How does he do it? Or why does he do it? He sure doesn’t need the money. But like the Stones, Paul McCartney, who some thought “died” when 27 and with all the “facts” on the cover of Abbey Road, keeps “Beatling” and making music, touring, taking chances and staying true to his craft.
(Source: Open Culture)
(Source: Media)
There’s a sense of pride and “ownership” for his fans to have grown up and matured with this brilliant musician- a very underrated bass guitarist heard to great effect with his inventive work on tracks like Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and Fixing Hole where he plays his instrument like a lead guitar, an equally underrated pianist, acoustic and lead guitarist, an able drummer plus, of course, one of the greatest songwriters and singers in popular music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqXmBy1_qOQ
Now, after looking like he was going to slow down, put on a smoking jacket and become a crooner, he made a sudden U-turn by jamming with Dave Grohl and Nirvana, and is now back in his natural habitat- the studio- with wunderkind hits galore producer Mark Ronson and a new track which can only be described as “vintage Paul”.
The track might not be Classic McCartney, but it still would not be out of place on Revolver- which is saying something when one thinks back to that ground-breaking album.
(Source: Olsen Bloom)
Listening to this track, one is reminded of that voice- sometimes sweet on Blackbird, Mother Nature’s Son and You Never Give Me Your Money, rough and “doing a Fats Domino” on Lady Madonna and Monkberry Moon Delight, dramatic as a Thunderball on Live And Let Die and being the perennial romantic on Maybe I’m Amazed, My Love, I Will, Yesterday and my personal favorite- the achingly beautiful For No One.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES66ATHG1iY
For No One is for everyone and is one song that has it all and says it all. It’s musical perfection where words and melodies blend and that perfect voice makes one feel so alone yet so happy to have loved and lost and found love again. Calling it bittersweet would be an injustice. It’s beyond description or categorizing. It’s just luverly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz8zAijpmwM
Of course, what many have wondered for how long is how and why McCartney so easily plucks melodies seemingly out of the air.
While many others struggle to write one great song, McCartney has his own library and, thankfully, recently bought back the Lennon-McCartney catalogue that his one-time friend Michael Jackson went behind his back and purchased.
(Source: User Serve)
Now, THAT was Bad no matter what anyone might Say Say Say- one of Macca’s most strange friendships which resulted in hideous compositions and duets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE3zJgO-0S4
With his vast body of work with the Beatles, Wings, his beloved Linda and on his own, it’s easy to forget some of his side projects.
There was him playing bass and singing backup on James Taylor’s only album for Apple.
He added bass on Scott McKenzie’s San Francisco and then there are his compositions for Mary Hopkin and Badfinger for which where there are some amazing bootlegs of his demos for Goodbye and Come And Get It plus his flirtations with classical music and music for films and animation.
Of course, while growing up with McCartney, many were also being inspired journeying down that long and winding road aboard the Magical Mystery Tour with the Beatles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjW8Rv5bp7Q
From the songs of John Lennon- and there came that time when it was obvious which Lennon-McCartney songs were written by whom- we learnt to be honest with ourselves, angry, frustrated, be dreamers, cynics, and rebels.
It was life and learning to deal with it through the words and voice of a musician and storyteller- the Liverpudlian Dylan- who had to exorcise his demons before finding peace within himself.
(Source: Pal Zoo)
From the songs of George Harrison, we heard positivity, about living in a material world, love plus peace, harmony, mysticism and how all things must pass.
(Source: Beatles Bible)
From the Cute Beatle, Macca and, today, Sir Paul, his songs always gave us characters like Eleanor Rigby, Father McKenzie, Lovely Rita, Sgt Pepper, Desmond and Molly, Jude, Her Majesty, and even the ballad of John and Yoko.
(Source: Frank Warner)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gwg_d3XZ5A
The Beatles are no more, but their music lives on forever whereas Sir Paul, still plays his Hofner bass, still tours and makes records and probably has another huge hit song in him.
What might be missing is the yang to his yin which John Lennon was- that slice of cynicism to McCartney’s eternal optimism where It’s Getting Better was always countered with “it couldn’t get much worse”.
Still, we can’t have it all when, unlike Adele, we’ve already had it all and can now only support and follow one of the few contemporary musicians in truly a league of his own and give him the thumbs up.
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