to tell us where it was held. Also, sometimes the use of first names can be confusing, especially when there are a couple of Steves hanging around and they don't tell us which one is quoted.
Still, this is an engrossing book, just like the first one. Of course, there's more to come in this series, but we'll have to wait for further volumes. But I'll be by McCartney's side every step of this fascinating trip.
The near-universal acclaim of the Band on the Run album bringing The McCartney Legacy Volume 1 to a close, in Volume 2 the former Beatle continues to build outward from homemade recordings and bucolic home life to conquering the world on tour and releasing a landmark, three-disc live album.
If McCartney's 1970s were a mountain, Band on the Run would be the sudden, unexpected summit after a frustrating trek over irregular ground, Venus and Mars and a year of triumphant touring a successful effort to at least keep the top in sight, and the rest a still-conspicuous journey downward.
The McCartney Legacy Volume 2, which takes us from 1974 to 1980, gets off to a rather slow start with a little too much information about Paul's work on his brother's (Mike McGear) album. As a detailed biography and sessionography, The McCartney Legacy is, of course, a warehouse of detail on all things Paul. But yes, the authors could have moved a little more quickly in reliving how Our Kid (as McGear affectionately and adorably refers to his brother) helped out his less-talented brother.
The Beatles continue to loom over this book, naturally — fascinatingly, of course. The three (John, George, Ringo) against one (Paul) in an epic lawsuit.
Meanwhile, McCartney picks up a couple of new Wings, including frequently wasted and problematic guitarist Jimmy McCulloch. And the lineup would change still further, Paul continuing to stitch Wings back together with new feathers, but the same problems remain: he's a king who wants to live among the peasants. McCartney loved the band format but equality was not something he was suited for and he inevitably and indisputably ran the show. And the Beatles was a tough act to follow.
"I didn't know how to make a group," McCartney says. "I assumed I must have known because I'd been in the Beatles. But I didn't make the Beatles, it made itself, it was a chemical affair. It wasn't like that in Wings."
Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair continue to take us on a fascinating journey through McCartney's 1970s, if one that occasionally collects some mud on the shoes in the form of extreme detail. But the authors show us the little things that make for an involving narrative, and feature a remarkably wide cast of contributing voices.
McCartney tells his farm visitor Michael Lindsay-Hogg, hired to shoot a promo film, to play with his little girls Stella and Mary while Paul takes a phone call. The girls proceed to tie him to a tree. "Oh, that's a game they like," Paul says when he emerges to find Lindsay-Hogg bound.
Fun little details for the McCartney fan pop up all over. When a horde of rock luminaries turns up at McCartney's sessions for Back to the Egg for two songs, it turns out Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, trying to keep things from getting too messy with so many musicians, only played one note continuously.
And while the authors' focus obviously is Paul — and they do a remarkable job of making this complex star a living, breathing, flawed but immensely gifted man — we get to know Linda, too. Everybody loves Linda (except when they don't), a dedicated mother and Paul protector, stubborn and strong but basically kind, who as a music newbie playing on her husband's albums and with Wings in concert was criticized unmercifully.
Paul scrabbles back into critics' good graces by mid-decade, a massive Wings world tour and the triple album that chronicles it successful in every way. But McCartney, weirdly insecure for someone so talented, often reacted artistically to critical complaints. By decade's end, he's on the road to disbanding Wings, but first there's a tour of Britain, then Japan as 1980 arrives. The book ends with McCartney's arrest for bringing marijuana into the country at the start of the Japan tour, a shockingly stupid move for someone who had been busted before but had a not-entirely unjustified sense of his own entitlement.
The McCartney Legacy Volume 2 doesn't have quite as many typos as the first volume, but it's certainly flawed. Unlike the first book, the photos here have captions, but I confess I'm still not sure which guy in the photos is Steve Holley and which is Laurence Juber in the final Wings lineup. And the authors detail the benefit concert for Kampuchea for a couple of pages but neglect to tell us where it was held. Also, sometimes the use of first names can be confusing, especially when there are a couple of Steves hanging around and they don't tell us which one is quoted.
