Customer Reviews

Paul McCartney : I Saw Him Standing There

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a class act! From the very first page, readers are lovingly drawn into the life and times of Paul McCartney, through Jorie Gracen's incredible photographs that capture the essense of a man and his music. The concert photos simply vibrate with life and give the reader a visual front seat perspective of Paul ripping up the stage or quietly enthralling his audience with a solo years hit, or a classic Beatles song. In addition, the off-stage photos of Paul portray the human side of a man who is husband, father, friend, businessman and fellow musician, simply living his life and loving it. The sensitive candid photos cover Paul's many moods and multi-faceted personality, from the irrepressible to the contemplative. The intriguing and colorful personal stories from enthusiastic fans who have had a close encounter with Paul, add humor, warmth and historical reference points that nicely compliment the stunning array of photographs. Jorie Grayson, a dedicated highly respected professional, with extensive music celebrity photo credits, is seen on the Intro page getting an affectionate hug from one of her favorite subjects -- Paul himself! Over the years Paul invited and readily posed for Jorie on numerous occasions, including the unforgettable picture on the book's back cover, of Paul on the steps of Abbey Road Studios! This book is a fun romp back through time that allows Paul's fans to see both the musical legend and the man, through the author's unique perspective.

This is an absolutely delightful book for anyone who loves the Beatles, Paul McCartney or great photography. The photos are full of energy and showcase Paul's powerful stage presence. The text written by fans who attended the concerts and by the author are fun and catch the spirit of the shows.

This is a must have book!

This book is probably one of the finest photographic accounts of Paul McCartney. The other ex-Beatles (that are still with us) should be so lucky! Ms. Gracen has done a wonderful service to all of us McCartney fans, by sharing her talents and fortitude to get the right photo, sometimes under very extreme circumstances. The selection of her photos were made to be a book. The accounts of the various fans and venues was very entertaining. Also, the layout and design of the book is very professional, no shortcuts here! Anyone who has seen the Beatles in concert, Paul and his various bands, I really recommend Jorie's book. It takes you back and makes you smile and remember all of the wonderful music this legend has given tp us over the years! Well done, Jorie!!

It will be very hard to find the right words to describe the pictures in this book, but I will try!! Jorie Gracen was able to CAPTURE PAUL THE WAY I SEE HIM!!!!!Her pictures are the BEST PICTURES I HAVE EVER SEEN OF PAUL!!! If you are a Paul McCartney fan you will love the way the author/photographer is able to make you feel like you are sitting in the FRONT ROW!!

She has great little stories to go with each photo, what is going on at that moment, the song he is singing. There are also some great interviews and stories from fans just like us that have seen Paul in concert or had the opportunity to meet him in person. For me it was a way to see all of the magic and excitement surrounding this great musician and man!

I think another thing that is so admirable about Ms. Gracen is that she will be donating percentages of HER own personal money to Breast Cancer Research in memory of Linda.

I feel that not only does her EXTRAORDINARY TALENT shine through as a FIRST RATE PHOTOGRAPHER with this book, but also her geniune love and respect for Paul and Linda.

This book is a McCartney fan's dream - great concert photos, interspersed with recollections from various sources - high quality, entertaining, and a must-have for any collection. If I had only one wish about the book, it would be more non-concert pictures - although there are many supplied in the book, and they are fantastic. The book, however, does say it is in support of his forthcoming tour, so this is understandable. My only other wish is to acquire the same jacket Paul's wearing on page 46 - been nuts about that jacket for ages! All in all, highest recommendations, and kudos to Ms. Gracen for getting it right - so many others over the past twenty years have attempted similar things, and have fallen far short of this effort. All the best!

This book is a wonderful collection of Memories of many Magical Moments in the presence of Paul McCartney. The pictures span two and a half decades of devoted work. The author and Mr. McCartney connect in several of these pics,and he hams it up for her. Who but someone so tuned in to him, could capture these moments??. Linda McCartney appreciated Jorie Gracen and her work...what else needs to be said.? I highly recommend this book and hope that Ms. Gracen will put out another collection following his recent world tours.Anyone who appreciates Paul will thouroughly enjoy this book!!!!!!!!!

This book isn't as much about Paul McCartney as it is about Paul McCartney fans. The author herself is a starry-eyed fan. The text consists mainly of other fans relating their experiences at McCartney concerts. You'll hear of the fans that quit their jobs in order to attend. You'll hear of the ones that reach out to grab, pat, or hug McCartney, and you'll understand why some stars hate stardom. You'll hear of those who snuck up to the floor of his hotel room, only to turn back because they knew "how Paul values his privacy" (unlike all those other big stars).

In short, it's a book by and for wackos. Harmless wackos, to be sure, but wackos nonetheless. There's nothing wrong with that, but just don't expect to learn very much about Paul McCartney from this book.

Oh sure, they'll tell you what a terrific guy he is (they also quote some of the most boringly banal interviews anyone has ever given--why??). I suspect, however, that if Paul ever acted like a jerk, you wouldn't read about it here.

Finally, there are the photographs. Most of them are from a relatively few number of concerts. But every one is captioned to let us know what song Paul was playing, where he was playing it, and when. And the author is pathetically particular about when and where Paul actually looks at her. After the first five or six shots of Paul with Hofner, Paul with Hamish, Paul alone, Paul sweating, etc., etc., etc., they start to blend into each other.

So don't buy this book if you're curious to know more about Paul McCartney. Buy it if you already know pretty much everything there is to know about him, but still can't get enough.

Great Pictures, great format.
Ms. Gracen gives us a fly on the wall view of McCartney's touring days. Closeups and rare photos. Well put together and an endless parade of snapshots. Perfect coffee table book. If you put this on your coffee table with ten other books it's almost guaranteed that this is the one your guests will pick up.

Jorie Gracen's book on Paul McCartney has some good photo's but I found it very disapointing. It seemed as if most of the pictures could have been taken for such magazines like the Globe or Star. Although there are a few wonderful pictures, overall I would think anyone with a camera who was able to get close to Paul McCartney could take pictures like the ones featured in this book. To say Ms. Gracen's photos are like the late Linda McCartney is a far out lie! Gracen's photos are nothing like Linda's. If you are a fan of McCartney and like to look at photos of him this isn't a bad book, but if you want to look at quality photos of him, skip this book an buy a book by Linda McCartney.

This is a beautifully shot, carefully bound, very glossy tour program. The pix are great, and though I agree with the reviewer who pointed out that there isn't much variety here, they do give the viewer the a real sense of being in the front row of the concert. That's something the author should be very proud of. But the text! Geez! Story after story about looking for Paul, finding Paul, how Paul changed his or her life ... After a while, you're tempted to take the entire endeavor less seriously because the stories are so silly. That's a shame, because the pix are very good.