The McCartney Legacy, Vol. 2: 1974–80

Music critics Kozinn and Sinclair follow up The McCartney Legacy, Vol. 1 with another kaleidoscopic account of the musician’s post-Beatles career. Drawing on meticulous research, the authors highlight the challenges McCartney faced after forming Wings in 1971, such as finding a workable lineup (band members’ departures were frequent), determining the group’s marketing and stylistic direction, and maintaining his signature “sonic style” while integrating new trends. Even as Wings found listeners with such albums as 1973’s Band on the Run, the larger-than-life Beatles legacy loomed over the group. Critics made less-than-favorable comparisons, and inquiries about a possible reunion were incessant (McCartney developed a rhyming response for those who asked: “The Beatles split in ’69/ And since then, they’ve been doin’ fine./ But if that question doesn’t cease/ Ain’t no-one gonna get no peace”). The authors dive deep into Wings’ catalog and paint a detailed portrait of McCartney as a perfectionistic whose star power belied a surprising vulnerability to criticism. “I think anything people say influences me a bit,” he once admitted, and lackluster reviews for Wings at the Speed of Sound and other albums stung “like vinegar in a paper cut,” according to Kozinn and Sinclair. McCartney fans couldn’t ask for a more comprehensive and colorful treatment of this period in his life. Photos. (Dec.)