Still, this is an engrossing book, just like the first one. Of course, there's more to come in this series, but we'll have to wait for further volumes. But I'll be by McCartney's side every step of this fascinating trip.
November 24, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and Dey Street Books for an advanced copy of this book that looks at not just a day in the life, but almost every day in the life, of an entertainer, entrepreneur, father,husband and of course ex-Beatle during a particularly creative period in the 1970's.
James Paul McCartney has been known by many names. Macca by those who want to be in know, the Cute One from his fans, his brother called him Our Kid, and royalty bestowed him with Sir. Too history he will always be a Beatle. To McCartney himself he will always be Paul, maybe loving husband, loving father. And always ex-Beatle. Though the Beatles were only ten years of his life, that band changed music and the way that McCartney was treated by fans, other performers and history. Everything that has followed will always be created under the shadow of the Beatles. And this the second volume of a very intensive and extensive history about the man and the creation of his music, one can see that legacy weighing heavily on the man, and the writer/ performer. The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80 by Allan Kozinn; Adrian Sinclair looks at an especially creative period for McCartney as he spread his Wings, separated himself from the Beatles, reformed friendships, and began to create a new legacy for himself.
The book begins with McCartney having an album, Band on the Run, doing well on the charts, but without a band to play the music. The last band had imploded, and McCartney needed a drummer, and more importantly create a feeling of unity with his new players, and those left behind. At the same time McCartney was finishing up the divorce of the four Beatles as a business, a divorce that was dragging along do certain members seeming to not want to let go. Songs were written, an album with his brother was made, and things were starting to look up. Though a trip to America would lead to another drug arrest for a member of the band, along with a lot of issues arising in the band, that would lead to another change in players. A world tour was a success, albums were selling but every question from the press seemed to be about reunion plans for the Beatles. As the relationship between the ex-Beatles began to get better, and McCartney was becoming more confident as an artist again, dark shadows were starting to draw closer.
I have read many books over the years on entertainers, but short of Bob Dylan I have never read a book that was so deeply researched, and so telling about an artist, his life, and his creativity. One can find out what the players had for breakfast on various days. Most likely fried bread and eggs, that seems to come up a lot. The writing is very good, even on little things like talking about how many false starts a song might have, they keep the narrative flowing. Once started it is very hard to put down. The authors go into the the lives of the people involved, including all the members of McCartney's band, management and of course ex-Beatles. The authors draw on sources of the time, which are the best, as they saw that time has a habit of changing stories, when the story becomes the truth, and the truth is sort of lost. There are mentions by critics about performances, songs and more. Best of all, is the authors look at how McCartney creates his work. Drawing on the world around him, using newspapers for album titles, even comic books for song inspiration. These sections are wonderful to read with McCartney just bringing in old songs, old works and making something new. A truly remarkable work both on the man and his creativity as well a history of music in the seventies.
Fans will go love the information, the behind the scenes stories, gossip and info on McCartney, as well as how some of their favorite songs have been written. A book I can't stop thinking about, maybe I'm amazed by all the work put into its creation and look very forward to more.
James Paul McCartney has been known by many names. Macca by those who want to be in know, the Cute One from his fans, his brother called him Our Kid, and royalty bestowed him with Sir. Too history he will always be a Beatle. To McCartney himself he will always be Paul, maybe loving husband, loving father. And always ex-Beatle. Though the Beatles were only ten years of his life, that band changed music and the way that McCartney was treated by fans, other performers and history. Everything that has followed will always be created under the shadow of the Beatles. And this the second volume of a very intensive and extensive history about the man and the creation of his music, one can see that legacy weighing heavily on the man, and the writer/ performer. The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974 – 80 by Allan Kozinn; Adrian Sinclair looks at an especially creative period for McCartney as he spread his Wings, separated himself from the Beatles, reformed friendships, and began to create a new legacy for himself.
