The McCartney Legacy

Volume 1: 1969 – 73

By: Allan Kozinn, Adrian Sinclair

Narrated by: Simon Vance

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

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.

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.

An absolute must read for students of McCartney

This book is meticulously researched, a la Lewisohn's volume on The Beatles. It has levels of detail I've not seen before on the topic. It brings together all the bits and pieces of anecdotes that surrounded the years between the breakup of The Beatles and the release of Band on the Run, and enhances, strengthens, or in some cases debunks them with research..

Sadly, the audiobook is marred by Simon Vance's narration, which straddles the line between being pedantic and displaying complete boredom (his own). Most of the book is read with a detachment from the material that is so obvious as to be off-putting. His mispronunciation of the names of several characters in the Beatle world shows he has no more interest than a casual fan, and this is NOT a book for the casual fan. It is a book for the serious student of McCartney and his work; as such, Vance was a poor choice to read this otherwise exemplary book.

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 making of the band the two that didn’t go to Nigeria Legos

Well, done, great detail, and thinking back I remember hearing just about everything, but it was put into details missing pieces or brought to life a better understanding.

Great

Well researched! Best biography on Macca! Wings very underrated. Can't wait until Vol 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.