The Beatles Anthology

Book Description

Created with their full cooperation, The Beatles Anthology is, in effect, The Beatles' autobiography. Like their music, which has been a part of so many of our lives, this landmark release is warm, frank, funny, poignant and bold. At last, here is The Beatles' own story. Each page is brimming with personal stories and rare, vintage images. Includes over 340,000 words and over 1300 images, including unseen photographs and personal memorabilia.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book - Great stories........2007-05-22

The only negative is the size of the book. There should be a smaller hardcover or paperback edition. The content is superb and a great coffee table book, but it's difficult to curl up with this book in bed.

An amazing book.......2007-05-13

I really liked Anthology. Not because it told the basic story, which I already got from other biographies. What makes this book really valuable is that it gives the view from inside the eye of the hurricane.

I mean, what's it like when the world starts screaming in your face?

Telling moments... There's a snapshot of John and Paul clutching their guitars as they head onstage for a concert, but their eyes are grim and tired. Paul is holding up his guitar like he needs a shield to ward off a punch to the face. It's a rather frightening photograph, and you feel sorry for them.

Or you wonder, what was George Harrison thinking, when he set off on a stroll through Height-Ashbury - that no one would notice him?

Or you sense, how much fun they seem to have had touring Australia.

Or their "family photos" from vacation trips... about as boring as anyone's photos. Except it's them. THEM.

The book seamlessly works fresh material from the three Beatles (and a few others) with parts of old John Lennon interviews, so it all reads smoothly, like it was all done at once - really great. The book is a fascinating trip all over again... I read it for two days through and hardly put it down.

Only Book You Need.......2007-05-11

As a hard core Beatles fan I can recommend many books,but if I had to recommend only one it would probably be this one. This is a complete,definitive biography,told in their own words. Not surprising that they should feel the need to do this. With all the tabloid fiction out there, I'm surprised they didn't do this earlier. I'm also not surprised that some people are calling it incomplete, saying that this seems to be their version of the story that they want put out. Could it be because this IS the actual true story about them? No really! Do they mean to imply that they ( the Beatles) actually know more about this subject (the Beatles) then some idiot who met them twice, or (maybe not at all) and decided to make some money by writing a second rate book? The audacity! This book tells the story from birth to break up. There is no filler, just facts. And it is told in their own funny,matter of fact,no nonsense way.

Of course the music is the spotlight. Each album is gone over with a fine tooth comb and you are lifted right into the atmosphere, and events unfolding behind the scenes that made each album special. Actually everything they talk about,from their childhoods to Beatlemania seems to lift you right into the scene. This is helped by the gorgeous pictures, almost all of them from their personal collections. Even if you are illiterate you will want this book just for the pictures. By the way, John's quarter of the story is told through interviews. Thank goodness he gave so many. Some of the pictures even have his written comments scrawled on them,showing us exactly how he felt at the time. There are hundreds of pictures of documents, handwritten play lists, handwritten lyrics, notes, hotel and restaurant bills,lists of concerts (again with John's handwritten comments about what was going on.) These guys kept everything! I can't beleive that Paul and Ringo actually kept plane and hotel receipts from a long ago trip to Greece with Jane Asher and Maureen Cox.(at that time,the future Mrs. Starkey) There is even a document at the top corner of one of the pages, (I bet a lot of people missed it) which refers to the request for some lice removal medicine to be delivered to one unfortunate Beatle's home. Of course they are NOT talking about head lice,and having read Peter Brown's pointless,vindictive book,The Love You Make,I know that this may have been Paul's way of saying,'Yes it's true but Epstein's creepy,lackey had no right to put it in a book (and make lots of money). Or maybe I read it in that other rag, Yesterday by Chet Flippo. I had the misfortune of reading both books. Don't make the same mistake.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind reading juicy,personal stuff as long as it's true and not embellishment. And there are plenty of interesting,sexy, stories,and stories of John's craziness but coming from their mouths, I know they are true. Except for that peeing on nuns story. Really John! George says it never happened and I beleive him. This book is like a huge memoir. A personal scrapbook and photo album. You will enjoy it's beauty,candidness, and it's entertaining style. And it's not true that most of these stories have been told before. I've read hundreds of books on the Fabs and 90% of this book is fresh, especially the early years. While you're at it, get the Anthology DVD set also. It's completely different from this book! Talk about quality, and value for money! Something that's always been important to the Beatles.

Everything Beatles! By the Beatles! What could be wrong?.......2007-05-09

Take 4 guys from England that changed the world of music forever and have them tell the story of their meteoric rise to fame and dominance of the music industry for decades and what do you have? THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY.

John, Paul, George and Ringo made the music that we listen to today what it is. Without the British Invasion, we would never have had the development of rock and roll as it is today. Elvis and the Beatles, they are the fathers of rock and roll. This is half of that story.

The Anthology is a great compilation of photos, album covers, artwork, lyrics, personal stories, articles and everything else Beatles. If you like the Beatles, then this is the source for every bit of information about the first super-group. You can probably find other books out there about the Beatles, but this was written by the fab four; you really can't go anywhere else to get the information you get in this book.

This is a must have for any Beatles fan. A must have for anyone that appreciates the history of music and rock & roll. Well, this is just a must have.

What more can I say? The Beatles were the original. Their story is great, their music is great, this book is great. Fact, period, end of story.

THE BEST CHRONICLE OF THE BEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND: THE BEATLES AGAIN!!!.......2007-01-10

WoooW!! What an elaborated and extensive material about the best band in the world! this book has every moment, every day, every story about the greatest John, Paul, George and Ringo told by themselves; this book is an invaluable work and every people who likes every kind of music has to buy it! I recommend it especially for the young people who begin to play music and former musical groups with their friends, I'm sure everyone will love this book. THE BEATLES SHOKING ALL THE WORLD AGAIN!!!

Lennon and McCartney - Together Alone: A Critical Discography of Their Solo Work

Average customer rating:

Comprehensive but only somewhat compelling
A 'must' for any collection serious about a full representation of the Beatles' works.
An inexpensive alternative to his previous volumes
Critical discography of Lennon & McCartney solo releases
Musical Juggernauts

Lennon and McCartney - Together Alone: A Critical Discography of Their Solo Work
John Blaney , John Lennon , and Paul McCartney
Manufacturer: Jawbone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1906002029

Book Description

When the Beatles spilt in 1970, John Lennon and Paul McCartney each created a new body of work as they defined their individual styles. This book examines their growing confidence and the highs and lows of their careers via a careful and entertaining examination of their every major record release from the 1960s to today. A must for every music student and Beatles fan, with lots of info for collectors (release dates, catalog numbers, credits, etc.). Includes cool photos throughout and a detailed index.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive but only somewhat compelling.......2007-08-04

First comment: I hate the hideous cover photo of Lennon and McCartney morphed together. Freakish. Fire the art director.

More relevant: this is a thick book, chock full of info, and accounted for an interesting afternoon or two. Part of the problem is that it discussed the relevance of particular lyrics, but doesn't include the songs' full lyrics. So I found that I had to go to Google to get the full stories behind the songs--which was why I bought the book.

The other unfortunate part--which the author can't do anything about--is that I obviously wanted to immediately hear the songs--or snippets of the songs--as I was reading about them, either to refresh my memory or because I hadn't heard them before. So you either need to read this next to your stereo--with a full McCartner & Lennon collection at hand--or while on Amazon (to hear snippets for free). That's not a fault of the book, simply the limitations of the medium.

Bottom line, a book about music is a tricky and not entirely fulfilling proposition. But on the whole it's a useful and interesting book; John Blaney has done a nice job.