The book begins with McCartney having an album, Band on the Run, doing well on the charts, but without a band to play the music. The last band had imploded, and McCartney needed a drummer, and more importantly create a feeling of unity with his new players, and those left behind. At the same time McCartney was finishing up the divorce of the four Beatles as a business, a divorce that was dragging along do certain members seeming to not want to let go. Songs were written, an album with his brother was made, and things were starting to look up. Though a trip to America would lead to another drug arrest for a member of the band, along with a lot of issues arising in the band, that would lead to another change in players. A world tour was a success, albums were selling but every question from the press seemed to be about reunion plans for the Beatles. As the relationship between the ex-Beatles began to get better, and McCartney was becoming more confident as an artist again, dark shadows were starting to draw closer.
I have read many books over the years on entertainers, but short of Bob Dylan I have never read a book that was so deeply researched, and so telling about an artist, his life, and his creativity. One can find out what the players had for breakfast on various days. Most likely fried bread and eggs, that seems to come up a lot. The writing is very good, even on little things like talking about how many false starts a song might have, they keep the narrative flowing. Once started it is very hard to put down. The authors go into the the lives of the people involved, including all the members of McCartney's band, management and of course ex-Beatles. The authors draw on sources of the time, which are the best, as they saw that time has a habit of changing stories, when the story becomes the truth, and the truth is sort of lost. There are mentions by critics about performances, songs and more. Best of all, is the authors look at how McCartney creates his work. Drawing on the world around him, using newspapers for album titles, even comic books for song inspiration. These sections are wonderful to read with McCartney just bringing in old songs, old works and making something new. A truly remarkable work both on the man and his creativity as well a history of music in the seventies.
Fans will go love the information, the behind the scenes stories, gossip and info on McCartney, as well as how some of their favorite songs have been written. A book I can't stop thinking about, maybe I'm amazed by all the work put into its creation and look very forward to more.
November 26, 2024
The substantial length of this book indicates that it cannot be easily read in a single afternoon. However, dedicated fans of the Beatles and Paul McCartney, who crave extensive detail and information, will undoubtedly consider this work a treasure trove. As a long-time admirer of the Beatles, I found the depth of information overwhelming, particularly given the constraints of daily life. Nevertheless, I recognize that there is a significant audience eager for such comprehensive insights.
Paul McCartney is recognized by various names. Historically, he will forever be associated with the Beatles. Although the Beatles represented just a decade of his life, their influence transformed music and altered how he was perceived by fans, fellow artists, and history itself. The legacy of the Beatles looms large over all his subsequent work.
The exploration of entertainers through literature has been extensive. The prose is engaging, maintaining a smooth narrative even when discussing intricate details like the numerous false starts of a song. The authors delve into the lives of all individuals connected to McCartney, including band members, management, and former Beatles, utilizing contemporary sources that capture the essence of the era, acknowledging how narratives can evolve over time. These segments are particularly enjoyable, showcasing McCartney's ability to transform past influences into innovative new works, making this a significant contribution to both the understanding of the artist and the musical landscape of the seventies.
Fans will greatly appreciate the insights, behind-the-scenes narratives, gossip, and details about McCartney, along with the creative processes behind some of the beloved songs.
Thank you NetGalley and Dey Streets Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Paul McCartney is recognized by various names. Historically, he will forever be associated with the Beatles. Although the Beatles represented just a decade of his life, their influence transformed music and altered how he was perceived by fans, fellow artists, and history itself. The legacy of the Beatles looms large over all his subsequent work.
The exploration of entertainers through literature has been extensive. The prose is engaging, maintaining a smooth narrative even when discussing intricate details like the numerous false starts of a song. The authors delve into the lives of all individuals connected to McCartney, including band members, management, and former Beatles, utilizing contemporary sources that capture the essence of the era, acknowledging how narratives can evolve over time. These segments are particularly enjoyable, showcasing McCartney's ability to transform past influences into innovative new works, making this a significant contribution to both the understanding of the artist and the musical landscape of the seventies.
