|
|
Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now (Paperback)
by Barry Miles
| Category:
Biography |
| Market price: ¥ 208.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
[ Shop incentives ]
|
| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A good read, full of details, clarifications, and memories of the Beatles, their music and realationships, from McCartney himself. |
| If you want us to help you with the right titles you're looking for, or to make reading recommendations based on your needs, please contact our consultants. |
Detail |
Author |
Description |
Excerpt |
Reviews |
|
|
|
Author: Barry Miles
Publisher: Owl Books; Reprint edition
Pub. in: October, 1998
ISBN: 0805052496
Pages: 720
Measurements: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00527
Other information:
|
|
Rate this product:
|
|
- MSL Picks -
This is Paul's side of the Beatles story, and not surprisingly he comes out looking good. But then, we must give him his due, which many rock critics have seemed unwilling to do in light of Lennon's premature death. Paul was a musical powerhouse, a studio genius, an eminently popular yet complicated artist, a cultural sponge, an ideas man, a major mover and shaker of the Beatles and the sixties. It is interesting to read of his life with the Ashers, previously rather shadowy, and of his early days with Linda. It would be interesting to hear his take on life in the seventies in more detail, particularly his relatinship with Denny Laine.
Definitely a well-written and mature book about McCartney's early life and his life with the Beatles. He comments on a lot of the songs that he and Lennon wrote togetther and sheds a lot of light on the meanings of many songs. You get a lot of little facts about his childhood and some of the things he was doing while he was with the Beatles. This book told me things I didn't know, such as the fact that he was into painting, the theater and the avant-garde. One of the best chapters is about the time he lived with the Ashers and the author describes what the house was like and what life was like living with the Ashers. It's a very descriptive book and it tells a lot about the way the sixties were and what some of the attitudes were like. McCartney's commens about Lennon, I feel, are very gracious and even- handed. I never got the feelng he was trying to say he was better and several times throughout the book says that in the end, they were about 50-50. The only thing he wanted to point out in this book is the fact that there was a lot more to him than just being the "cute Beatle".
(From quoting an Canadian reader)
Target readers:
General readers, especiallyThe Beatles fans
|
|
- Better with -
Better with
John
:
|
|
Customers who bought this product also bought:
 |
John (Paperback)
by Cynthia Lennon
An honest portrayal of John as a human being, a full and truthful story of her time with him. Wonderful sharing of personal memories. |
 |
The Beatles Anthology (Paperback)
by Beatles , John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison , Ringo Starr
|
 |
The Beatles: Illustrated and Updated Edition (Paperback)
by Hunter Davies
A must have for all Beatles fans, Hunter Davies presented this only authorized biography of the Beatles. |
|
|
Barry Miles (known as Miles) has known Paul McCartney since the 1960s. He is the author of biographies of Allen Ginsburg and William Burroughs, as well as the upcoming Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats. He lives in France.
|
|
From the Publisher:
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.
|
| View all 11 comments |
People (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-12 00:00>
A must-read for anyone interested in the Beatles, the '60s, for that matter, modern culture itself. |
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-12 00:00>
There are a large number of Lennon books, most maintaining John's carefully crafted public image that has been circulating post Beatles and post mortem. Some are too hard to believe. And then there are Lennon's interviews...the angry ones to be taken with a grain of salt, the later ones maybe closer to his true feelings, but how accurate? If Lennon had lived, perhaps we'd have his true feelings and recollections in book form now. All we can do is speculate and try to pick out what he said in anger or farce.
This is why I'm happy about this McCartney book. Of course there's a slant to it, but how could one resist doing so? Lennon's memory has been getting glossed over in book form for decades. I don't favor one over the other (unfortunately, the great partnership of Lennon/McCartney now has people choosing up sides!) but I don't want the people managing John's image (who weren't even there!) to have the final word in the Beatle history books!