A 'must' for any collection serious about a full representation of the Beatles' works........2007-07-08

The songwriting partnership of Lennon/McCartney is one of the most popular of all time and formed the foundation of the Beatles' sound and evolution: but this focus is on their independent songwriting after they broke up, and offers important assessments of their work both within and outside the Beatles. Collectors will appreciate the facts on release dates, catalogue numbers, composer credits and technical recording information, while Blaney's critical analysis and lively style peppers quotes from the songwriters along with insights. Sidebars of information accompany in-depth analysis of songs and the individual artists. A 'must' for any collection serious about a full representation of the Beatles' works.

An inexpensive alternative to his previous volumes.......2007-06-29

Mr. Blaney has previously written two excellent detailed song-by-song discocraphies, one on Lennon "Listen to this book" and one on McCartney "The songs he was singing". This new book "Together Alone" appears to be a slightly revised combination and abridgement of his two earlier titles, with somewhat less discographic detail. It is a cheaper, one-volume version, and as such is a very good buy. For those who already have the 2 earlier books, this new one is largely redundant.

Critical discography of Lennon & McCartney solo releases.......2007-06-23

Lennon & McCartney go together like peanut butter and jelly--they are complimentary but with distinct different flavors. John Blaney's critical discography will make fans both happy and mad--while he completely covers the duo's recorded output (to the time this was written after "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard")giving information on the recordings, trivia about the songs and how they charted, he also gives us his opinions some of which Beatles fans will disagree with. On the whole, though, Blaney is on the mark in his assessment of the strengths/weaknesses of their various songs and recordings.

For example, Blaney discusses Lennon's "Mind Games" assessing the final product as the type of bland music that Lennon thought fans and the record company might want. While that might be true of some of the material on "Mind Games" he also points to the stronger recordings/songs as well. Personally, I disagree with some of his critical assessments of the songs on "Mind Games" but he makes strong, valid points for his opinions. As with "Mind Games", Blaney is equally unforgiving of McCartney's "Red Rose Speedway" which he basically suggests is a half finished album lacking cohesion and capable lyrics. Again, his assessment is often on target although one could argue with him about some of the songs on the album. There are a number of opinions here that while informed a Beatles-Lennon/McCartney critical fan would disagree with. The only major flaw with the book is numerous proof reading errors aside from that, Blaney's book is well thought out, argued and intelligently written (even if you do disagree with his opinions).

Blaney has done his research and whether or not you agree to disagree with him he has written an impressive book on the post-Beatles careers both men had. Like Bruce Spizer's books on The Beatles Capitol and Apple recordings, Blaney tries to be as exhaustive and accurate as possible. He also includes bits of trivia that even I wasn't aware of for example that "Jamrag" which is credited to Lennon and Ono was actually a Frank Zappa song called "King Kong" that the two credited to themselves on the "Sometime in New York City" album. While Lennon and Ono appear on the recording itself they had absolutely nothing to do with the song which Zappa had written before their onstage collaboration.

He even discusses McCartney's side projects such as "Thrillington" (and points out that while McCartney attacked arranger Richard Hewson's over-the-top arrangement for "The Long and Winding Road" he collaborated with Hewson to create "Thrillington" commissioning him to write the orchestral arrangements of the songs from "Ram"), The Firemen and Twin Freaks.

The book comes separate discographies for both Lennon and McCartney as well as a list of collaborations that both men did with other artists as songwriters/producers/performers. You may disagree with Blaney's opinion (or not)but he's done a marvelous job of cataloging both Lennon and McCartney's post-Beatles careers and putting them into perspective by discussing the circumstances that helped create the variuos albums they made.

Oh, and I think the cover is kind of cool. I've often felt that Lennon & McCartney were a perfect compliment to each other as songwriters and this is a visual that suggests that as well.

Musical Juggernauts.......2007-04-18

This is a book that all will love, from people just becoming familiar with the Beatles to inveterate fans and Beatle scholars. John Blaney is a gifted writer with a perceptive mind. He has included in his work many little known facts about the world's best song writing duo, John Lennon & Paul McCartney!

In addition to recognizing the talents of these musical juggernauts, Blaney lists Paul McCartney's charitable performances. He analyzes the songs of these brilliant lyricists and Paul McCartney's spiritual side which is reflected in some of his later works. For many years, George Harrison was credited as the Beatle who wrote of spiritual matters; while true, this is not to overlook that accomplishment in Paul McCartney.

This is a book that will be cherished by all Beatle fans and people who are interested in their music.

Average customer rating:

THE BEATLES SOLO ON APPLE RECORDS
Take a Bite into the Apple
A long and winding road
Another Great Entry in Series, A Tiny Bit Less of a "Must-Own"
A depth unequalled by competing, lighter Beatles coverage's

The Beatles Solo on Apple Records
Bruce Spizer
Manufacturer: Four Ninety-Eight Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0966264959

Book Description

"The Beatles Solo on Apple Records" is the companion piece to Bruce Spizer's critically acclaimed "The Beatles on Apple Records." This book details the solo records released by John, Paul, George and Ringo on their own Apple label in America, starting with the December, 1968, release of George's "Wonderwall Music" album and ending with the December, 1975, release of George's single "This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)." All solo projects are covered, including all of the albums and singles released by John & Yoko and Paul McCartney & Wings, as well as classic albums such as "Imagine," "Band On The Run," "All Things Must Pass" and "Ringo." The book provides complete session and chart information and shows all picture sleeves, album covers and label variations, along with many of the promotional posters, displays and trade magazine ads. The book is hard cover and printed on heavy weight glossy paper. It has over 900 images (all in full color or original black & white) spread throughout the book's 358 pages.

Customer Reviews:

THE BEATLES SOLO ON APPLE RECORDS.......2007-02-10

For the completest. Bruce Spizers' second Beatles Apple publication dissects and represents the many international incarnations of the individual output of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr whilst they were still associated with Apple Records. Sadly much of this output was merely associated with Apple due to contractractual obligations. In some cases under protest. But in those heady days beginning just prior to the saddest breakup in Rock history.. all up to the late seventies, the solo Beatles material from the four ex Beatles are among some of the most popular albums in musical history. McCartney, John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, Ram, Imagine, Band On The Run, All Things Must Pass, Venus & Mars and Ringo, all contain a wealth of popular hits, that were less conspicuous in the later solo Apple years. There are a few omissions, such as the Australian release of J.L. & The Plastic Ono Band (which had a unique Black & White label on Apple), but generally the material collected and presented by Mr Spizer presents an unbelieveable array of variable releases of the same albums throughout the world. It's a fascinating look at a unique era in music & memorabilia. If you love the detailed background of Beatles history, as I do. You'll read this book over and over again.

Take a Bite into the Apple .......2007-01-10

The followup to Spizer's book on The Beatles' group efforts on Apple, this goes through all of the band's solo Apple releases. Again, there's so much information here! And again, if you're not interested in all of the deep information on the various pressings, label copy, etc., you can skip it. Although you'll find that the Beatles had a lot of fun with what they did with Apple on their solo releases, and there's plenty of photos of various labels, album and singles covers, etc. I don't know where Spizer got the energy to do this 5 times (he's got 4 other similar books on Beatles releases), but I'm glad he did.

A long and winding road.......2006-03-20

The Beatles 2nd UK lp (that became America's 1st) was released Nov. 22, 1963. The White album was released on Nov. 22, 1968. What tremendous growth in 5 years! They grew together and apart...this book will clue you in on every nuance of the solo years. Keep saying over and over, "it was only a band..."

Another Great Entry in Series, A Tiny Bit Less of a "Must-Own".......2005-08-07

Bruce Spizer has now put together five books in this series of looks at the Beatles (and with this latest volume, the solo years on Apple in the early-mid 70's) and their relationships with record labels Vee-Jay, Capitol, and Apple.