Fans will greatly appreciate the insights, behind-the-scenes narratives, gossip, and details about McCartney, along with the creative processes behind some of the beloved songs.
Thank you NetGalley and Dey Streets Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
November 4, 2025
They've excelled yet again! Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair have done such a wonderful job on volume 2 picking up just where we left off in volume 1. These books continue to prove not only to be a must read for anyone interested in Paul McCartney's life, career, and creativity- but the clearest, best researched, and most carefully crafted books I've ever read about him. The writing style is smooth, clear, and presents each and every piece of information, story, and anecdote in a way that not only makes it easy for the reader to keep up with but makes reading these books an absolute pleasure to explore. These books are best read slowly in order to give yourself the chance to fully absorb not only each chapter but each page! These books are absolutely brimming with captivating and valuable information to any Paul McCartney fan or music lover in general. These books also do such a great job of showing and explaining the intricacies of creating, recording, and releasing music and how Paul McCartney's music really is a labor of love for him as well as an expression of his profound artistry and dedication not only to his craft but to his fans and supporters. If you only ever read one series of books about Paul McCartney read these! They will provide you with the most in-depth, meticulously researched, and beautifully presented information that will not only be informative but also greatly enjoyable and so much fun! I cannot recommend this book and series highly enough! Read these books. You'll be so glad you did!
I can’t wait to read the upcoming volumes. Thank you very much to Kasey Feather, and the teams at Harper Collins and Dey Street Books for providing me with a physical copy of this book to read and review honestly.
I can’t wait to read the upcoming volumes. Thank you very much to Kasey Feather, and the teams at Harper Collins and Dey Street Books for providing me with a physical copy of this book to read and review honestly.
July 22, 2025
Volume 2 in a several-volume (rumor has it 5) set about Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles career.
This picks up just as “Band on the Run” comes out and is a big hit, and now it’s time for Wings to become a “real” band once again and to follow up the iconic album.
We go through the band adding (and losing) new players, recording “Venus and Mars” and “At The Speed Of Sound,” and then touring the world with a well-received show.
The success is followed up by more shedding of band members, the recording of “London Town” and the start of some really nasty reviews from “critics” that seemed to have a personal vendetta against McCartney. It’s clear Rolling Stone had it out for him in the U.S., but apparently NME came at him in the UK.
Two more members join, “Back to the Egg” is recorded, and Paul temporarily goes solo again, recording “McCartney II.”
Through it all is the eternal Beatles reunion question, personal relations with Lennon, Harrison and Starr, and the all-out war to sign McCartney when his contract with EMI ran out in 1979.
The book wraps up with McCartney convening the band again for a small European tour and then arriving in Japan in 1980, where Paul gets busted for carrying pot, and faces the specter of months in prison.
It’s an informative book, full of broad views and minute details, some that will fascinate and some that will make you gloss over them. The hardest part, just like Volume 1, is the use of footnotes with a tiny, tiny asterisk that is hard to spot on the page. Maybe they could make it a bit bigger for Volume 3 and beyond?
This picks up just as “Band on the Run” comes out and is a big hit, and now it’s time for Wings to become a “real” band once again and to follow up the iconic album.
We go through the band adding (and losing) new players, recording “Venus and Mars” and “At The Speed Of Sound,” and then touring the world with a well-received show.
The success is followed up by more shedding of band members, the recording of “London Town” and the start of some really nasty reviews from “critics” that seemed to have a personal vendetta against McCartney. It’s clear Rolling Stone had it out for him in the U.S., but apparently NME came at him in the UK.
Two more members join, “Back to the Egg” is recorded, and Paul temporarily goes solo again, recording “McCartney II.”
Through it all is the eternal Beatles reunion question, personal relations with Lennon, Harrison and Starr, and the all-out war to sign McCartney when his contract with EMI ran out in 1979.
The book wraps up with McCartney convening the band again for a small European tour and then arriving in Japan in 1980, where Paul gets busted for carrying pot, and faces the specter of months in prison.
