Wednesday, May 15, 2024

The McCartney Legacy Volume 1: A Book Review


 

This review has been a year in the making. I bought TheMcCartney Legacy Volume 1 at Beatlefest in April 2023.   While I had good intentions of reading it, I never got around to it because of the size of the book.  It is a very big, heavy book, which can make it physically difficult to read, especially for me, who read a lot at airports, airplanes, and hotel rooms.   But when it was recently announced that Volume 2  is available for pre-orders, I realized that I better read Volume 1.  

Authors Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair wrote an amazing volume documenting Paul McCartney's life from his wedding in 1969 to the end of 1973. The research was amazing. The quotes, the dates, the details.   If you are a fan who wants the details, then this book is for you!   I was completely blown away by the amount of research these two men put into this book.   I read nuggets of information that was completely new to me and had some rumors cleared up.   I did not find a single error in the book, and they document each quote, so you can look things up on your own.   

In reading the book, you can't help but feel sad for Paul as the Beatles ended.  He was the odd man out and he was hurt.  He turned that pain into creativity and recorded some of what is now considered classic McCartney songs.  But as you read, you just can't shake that overall sadness of the Beatles breaking up. 

In the book, Paul is a controlling, bossy musician who seems very out of touch with how "real" people live.  At the same time, he also comes across as the sweet, charming Macca that we all know and love. I feel that Paul had forgotten how "regular" people lived.  The members of Wings were barely scraping by and were having a hard time making ends meet.  While much of Paul's Beatles money was tied up in litigation, he wasn't hurting for funds.  Denny, Denny, and Henry had to take odd musician jobs on the side, which I don't think Paul liked very much -  he expected them to be on call whenever he needed them.   Paul also used his time in the studio much like he did with The Beatles.  You all have seen Get Back and know how the Beatles jammed for a long time and goofed off with their instruments. They then recorded some of the songs they were working on and then jammed more.  Out in the non-Beatles world, people have schedules and don't have time to jam or goof around.  I don't know if Paul ever realized how inconvenient people were around him.  However, because he is Paul McCartney, they didn't want to speak up (except for Glyn Johns).  

I loved seeing that John and Paul's relationship during this timeframe wasn't as vicious as we all thought. Paul and John might have taken jabs at each other through songs and letters to the editor, but they were still talking on the phone and communicating. One thing I had never heard before was that John asked Paul and Wings to perform at the One to One concert in NYC for the children of Willowbrook, and Paul considered it.  With the issues with Klein still in the air and Paul was a little ticked off at John, he decided against it.  But the mere fact that John asked him and he considered it was mind-blowing to me.  As a matter of fact, I was surprised just how often Paul says that there would be a time when John, Paul, George, and Ringo could appear on a stage together -- not as The Beatles -- but as four musicians.  Paul wasn't as ready to throw away his Beatles past as I was led to believe. 

Linda comes across as a loving wife who supports her husband and children.  She knows she is the butt of the joke when it comes to her keyboard playing and singing but continues with the group because Paul wants her there.  At the same time, Linda also can be seen as someone with a hot temper, a little stuck up, and obviously dislikes any woman being around her man.  She really dislikes Jo Jo (Denny Laine's girlfriend at the time) and treats her very poorly right after she gives birth to her baby.   She sees Jo Jo only as a groupie who is trying to sleep with her husband and not as Denny's girlfriend and mother to his child.  That was disappointing and also made me realize why so many fans disliked her -- that was the only side of her that they saw. 

I think I could go on and on about this book.  It was just so good!  It was one of those books that I didn't want to read too fast, because I didn't want to miss anything.   I would read a chapter and then digest what I just read.  

The question I have, though, is that the book has been heavily marketed toward the general public.  This book is in major bookstores and museums.   I don't know why.   What casual Paul McCartney lover would want to spend money on a huge book that details the animals Paul and Linda had at Cavendish?  I really see this book really for those of us who are hard-core fans.   And I know you all don't like it when I talk this way because a fan is a fan is a fan.  But really -- I don't agree.  There is a difference between those of you who visit this site every day and will spend over $1000 on John Lennon's Mind Games box set and those of you who like to hear "Hey Jude" and "Band on the Run" on the radio.  I don't see how this book would appeal to both groups.  When you publish a book, they say you have to know your audience -- who exactly is this book for?   And let me be transparent.  Maybe I am just jealous.  My book is not in bookstores and has barely sold.  I know it is a niche group of people that will read it, and I have to be fine with that.   I would assume this book was the same way, but perhaps I am wrong. 

https://amzn.to/3WKYgPm

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35 comments:

  1. Truth is JoJo Laine was sweet, very pretty and not after Paul. Linda was jealous toward her for sure and she also had a crush on Denny for a while. We saw it.

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    1. RIP LOVELY JOJO

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    2. remember the beautiful wedding photos of Denny and JoJo; sadly both gone now

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  2. interesting difference - John went right away to do one to one, Paul had too much pride to help

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    1. Yet another comment that loves to pit one Beatle against another. Sad.

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  3. Linda's warts are apparent in this book, as well as their lack of realization about how hard life could be for anyone else, or that others actually had lives. We knew about Linda's faults, but I always figured that was more about insecurity and defensiveness than actually being a b***h. Other than that, the amount of detail served up for even the most dedicated and discerning of enthusiasts is worth the price.

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    1. This is probably one of the better books written about Paul for his fans.

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  4. Pride had zero to do with Paul not doing OTO. Paul prob thought that if George could sell out MSG, so could John. The gig went so well that they had to add a second show, so at the end it didnt need any additional hype. Besides, the thought of the media hyping up a faux "Beatles reunion" prob caused Paul headaches.

