The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-Garde

by Ian Peel

For over three decades, Paul McCartney has initiated and participated in projects that have taken him far from the kind of music associated with the Beatles, Wings, and his career as a solo artist. From as far back as the mid-sixties, there have been experimental solo projects, both under his own name and incognito. Among these are the Beatles’ legendary "Carnival of Light," the Percy Thrillington diversion in the 70s, and the recent Fireman dance CDs—as well as less-publicized activities, all of which Ian Peel fully details here for the first time. In writing this book, Peel interviewed many of the musicians who have worked closely with McCartney, including Thrillington mainspring Richard Hewson, bassist Herbie Flowers, psychedelic artist David Vaughan, Gong’s David Allen, and Frank Zappa collaborator Mike Keneally. What emerges is a unique insight into Paul McCartney’s little-known contribution to avant-garde music.

Genres: Music, Biography

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am finding this book is pretty boring.

[Kurt Gottschalk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd and interesting reframing of McCartney as experimentalist and if the topic intrigues it's worth a read. The subject, however, has never been one to pontificate about his work (or much of anything else), and as a result Peel spends much of the book setting stages, discussing Cage, Eno, IDM and so on, and unfortunately getting more than a few facts wrong. But who else would even have dreamt up such a thesis? A flawed but still worthy contribution to Beatlelogy.