It’s an informative book, full of broad views and minute details, some that will fascinate and some that will make you gloss over them. The hardest part, just like Volume 1, is the use of footnotes with a tiny, tiny asterisk that is hard to spot on the page. Maybe they could make it a bit bigger for Volume 3 and beyond?
December 12, 2025
This book, the second of two volumes so far, follows the life and career of Paul McCartney practically day by day from the beginning of 1974 when Band on the Run hit big, to the beginning of 1980, ending dramatically with Paul's drug bust in Japan. It follows in the footsteps of a few similar Beatles books, and for my money, is way way too detailed, breaking down every single recording and mixing session, and digging into seemingly most of McCartney's life events (legal meetings, skirmishes with John Lennon, parties, dinners, photo shoots, vacations, press interviews, etc.). At over 700 pages of text, not including bibliography and discography, it's the definition of wretched excess--and Paul didn't even participate, though his paper trail is an extensive one and he's quoted on almost every page. But having checked this out of the library and not bought it, I was quite glad to have read it. Actually, I did more skimming than close reading, and skipping much of the later stuff (Back to the Egg, etc.) that I wasn't interested in. I largely lost interest in Paul's career after the mid-80s so I'm hardly a super fan, though I admire and respect him, though this book lays bare some of his less admirable qualities mostly having to do with being a control freak. As a library read, I was very happy with this and am now reading the first book ('69-'74) which I'll probably read more closely.
April 23, 2025
So thorough, but left me hanging
I enjoyed the first book in the series about Paul McCartney, so thought I would carry on for the rest of the story. There isn’t anything to criticize about this audiobook, it was as good as the first. Definitely helped me understand the relationships the former Beatles had with each other, and the insane pressure for a reunion. But mostly this was a book about Paul and his musical genius. It’s really quite remarkable.
Well, the book is incredibly long, but I thought at least I’d have the whole story. I wasn’t quite paying attention to how much time was left in the book, when it abruptly ended with a “to be continued”. What? I am going to need to buy a third book to get the rest of the story. At the moment I am thinking, good grief, nut, of course I’ll buy it, I’ve invested this much time, I may as well carry on. I wonder when it will come out?
This is not a spoiler, because it’s biographical, but when this volume ends, John is still alive, and Paul is in jail in Japan for pot possession.
I enjoyed the first book in the series about Paul McCartney, so thought I would carry on for the rest of the story. There isn’t anything to criticize about this audiobook, it was as good as the first. Definitely helped me understand the relationships the former Beatles had with each other, and the insane pressure for a reunion. But mostly this was a book about Paul and his musical genius. It’s really quite remarkable.
Well, the book is incredibly long, but I thought at least I’d have the whole story. I wasn’t quite paying attention to how much time was left in the book, when it abruptly ended with a “to be continued”. What? I am going to need to buy a third book to get the rest of the story. At the moment I am thinking, good grief, nut, of course I’ll buy it, I’ve invested this much time, I may as well carry on. I wonder when it will come out?
This is not a spoiler, because it’s biographical, but when this volume ends, John is still alive, and Paul is in jail in Japan for pot possession.
May 1, 2025
Following on from Legacy 1 which immediately placed itself among the most essential Beatle reads around, Legacy 2 sustains the winning formula and fantastic detail of the first. This one feels slightly more accurate in its retelling than the first (although it’s a mystery how they know when Paul writes a particular song), and this really is the bona fide account of Wings out there. The journey it takes you on of each album and tour is the book’s greatest strength, particularly as coverage of this period of Wings has often been sorely underrepresented (if only Paul himself would read this!). There are times when you feel the authors need to get down every possible detail they have at their disposal (do we really need to know what type of cymbals Steve Holly took on tour?!), which at times can get a little dull. It’s a huge read after all so sometimes less is more. This is a minor complaint however, and I dearly hope that the publishers give the authors an advance for Legacy 3 and continue this essential series!
December 28, 2025
Like the first volume, an extraordinary , almost forensic work, although for me the second half dragged a little primarily because that’s when I lost interest in his recorded work during the period in question.
