I've been thinking about getting the new McCartney album, so I've been thinking a lot about Paul. If, as many of us believe, the female population can be divided by which Beatle they favored, I'm a George. But Paul is and has always has been ... well, Paul. Adorable and winsome.
I never saw the Beatles live, but in '76, I saw Wings at Nassau Coliseum. I was pretty blasé about it (I tagged along with emscee, who had rock-critic tickets.). "Sure, I'll go," said I, "though he doesn't really mean that much to me anymore." I mean, who was a Wings fan, really? Lights go down, band comes on the stage. "Oh my god. That's Paul McCartney," I nearly gasped. He had me at "Yesterday."
We saw him at the Garden, too, several years (decades?) later, when he seemed to be assuming the Beatles' legacy, which didn't sit so well at the time. Even the most diehard, lifelong Paul Girl I know said that when he sang "We're Sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band," she wanted to say, "No, you're not!" It was fun, though.
But I know that voice as well as I know, well, "All My Lovin'," and it still makes me melt just a little. I like that he wrote a song about his sheepdog. I like his melodiousness and playfulness and eternal Paul-ness, and all those lovely records--the lilting love ballads and the fab pop songs. I know there were lots of dippy ones and drippy ones, but there were many more that weren't. (I even like "Long and Winding Road"; my favorite version is by The Langley Schools Music Project.) I'm grieved that George and John are gone (Ringo, sorry, doesn't much figure in to this equation, for me), and I'm happy that Paul is here and well and making good music. Am I just being sentimental? Don't think so.
Fun fact: A friend of mine lives in the Manhattan apartment building where Linda Eastman was living when she and Paul were dating. The doorman remembers him. Apparently (says a biographer) they (Paul and Linda) used to go to Mimi's Pizza, on Lexington. (Not quite a rock shrine, Jonh Ingham, but a little landmark.)
Here's young Paul singing one of my favorite old songs:
and a more recent Paul singing another favorite:
and Paul being neatly parodied:
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Address noted! A shrinelet, perhaps. Reading Revolution In The Head, which dissects each song chronologically, it's fascinating how much innovation came from Paul, while the musical reactionary was John. Contrary to perception.
A fewyears ago there was a special on BBC of Paul live at Abbey Rd. Completely on the fly he built up a version of Band On The Run using tape loops, his wet finger on some wine glasses and a harmonium, all in about 5 minutes. It struck me what confidence that took, because it could easily have been a disaster.
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Funny, sometimes when I read about whatever new record Sir Paul is working on, I get deluded into thinking that this will be the time when he gets the knack back. It never happens somehow. The new music is always workmanlike, but ultimately seems opaque and finally lazy. I think, after all these years, that I've finally been cured of false hope for good....
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You know that I'm not the world's biggest Paul fan but I did enjoy and appreciate the profile on him in this week's New Yorker...almost made him seem human. And lay off Ringo!