RaveSalon... the anthology is a feast for the eyes. Dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fans will be bowled over by the sheer profundity of unpublished photographs, previously unseen lyrics sheets, journal entries, paintings, and the like. Indeed, The Lyrics easily represents the finest collection of illustrations associated with McCartney\'s life and work. And it\'s beautifully rendered, to boot. Drop-dead gorgeous as books go, The Lyrics rivals the finest art imprints, including the handsome limited editions from the likes of Taschen and Genesis ... Readers will enjoy the deep dives into more than 150 songs, and I, for one, was thrilled with the choices ... If The Lyrics has an overarching weakness, it exists in the margins ... there are a series of moments in The Lyrics, often literary in nature, that might seem like—dare I say it?—overreaching ... That\'s not to say that the attendant anecdotes and off-the-cuff musings are not powerful and affecting. As always, McCartney\'s asides about his parents are simply lovely ... In its finest moments, The Lyrics brings these key relationships to the fore, emphasizing the role that McCartney\'s family has always played in his life—and yes, this most definitely includes his created family with the other Beatles and their circle ... fetch me a more exquisite anthology this holiday season? I dare say you won\'t find one.
