Published on 1 March 2023, Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 (L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 542 pages), written by Italian author Luca Perasi and whose second volume is planned for 2024, deals with the first twenty years of Paul McCartney’s solo career. “This book can be best described as the ‘musical biography’ of the most important song composer ever,” says the author, who in 2021 was appointed 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.

With a cover design by Tondo Studio (featuring a striking photograph by Clive Arrowsmith, the man who shot the famous Band on the Run sleeve picture) and with the English text and the inner layout curated by Steve Lambley, Volume 1 tells the stories behind Paul McCartney’s songs released between 1970 and 1989. The book consists of 346 song sheets – including songs written by other composers as well as 50 unreleased tracks – each providing detailed information of musicians and recording dates, including anecdotes, contemporary interviews together with exclusive interviews with key personnel by the author. It’s enriched with over 1,000 footnotes and with dozens of illustrations and photographs. Albums, tours and other events provide a background to the stories behind the songs.

“The phrase 'Music is ideas' is taken from the song ‘Talk More Talk’ and aims to provide a guide for the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of McCartney, an artist who has elevated the pop song to an art-form,” adds the author. “What are the inspirations that Paul draws on to write his songs? What are his stylistic references? How does he shape his ideas in the recording studio? His post-Beatles catalogue deserves a thorough analysis, using an historical approach. We’re talking about one of the most prolific and successful songwriters ever, and such a comprehensive catalogue of his solo output doesn’t exist. Until now."