Blackbird [Paperback]

Giuliano ( Dark Horse: The Private Life of George Harrison ) offers a disparaging biography of former Beatle, Wings founder and solo musician McCartney. The book criticizes the star's inability to deal with grief in terms of his mother's untimely death and John Lennon's murder; rehashes the Beatles' evolution, sexual shenanigans, drug use and breakup; and chronicles the performer's romance with British actress Jane Asher. Disapproval creeps in as McCartney weds Linda Eastman: he becomes a "sometimes annoying perfectionistic musician" with an "almost neurotic need to have Linda by his side," and she is a "rather frumpy looking bride-to-be." The couple's heavy marijuana use is stressed and myriad injustices to collaborators compiled, rendering ex-Wings guitarist Laine's cheery introduction ironic. Despite the damning evidence against McCartney, fans will recoil from Giuliano's mean-spiritedness and, especially, his excessive sympathy and praise for Laine, on whose information the book is largely based. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Though McCartney's legions of fans are always interested in his doings, the immense popularity of the three recent Beatles Anthology collections, the release of a chart-topping solo album, and his knighthood have given Sir Paul his biggest burst of publicity in many years. Giuliano's update of his 1991 original follows McCartney through his first foray into classical music with the Liverpool Oratorio, his work with animal rights, the reunion of the "Threetles" to cut new songs for the Anthology albums, and wife Linda's bout with breast cancer. Also included are excerpts from recent interviews and an updated discography. This may be more popular now than when first released.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Prince Paul conquers the world as a Beatle, then daringly starts his own group (Wings) and lives forever after in tight- fisted happiness with his Lady Linda--in this vapid gusher from Giuliano (Dark Horse: The Secret Life of George Harrison, 1990). Giuliano begins with a 90-page rehearsal of the Fab Four's career--nothing new here, it's all from familiar and secondary sources. He then turns to the marriage of Linda Eastman and McCartney. Potentially of interest, this union of a son of a cotton factor and a daughter of a Cleveland heiress--but after a run through old fan magazines and previously published interviews, enlivened only by Giuliano's fillips (``Linda McCartney...is today a mature, creative, socially concerned woman with no illusions about either her complicated place in pop history or her role as a responsible, caring citizen of Spaceship Earth''), we know no more than we began with. Giuliano's chief informant, Denny Laine--who played guitar in Wings for several years--does provide some interesting insights. Money: ``McCartney was always making excuses for not paying us properly by saying his money was all tied up in the Beatles' company, Apple...I was kept in the dark all the time about money, just given a check now and again.'' Recording: ``He and Linda did smoke a fantastic amount of stuff by anybody's standards...so much of it makes you very indecisive and takes away your self-confidence. That's why Paul's albums take him ages and ages to make. He just cannot be decisive about anything.'' Laine left the band when McCartney was arrested for drug-possession in Tokyo. In subsequent years, McCartney forbade the band to carry any drugs across the border. This prohibition, says Giuliano, did not apply to McCartney himself; he used the hood on his daughter's coat and his son's diaper as stash bags. For True Believers only. (Thirty-two pages of b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.