Are you happy with Paul McCartney's new musical direction?

He's been collaborating with today's "hot" artists from Kanye to Rihanna as of recently. Paul is to me the most legendary musical artist we have alive today. He's sustained relevancy for over half a century and was able to forge the most successful solo career of all the Beatles (commercially). His recent projects will serve to make him more relevant to kids today as well, not to mention so far the music has been good while at the same time experimental and not TOO safe. Are you happy with the direction he's taking? How would you feel if other artists of his gen. were to do the same thing?

Ex. David Bowie ft. Lady Gaga (I would die BTW)

Stevie Nicks ft. Haley Williams (Paramore) (both leading ladies)

Joni Mitchell ft. Taylor Swift (They could do an interesting folk/country album)

Aretha Franklin ft. Jennifer Hudson (They could do a really good gospel infused power ballad, hopefully it doesn't turn into a screaming competition at the end)

The Rolling Stones ft. One Republic (Mick could show Ryan some of his moves)

Tina Turner ft. Beyonce (Imagine the stage energy)

Stevie Wonder ft. Kanye (Stevie is Kanyes idol and it could be the greatest thing ever or...yeah)

Prince ft. Bruno Mars (YAAAASSS just please God)

https://secure.static.tumblr.com/6f.../tumblr_static_tumblr_ll25faispc1qh9aev-1.gif

 

I'm ecstatic. Time to revive his career.

 

I find it generally unnecessary. He's already a living legend, regardless of what some young people think. To be perfectly blunt, it shows their ignorance if they aren't aware of who he is.

Collaborating with other artists is nothing new, btw - but again it's not like he needs to do it to keep himself relevant.

 

Which makes it so much better.

But yeah everyone, including today's generation are aware of Paul and his importance to music.

 

I'm OK with it for these reasons:

1) He's bloody Paul McCartney and as far as I'm concerned has earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants.

2) It sounds like he is doing these because they are interesting to him, not as a power grab.

3) I really would like him to have a last Top 10 hit - he has a #35 w/Only One.

4) I'm all for anything that makes even 1 younger fan say "who is this Paul McCartney guy" and check out the Beatles/Wings

 

I'm a huge fan. And I don't really care as he can do what he wants. BUT, I wish he would just go away already. Be under the radar for once.

 

I'm baffled at how anyone thinks that he is supposed to remain working with people from his own era of musicians.
Like old people doesn't go out and make new relations with younger people.
It's his spirit of nature. He doesn't try to be hip, he just wants to help a buddy and have fun. Why someone thinks that this is a start of a new era, where it is now becoming standard for him to jump on stage with Kayne West, is anyone's guess and they have totally missed the point. McCartney is a restless musical soul who plays with anyone he likes. The same drama happend when he played with the remaining members of Nirvana. It was like people really believed that he was now trying to be hip and go out as Kurt Cobain's replacement. The whole grunge-generation raved up and pointed fingers at him, what on earth he was doing. The 'cute Beatle' was trying to re-write history! Well, people always reads too much into all these things. If they can't 'connect' two different generations of musicians with each other, they start to make conspirary-theories. What would have happend if Dylan did the same? For some reason or another, I think that would have been more 'acceptable'. People need to come out of their illusion that McCartney is doing Silly Love Songs all the time (he doesn't make it better himself, though, with these awful 'celebration' movies of his own legacy, like 'The Space Within Us -horrible). He is MUCH more than that. But my guess is, that is his ball-and-chain for the rest of his life. When he is gone, people will start to discover how diverse the man has always been.

 

McCartney has tried many things, and collaborated with many artists. I haven't had a problem with any of the artists Paul has worked with until now... I just don't like kw.

The reason Paul is doing this is to try and appear "relevant" to today's audiences who go for this sort of thing. I think it is him reducing himself and lowering his standards, quite frankly.

If anything decent comes out of this collaboration which I enjoy, I will gladly say so. I'm really only interested in Paul on vocals.

 

Or Tony Bennett?

 

Paul proves every year how experimental he always has been at heart.
I became a fan in the early eighties and back then most of my friends thought he was washed up and at the end of his career.........Guess what??
I don't see RATT out there making the news and ringing the bells now I love it.

 

Soon will come the duets album with country stars then the duet album with dead people..

 

Big Macca fan but absolutely no urge or inclination to listen to his collaboration with Kayne West

 

I'm completely indifferent to it.

 

I remember being excited about the Elvis Costello collaboration so hopefully it's better than that.

 

True, but as fans we have the right to voice how we feel about what he's doing.

I would love Paul to have a hit as well... but if it's as an instrumentalist on someone else's song it's not really "his" hit, right? I would much prefer it was a full-fledged McCartney song/record, with Paul singing, and one of those other artists assisting him.
Still in all, if the strength of the hit song is due to that other younger artist's participation, it's not really due to Paul himself. (I felt the same way when Paul had the #1 single with "Say Say Say", which was mainly due to Michael Jackson's presence; though at least there I felt that MJ was a true talent).

 

Why do you think it is because he is trying to stay relevant? Couldn't it just be he wanted to get inspired and have some fun? He only plays a bit of keyboard. If he wanted to make it big, he should have made a duet.

 

+1

 

I agree work most of the responses here. He's had many collaborations over his career. Why not? It's probably hard to do something for as long as he has been doing this and keep it fresh.

Despite their age differences (and musical genres/target audience) I hardly consider this a new direction. It's most likely a project he'll visit, then move on.

Can't say I have tons of interest in these particular songs, in spite of my being a huge fan. But that's probably going be okay with both myself and Paul. At this point in his career, I imagine he's doing things a whole lot more for himself than for me.

 

Not yet.

 

From what I understand, this is only the beginning. We should be hearing other results of the collaboration as time goes on. I would guess that it may include Paul vocals, either solo or as a duet. If that happens, I hope I'll like the result.

The reason I think that it's a popularity/relevance thing is, Paul has always wanted to remain popular and have hits. I think he'll do whatever it takes, especially in his twilight years. Not saying it's necessarily a bad thing, but I just don't care for his choice of partner here, or the general style of 'music'. It's just my opinion.

 

With these things, I always tend to just accept it's there. It could also not have been there, but it is, it exists, so fine. It doesn't matter to me either way.

 

The problem with McCartney is he's got no musical direction, he's just trying so hard to be hip and stay relevant, but i'm afraid it's not working.

 

Sure.

 

Paul is a dabbler. He has never taken a musical collaboration seriously since John Lennon. He surrounds himself with yes men and second-rate talents.

 

Music in "quotes". Nice touch.