As fans of these books know, much of each book covers very detailed, minute bits of information about the release of each LP, Single, EP, etc. The cost of the books is probably due in large part to each book being printed in complete full color on every page. A large percentage of the pages are covered with every label variation of every release. If you're not a hardcore collector intensely interested in what are usually very, very minute label differences (mostly different fonts, different perimenter print on the labels), then I have to say that some of the wow factor is missing.

What has made the other entries in this series must-have books for any Beatles scholar, even if they are not interested in label variations, is the detailed history Spizer uncovers behind the Beatles' relationship with their labels. Spizer uncovers long-forgotten or never-known stories behind how the labels devised albums or singles, and many other interesting details. His book on the Vee-Jay label's relationship with the Beatles was a complete revelation that completely changed scholars' perception of the relationship between the group and Vee-Jay, and would have been a must-have for Beatles scholars even without any pictures or illustrations of any kind.

There are interesting pictures in all of the volumes, including the "Solo Beatles on Apple" other than label variations. Pictures of alternate album covers and other artwork, as well as promotional items all adorn the pages.

"The Solo Beatles on Apple..." is perhaps a tiny bit less indispensable as compared to Spizer's other books only because it doesn't have as much revelatory information as the previous entries (particularly the Vee-Jay book and the Capitol books). All of the books contain Spizer's own reviews of the music itself, as well as basic information on the background of the songs and albums. This is the only information in Spizer's books which isn't indispensible. It's all well-written, it just doesn't offer any new information. Because the "Solo Beatles" book has a bit less of the new, wow-factor type of facts that made the Vee-Jay and Capitol books so interesting, the "Solo Beatles" book doesn't have quite as much to offer in terms of the text. Spizer admits that he came into writing the book with the opinion that the Beatles' solo work doesn't hold up well to the group's output. Listening to the albums apparently did change is mind to some degree, but I do see just a bit less enthusiasm behind the writing of this book as compared to the other group entries.

Still, between the ample color artwork and still plenty of interesting details uncovered by Spizer, this book is still a must-own for Beatles scholars and record collectors. I would give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.

A depth unequalled by competing, lighter Beatles coverage's.......2005-08-06

Avid Beatles collectors who already have all the collector's guides to Apple Records may imagine they already have all they need - until they confront The Beatles Solo On Apple Records: The Stories Behind The Entire Beatles Solo Catalog On Apple Records Including Imagine, Band On The Run, All Things Must Pass And Ringo. Packed with black and white and color photos of records, vintage posters, ad illustrations and more, The Beatles Solo On Apple Records supplements extensive illustrations with meticulous background details for each recording's origins. In using the recordings to ground background history, The Beatles Solo produces a depth unequalled by competing, lighter Beatles coverage's - and insights simply unavailable in price guides alone. Not for the casual readers who seeks a light history, but perfect for the avid Beatles fan who needs to know everything about the group, it's individual members, and their recordings.

Average customer rating:

I enjoyed about half of it
Riveting, I Love It
The best book I've read about the Beatles
Paul's case for his legacy
Very Engaging

Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now
Barry Miles
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805052496

Amazon.com

If you think John Lennon was the smart, arty Beatle while Paul was an empty head twittering prettily, this book will hip you to the facts. While John sat in the suburbs getting stoned to numb the pain of his imminent divorce, bachelor Paul was feeding his head by immersion in the London avant-garde. He pioneered the Beatles' experimental stuff, though his witty song-by-song account proves that it really was a 50-50 partnership--and some of the best innovations, like the snarling 1964 feedback intro to "I Feel Fine," happened by pure accident. Paul's insight into John's genius, which sprang from howling paranoia and a stark childhood, is still deeper than his insight into himself, but the book's true glory is its inside info on all those songs--the six tunes about John's marriage on A Hard Day's Night; Paul's heist of the "I Saw Her Standing There" bass line from Chuck Berry's "I'm Talking About You" (found on Berry's The Chess Box); the true meanings of "Norwegian Wood" (pine paneling, which the song's narrator burns to avenge the girl's refusal to have sex with him), "Got to Get You into My Life" ("you" is marijuana), and "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" ("life goes on" in Yoruba). This book is even better than A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles' Song and Revolution in the Head. Here is the last word on the Beatles, inevitably slanted toward McCartney but generally more convincing than Lennon's own recollections. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

During the past year Paul McCartney has been in the public's eye more than at any time since the peak of Beatlemania over thirty years ago. His fans have been treated to the best-selling Flaming Pie and Standing Stone albums, a full hour of Paul on "Oprah," and this thoughtful and comprehensive biography that brings us closer to the man than ever before. Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews over a period of five years, and with complete access to Paul's own archives, Barry Miles has succeeded in letting Paul tell the story of his life as a Beatle in his own words. It includes Paul's recollection of the genesis of every song that he wrote with John Lennon and the fascinating details about their remarkable collaboration.

Customer Reviews:

I enjoyed about half of it.......2007-09-06

I honestly enjoyed perhaps a good half of this book. The first few chapters, and the later sections on Paul's life in the Asher household, the making of the albums, and his romance with Linda, are quite good and fast-paced. However, there are also numerous long boring stretches, particularly most of the "Avant-Garde London" chapter. Mr. Miles isn't a professional writer or journalist, and it shows. He's a longtime close personal friend of Paul's, and it just comes across like he's way too close to be objective and analytical about his subject. He even writes himself in as a character on a fairly regular basis (esp. in "Avant-Garde London"), which ordinarily would be a hint the writer is way too close to the subject and story and a more neutral third party should be found. And at least half of the book seems to consist of huge block quotes from Paul (sometimes others), making it hard sometimes to tell when one quote ends and another begins, or when we've shifted back to the voice of the narrator. A good biographer is supposed to analyse and synthesise the information, challenge it when need be, and rewrite it in his or her own words, not merely present information.

Apart from a number of typos and grammatical errors, there are a lot of factual errors too. Errors include attributing certain songs to the wrong albums, crediting them to the wrong vocalist, and leaving off songs entirely (e.g., George's two songs on YS are never even mentioned and we're told there were "only two new songs" on the album, instead of actually four). And when it comes time to discussing the individual songs, Paul can't stop intruding into songs which have long been established as having been written entirely or primarily by John to claim that he helped to write the song too, or that his minimal contribution was the most important contribution, taking credit for innovations and songs that rightly belong to John. So many times it seems like his underlying message is "Everything John did, I did better." And Mr. Miles never challenges any of this historical revisionism.

The constant trashing on John, my own favorite Beatle, was really over the top, mean, and uncalled for. This constant unprofessional mean-spirited savaging of him doesn't square well with the frequent quotes from Paul about how they were very close friends and he loved John dearly! You don't need to put others down to build your subject up. And events that might cast aspersions on Mr. Miles's portrayal of Paul as an absolute prince are often left out. I almost wish the book had been written by Paul (as it is, at least half of it seems to be in his words), since he comes across as rather candid, honest, and open, like acknowledging that he could be very bossy, overbearing, controlling, and selfish in the studio, even when it really rankled his bandmates.

Paul does seem like a really nice guy, and he was originally my favorite Beatle, but in this book he just comes across as childish, petty, insecure, and even a liar. That might not have been Mr. Miles's intention, but given his refusal to challenge anything Paul says, no matter that it's contradicted by every other source out there, it sure ends up that way. It's a shame, really, since in another biographer's hands this could have been a much better book, letting people know that Paul is a lot deeper, more interesting, and multi-faceted than his image would seem to suggest.