I also struggled a little with some glaring errors. For example:
A footnote that said the Sex Pistols signed to EMI in August 1976 and recorded Never Mind The Bollocks with them which was released in Oct 76. They were dropped by EMI in December. Only the last part is correct.
Another not that said that EMI was 50% sold to Paramount in 1979. That deal fell over and instead it went to Thorn Industries.
Repeated claims that Stigwood's Sgt Pepper was a massive success. It was, famously, a commercial disaster. It shipped platinum (and certification in those days was defined by the ship number) but, as the old joke went, it shipped back double platinum with all the pirate counterfeits arriving in the PolyGram warehouse too.
The lack of an index is also problematic.
I also struggled a little with some glaring errors. For example:
A footnote that said the Sex Pistols signed to EMI in August 1976 and recorded Never Mind The Bollocks with them which was released in Oct 76. They were dropped by EMI in December. Only the last part is correct.
Another not that said that EMI was 50% sold to Paramount in 1979. That deal fell over and instead it went to Thorn Industries.
Repeated claims that Stigwood's Sgt Pepper was a massive success. It was, famously, a commercial disaster. It shipped platinum (and certification in those days was defined by the ship number) but, as the old joke went, it shipped back double platinum with all the pirate counterfeits arriving in the PolyGram warehouse too.
The lack of an index is also problematic.
December 23, 2024
Once again, actually learning things from a book on a Beatle after all these years! And again, so many pages! At least this one covers a couple more years than vol 1 did.
This one catches up to the era when I became an official Beatlemaniac, so it's nice to have those memories jogged.
It really is something how someone can have such an ego and simultaneously be so insecure. And how brutal the critics were, almost always panning Macca for not making the music they imagined he could make, while he was creating all those earworms trying to bring us a little joy (whilst making lots of money!)
Also wondering how many people from later generations will read this one and not know what the cliffhanger ending is going to be...
*4 stars for those who really like Paul, most people I'm guessing won't be as into it
This one catches up to the era when I became an official Beatlemaniac, so it's nice to have those memories jogged.
It really is something how someone can have such an ego and simultaneously be so insecure. And how brutal the critics were, almost always panning Macca for not making the music they imagined he could make, while he was creating all those earworms trying to bring us a little joy (whilst making lots of money!)
Also wondering how many people from later generations will read this one and not know what the cliffhanger ending is going to be...
*4 stars for those who really like Paul, most people I'm guessing won't be as into it
February 27, 2025
Paul McCartney has so far had a fascinating life, and this book covers an interesting period in that life where he's not totally on his own, but he isn't necessarily finding that perfect magic to have another long-term band.
This volume covers the bulk of McCartney's time with the second and third lineups of Wings throughout recording multiple albums and going on a world tour. I found that the information in this volume was detailed and perfect for Beatles/McCartney fans, and also included details that I had not previously read about in any other book. If you're not into the minute details of the recording sessions, the reading may feel a little heavy on those pages, but with the personal stories, it balances out.
I can't wait to go back and read volume 1, and am anticipating checking out the future volume 3.
*Book provided by NetGalley
This volume covers the bulk of McCartney's time with the second and third lineups of Wings throughout recording multiple albums and going on a world tour. I found that the information in this volume was detailed and perfect for Beatles/McCartney fans, and also included details that I had not previously read about in any other book. If you're not into the minute details of the recording sessions, the reading may feel a little heavy on those pages, but with the personal stories, it balances out.
I can't wait to go back and read volume 1, and am anticipating checking out the future volume 3.
*Book provided by NetGalley
July 1, 2025
A good book. Very impressive in details and telling the chronology of what McCartnrh did from after Band on the Run to the Japan bust.
Why not 5 stars - I guess I felt it was missing on telling the story of who McCartney was during this time. I don’t feel I understood McCartney more. In fact I left the book wondering if he was not particularly happy during this period and may not have been particularly nice to know or work with. Maybe it was only in the 80’s and beyond he became happier with who he was and what he achieved. I also didn’t learn why he got such poor reviews during this phase. To me some of the releases had some flaws but wow didn’t he compose some absolute belters during these years - and yet the critical comments reproduced in this book are overwhelming negative.