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    1. went to both shows and John (be still my heart) and the other performers who cared about helping out were wonderful

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    2. maybe paul just didn't want to do it

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  5. Sara- you have a nice site here but please let your "fan" idea go now. This particular book can be marketed and sold to whoever.

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  6. Who knows what's really true and what is made up/exaggerated? Just because "new" facts surface in this book, it doesn't make them true. I think that people should many things with a grain of salt.

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    1. The thing is this: a lot of folks still want to make the lads & company into saints. None of them were, just very talented humans with flaws like all of us. This applies particularly to Paul with this book. Since 1964 I have always liked him but he is not and has never been perfect. And unless you experienced the unpleasant times with Linda in person for years, she was not insecure or defensive, just nasty. So basically much of what is written is true and it's history. I think we can handle it as adults...Pinky

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    2. Being insecure/defensive on the inside can make a person nasty on the outside, Seems she was more than a bit moody in that time frame, and not exactly mature or understanding.

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    3. Exactly what time frame are you talking about? Pinky? You seem to have some sort of personal vendetta against Linda.

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    4. Good point. People who knew Linda personally, all say nice things about her. Paul would never have been happy with a woman who behaved rudely and unkind.

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    5. Good point! People who knew Linda personally, all.say nice things about her. And I would never believe that Paul could have possibly loved and been happy with a rude and unkind woman. On the contrary, she was lovely and kind, and a good mother. Pity, that she didn't get to see her granchildren.

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    6. Linda was not always liked in New York before she met Paul. I think she upped her image because it was hurting Paul. He must have been aware that it was affecting his fan base, something he didn't need while trying to establish his solo career. I also think Paul became more controlling because of his insecurity over the Beatles breakup. I don't blame him for not being happy with his band taking jobs on the side. After all, Paul had played in Hamburg at all times of the day and night in appalling conditions on a tenth of the money Wings were earning. Surely he must have remembered that. Then again it was that commitment and loyalty that made him what he was.

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    7. And how do you know that Linda wasn't always liked in NY? Did she tell you herself?!

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    8. Hi Anon 5/19 at 7:09...1969 through 1976 were the time frames. No vendetta only extreme disappointment from a Paul fan. Also my condolences have always been to Paul and children in her loss...Pinky

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    9. 10.11am. From those who knew her. Like the late Lillian Roxon, whom Linda Eastman and Helen Reddy treated very badly after her support and encouragement. And there were others. How do you know Linda was always kind and loving? Were you a personal friend of hers?

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    10. I never said that, don't twist my words! I simply cannot fathom how some fans cannot get over the fact that Linda had been rude to them. We're talking many years back, here, and the woman is dead now anyway. But, she did change her attitude over the years. It's a known fact that many women were jealous of her, including her friends, not just fans. A reporter who was her friend, once called Paul a 'ham.' Linda got offended, and wrote her a letter. The woman concerned died of an asthma attack some years later. Linda was very protective of her husband/family. And can you blame her for not trusting girls/women, around him. I would have done the same.

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    11. Most comments have acknowledged Linda improved with time. I'd say Linda did not trust Paul around other women who, incidentally, behaved no differently from Linda herself.

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    12. 2:04 pm.. The woman who died from asthma was a writer/ reviewer and not jealous. She had been a good friend who actually opened doors for linda even helping linda to meet paul ; she was completely dumped by linda when she married paul. We KNEW her here in NY.

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    13. The woman knew Linda personally, so she must have known that Linda would react badly to her review. Who knows? She might have written it on purpose!

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    14. About Lillian Roxon and Linda: Linda expressed serious regrets about not getting in touch with Lillian and making amends. The person who blew off her NY friends with a "shit happens" attitude was very different in the last years of her life.

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    15. Liked Lillian a lot; she was brilliant, funny, sarcastic, great writer. RIP mate.

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  7. Your point about the non Beatles world having schedules is interesting. This was something that not only Paul was guilty of but all four Beatles when they worked together as a band. The tales are legendary - of lateness, huffy walkouts etc. while George Martin and the engineers waited patiently while they got over their spats. If anything, it was only Paul and Ringo who showed any commitment to work during the last couple of years. I do think Paul lost touch with the real world though but he'd had five years of a very strange and surreal experience with huge expectations placed on his shoulders. I honestly don't think Linda helped here. They seemed to lead a very loose life indulging in too much weed with a mindset very much the ' you and me against the world:

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    1. agree w/5:29 AM and add that it's hard to believe people still cannot accept Linda's unkind behaviours were real

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  8. this is a very good book on McCartney

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  9. Can you blame Paul and Linda for finding solace on their farm in Scotland? The world seemed to have turned against Paul, blaming him for breaking up the Beatles, making a fuss over his argument with George during Let it Be, and for marrying Linda. Paul fell into a deep depression and started drinking heavily, but during this time, he was finding comfort in his wife and children. Yes, they did smoke lots of weed, but the two had already been smoking it before they met. There must have been times where this woman was feeling alone and vulnerable living in a totally different country, with tabloids wrting hurtful articles about her. People can hate on Linda as much as they want, but the fact remains, that it was this woman whom Paul chose to settle down, and have children with. And they were happy together. Don't we all want our marriage to last, and to remain in love with our spouse?

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  10. Lateness, huffy walkouts, leaving engineers hanging...that's called Leverage. Love Emerick's book and yes he complained about all of that stuff ALOT, but cmon they were at a point of fame when they prob didnt care if they were a bother. How they spent their time in the studio was their business. Personally I dont mind if George M or Emerick or anyone else at EMI were bothered, because when you listen to their LPs the end result certainly justified the means.

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  11. SARA- TA FOR YOUR INTERESTING BOOK REVIEWS

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