Paul McCartney v Wah Wah at the Concert For George

It is well documented by Harrison himself in I Me Mine and many other books etc

 

I never even knew what the song was about.

 

I suspect that Paul didn't know; and if he did know, he didn't care.

 

There's a quote from the book on this page that attributes the song as about his frustrations with both John and Paul, but he doesn't say it's an anti-Paul song, and I don't hear it that way, either.
"How Do You Sleep" is an anti-Paul song. "Wah-Wah" is about disagreements with Paul (and John), but in no way does he attack or degrade Paul in the song.

 

IMO I am sure he would care !!

I expect he has read 'I Me Mine' when it was first published, to see what was written about him as it was wrote by Harrison and may have found out the story behind the song there if he didnt know when he first heard All Things Must Pass, I wonder whether he remembered about the song for the Concert For George though and what the other musicians may think of him playing on that stage that night knowing he knew the story behind the song

All 'Balls' to Macca for playing it knowing what others on the stage and in the audience know of the history behind Wah Wah !!

Was it a concious decision to bookend both the start of the Concert For Bangledesh and the end of the Concert For George with Wah Wah ??

 

I agree, still very personal though in a negative way !

 

The Guitar Solo's

Isn't it amazing that on The Concert For George that all the guitar solo's composed by George are virtually note for note recreations, no musician is putting there own identity to them but want them to sound 100% Harrison, the only exception is While My Guitar Gently Weeps where Clapton IMO kind of does a 'Harrison WMGGW Live dual solo' meshed in with his own weeping solo (incidently that was really from the heart and you could hear his pain), and the songs where Harrison did not compose the solo's ie Taxman and Honey Don't !!

George's last one, Live 1992. Its nice to see George having fun check out the 5min mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBiD...8768F2AE&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=47

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNBEiyGwGRc&feature=related

 

This one is just so somber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9kUphljI2o&feature=related

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aLLHFSM7i8&feature=related

 

It's funny GH says "the recording of the White album went on forever" because it actually did not... 4 1/2 months until mastering (May, 30th-Oct, 17th)... Not bad for 34 songs (including Hey Jude, Revolution, Mary Jane and Not Guilty).

 

I think that was hell of a long time in those days, remember there first album was done in 12 hours or so?

 

The lyrics "You may be such a big star. Being there at the right time; cheaper than a dime."

That seems disparaging, saying that the only reason Paul's a big star is because he was at the right place in the right time.

That's like Paul saying to John "You took your lucky break and broke it in two."

 

The lyric is "you made me such a big star."

 

I think they ended with Wah-Wah because it's a great uptempo rock track. I doubt that more than a handful of the people on that stage bothered to read I Me Mine, so most simply thought "this is a good rocking track, I'd better learn my part by listening to the album."

 

Sorry if it seems like I'm always disagreeing with you but I've gotta take exception here. You're on a forum with a bunch of beatlemaniacs who didn't know the meaning of Wah-wah, so I doubt that most of the musicians on the stage knew and I doubt that any of the audience knew. And I still think it's more of a general gripe (about life in the Beatles) than being directed at Paul, like you keep implying.

 

Thanks, didn't know that.

 

It was never said to be an anti-Paul song. It was more often linked with the Yoko wailings and John heightening the tensions by bringing her into the studio, ALONG with the arguing with Paul. It truly was about the whole Beatle situation losing its luster for George, and not about one specific person.

 

I always thought it was more anti-Yoko than anything. Her screaming gives me a 'wah-wah' too!

 

I'm sure that I've seen footage of George describe the song as Paul giving him a headache fighting every little thing and Paul just giving him "Wah, Wah" by making George's head spin with Paul's perfectionism.

 

Ah, then it IS about McCartney!

 

It may have been an anti-Beatles song when George first drafted it, but it certainly was an anti-Paul song when he finished and recorded it.

 

The irony being that Paul actually cared about and took the time to help George with his writing/songs. On the other hand, John (who George wanted approval from more than anything) didn't give a crap. At least that's what I've heard.

 

How do you know? It could have been about Allen Klein or Yoko or still about the Beatles thing by the time he recorded it.

I still think it was mostly an excuse to use the wah wah pedal he kept trying to use in Let It Be.

 

In what way is this "apparent?"

 

In no way is this song disparaging toward Paul, directly.
If the lyrics were as biting and Hateful as "How Do You Sleep", then I could see Paul taking issue with it. But the lyrics are really quite benign. I think everyone (perhaps even George himself) is reading way more into these lyrics.
He's saying yeah, we (as the Beatles) got a lucky break and it was great, but I don't want or need this anymore. It's giving me a headache. That's it.