Riveting, I Love It.......2007-04-19

I probably can't improve on Amazon's editorial review on the first page of this site, because it says it all,but I will try anyway. This is the most revealing book I've ever read about any aspect of the Beatles, probably because it is told in Paul's own words, in that honest, matter of fact way that all four of them always had. And that's one of the reasons we love em. It really is more of an autobiography. There are three outstanding things about Many Years from Now. One is Paul's recollections about almost every Lennon McCartney song; who wrote what,and each writer's contribution. He even remembers where he was when he wrote each song,and he remembers smells and other people in the room,or what was happening in his life at the time. Very vivid memories. It's incredibly exciting to have this written down in a book that you can refer to any time. Also,his recollections match John's for every song except just two, In My Life and And I Love Her. That's amazing considering John did his song by song thing back in 1980, and Paul deliberately didn't look at it just to see if their memories matched, and they do. Speaking of John, the second wonderful thing about this book, is the facinating, personal info. that Paul brings to light about his best friend and song writing partner. It's obvious that Paul's feelings for John are deep and complicated and tied up with very strong emotion. He goes into a lot of detail about this. I don't understand some reviewers' remarks that Paul is somehow petty because he claims to have written the music to In My Life. Why is this so difficult to believe? Are some people so enamored by John Lennon that they can't imagine that he might have made a mistake? And why do they seem to think that Paul is the one who's lying here? Paul's been saying that he wrote the melody since John's 1980 interview came out. Why would he keep saying it if he didn't feel it was the truth? All through the 70's John was given to mood swings about Paul. Sometimes he loved him and sometimes he said the most outragiously rude things about him. Also, not for anything but how many acid trips did John take in the 60's? Not to mention his heroin use. Can't be so good for the memory. They are actually believing every word that this man says instead of someone who took only a few acid trips and never used heroin. John's feelings often changed with the wind. How could people have missed that? Anyway the third lovely thing about this book is Paul's candidness about everything. For instance, he talks about how he once became sexually aroused at the sight of his mother in her underwear. One reviewer was discusted by this but wait a minute. How many guys would ever admit something like that? Anyone who's read the Kinsey Report about human sexuality will know that there is nothing abnormal about this. But no one would ever admit it. To say the least there was certainly an oedipal thing on Paul's part,concerning his mom. This book is filled with no holds barred,honest stuff like this, and I found it refreshing. No one can ever again, say that Paul holds anything back. He also speaks very candidly about his drug use,revealing a few startling surprises. There is a section about the recording of each album which was wonderful. He talks about his early relationship with Linda,which I enjoyed. What I didn't like is that he dismisses two very important ladies, Dot Rhone and Jane Asher. I guess he has his reasons but I would have liked to see his candidness about these two for a change. I think it is because he didn't want to trespass on their privacy and also, Linda was pretty jealous especially about Jane. This book covers only his youth and the Beatle years, so Wings fans won't find anything here. He also tells the facinating story about his near nervous breakdown after the Beatles break up. The first time I read this book was when it first came out and I was really bowled over by it. At the time I didn't know much about McCartney. What an eye opener. I read it the second time just recently, and I had the same reaction. So I bought it. I will read it again because I love it and want it in my collection. If you only read one McCartney book it should be this one, but there are others that I recommend if you are so inclined: Paul McCartney the Definitive Biography by Chris Salwicz is very good. And of course the Anthology book, and Hunter Davies' authorised biography. Also Ray Coleman's Paul McCartney Yesterday and Today about Paul's music, mainly Yesterday. Even McCartney, the new one by Chris Sandford is not bad, but it is the weakest of the ones mentioned here.But this book, Many Years From Now is the BEST McCartney book, bar none. It is essential reading for not only Paul fans, but Beatle scholars as well. Even casual fans will enjoy it.

The best book I've read about the Beatles.......2007-04-16

I really like this book. Especially the parts about the songwriting. Being a musician and songwriter myself, I've always have been interested in who wrote what within the team of Lennon/McCartney. For two guys to have agreed to put their names on whatever the other one wrote is a testimant to how they felt about each other's abilities. Of course, setting the record straight kind of dispells the original perception of the Beatles. During their time together, the Beatles made it look so easy and were so coy about it all. Years later, going into detail and saying who did what is informative and interesting but it does open up the possibility that someone is going to be critical about it. Especially, since the person doing it is Paul and his partner, the great John Lennon, is long dead. However, anyone who can give their partner full wrting credit for songs of the calibre of "Hard Day's Night", "Help", "I'm a Loser" or "Nowhere Man" just might be a fairminded person. Beatle records still sound great today-even cutting edge- and that's why the world is still interested in the Beatles. The kind of explosive creativity that was the Beatles invites investigation and I'm glad to be able to get Paul's take on things.

Paul's case for his legacy.......2007-04-12

Paul is one of the most famous musicians of the 20th century, and everyone knows that he was critical to the Beatles' success. Nevertheless, he is obsessed with his historical legacy, and this book -- the closest thing to a biography of Sir Paul -- seems to exist for the sole purpose of "setting the record straight."

Toward this end, Paul goes through a large fraction of the Beatles song catalog, assigning percentages to his contribution vs. John Lennon's. Paul's recollections of each song are interesting (he says he was a near-equal contributor to Norwegian Wood!), but I think he should have left off the percentages. How to you measure a contribution to a song? Sometimes one line or chord change is what turns it from ordinary to extraordinary.

The book also includes a long section on Paul's arty life in swinging London, apparently because Paul feels that John Lennon has unfairly gotten tagged as the "avant garde Beatle" because of his activities with Yoko, when really it was Paul that was doing the art scene while John was dropping acid in the suburbs. What Paul doesn't understand is that John's reputation for experimentation comes from his songs, like "I am the Walrus" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" (which wasn't just about the tape loops) and from his solo Plastic Ono Band album. Not from the strange films and albums he made with Yoko.

Another thing I didn't like about the book is that it is separated into text by Miles interspersed with quotes from Paul, yet much of the information in the text could only have come from Paul. It's as if Paul wanted to get these statements in, but wasn't comfortable saying them in his own voice. For example, the text speaks of John's frustration at the end that he wasn't getting "equal time" on the Beatles albums, and quotes him as saying that he wanted a rule that he is allows to put four songs on an album, whatever happens. Then we read: "It was for this type of move, a cunning attempt to bypass the Beatles democracy, that the others, much as they loved him, regarded him as a 'manoeuvering swine.'" This does not sound like an objective narration, and it does harm to Miles' reputation as a writer.

I enjoyed the book overall -- it's full of information I haven't seen elsewhere -- but it makes you want to sit down with Sir Paul and say "hey .. everyone knows you're amazing and that the Beatles could not have succeeded without you -- now get over it! You're hurting your reputation more than helping it."

Very Engaging.......2007-04-11

Very thoughtful and detailed book. Tells a story that everyone has heard before (the beatles recording process and fame)---but sheds a new light on the more human side of all the Beatles--of course espically Paul. Lots of touching moments between John and Paul and their uncanny ability to create music together. A very rewarding read.

TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN: THE BEATLES AND THE "PAUL IS DEAD" HOAX

Average customer rating:

Some good facts and recollections in this
Great Hoax
Decent sociohistorical study of odd phenomenon
Turn me on Dead Man
Best Look at The 'Paul Is Dead' Hoax

TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN: THE BEATLES AND THE "PAUL IS DEAD" HOAX
ANDRU J REEVE
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1418482943

Book Description

In the fall of 1969, the story seemed to come out of nowhere. Was Beatle Paul McCartney dead? This was no ordinary death rumor. It was believed that McCartney had died years earlier and been replaced by a lookalike. What's more, the surviving Beatles were thought to have planted "clues" to his death on their record albums. "Paul-Is-Dead" mania swept the United States as people attempted to solve the riddle of Paul's alleged demise. How did all of this happen? Beatles scholar and journalist Andru J Reeve has gotten to the bottom of this intrigue. After years of research, Reeve has assembled TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN to tell the strangest tale ever in the history of rock 'n' roll.

