- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Reynolds & Hearn Ltd; 1st edition (7 Nov 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1903111366
- ISBN-13: 978-1903111369
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 15 x 1.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 912,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Book Description
Internationally acclaimed, knighted and immortalised in music's pantheon, Paul McCartney nevertheless remains one of the least fully appreciated of modern icons.
Throughout his career, McCartney has initiated and participated in projects that have taken him very far away from the kind of music associated with his career in The Beatles, in Wings, and as a solo artist. From as far back as the 1960s there have been experimental solo projects, both under his own name and incognito. These include the legendary 'Carnival of Light' sixties freak-out, the Percy Thrillington diversion in the 70s, techno, ambient and chill-out releases as The Fireman, pure noise performance art as well as less-publicised activity, much of which Ian Peel now reveals in depth in print for the first time.
What emerges is a unique, critical insight into an apparently over-familiar public figure - Paul McCartney, avant-garde musician. To quote the title of Chapter 10, it's all "a long way off the Frog Chorus..."
From the Publisher
Undertaking extensive research for this book, Ian Peel interviewed many of McCartney's intimate musical associates from this less-familiar side of his career, including:
Super Furry Animals - on their carrot chewing percussion and electronic sound collage collaborations.
Youth - the three-times BRIT-nominated producer speaks in depth for the first time ever on his two albums of techno ambient and chill-out recorded with McCartney as The Fireman.
Nitin Sawhney - on McCartney's first tentative steps into drum & bass, holed up in Sawhney's London bedsit.
Richard Hewson - breaks a 20-year silence on the Thrillington project and pseudonym.
David Vaughan - the renowned psychedelic artist and organiser of 60s 'happenings' airs his strong views on Carnival of Light, The Beatles' most legendary unreleased track.
Other interviewees include Yoko Ono, bassist Herbie Flowers, Gong's Daevid Allen, Frank Zappa's guitarist Mike Keneally, JJ Jeczalik (Art of Noise) and members of Wings.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For no one but the McCartneyphile,
By Richard "Alice Collector" (Blackpool England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-garde (Paperback)
An authoritative account of the little known of side of Paul McCartney and a fascinating study of his extra curricular activities which are known of to only the most avid Beatles collector.Its also where a knowledge of other musics comes in handy as names like John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen are not really household ones.
Lennon has usually been seen as the avant gardist because of Revolution No 9 and the Zapple records but it would seem McCartney had his own ideas long before. Not even that many Beatles fans are going to "get it"-and some of this music is not easy to find as the Fireman and the Liverpool Sound Collage are deleted with Twin Freaks only available on CD from Russia! More available to the masses is Qui est la Soleil-a track on Flowers in the Dirt-to show what the Fireman things sounded like But really you only have to think of Beatles ideas which were translated by George Martin-himself no stranger to the weird end of music when he cut a single under the name of Ray Cathode the same year as Love me do. In the field of the avant garde and ambience its McCartney who was able to make it work in ways Lennon could never have done.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another facet to a well-known talent,
This review is from: The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-garde (Paperback)
It seems that while conquering the pop charts, first as a member of the Beatles, then with Wings, Paul McCartney has led a bizarre double life. This book reveals how the man who wrote "Hey Jude" and "Silly Love Songs" has also recorded bizarre sound collages, mixed guitar feedback with chainsaws, and become perhaps the only musician of his generation to have an underground ambient/techno/dance hit.While touching on McCartney's avant-garde musical roots with John Cage and Stockhausen, you are also taken on a journey through the genesis of what we know today as House, Trance, Ambient and other dance sub-genres. With interviews from many of the people who worked with Paul in his experimental recordings, we get a sense of the interest and growth of a style of music that only rarely pokes its collective head into the mainstream. Indeed, at times the focus seems to drift from McCartney entirely, but it serves to show that his interests in music outside what he's usually known for are deep and far-reaching. If you think you know Paul McCartney and his music, this book may surprise or even shock you. It helps to fully round out the image of a composer who may yet emerge as one of the seminal figures in 20th century music, even beyond his work with his three buddies. As such, this book needs to be on the shelf of every serious McCartneyphile.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews) 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Paul McCartney Goes Too Far,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-garde (Paperback)
Ian Peel methodically tracks McCartney's experimental music work going back to Revolver and detailing many half-forgotten, odd Wings tracks, B-sides, and side projects. Not just about his avant-garde career but looking at his musical career beyond its pop context. It would have been better had it explored the fascinating dynamic of his simultaneous experimental/avant garde work with his classical composing, which is not given much space. Only other hesitation to five stars is at times it is too laudatory where more critical writing might have been more appreciated. Still, quite an achievement. This book goes very far (Paul McCartney Goes Too Far was the title proposed for a Beatles era experimental Stockhausen/Cage inspired work he never finished) toward giving more appropriate weight to what Paul was up to all those Wings years outside of the pop spotlight.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Macca Topples Over The Unknown Edge,
By Michelle Hensley - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-garde (Paperback)
Being a self-confessed 'McCartney can do no wrong' fan, more books like this would help me prove my point. Macca has always been a little more complicated than people give him credit for. His side interests have always fascinated me. The author covers some general history of the avant garde scene, enough to show you Macca just didn't dabble, and he was in rather deep. I especially enjoyed the interviews with the Fireman producer, and the member of Super Furry Animals (sorry, don't recall their names). The only complaint I have is that the author tends to jump back and forth some, but it's a rather quick read that any Macca fan should make. Another suggestion - pick up the UK edition, it has a much cooler cover.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Look at Paul McCartney's 'Other' Side.,
By Louie Bourland - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-garde (Paperback)
When it comes to the Beatles, many would say the John Lennon was the most 'avant-garde' Beatle because of his work with Yoko Ono. However, Paul McCartney was quite an 'avant-garde' Beatle as well, sometimes moreso than Lennon. During the last decade, Mccartney's experimental side has shown up more frequently with his two albums released under his Fireman pseudonymn as well as his nearly non-musical "Liverpool Sound Collage" from 2000.In his book "The Unknown Paul McCartney", Ian Peel goes in deep to reveal a not-so-well-known side to Paul's musical personality. It is a fascinating revelation to Paul's experiments and fascinations with avant-garde music. Many of his unusual musical experiments such as the tapeloops The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" all the way up to The Fireman albums, "Liverpool Sound Collage" and his forays into orchestral music are explained in full detail in this book. It is wonderful and eye-opening. Ian Peel has done some excellent research in compiling the information for this book. After reading this book, you will no doubt have a greater appreciation for Paul McCartney's more experimental musical side. Also, one may listen to his avant-garde work with a different set of ears. Excellent book!! |
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