Prolific Paul McCartney expert Luca Perasi has a new book out, this one focusing on Macca's beloved/hated 1986 LP, Press to Play. The book is available now via Amazon.
Details:
Released on 5 June 2025, Paul McCartney: Press to Play. That Unmistakable 80s Sound by Luca Perasi (L.I.L.Y. Publishing, 170 pages, full colour, both available in paperback and hardcover) tells the story of one of the most overlooked records of the ex-Beatle’s career. “The sessions for this album began exactly 40 years ago, in the spring of 1985, and it seemed a good time to take a fresh look at it,” says the author, who in 2022 was credited in the booklet of Paul McCartney’s compilation The 7” Singles Box for additional research with the MPL team.
“As divisive an album as it might be within McCartney’s artistic journey, Press to Play touches the hearts of many fans who were 16 or 1𝟩 at the time; it's a new, younger generation of McCartney fans who were then shaping, who had only vague memories of Wings, and who were experiencing the thrill of a new record by their 'hero' for the first time in their adolescence. I was one of them.”
Dedicating an entire volume to it is quite a challenge. “I wanted to break some new ground,” says the author. “‘Re-evaluation’ is a rather misused word when it comes to ‘classic rock’ artists and often seems to be just a clever – if not novel – gimmick to attract some attention. In keeping in with the concept of my previous works, this book explores Press to Play with an historical approach that has never been done before. That's the key to truly reappraising and understanding a record.”
Enriched with exclusive and in-depth interviews with the likes of Hugh Padgham, Jerry Marotta and Carlos Alomar, the book paints a complete picture of the circumstances that led to the recording of Press to Play and delves into the wonders of such a multi-layered album.
“I define this album a sonic delight; it’s one of McCartney's richest in sound, which makes it an incredible listening experience,” adds Perasi. “So first I went through all the songs and dissected them, analysing every possible aspect, from song structure to instrumentation and vocal parts; then I discussed the music, the production and the engineering techniques in my interviews. The result is rich in detail. Sitting down with Carlos Alomar (for the second time) and Hugh Padgham were insightful experiences of which I'm proud.”
Drawing on archive material and numerous contemporary and retrospective interviews and reviews, the book the volume covers the supposed “production misunderstanding” with Eric Stewart, the songwriting partnership with the 10CC ex- 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 is also a chapter devoted to the insecurity showed during the promotion of the album, offering a new psychological and human insight into Paul.
This is the second volume dedicated to a McCartney album in the Milestones series, which has recently included a book on XTC’s Skylarking by long time music journalist Alfredo Marziano. Upcoming titles and artists in the series will include Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and The Police’s Regatta de Blanc.
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