But still I would recommend any fan to buy this book. I enjoyed reading it.
Why not 5 stars - I guess I felt it was missing on telling the story of who McCartney was during this time. I don’t feel I understood McCartney more. In fact I left the book wondering if he was not particularly happy during this period and may not have been particularly nice to know or work with. Maybe it was only in the 80’s and beyond he became happier with who he was and what he achieved. I also didn’t learn why he got such poor reviews during this phase. To me some of the releases had some flaws but wow didn’t he compose some absolute belters during these years - and yet the critical comments reproduced in this book are overwhelming negative.
But still I would recommend any fan to buy this book. I enjoyed reading it.
January 10, 2025
The second volume was just as engaging as the first volume by these two wonderful authors. These two books give the most details about Paul McCartney and his recording process; as well as what was going on all around him at this time. My only complaint on this book is that it does not cover 1980 like cover says. It goes through the first two weeks of 1980 and stops. There is a vast amount of 1980 that is still to be looked at. In 1980 Paul released the McCartney II album. He was also in jail in Japan. He also lost his best friend in the world through an assassination. All of that happened in 1980 and only rwo days of the Japan bust is covered in this book.
February 5, 2025
The McCartney Legacy, Volume 2 continues Kozinn's granular examination of Macca's post-Beatles career with the focus in v2 being the years 1974-80. Highly detailed history of the three iterations of Wings which Paul fronted during this time, the six albums and numerous singles released, and the harsh critical slagging he took for his efforts. Excellent portraits of the various members who constituted Wings, as well as McCartney and his wife Linda. This volume ends just prior to the release of his solo album McCartney II and his imprisonment in Japan for bringing weed into the country while on tour. Paul always liked his herb.
February 18, 2025
Well, just as amazingly detailed as volume one. I do think the title "The McCartney Legacy" is a little strange, because I don't think a virtually day by day "log" of Paul's activities is really a "legacy." Silly nit picking, I realize.
One thing that really struck me was the viciousness of many critics (especially British ones, it seemed) as they reviewed his new albums from "Venus and Mars" to "Back to the Egg." It's definitely strange to read page after page of how painstaking McCartney was about recording music, only to read review after review of how lazy, sloppy, or uninspired his music is.
One thing that really struck me was the viciousness of many critics (especially British ones, it seemed) as they reviewed his new albums from "Venus and Mars" to "Back to the Egg." It's definitely strange to read page after page of how painstaking McCartney was about recording music, only to read review after review of how lazy, sloppy, or uninspired his music is.
August 31, 2025
I don't know why I find this (and Volume 1, as well) so interesting. 750 pages covering only 6 years of McCartney's life, with a microscope level of day-to-day details. Such minutia, especially about the countless demo's of songs. And yet it fully held my attention and I can't wait for Volume 3.
It did however change my opinion of the artist. Between the book, the common critical pans of most albums & singles, as well as re-listening to his music from the period, made me realize that his songs weren't quite the masterpieces I might have thought they were. While the melodies are catchy, many of the lyrics are overly-simple or random to be considered great works of art.
It did however change my opinion of the artist. Between the book, the common critical pans of most albums & singles, as well as re-listening to his music from the period, made me realize that his songs weren't quite the masterpieces I might have thought they were. While the melodies are catchy, many of the lyrics are overly-simple or random to be considered great works of art.
January 26, 2025
Incredible book for fans of Sir Paul. He's by now clearly established that he is the most talented Beatle, not that it's a contest. His musicality is epic, astounding, as deep as the ocean is wide. He can toss off songs, and perform them, with the verve of Mick Jagger, the tunefulness of Paul Simon, and the intricacy of King Crimson. Vol 2 is every bit as fascinating as Vol 1. At this rate, I'll be long gone before the authors finish, so I'll have to order my copies to be delivered in heaven.
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