Customer Reviews:

Some good facts and recollections in this.......2007-05-17

This was an entertaining recount of the "Paul is Dead" rumor that spread like wildfire in the late 60's and still persists to a certain degree to this very day.

The biggest fault this book has is, while it does contain lots of great info and recollections on the subject, the author does not even for one second even entertain the idea that The Beatles intentionally perpetrated the rumor. He more or less just looks at it as an urban legend started by over imaginative acid taking pot smoking hippies that snowballed once a few self serving radio disc jockeys and journalism students got a hold of it. He totally discounts and laughs off, not only the idea that "Paul is Dead", but also that the Beatles were in on the whole thing. Reeve even lists most of the hints and clues that appeared on Beatles records and goes out of his way to discount them, more often than not in a very illogical and unconvincing way. The funny thing is one of the biggest hints that people fed off of is easy to discount and the writer (or anybody else) does not even attempt to debunk it. The one I am referring to is that people were saying the Walrus was considered a death omen in Viking times in Scandinavia. I have to tell you all I have studied Viking history and read Norse and Icelandic sagas obsessively studying Norse Pagan beliefs for years. I am an Odinist. I have even lived in Scandinavia for the past few years and I am married to a Danish woman. The belief that the Walrus was or is a death omen has never once surfaced in any of my studies of the past or in my day to day life here.

As conspiratorial minded as I am I think that its very, very unlikely McCartney died and was replaced by a doppleganger but I do believe that the band was in on the whole thing. There were just too many hints and clues that they put into their lyrics, music and the art of their albums for it to be an accident.

Great Hoax.......2007-01-23

I absolutely loved this book until about half way when it lost a lot of steam. The beginning was packed with information that I had never heard, it even reminded me of things that I had forgotten. Despite knowing that it all was a hoax you still were able to get that eerie felling, kudos to the author.. the first half is worth the read, save your time on the second half.

Decent sociohistorical study of odd phenomenon.......2006-04-09

This is actually a revamped version of a great book by Reeve originally released in the early 90s by Popular Culture, Ink. Thus some of the interviews, text and photos are from the late 80s, when Reeve was doing the meat of his research. It should be stated straight off that the intent of this book is not as a clue-finder. Clues are listed through out the text, and there is an appendix with a long list of them (though surprisingly missing some of my faves- including the sunlight skull on the back cover of Abbey Road, the lyrics of "Only A Northern Song", and any clues from the Let It Be album, just to name a few). But the aim of this book is first and foremost to 1) Determine the origins of the hoax 2) Theorize about why it was so fascinating from a sociohistorical context, and 3) Mention how the hoax has become an enduring part of popular culture. In fact, the book gets a smidge long in the tooth once it starts listing various publications and websites having to do with Paul-Is-Dead, pop culture references over the years, as well as a "where are they now" section regarding the main figures in the original hoax. But Reeve's dedication to the subject is flawless. Almost a third of the book is dedicated to appendices, endnotes and an index.

Throughout the narrative, the author attempts to build tension like a murder-mystery/thriller, with tongue firmly in cheek (or maybe not), with varying results. But all in all, a fun study of an odd phenomenon. Great pics too. Recommended.

Turn me on Dead Man.......2006-03-27

This book is great.

It has lots and lots of Beatles Clues.. It goes thur step by step the series revolving Paul's > so called death> back then.

I never believed that Paul had died in an automobile crash. I knew it was all a Publicity stunt. The Beatles made it up themselves.. It helped their "Record Sales" at the time.

They had stopped tourning "Live" , cos they were "Burned out" with the live audiaunces. They could not tolerate all the "screaming and yelling" from their fans anymore.

John stated, "They can't even hear us on stage , so what's the point of being there." So they stopped in 1966.

that was the year I saw them twice on stage. > Wow.. nothing like it since...>

But this book covers all the clues and all the little things about Paul that you may not know, when they were "planning his dimise".

I would pick it up, it is very Intresting to read.

I learned some things I did not know...

Read it. It is "Enlightning"

"Beatles Bird"

2006

Best Look at The 'Paul Is Dead' Hoax.......2006-02-19

Looking for a great all-in-all treatsie of the hoax? Look no further! This book has every clue imaginable - including clues that have sprung from the internet age. This is an exhaustive look at the hoax from many different angles. One of the most pleasurable aspects of the book (beyond the guilty pleasure of the subject matter) is the short and easily digested chapters, making this a perfect nightstand read.

The author, to his credit, doesn't have an axe to grind here. He doesn't try to convince you to accept any theory (Is Paul dead? Was it all coincidence? Was it a hoax by the Beatles to sell more records?), but just presents the historical facts and on-the-record comments as best they are known. A first-rate read that you'll love!

The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues

Average customer rating:

Good overview on a fascinating topic
Great for Beatle Fans
A paycheck for R. Gary Patterson - nothing more.
Welcome to the Mystery Tour
One of the worst Beatle books

The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues
R. Gary Patterson
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684850621

Book Description

"PAUL IS DEAD."

It was the late 1960s, the Beatles hadn't toured since 1966, and some truly bizarre indications began appearing, pointing to the unthinkable: Paul McCartney had been killed in a car accident and replaced by a look-alike. The Walrus Was Paul unearths every single clue from one of rock 'n' roll's most enduring puzzles and takes you on a magical mystery tour of baffling, yet fascinating, hints for solving this mystery.

Test your "Paul is dead" trivia knowledge. Did you find and answer the following clues on the front cover?

To what song does the title, The Walrus Was Paul, refer?
"I Am the Walrus," which appeared on the clue-filled album Magical Mystery Tour.
There is an egg in Paul's eye. Why?
In the song "I Am the Walrus," John Lennon sings, "I am the eggman...I am the walrus" -- and later, in the song "Glass Onion," we find out that, in fact, "the walrus was Paul."
To what album (and richest source of "Paul is dead" clues) do the red, Victorian-style design elements on the front refer?
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Why is the image of Paul McCartney on the cover blurry? Are there distinguishing characteristics that might lead you to conclude something is awry?
Many photographs of Paul in these questionable years were blurry, and Paul had a mustache, which allegedly concealed the fact that this was not Paul and the plastic-surgery scars were being hidden from his curious public.
The anagram on the bottom of the cover refers to a Greek island where John Lennon had what planned?
The island Leso is the "hidden Greek island" on which John Lennon planned to bury Paul, and it is spelled out as "Be at Leso" on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Customer Reviews:

Good overview on a fascinating topic.......2007-05-17

This is a good overview of the "Paul is Dead" rumor/conspiracy theory. Although a good bulk of it is filler type stuff consisting of general Beatles history I think I actually liked this book better than the other one that was written on the topic.

Great for Beatle Fans.......2007-05-07

I am a huge Beatle Buff and when it came to my senior class project I knew it would be about the Paul is Dead hoax. The first thing I bought was this book and I used it as a mjor resource for my report. Not only is it well written but provides massive amounts of information relating to the hoax. Definitely a good read for any fan of the group, Paul, or conspiracy theories!

A paycheck for R. Gary Patterson - nothing more........2006-08-11

I would never waste my own money on such mindless blather. I received it is as a gift from a well meaning friend who knows I am a Beatles officianado and thoutht I might enjoy it. First, it is just a useless rehash of an urban-legend / supposed conspiracy that's long since been accepted to be total rubish. So, who cares? I suppose there may be some who still do but I am certainly not among them. Secondly, it is fraught with inaccuracies - many of which are detailed in other reviews on this site. The logic throughout the book follows the original disinformational logic used during the initial "revelations". ie: A cat has 4 legs and a tail. A horse has 4 legs and a tail. Therefore, a cat is a horse. DUH! A recommended read only for the most addicted Beatle historians or those who have absolutely no life and all the time in the world to live it. I can only justtify my own time spent reading as Taking One for the Team. Please learn from my mistake.

