New books on solo years
Part one is the narrative
Published on 30 September 2024, The Beatles after The Beatles. The Solo Careers of John, Paul, George and Ringo (1967-1980) by Italian author Luca Perasi – in two separate volumes, The Narrative and The Discography (L.I.L.Y. Publishing) over a total of 710 pages – deals with the events and the record production of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr from their first ventures, when The Beatles were still a band, up to 1980.
Perasi says: “In a parallel with the most popular compilation of The Beatles, I wanted these two volumes to be the ‘Red and Blue’ of the solo production, with the first part, The Narrative (324 pages), sporting a red cover, and the second part, The Discography, a blue one.”
In 2021, Perasi was selected as one of the two official Italian translators of Paul McCartney’s The Lyrics and in 2022 collaborated with MPL on the label copy for The 7” Singles Box.
“It seemed right – and sensible – to stop here for now; Lennon’s death finally broke the common thread that accompanied the four Beatles over the course of the Seventies: the possibility of a reunion,” Perasi explains
The first volume contains a narrative on the main facts of the period (with albums, tours and other biographical events, including the battle for the dissolution of Apple), while the second volume features a “commented discography” where standalone singles and albums are presented in their chronological order of issue and are analysed in detail, with anecdotes, chart positions, sales, recording dates and a musicological analysis. Both contain illustrations and images.
Part two with the chronologic details
“We’re living in an era of the so-called re-assessment, that is applied to everything,” Perasi adds. “These volumes have an historical approach, and through the facts we can put them in perspective and make readers and fans appreciate even more what the four did over those years.”
Two comprehensive books that offer the occasion for re-discovering the artistic paths of John, Paul, George and Ringo as solo artists in the “long decade” of the Seventies. Four human and professional adventures that still retain great fascination and historical importance.
Amazon links:
Vol 1 – The Narrative
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJBMKNVX
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DJBLSGX6
Vol 2 – The Discography
Ordered! Thanks Luca!
Unfortunately, these Perasi publications flood the market with books that are only half as good as they should be … 🙁
I went to London last Friday and couldn’t find the books anywhere. I was told at both Waterstones and Foyles they will not be stocking them. Amazon is not showing anything inside the book. I was hoping to have a browse before deciding whether to buy them or not.
A sample to be read at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beatles-Beatles-Careers-George-1967-1980/dp/B0DJC1HPSD
Thank you. The samples of both Red and Blue do not show much. Title pages, lists of contents, bibliographies, indexes of songs, and 6 and 4 pages from the respective introductions. The only pages from the essence of one of the books – Blue – is 2 out of the 6 pages devoted to Wonderwall Music. I can only judge the Blue book by the number of pages devoted to the albums. The longest is All Things Must Pass (13), followed by Ram and Back To The Egg (both 10), and Red Rose Speedway, Band On The Run, Venus and Mars and London Town (all 9). Is there a pattern being shown in that? Double Fantasy, the last in the book, only has 5 pages, although I was surprised to find in the index of songs that all 21 tracks recorded in the studio sessions are mentioned, including all five of John’s songs subsequently released on Milk and Honey in 1984. The introductions seem to indicate the books concentrate on the reception at the time, rather than the author’s own opinions. Is that why the album by John which has most pages devoted to it is Sometime In New York City – 8? Unfortunately, these samples mean I can only refer to quantity, rather than quality. On that basis, I will not be tempted to buy either book until I can see more.