McCartney

by Christopher Sandford

Between 1962 and 1970, Paul McCartney sold 140 million albums throughout the world: co-authored with John Lennon twenty-six US and UK number one singles: recorded the first rock album (Revolver) and took the whole thing to a pinnacle (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). As a member of the most important rock band ever, Paul McCartney convinced millions of fans to pick up electric guitars and others to denounce him as a degenerate — or worse. He helped usher in the Love Generation, took a personal stance on the "drug problem," and left the world dumbfounded when the Fab Four called it quits in the early seventies. However, to this day McCartney remains one of the most beloved and respected of musicians, and the biggest box office draw in the world. McCartney is a tale of self-destruction and epic excess, as well as creative genius and brilliant music. The Beatles' bloody infighting, the sex, drugs, and McCartney's extraordinary marriages are revealed here in full. This book remains a celebratory feast for millions of fans, capturing the glorious rush of the best songs and revealing the untold stories behind them.

Genres: Biography, Music

448 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

Christopher Sandford has published acclaimed biographies of Kurt Cobain, Steve McQueen, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Roman Polanski. He has worked as a film and music writer and reviewer for over 20 years and frequently contributes to newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone has called him "the preeminent author in his field today."

His latest project, MASTERS OF MYSTERY (forthcoming November 2011, Palgrave Macmillan) explores Arthur Conan Doyle's and Harry Houdini's incredible friendship and fascination with Spiritualism.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book at work on the shelf during a summer shifting project and gave it a read. Pretty serviceable for 400 page book out in 2006 about the life and times of Sir Paul.
It is unauthorized, so Sandford runs fast and loose with his own commentary given what he says are from many named and unnamed sources.
He gets to Paul’s album Chaos and Creation in The Backyard, but does not make it to Paul’s eventual and drama filled divorce from Heather Mills.
The picture created is of a happy, ambitious, smart, driven, and giving man who being a Gemini exhibits a pushy, blunt, and bossy side that has put him at odds with family, friends, associates and band members.

[Stella Howell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. Not just as it took the veil off my image of McCartney as an almost-saint! But there was much tedious financial and songwriting/publishing rights info that ruined any sense of story for me. It didn't delve into the relationships as much as I would have liked. A little dry and colourless, not a word I'd use for the man Himself.

[Brian Haverty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this is disappointing on almost every level: it's poorly written, poorly researched -- I think I got more information on Paul McCartney from those old Beatles bubblegum cards.

[Palmyrah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a good rock bio — Robert Shelton on Dylan, Jimmy McDonough on Neil Young, Keith Richards on himself. I even like a good bad rock bio, like Anthony Scaduto's poison-pen-portrait of Mick Jagger, or Albert Goldman's minutely detailed dissection of Elvis.

But this is the pits.

Christopher Sandford appears to have researched his subject simply by reading a lot of newspaper articles and watching a lot of television. Everything he gives us is at least secondhand, more often third-hand. He evidently knows and cares nothing for music: we learn nada about McCartney's working technique in the studio, his amazing multi-intstrumental abilities or his songwriting (except that he knocks them off in minutes and sometimes dreams them, which we knew already) and barely scratches the surface of what we want to know. Barring onstage performances, which Sanderson obviously watched after the fact on video — and which anyone else could watch just as easily — there are no descriptions of McCartney or the Beatles at work whatsoever.

Music apart, Sanderson doesn't know much about anything else, either. He seems to think Peruvian flake is a kind of cannabis. Many biographical details about McCartney and his associates, including the other three Beatles, are not given precisely as one remembers them, yet no explanation is offered for the discrepancies. The women in Paul's life remain mysterious. Jane Asher is a cipher; the remarkable mutual affection and interdependence between Linda Eastman and her second husband are described but no attempt is ever made to explain it; Heather Mills is portrayed straightforwardly as a brassy, gold-digging slut — but even here, we are given no idea how a canny operator (and legendary womanizer) like Paul came to have fallen for such an essentially unattractive creature.

Early in the book, Sanderson relates a story about McCartney musing over the reams of analysis to which his friend John Lennon has been subjected, and how people all seemed to think they knew John. 'But they don't know me, do they?' concludes McCartney. This story is so placed in the book as to present the reader with the implication that, by the time they have finished reading, they will know McCartney. Well, they won't.

They wil, however, have been given the impression — entirely erroneous — that John Lennon was a bit of an also-ran in the Beatles, whose true creative and professional engine was Paul McCartney. This, of course, is preposterous — and pointless. It would not have detracted one iota from Paul's own towering achievements to have acknowledged the equivalent genius (and undeniable cultural primacy) of his erstwhile creative partner. Though perhaps, considering how Sanderson trivializes the artistic genius of his hero, it is probably just as well.

I'll give this book two stars on the basis that I did learn at least one interesting fact I didn't know before: Linda's family wasn't always named Eastman; they took that name after migrating to the United States two generations previously. The original family name was... Epstein.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was many years younger, I used to walk around the family flat singing my favorite WINGS songs. Then one day, my older brother told me that the band leader used to play in another group. Really? And what group is that? The Beatles? Like the insects?

Needless to say, maybe I was amazed to discover the other world of Paul McCartney. Thankfully, I am not of the fanbase which pits the Lennonizers against the McCartneyites, so I just wanted to read a biography of the man who wrote so many favorite songs of the late 20th-century. It's a decent book, perfect for someone like me, who came in with just some basic background on Paul and the Beatles.

The book taught me that Paul is one heck of a disciplined performer, and I finished the book believing that he would have been a success in music with or without the Beatles. Even Sinatra said so, and Frank was god. I've always been a sucker for a good melody and Paul's "babies" (as he put it) have consistently packed a strong sing-along hook.

The author keeps the pace going fairly well. So well, in fact, that I finished the book much quicker than anticipated, because I couldn't wait to get to the next fact about Sir Paul. The guy did more drugs than I expected and his marriage to Linda Eastman seemed real. So, I'd say this book was a good bio and a good read. It certainly wasn't a long and winding road.

Book Season = Summer (perfect bio for the beach)

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Paul McCartney and I'm a huge fan of The Beatles, but this book is a major disappointment. The little facts on Paul are interesting, but they make him seem like some sort of a god that was responsible for every good thing that ever came from The Beatles. Christopher Sandford portrays John Lennon as a raging dickhead who contributed next to nothing important. At least he even mentions John, George and Ringo are hardly mentioned at all, and when they are they're both represented as talentless, making mention of Ringo as "just the drummer." As if this weren't bad enough, he really downplays the closeness they shared. If I had never heard of The Beatles and read this book, I would have thought they all hated each other from the beginning.

I did, however, enjoy the facts about his childhood. Very informative. All in all, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Wim Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

Niet uitgelezen, gestopt na zo'n 100 blazdzijden. Slechte biografie, die onleesbaar wordt door een nog slechtere vertaling. Van de hak op de tak en regelmatig een gevoel van: "Hé? Wat?" Loop hier met een boog omheen!

[Susan Krich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. I have read a few books about the Beatles before but never devoted to just one.
As was to be expected the first part until the break up and even through Wings had more detail. After Linda's death , there was not much more. It ended in 2005. Part of the disconnect is in reading a biography that ends while the character is still alive.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tends to drown in naming a long lists of facts and events. An interesting read nevertheless.

[Maria McMahon]

Very good indeed. Excellently researched by a Journalist who really knows his stuff! Unbiased, fair. Liked it a lot.