A Nice Pair: Paul McCartney

It’s Sunday which means it’s time for A Nice Pair: book and music pairings that are the perfect antidote to the cold, wet weather outside. Today we’re pairing the biography Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney by Howard Sounes with the Paul McCartney album McCartney II.

Fab is the first truly comprehensive biography of the iconic musician, charting Sir Paul McCartney’s entire journey from his childhood in working‑class Liverpool, through the meteoric rise of The Beatles, to all the different phases of his solo career. The book paints a much more complete picture of McCartney than most people are used to. It shows him as a mix of charm and contradiction: a brilliant musician who’s far more driven, ambitious, and moody than his easygoing public image suggests. Drawing on original research and over two hundred new interviews, Sounes digs into parts of his life that haven’t been fully told before, covering his marriages, romances, family tensions, massive wealth and the intricate dynamics he’s had with the other former Beatles.

Released in 1980, McCartney II is Paul McCartney’s third solo studio album, released before the dissolution of his band Wings the following year. If you’re used to the sounds of The Beatles, it’s quite the departure with its synth-heavy, new wave and electronica experimentation. McCartney performed all of the instruments on his own and it features hits such as Coming Up, Temporary Secretary and Waterfalls.