McCartney's book is exceptionally interesting. He gets into what it was like to be the biggest star, most eligible bachelor and total rich guy with the world at his feet in the swingin' sixties. How cool, boppin' around London in his Aston Martin! Trendy clubs, willing women, drinks in the wee small hours. He was James Bond, but carried a guitar intead of a gun! While I hold Lennon and McCartney in equal esteem, I believe it was Paul who had more occasion to widen his views on music, art and the world in general during this time, and thus affect the Beatles music.
It is widely known that John and George tired of the fame game quickly. Paul used it as a learning tool. And while I care little for the avant-garde scene of the time, it's cool to learn just how involved in it Paul was, at a time when John was risking becoming an acid casualty. I feel McCartney has the right to set the record (no pun) straight regarding the Beatle's music. First, he was there, and second because the stereotypes are so overwhelming. John, the artistic/experimental? Well, Paul did this or that on his own or on John's tunes. Paul the romantic? Well John wrote this sweet ballad.
Paul doesn't dis Yoko in this book, in fact he's quite kind to her, and clearly still loves John. Paul doesn't deserve to be considered the lesser of the two, which seems to be a minor trend, simply because he was the more musical, which usually came out as more polished, less edgy.
This book gave me more of a clue as to what it was actually like to be a Beatle than any other. On occasion you get a great sense of "being there". And dang, then and now, the guy is cheerful! Throughout, he marvels at how cool it was and how fortunate they all were.
I've read a great number of Beatle books, and have always gotten the impression that early on fame overwhelmed Lennon, and he let go of the "leadership" role, willingly. Clearly, McCartney was the most gung-ho of the four, as well as being the most naturally musically inclined.
The saddest thing I found was, as in accounts about Lennon's Dakota years, even while a Beatle Lennon wasted a lot of time, being wasted and laying about the house, in apparent depression. Even so, at this time he still had the motivation to meet Paul's creative juices head on.
Lennon/McCartney was an incredible force, and this book gives one half of that force the chance to toot his own horn. Is that so wrong? People who've achieved a fraction of what Paul has have written much more boastful books. I can't even justify using the word "boastful" in this case.
PR men and women have written John's story, unfortunately. Paul deserves his say, and does so taking care, seemingly, to be fair to all! Cheers, Paul!
|
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-12 00:00>
I enjoyed this, and was relieved when it ended with the Beatles break-up, because I could care less about McCartney's solo career. It is a little biased, but, frankly, John and Yoko always went on, as George put it, "that we were idiots and only he and the wife had a clue." McCartney points out how Yoko had a big retrospective show, but since there wasn't enough work for a retropsective, she had to quick make some! (Some career!) And that the other three Beatles were billed for furthering Yoko's ambitions, like this gallery show. Perhaps the three Beatles could have been more receptive to Yoko, but John and Yoko could have been better- mannered themselves, and this book points that out. Also, it was refreshing for Paul to admit that he likes fame. Rather than the b.s. boo hooing that fame is all a burdern. He relates in here how he went in disguise by himself through France for 2 weeks, and got sick of it toward the end, and remembered why he wanted to be famous, so appeared in public as himself again, and was glad to be recognized. A good book. |
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-12 00:00>
The most amazing thing about this book is the objectivity Paul is able to give. He openly admits when he handled things poorly with George during 'The Beatles' and 'Let It Be'. There are also many quotes from previous interviews with John and others, and it is continually stated that John and Paul have only disagreed on two of their songs on the writing of it (who's idea, middle-eight, etc), with Miles quoting others to support Paul's claim to only one of these disagreements. It is wonderful that the true love that was between them all shows through. This is great for Paul and Beatle enthusiasts, but die-hard John fans may find it hard to stomach; not only for sections discussing Yoko, drug use and other intimate insights, but even where, through past interview quoted, John himself gives more credit to Paul for songs that have been widely known as "John's songs" than they may like. |
View all 11 comments |
|
|
|
|
