Luca Perasi is an excellent author from Italy who has a great interest in writing about Paul McCartney and the Beatles. He has produced 4 wonderful English language books about Paul McCartney and has also recently created 2 solo-Beatles titles for a grand total of 6 great books. His research is excellent and I have not been disappointed by any of the 6 titles that I have purchased of his work.
All of his titles are available through Amazon. You can also find his books at eBay and such book services like Abe books. Here is a brief summary of the books that he has authored that I have purchased for my collection. Paul McCartney being the workaholic that he is has certainly provided a lot of material over the years for Luca to mine and to write about.
Luca has handled that task with a great love of McCartney’s recorded output and you can see by these books his dedication and love for the artist that keeps on giving wonderful musical nuggets to an admiring public!
I have also included all the back covers of Luca’s books on this post to give you the details of the books contents and the extent and faith in Luca that MPL and the McCartney organization have in him. We must make note of the significant achievements and accomplishment of Luca being asked by MPL to be an official translator of The Lyrics books into Italian and his collaboration with MPL for The 7″ Singles Box.
It is quite the honor to have both of those distinctions in recognition of both his hard work and his excellent McCartney knowledge-base coming directly from McCartney’s own organization!
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 – Published April 27, 2023 by L.I.L.Y.
The back cover of the book:
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 2) 1990-2012 Published – November 18, 2024 by L.I.LY.
Back cover of the book:
Paul McCartney & Wings: Band on the Run. The Story of a Classic Album (Milestones) Paperback Published on April 19, 2024 Published by L.I.L.Y
Back cover of the book about Paul McCartney & Wings Classic LP:
Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013). A Journey Through Paul McCartney’s Songs After The Beatles. Paperback – published in October 22, 2013, Published by L.I.L.Y.
Back cover of Luca’s first McCartney book:
The Beatles after The Beatles. The Solo Careers of John, Paul, George and Ringo (1967-1980) – Part One: The Narrative (The Solo Beatles) Published-September 30, 2024 by L.I.LY.
The back cover of the book with appropiate content details:
The Beatles after The Beatles. The Solo Careers of John, Paul, George and Ringo (1967-1980) – Part Two: The Discography (The Solo Beatles) Published September 30, 2024 by L.I.L.Y.
The back cover of the book and the description of how it differs from Vol. 1:
UPDATE FOR JUNE 2025-NEW BOOK RELEASE
Paul McCartney: Press to Play. That Unmistakable 80s Sound (Milestones) Hardcover – June 4, 2025
by Luca Perasi (Author) L.I.L.Y Publisher
AMAZON Description of the new release:
As divisive an album it might be within McCartney’s artistic journey, Press to Play touches the hearts of many fans — including a new, younger generation that was then shaping — and offers many points of interest for music historians and musicians. Released in the summer of 1986, the album was an interesting – although commercially unsuccessful – attempt to update McCartney’s vocabulary, with which he firmly planted both feet in the realm of the Eighties.
With its wide range of sonic influences, from synth-pop and video game music to simple rock ‘n’ roll; its imagery and surrealism; its themes of romance and sexual fervour; and its mix of mellow and harder tracks, Press to Play is an album split in two. There is a certain penchant for glossy perfection, but also a sound research and experimentation that never becomes obvious.
Enriched by coloured images, the volume Press to Play. That Unmistakable 80s Sound tells the story of one of McCartney’s most obscure records and misunderstood periods (1985–86). In its detailed analysis of the album’s sonic wonders, based on contemporary sources and in-depth interviews by the author with key figures such as Hugh Padgham, Jerry Marotta and Carlos Alomar, the book guides readers through the many fascinating aspects of the record (the new Hog Hill Mill Studio, the recording equipment and tricks, the instrumentation, the effects used, the coexistence between analogue and digital). The abundance of instrumentation – which combines modern sounds from the era (DX7 synthesisers, sequencers, emulator, LinnDrum) and vintage pieces such as Hammond organ, Moog, Fender Rhodes – makes it one of the most multilayered albums of Paul McCartney’s career.
The volume covers the supposed “production misunderstanding” with Eric Stewart, the songwriting partnership with the ex-10CC leader, the timeline of the sessions, the stories behind the songs (including B-sides, unreleased material and the single “Spies Like Us”), their harmonic and rhythmic inventions, and lyrical analysis. The many factors that undermined McCartney’s confidence at the time are also explored, including the unfortunate Live Aid performance and Michael Jackson’s acquisition of The Beatles’ song catalogue, leading to discovering what went wrong and why and there’s also a chapter devoted to the insecurity showed during the promotion of the album, offering a new psychological and human insight into Paul. Has Press to Play stood the test of time? An unprecedented and incredibly rich historical look at one of Paul McCartney’s most forgotten albums
For your listening enjoyment at the conclusion of this post, I asked Ken Michaels, Tom Hunyady, and Andy Nicholes if they would mind if I posted a few of their excellent podcasts where they discuss Luca Perasi’s work with him. They gave me their OK and I know you will be impressed not only with Luca Perasi, the guest of honor at these programs, but also with the very knowledgeable hosts of the programs.
They continue to provide excellent YouTube programming about all of the Beatles. Here is a sampling of 7 of their excellent programs. Subscribe to their channels, you will not be disappointed and you will be kept WELL-INFORMED!!!
VIDEOCAST #113 – NEW McCARTNEY BOOK SNEAK PREVIEW with author LUCA PERASI – YouTube
Things We Said Today #96 – Author Luca Perasi on McCartney’s recording career – YouTube
Videocast #129 – LUCA PERASI (End Of Wings, McCartney- Martin Trilogy) – YouTube
Episode 248: Luca Perasi (“Band On The Run”) – YouTube
Episode 266: “Music Is Ideas (Volume 2) Live Press Launch with Luca Perasi! – YouTube
BUZZ
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