Welcome to the Mystery Tour.......2006-05-23

In was in October of 1969 that American radio spread the incredible news that Paul McCartney "may" have been killed in a car crash and his place taken by an imposter. Like many others who lived this the first time around, I spent many hours in my dorm room playing my Beatles records backwards and caught up in the "Paul is Dead" hysteria. This book takes me back to those magical days as each chapter reveals many of the clues I grew up with. What was fascinating to me is how many clues I missed!! It is true that there are several websites that include photographs from this work along with the author's anaylsis ( in particular the bass drum clue from the Sgt. Pepper's LP).

If you are just discovering the "Paul is dead" phenomena for the first time you are in for a treat. All the clues are contained in an appendix along with a quiz to test your knowledge of one of the greatest myths of all time. The author is also a fascinating radio guest and is capable of keeping me up all night long listening to his stories of rock and myth. Pick this book up. You'll enjoy it!

One of the worst Beatle books.......2006-05-18

This is not a serious examination of the "Paul is Dead" clues and should not be mistaken for one. The credibility of the book is nil because it is full of obvious factual errors such as...

Pg 14: Glen Campbell spells his name with one "n" not two. It's Bruce Johnston with a "t". Page 65: Though an early working title for the Stones lp was possibly Her Satanic Majesty's Request, the actual title of the final release was Their Satanic Majesties' Request. (Neither title makes a whole helluva lotta sense)

Pg 21: Robert Fraser is misidentified as a "photographer," when in fact he was Paul's heroin-addicted gallery owner friend, a business partner with the actual photographer for the Sgt Pepper sessions, Michael Cooper. All this is detailed in the book, Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, released after Patterson's book, but Cooper is clearly noted as photographer on the back cover of Sgt Pepper!

Pg 27: Though Lennon may've said that Paul's major contribution to "A Day in the Life" was the "I'd love to turn you on" bit, surely his major contribution is the well-known middle eight, the "woke up, fell out of bed" bit. Paul wrote that exclusive of John and Paul sings it.

Pg 40: The assertion that it "took a full night" to record the "inner groove" is wrong. It was a fairly quick effort on Friday 21 April, part of a session that also included mono mixing for "Only a Northern Song." Surely the mixing took up most of the time. Why, when Patterson's own bibliography lists the Lewisohn book, The Beatles Recording Sessions (univerally admired for its accuracy), did he go to the suspect Dowlding for the lowdown on this issue? (See page 109 of Lewisohn).

Pgs 99-100: The Question and Answer session described as a "press conference" is no such thing. Those questions and the answers were authored by Paul McCartney as part of a promotional insert given away with some early copies of the McCartney lp. There was no real press conference, just a self-serving fake one by a recently solo Beatle.

There's too much reliance here on bad secondary and tertiary sources, and no fact checking. It's just plain awful. This odd pop culture phenomenon deserves better treatment. (Comments are based on an earlier edition by Dowling Press)

Applelog - The Apple Records Reference Guide (Limited 5th Edition with bonus CD)

Average customer rating:

Exceptional reference guide to Apple Records

Applelog - The Apple Records Reference Guide (Limited 5th Edition with bonus CD)
Jeffery Levy
Manufacturer: Bagtwo/Eartraffic/Invisible Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0969433204

Product Description

applelog 5th edition: a guide for the U.S. and Canadian Apple Records Collector! Applelog 5th Edition is the only complete resource for collectors of U.S. and Canadian Apple recordings and related material, including: Albums, Singles, E.P.'s, Compact Disc's, 4-Tracks, 8-Tracks, Cassettes, Reel-to-reels, Apple reissues, Apple Advertisements, Apple Studios, Details on unreleased items, Apple Memorabilia, Foreign Apple Records, Special Interest Items and more. Applelog also provides values for specific Apple items, and releases by: The Beatles, Badfinger, Bill Elliot & The Elastic Oz Band, Black Dyke Mills Band, Brute Force, Delaney & Bonnie, Elephant's Memory, George Harrison, Chris Hodge, Mary Hopkin, The Hot Chocolate Band, The Ivey's, John Lennon, Jackie Lomax, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, David Peel & The Lower East Side, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Ronnie Spector, Ringo Starr, Sundown Playboys, John Tavener, James Taylor, Doris Troy, White Trash... all apple artists. The LIMITED EDITION volume comes with a bonus CD which contains over 40 tracks, from interview clips and commercial promo spots, to unheard acetate excerpts! Each volume is hand numbered and signed by the author. 380 pages.

Customer Reviews:

Exceptional reference guide to Apple Records.......2007-02-02

This is a reference guide to the products, mostly recordings, put out in the US and Canada by Apple Records, the Beatles' own record label. The Apple label began operations in 1968 that continue to this day. This well-illustrated book covers not just Beatles on Apple and solo Beatles on Apple; ALL artists released on Apple get equal and thorough coverage. (Even some unreleased, like Richard Brautigan and Delaney and Bonnie.)

If you are a collector of Apple Records materials, this is a must-have. If you are not a collector, it will be of lesser interest.

The "Special Interest" and "Apple Corps" sections in particular contain info that is hard to come by otherwise. The bonus CD contains material of interest to completists.

Compared to an earlier edition of AppleLog that I have, the images of the record labels are far superior in this new edition.

I have two main quibbles with this book:
1) not every label variation is well-covered
2) the estimated prices listed by the author differ from what I see in record stores and at on-line auctions. They are significantly inflated in this guide, both at the VG and NM levels, in my opinion.

If not for those issues, I would give it 5 stars.

If you read this book plus Bruce Spizer's books on Apple Records, you are well on the way to knowing much of what there is to be known about Apple Records products, advertisements, etc. I recommend all three books.

If you want to read a history of Apple Records, "Apple to the Core" and "The World's Longest Cocktail Party" are titles to look for.

Average customer rating:

Paul McCartney kids book
a beautiful book for grandparents
High in the Clouds
YOU SAY YES, I SAY NO....
Not his best work

High in the Clouds
Paul McCartney , Geoff Dunbar , and Philip Ardagh
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525477330

Book Description

Forced to leave his woodland home, destroyed by the expansion plans of the evil Gretsch, Wirral the squirrel vows to find the fabled land of Animalia, where all the animals are said to live in freedom and without fear. Aided and abetted by Froggo the hot-air-ballooning frog, Wilhamina the plucky red squirrel, and Ratsy the streetwise rodent, Wirral's personal quest turns into a full-blown plan to save enslaved animals Everywhere -- a plan that is fraught with danger.

Exciting, poignant, and funny, this lavishly illustrated epic tale will delight children of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Paul McCartney kids book.......2006-08-08

This is an excellent choice. Paul McCartney is one of the best. The illustrations and writing was just awesome. His animation collection video for kids was especially good and should go along with the book. It's one of the best kids books that I've come across.

a beautiful book for grandparents.......2006-03-03

As a grandmother of thirteen I bought this book to read to some of them. the two four year old boys loved it so much they begged for their own copies, and being grandma I bought it for them. I couldn't bear to give up my own copy!!!!

High in the Clouds.......2006-03-02

There should have been an age restriction. I started to read to my 4yr grandson, and he was terrified! So I am saving it until he gets older.

YOU SAY YES, I SAY NO...........2006-01-12

I liked chaos and confusion but this book does not demonstrate any particular gifts, wit, charm, or grace. Sorry Paul - you say yes, I say no, you say stop, and I agree.

