Category Archives: Books

A Must Read – A Knock at the Door, Rob Parsons

 

A Knock at the Door, by Rob Parsons is a quite remarkable story.

My attention to the book was drawn to it via a review in The UK Telegraph.

It is a remarkable story of a couple taking an almost stranger into their house a day or so before Christmas and his never leaving.

It is a story of faith, charity, kindness and selflessness. As I read (listened to) the book, there were occasions where I wanted to cry and laugh, sometimes in the same sentence!

I listened to the book as an audiobook, via Sotify,, while walking through town, at the gym, driving the car or just sitting listening to it. The book is narrated by the author Robert Parsons which significantly adds to its enjoyment.

While the book commences shortly after Rob and Dianne’s wedding, the book covers Rob’s early life, his connection with the church,  education, and mentors that led him to his professional career. However, the main focus is on this family’s  selfless decision of taking a man they hardly knew into their home a couple days before Christmas and having him live with them for 45 years. Yes, 45 years;through the early stages of their marriage, the birth of their 2 children, and how Ronnie  Lockwood fitted in and contributed to their family and their community. It’s a relationship of love and caring. For the Parsons family to have been so generous is a true act of selflessness, kindness and Christian charity.

It is a story of success not just of Rob Parsons but also Ronnie. Continue reading

Book Review Man on the Run, Paul McCartney in the 1970s

Source : Amazon.com

There were two reasons that I bought Tom Doyle’s book Man on the Run, Paul McCartney in the 1970s. The first my love of The Beatles and the second my interest in exploring “What’s Next”.

Given my age, my love of The Beatles started about the time of their breakup. My first record was Abbey Road. I have all of their albums and listen to them along with a large slice of their post Beatle individual contributions on a regular basis.

In and earlier post I have mentioned that I have been to The Dakota Building and Straberry Fields in Central Park. All part of paying homage to the greatest band of all time.  That said, when it comes to The Beatles individually my favourite has always been Paul and particularly his time with Wings. I was lucky enough to see them in 1975 on their Australian tour.

So about the book as after all this is a review!

Through access to those individuals who were around Paul including the other Beatles across the 70s, Doyle tells a story that he rightly points out has had little exposure beyond the public slanging match between Lennon and McCartney and Paul’s well publicized drug busts. The book addresses these openly but not in a sensional manner and perhaps even more importantly in context.
In a sentence, the book starts with the end of the Beatles and tragically ends at the time of the death of John Lennon. 

I find the context particularly interesting given my interest in “What’s Next”. Early on we get a pretty raw account of the difficulty Paul McCartney faced; moving from being at the top as a member of the greatest band of all time and then  seeing it all end well before he was 30. It is no wonder he and his new wife fled to Scotland to hide!

Doyle recounts Paul’s early post Beatles solo career. The formation of Wings and Linda’s role in the band which was always controversial. Denny Laine, one of Doyle’s major sources apart from McCartney himself, provides great insight as to Linda’s importance in keeping Paul out of his personal post Beatles malaise. It is an important reminder of the central role Linda played in Paul’s life.  Infact perhaps she  was the true hero in the 1970s Paul McCartney story,  rather than the villain she is so often portrayed. There are also insights into his family life which seemed to cycle from idyllic farm life to the choatic life of a rock band. This perhaps is also a sign of the challenges being faced by someone who has been to the top and is then faced with a void to be filled. One minute living the quiet family life away from it all and the next craving the bright lights and publicity. All provide insights as to how Paul dealt with his early post Beatles days.

The Wings tour of Australia gets a mention with special attention given to the Norman Gunston interview which in my opinion it is one of the most hilarious interviews of all time. In truth, it is this period of Paul McCartney’s post Beatle life that I am most familiar. This is  perhaps not surprisingly given as Doyle notes, the enormous success that the Wings US tour followed by the painstakingly  MCartney mastered triple live album and video Rockshow. 

References to the relationship between Paul and John play an important but not pivotal role in the book. McCartney and Lennon’s post Beatle interactions were bitter sweet . On occasions they and their wives enjoyed each others company and then on others the relationship was decidedly frosty. Again perhaps this is how it is after people move on from an intense relationship – a reminder that it can never truly be the same.

I can’t deny that I didn’t find the references to Paul and John’s relationship the most interesting aspect of the book. However it was also interesting to reflect on, how in the post Beatles phase Paul could ever have thought his fellow Wings members ever be his equal, why did Paul want an amateur (Linda) in a world touring successful rock band and why did he record Mary had a little Lamb? Doyle gives us insights into each and much more.

It’s  well worth a read.

Other posts on The Beatles and Paul McCartney :

The only thing you did was Yesterday
The Beatles Boxed Set
Memories of a Great Concert

100 Up

So this my 100th Post – It’s timing is perfect just as I start my next journey.

Michael Clarke’s Celebration after reaching 100 in Adelaide. Source: www.news.com. au

My blog has not met the WordPress suggested approach of a theme and stick to it. Rather it has been the thoughts of a fifty something as he contemplates what’s next. 

While it hasn’t been a “Dear Diary” it certainly has been a reflection on my thoughts. There has been plenty on music including my discovery of Country Music and the regular paying homage to The Boss. There have been posts on our trip to Europe and our plans for 3 months in Italy. There’s also been the opportunity to post on our local scene – the fabulous Adelaide Oval, Tour Down Under and Second Valley. I have also mentioned my move back to study on numerous occasions but the topic I expected would appear most being Sport has only been mentioned sparingly.

It has  enabled me to meet an objective of writing a thousand words a month and I think also improved my writing skills. 

It’s a time for celebration!

It’s better to give than receive

We had dinner with a friend recently. Someone my wife and I see through my work. It was a fabulous dinner with maybe more wine than we should have consumed for a work night with an early start the next day, however it was fun.

Whilst much of our talk with our friend has been about where I’m at with my life, this time as the conversation and wine flowed we turned to where my wife was at with her life.

Too often this involves running around after our adult children. Bluntly she seems to be their unpaid PA! Whilst I know she is happy to take on that role it seems that she doesn’t have enough of her own time. That was a theme we discussed at length.

Through the conversation my wife talked about writing.

Continue reading

Spotify, Pandora, Kindle, CDs and Books

A few months ago I posed the rhetorical question “Have I really bought my last cd?”.

For the best part of six moths I happily went along listening to Spotify and Pandora as a paid subscriber. I discovered new music and old favourites. Amazingly convenient and almost no song not available. Rented music seemed the answer to my almost insatiable love of music.

Then a few weeks ago I had a change of heart sparked by a chance listening to a radio program with The Beatles biographer, Mark Lewisohn which sparked a desire to listen to The Beatles from start to finish and I wanted to own them, not rent them.

So it was back to the CD Shop and a resumption of a long term passion of purchasing music again. It was like running into an old friend. Seeing what was new, browsing the CD racks for something interesting and then the bargain bins with each visit usually resulting in a purchase. The result is that since purchasing The Beatles Boxed Set I have bought a few more CDs and it’s been fun. I doubt I will buy as many CDs as I did in the past, but I know for sure that my love for owning my music burns deep. Renting is convenient but just not the same.

The same chance listening to the radio

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