The McCartney Legacy

Volume 1: 1969 – 73

By: Allan Kozinn, Adrian Sinclair

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 29 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

In this first of a groundbreaking multivolume set, THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1: 1969-73 captures the life of Paul McCartney in the years immediately following the dissolution of the Beatles, a period in which McCartney recreated himself as both a man and a musician. Informed by hundreds of interviews, extensive ground up research, and thousands of never-before-seen documents THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL 1 is an in depth, revealing exploration of McCartney’s creative and personal lives beyond the Beatles.

When Paul McCartney issued a press release in April 1970 announcing that the world’s most beloved band, the Beatles, had broken up no one could have predicted that McCartney himself would go on to have one of the most successful solo careers in music history. Yet in the years after the Fab Four disbanded, Paul McCartney became a legend in his own right. Now journalist and world-renowned Beatles’ historian Allan Kozinn and award-winning documentarian Adrian Sinclair chronicle in technicolor McCartney’s pivotal years from 1969 to 1973, as he recreated himself in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles breakup – a period when, newly married and with a growing family, he conquered depression and self-doubt, formed a new band, Wings, and recorded five epochal albums culminating in the triumphant smash, Band on the Run.

Part 1 of a multivolume set, THE MCCARTNEY LEGACY, VOL. 1 documents a pivotal moment in the life of a man whose legacy grows increasingly more relevant as his influence on music and pop culture remains as relevant as ever. It is the first truly comprehensive biography, and the most finely detailed exploration of McCartney’s creative life beyond the Beatles, ever undertaken.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Allan Kozinn (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

The McCartney Legacy, Book I was overly taxing to listen to.

I loved the story and characters of The McCartney Legacy. This very big book was set up with each recording session written up in a chart in the main body of the text. There were many, many recordings, and reading about them made it hard for me to get through the book. I would have preferred that the same information been displayed in a supplement at the back of the book. All of the information was completely relevant. I did enjoy the book a lot. I will most certainly purchase the remaining texts in the series. The book was extremely ambitious! The story seemed absolutely complete and was read superbly by the reader.

The biography McCartney rightly deserves.

Beautifully performed by Simon Vance, this audio version of this meticulously researched and well-written detailing of McCartney’s initial steps outside the eye of the Beatle hurricane reveals fresh insights for even the most die-hard fan.

Kozinn and Sinclair combine their talents to touch on all the minutia we want when reading Beatles-related books in this post-Lewishon world. I especially appreciated the studio notes, detailing the session dates and the work completed and by whom. Peppered with deeply mined quotes - rather than the run of the mill comments - as well as a sprinkling of music criticism and analysis, make this a satisfying endeavor. (Some cynics may wonder why the authors chose to devote so many pages to Give Ireland Back to the Irish, but I loved every bit of it, remembering that this release was more than just a footnote for Macca at the time. Here, it gets the attention it deserves, at last.)

More a feast than a mere appetizer, this “volume one” leaves us hungry for more.

Let’s hope to see the next volume soon.

Excellent!

What an excellent volume on the early solo career of a Paul McCartney. This was a great read with many interesting facts, stories and takes its reader/listener on a truly great rocking adventure.

Excellent book

This book is a wonderful read, if you like or area fan of the Beatles or Paul McCartney. The authors are has detailed has Mark Lewisohn on his books about the Beatles.

Excellent bio

This was very well researched, and kept me glued to the pages. The more I learn about Paul, the greater my admiration
and respect. My admiration and respect for Linda reached new heights as well. They were true soulmates, and by all accounts great parents too. I can’t wait for volume 2.

Well done

Both matter of fact and well researched this is a great account McCartney’s post Beatles years. I’m looking forward to the next volume.

Exactly the book the McCartney legend deserves

The story is so intriguing narrative is so completely satisfying that I found myself transported back to the early 70s completely transfixed. I love the narration and Simon Vance has the perfect intonation for this story.
This isn’t a book that is filled with puffery, nor is it a book that denigrates it’s subject. Its a fair and even handed look at a musical genius that, to use a well worn cliche, exposes him “warts and all.”
It will be hard to wait for the next volume, but I am definitely going to devour the following volumes whenever they come out.

Definitive

The most detailed biography I’ve ever heard. Shocking that this 29 hour book only covers a 4 year period of one of music’s greatest treasures! I hope this series continues as it’s clear the author has made it a mission for this to be a definitive look into McCartney’s post-beatle years!

Big Book for Big McCartney and Beatles fans

This book gives Mark Lewisohn's "Tune in" book a run for its money, covering just 4 years in its 700 pages.
Starting with Paul (it's all right if we just call him Paul, right?) and his crisis of confidence in the aftermath of the Beatles breakup and goes into detail of the ensuing four years, ending with the triumphal album, Band on the Run, which fully restored the lustre to his Beatles image in 1974 (technically released in December, '73).

Its 27 chapters go into the breakup, Paul's solo albums, his relationship with Linda, how he came to write and perform the James Bond theme for Live and Let Die (*note: most Bond themes are sung by women) and his death-defying trip to LAgo Nigeria to begin recording Band on the Run.

If you enjoy the Beatles and this period you will thoroughly enjoy this book. If you have ready any of the Mark Lewisohn's Beatles then you are familiar with great reads about the Beatles collectively and individually so burn an Audible credit on "The McCartney Legacy" and enjoy.

Thanks to Messrs Kzinn and Sinclair for a book worthy of its subject.

Paul McCartney the early Wings years

All you could possibly want to know about Paul during his last year or so wit the Beatles and his early post Beatle work. I've read several McCartney books and this is by far the most informative