Not his best work.......2006-01-06

I'm a McCartney fan as much as anyone, but......I'm sorry to say, this is not Paul's best work. The undeveloped characters (and there were a plethora of them)reminded me of the work of my 5th grade students, as did the writing of action-for-action's sake. I'll continue to buy all his music though!

Each One Believing: On Stage, Off Stage, and Backstage

Average customer rating:

A Good Book For Your Coffee Table
Rock Show!
Covers both public appearances and private moments
Superb Collection of Photographs
a reader from Venezuela !!

Each One Believing: On Stage, Off Stage, and Backstage
Paul McCartney
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811845079

Amazon.com

Each One Believing isn't your standard tour memento, but then the tour it chronicles was pretty extraordinary, too. Paul McCartney's 2002-2003 world tour demonstrated just how much mania an ex-Beatle could trigger more than three decades after the demise of the Fab Four. McCartney, who was approaching his 60th birthday when the tour began, headlined a rapturously received extravaganza that took him from Milwaukee to Moscow, from Tokyo to Tacoma. Each One Believing attempts to capture the tour from all angles via numerous on stage and backstage photos, interviews, and press quotes (no need to toot ones own horn when you have a Mexico City newspaper tagging a performance "the most legendary in history forever"). Don't expect anything in the way of grit in this road tale; the clean-living superstar and his entourage dine on the best vegetarian food money can buy and the youngish sidemen are simply delighted to be performing "She's Leaving Home" with the legendary Sir Paul. Each One Believing isn't revelatory in the least, unless one is desires how many crewmembers it takes to construct a stadium-sized rock stage these days (some 140, it seems). But the many who saw McCartney on the triumphant excursion (or Back in the U.S. DVD) and diehard Beatles fans will find it to be a breezy, eye-catching coffeetable book. --Steven Stolder

Book Description

Each One Believing is a revealing, access-all-areas account of life on the road with Paul McCartney. Filled with photographs never before published and insider details, Each One Believing takes you behind the scenes for an exclusive look into a private world. Based on Paul McCartney's most celebrated tour since The Beatles, it weaves Paul's own personal reflections -- along with those of his wife, Heather, his band, and his crew -- together with hundreds of dynamic images by the tour's official photographer, Bill Bernstein, showing both Paul's public appearances and the quiet, one-on-one moments. What drives him to perform? What does it feel like to sing the songs that have touched so many of our lives? This remarkable journey takes us from New York in the days following 9/11, when Paul wrote Freedom; across North America, Europe, and Japan; to his historic show in Moscow's Red Square, "because, having written 'Back in the USSR', I wanted to go there and play that." Poignant and candid, funny and illuminating, Each One Believing is a road trip unlike any other.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Book For Your Coffee Table.......2005-11-27

A great collection of photos -- perfect for the coffee table where you and your guests can pick it up and flip thru it to enjoy the interesting pictures. However, the best Beatles book of the year is undoubtedly TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN by Andru J. Reeve. It's available here at Amazon.com. While "Each One Believing" is nice eye-candy, "Turn Me On, Dead Man" is great journalism, and a much better target for your reading dollar. That's just my opinion.

Rock Show!.......2005-05-17

This book is a cornucopia of photographs and text. Paul McCartney, a veteran in the entertainment business and a class act to boot is clearly happy with himself and quite comfortable on stage, doing his job. No doubt fans as well as those with a more "moderate" interest in Paul McCartney as well as the Beatles will be delighted with this book. I love it!

Paul McCartney is not only an extraordinary showman, but serious and dedicated to his musical Muse. He is a musical purist in the truest sense of the term in that he respects the art of being able to create and perform musically. He paints musical murals with his words; he has a full range ability in performing many different musical styles which makes him musically versatile.

I like the feeling of cooperation that appears to underscore the people directly involved with this show...it sounds like the entire crew had a wonderful time and enjoyed the fruits of their success in technically enabling Paul McCartney to do a spectacular show! Paul McCartney acknowledges this which speaks highly of him. He also accepts the outpouring of love from his audience with grace and aplomb, never losing his humorous approach.

To this book's credit, Paul is not put up on a staged pedastal and fawned and spoonfed obsequious flattery. The people who were directly involved in the production and execution of the concert were serious about doing their jobs well and that was reflected in the actual performance. They were doing their jobs and not currying favor from anybody. It is only natural to be enthusiastic at such a performance and no doubt making any contribution toward the show could only prompt enthusiastic delight.

The photographs are delightful - readers see Paul having fun on and off stage; his lovely wife Heather and the crew who made it all possible. The book speaks to professionalism on the part of the crew; the performers and those photographing and writing about the concert.

This book is truly beautiful and there are many funny, touching, endearing and serious parts. It is Gestaltism - the whole IS greater than the sum of its parts because it is the whole, that is the performer, the crew, loved ones, audience and all who had a part in the production who made the whole show/experience/book as wonderful as they are. It is a glimpse behind the performer's curtain.

Covers both public appearances and private moments.......2005-03-11

Fans of the Beatles and Paul McCartney won't want to miss this lovely title, filled with photos never seen before and insider details from McCartney himself, and packed in an eye-catching hardcover suitable for gift giving and coffee tables. Each One Believing: Paul McCartney - On Stage, Off Stage and Backstage blends McCartney's personal reflections and those of his wife Heather, his band, and his crew and covers both public appearances and private moments. An intimate atmosphere is created which follows some of his finest on-stage moments in recent years.

Superb Collection of Photographs.......2004-12-27

Each One Believing: Paul McCartney; On Stage, Off Stage, and Backstage by Caroline Grimshaw and photography by Bill Bernstein is an excellent visual collection and recollection of Paul McCartney and his band, and the people that were involved with his 2002-2003 World Tour. The book has a great layout and captures McCartney and company in candid moments that go with documentary photography. The chapters in the book are particularly named from lines of songs included in the tour, and at the back of the book, is a quirky section, the Tourasaurus, that McCartney shares with his readers that gives a run down of terms that were used during the tour.

Besides the tremendous photographs in the book, there are radio interviews embedded in the contents of the book that reveal McCartney as one unstoppable rockin' machine, or not to be cliched, a fine wine that keeps "gettin' better" as time goes by. Indeed, he is an icon in rock and roll history and in history in general. There is a line in the book where he speaks about singing and writing "Yesterday," which reveals how far this man has come: "I was writing with wisdom of an old man, but I was quite a young man. So now, once you have actually lost friends and lovers, then it really is kind of ... it means more" (27).

Overall, this a nice addition to anyone's coffetable book collection as well for anyone interested in photography. In addition, this is a wonderful accompaniment to McCartney' Back In the USA DVD, and for those fortunate to be a part of this rock and roll spectacular, this is a book that relives the moments of the tour. McCartney sums up the excitement: "And it's electrifying. It's like a warm blanket, a big wave of heat coming over you, and you just get the intensity, and you see these faces and you think, "Wow! They've come to party" (128).

a reader from Venezuela !!.......2004-12-25

Great great book!! if you are a McCarteny fan, you must have it. mostly if you were in the 2002-2003 "Back in the USA" tour. I don't think that Paul needs to promote himself like some reviews said, this is a good, ilustrative and photographic memories from that great tour. The photos are great, the quality of the book too. I was blessed to be in the last show from that leg of the tour in 2002 Ft. Lauderdale FL, amazing show!! and this book brings to me once again all the emotions from that show !!

Average customer rating:

Great Book. Prompt Shipping
The Enduring Beatle
Sandford Did a Good Job
Two thumbs down
Fabulous book

McCartney
Christopher Sandford
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786716142

Book Description

Between 1963 and 1970, Paul McCartney sold 160 million albums throughout the world; co-authored with John Lennon twenty-five US and UK number one singles; recorded the first rock album with Rubber Soul and established the concept of rock-as-art with Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. As a member of the most important rock band ever, Paul McCartney compelled millions of kids to pick up electric guitars and others to burn vinyl. He helped usher in the Swinging Sixties, the Love Generation, rock n' roll's studio era, and left the world dumbfounded when the Fab Four called it quits in the early 70s. However, to this day McCartney remains one of the world's most beloved and respected musicians.

