Man on the Run: Paul McCartney and his Tucson connections

I'm doing this post on one of our living legends of rock and pop music, Sir Paul McCartney. This is a musician who's musical career spans from the 1950s to today as he continues to put out albums and tours the country.

Paul McCartney is one of two living Beatles, and he continues to add and grow to his legacy every year. Aside from releasing a brand new album this year, "New," Paul has only contributed the song Helter Skelter to the Hurricane Sandy relief album "12-12-12," seen a fully released concert DVD from his band Wings put out titled "Rockshow" and had a biography published about himself and wife Linda, "Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s."

There Goes Gravity

Lisa Robinson has been on Led Zeppelin's private plane, in Mick Jagger's hotel room, had Lou Reed hanging out in her apartment and had Lady Gaga cook pasta. She went to CBGB's and Max's Kansas City nearly every night. She's interviewed John Lennon, Michael Jackson, and Bono. She currently writes a column for Vanity Fair and oversees the photo shoot for Vanity Fair's annual music issue. She's written about music for over 40 years and has just written There Goes Gravity:  A Life In Rock and Roll. I read good reviews of it and decided to give it a try and wasn't disappointed.  

Robinson starts off in 1975 with her joining the Rolling Stones' tour of the U.S and ends with her getting to know Eminem. Reading the book is like taking a historical tour of popular music. I'll be honest here and admit I skipped ahead a bit (although I went back and read the whole book) to the chapter on U2, my favorite band. As she does in the rest of the book, she pulls no punches and offers up what I think are valid criticisms of my "boys". (So, yeah, WHEN is that new album coming out again? Or as she says, "The more successful bands become the longer it takes between albums.") She also offers some very pointed criticism of Madonna (no real talent, only ambition.)

Musicians can write books, too!

It's pretty well accepted that when a musician or an athlete puts out an autobiography, one can  assume they didn't write it themself. And take it one step further and you can assume they also didn't read their own ghost written book, either. Not that I'm saying they aren't smart or anything... but musicians writing is usually best kept at the lyric stage.

I have poured through our library system to find some musicians who have written some books of their own- fiction books, books about bicycles; a former Beatle and his book of humorous sayings that could possibly have inspired Monty Python; and even a workout book by a famous rap star.

Click on the title to see the book. The only one not available is "Margaritaville."

Alice Cooper:
"Golf Monster : A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps To Becoming A Golf Addict"