Ian MacCormick (known by the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British

music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mu ...

and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

which borrowed techniques from art historians, and ''The New Shostakovich'', a study of Russian composer

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...

Biography

MacDonald briefly attended

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

, at first to study English, then archaeology and anthropology. He dropped out after a year. While at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, he was distantly acquainted with the singer/songwriter

Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...

. From 1972 to 1975 he served as assistant editor at the '' NME''. MacDonald began a songwriting collaboration as lyricist with Quiet Sun, which included his brother Bill MacCormick and future

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...

guitarist

Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801, and Quiet Su ...

. The collaboration resumed in the late 1970s, with MacDonald providing lyrics for the album ''Listen Now''. Later,

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...

assisted MacDonald in producing ''Sub Rosa'', an album of his songs released on Manzanera's label. In his 1994 '' Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', MacDonald carefully anatomised each recording by

, examining the broad themes and sources of inspiration. The book contains detailed song-by-song analysis, but is often subjective and critical.

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

has stated his dissatisfaction with its accuracy. Access to the original Beatles master tapes was allowed during research. The book also includes his essay "Fabled Foursome, Disappearing Decade", an analysis of the social and cultural changes of the 1960s and their after-effects. The entries about the Beatles' singles that topped the singles chart were released in a separate book in 2002. The edit featured a new, shorter introduction and featured only the essays on the songs on the Beatles' chart-topping album, '' 1''. His ''The New Shostakovich'' attempted to put the works of the Russian composer in their political and social context. MacDonald's insistence on creating a cinematic scenario for every major piece polarised opinion sharply. He was a regular reviewer for the UK magazine ''Classic CD''. The success of ''Revolution in the Head'' motivated him to resume popular music writing, and he began contributing to ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' and '' Uncut'' music magazines. ''The People's Music'', an anthology of these writings, was published in July 2003 just weeks before his death. He had been working on a book entitled ''Birds, Beasts & Fishes: A Guide to Animal Lore and Symbolism'', and another about

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

. Neither has been published.

Death

In August 2003, MacDonald died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

at his Gloucestershire home following a lengthy period of

clinical depression Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...

. He was 54. MacDonald's body was cremated. The track "Wish You Well" on

's 2004 album ''6PM'' is a tribute to MacDonald.

Discography

* Quiet Sun, '' Mainstream'' (1975) *

, '' Diamond Head'' (1975) *Phil Manzanera/801, '' Listen Now'' (1977)

Publications

*'' The New Shostakovich'' (1990). (reprinted & updated in 2006) *'' Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'' (1994). *'' The People's Music'' (2003)

Notes

External links

Guardian Obituary

a website he maintained with Shostakovich information and trivia {{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Ian 1948 births 2003 suicides Alumni of King's College, Cambridge British music critics Classical music critics Canterbury scene NME writers Suicides in England 2003 deaths