McCartney is a tale of self-destruction and epic excess as well as creative genius and brilliant music. The Beatles' bloody in-fighting, the sex, the drugs, and McCartney's extraordinary marriages are revealed here in full. Yet, while the revelations will genuinely astound, 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. McCartney is the definitive biography, charting not only the pop legend, but the man and his era.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book. Prompt Shipping.......2007-08-23

I think for someone who has been in the public eye for 45 years 'Macca,' has been the epitome of grace under pressure. The book could have used less sarcasm and pointed out more of what has been an incredible career by any measurement. Why not more elaboration on the very unique qualities of why Sir Paul is STILL a force to reckoned with in the Industry? He has always shown incredible class and dignity-qualities in increasing short supply unfortunately, replaced by a genre of "tell all, grab-a-buck-today-while-you-can" individuals. Even in the most difficult, private circumstances when one party chose to make them very public, he is a rarity. By remaining silent and dignified-knowing the best interest of his child trumps all,this says more than anything else.

The Enduring Beatle.......2007-06-26

Paul McCartney is the enduring remnant of The Beatles. Surely the other three have assured legacies, but McCartney represents the continued flourishing of the Beatles' success story. Christopher Sandford's biography 'McCartney' is excellent for bringing The Beatles' (and McCartney's) legend thoroughly to the reader. After having read the groundbreaking 'Shout' by Philip Norman, an insider's account with Peter Brown's 'The Love You Make,' and John Swenson's primer 'The Beatles Yesterday and Today,' Sandford's story is still a find. The content is formidable, chock-full of quotes, accounts of bickering and reconciliation, his love life, and any backstage summations of touring and recording.

Taking some familiar paths, the author manages to break new ground mostly by being comprehensive and exhaustive with his research. The greatest merit of his book is his ability to vividly show McCartney's childhood and the historic meetings of the other three of the fab four. Sandford visually and almost audibly transports us to that primitive time and place before they were famous. His details of McCartney's musical father and his heartwarming mother are fascinating. To his credit even the familiar stories don't feel like retread. Later the format changes for most of the solo career. He gathers press conferences, anecdotes, and reviews to stock up his presentation. Overall, I believe he is fair to a point. He injects both enthusiasm and criticism for the superstar Beatle, but he always gives him his due. Even when the text gets highly critical, he cleverly lets others do most of the talking. (This is no small factor given the fact that most writers are hyper-critical of the most commercially successful Beatle.) Admirably, Sandford does a yeoman job of separating rumor from fact and dispenses evidence on every claim and counter-claim he makes.

Although mainly a lucid and fascinating read, Sandford at times becomes unnecessarily convoluted. At times he will make statements that require one to reread a passage, making it unnecessarily opaque. (For the grammarian, tracing pronouns to their antecedents is sometimes a chore. In other words it's occasionally difficult to keep track of those whom he speaks.) However, this is the exception rather than the rule. Capturing the enthusiasm, the thrills, and the chasms, Sandford creates a comprehensive and engaging read for Beatles and/or McCartney fans.

Sandford Did a Good Job.......2007-04-18

The editorial from Publishers Weekly that appears on this site was obviously written by someone who either did not read this book, skimmed it,or half listened to it on tape while driving. Nowhere in his book does Sandford insinuate that McCartney isn't 'profound of character', in fact he goes into detail about the musician's good,and yes, profound character, using many examples. He also is not afraid to show Paul as a flawed human being,capable of pettiness,and fits of temper,if the situation warrants it. I will admit, it took me a year to buy this book. I kept passing it up because I've been burned by Beatle bios in the past, especially a horrible, book by someone named Chet Flippo. Also, I read Sandford's book on Kurt Cobain and I found it biased and unfair. By chance I happened to read an interview in Daytripper Magazine with Mr. Sandford where he reveals that before he started the McCartney project he wasn't a huge fan. He thought McCartney was too cutesy(I'm paraphrasing). However, once he began his research he started to understand the complex dichotomy that is Paul McCartney. In reading this book,it is easy to see that Chris 'gets' Paul McCartney. He understands that everything this man is, is the result of his upbringing. The product of a very close knit,clannish,Liverpool Irish family; a childhood on a council estate where money was very tight,and Mom had to work as well as take care of the family. This shaped his attitude toward women at an early age,and it also explains Paul's legendary feelings about money. Another result of his childhood, is Paul's formidal work ethic, and his insatiable need to improve himself culturally. In the past, in some lesser bios,people have attributed these traits to male chauvinism,stingyness,pushiness, and shallow social climbing. But Sandford knows better. He's definitely done his homework. Sandford also recognizes as most people finally do, that Paul along with Lennon was the driving creative and musical force behind the Beatles,not George I'm afraid,or only John, as some revisionists would have you think. Without BOTH Lennon and McCartney, there would have been no Beatles. The only complaints I have about this book are:1)the writting style: he starts off with a beautiful,vivid,telling of a shining night in the budding musical career of Paul's father,leading the reader right into WWII. Great way to start the book, but he doesn't stay with this style. By the second chapter his writing gets sloppy, and choppy. It also would have been nice if he would explain what such Liverpool expressions like "baccy", and "wotcher" mean. How about a chart or something? He also has a habit of only giving you a little bit of info as soon as he gets to a juicy, personal part. ie: who exactly IS Judy Flanders? She seems to be the (underage?) girl who was caught in Paul's motel room in Milwaukee during the 1964 tour. It seems that Sandford must have interviewed her, although you have to try and guess this, because he then implies that she and Paul seem to have continued their relationship...in England. Did she follow the tour and then move to England to carry on the affair? You get this impression although it is not explained. I'm not into guessing games. If you're going to mention something at all, then go into more detail, or don't even bother. He does the same thing later on when describing a fling with a certain Winona Williams at the Beverly Wilshire in 1968. After their tryst, Williams catches Paul in the lobby with none other than Linda Eastman. Words are exchanged and Paul smooths things over by saying he's "about to become a father"(?)Doesn't make sense.This remark is not explained and it's very confusing. Who's father is he about to become? Linda's unborn child? Since they had only recently consumatted their relationship, how is that possible? Again,this is not explained either. Was this the editor's fault? Very annoying. Also Sandford reveals little about Paul's personal relationships,especially with John. He reverts to the style of those lazy Beatle authors,describing John in ways that make him seem like a nasty,vindictive,jerk who only has jealousy for McCartney. Every biographer worth his salt has gone into detail about the complex,symbiotic relationship between these two. A pairing based on mutual respect,admiration, and love. Chris should have known better. And they did write together after 1964. Why do people keep insisting otherwise when Paul has described their writing sessions many times, song by song, well into 1967? These are the reasons I gave this book only 4 stars. But aside from The Anthology,there are really almost no true Beatle bios that would warrant 5 stars. There is always something wrong with them. I'm not talking about the marvelous books about their music. I'm talking about the bios on their lives. These always seem to come up short. Anyway this book is still worth getting because it is one of the better ones.

Two thumbs down.......2007-03-22

Poorly written, poorly researched -- it's as if the writer had tried put together a great work of art from torn bits of cocktail napkins... and had a hard time filling in the gaping spaces between.

Fabulous book.......2007-02-02

This is one of the best books I have read on McCartney. Chris is a brilliant writer. He has a compelling writing style that really draws you into the narrative. I highly recommend this book for any Beattles fans. An absolute must buy for the collection!

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