Current Paul McCartney news thread (interviews, articles, miscellaneous)

That’s an option although I still think they will eventually release a McCartney Trilogy (I•II•III) boxset as well.

 

That was the 1979 Glasgow show, wasn't it?

Yes his move into music publishing certainly helped dig his financial chestnuts out of the fire by the late 70s.

The Beatles' legal crap resolving helped too of course.

Bowie might have the edge on the investment front though when it comes to musicians.

 

I believe that Paul chants "Kenny Dalglish" (Scottish footballer). Not "can he publish" --- unless you were joking, and the joke went over my head.

 

Joking…lol. That’s ok….my jokes go over my own head.

 

Yep..was referring to a Scottish footballer and I was joking though it does sound like what I wrote. I didn’t realize Bowie surpassed Macca in music investment though I figured all musicians got smart on that as time went on. Bowie’s career and aptitudes were very interesting.

 

That's pretty amazing footage -- never seen it before -- thanks for posting!
RH

 

Well. This has bee written by someone who has taken a deep dive.

After the Beatles broke up, McCartney kept going. Many fans and critics prefer his work with the Beatles, but the totality of his achievements is jaw-dropping. He has three solo albums on which he plays every instrument, and he has composed in virtually every musical genre, including heavy metal, blues, music hall, country and western, gospel, Latin, pastiche, psychedelia, electronica, new wave, drone, lounge, reggae and more. (...) He also learned how to compose for classical orchestra and wrote several major choral works, including the well-received “Ecce Cor Meum.”​

I think it is remarkable that his very diverse ventures are not only acknowledged, but appreciated. That his solo catalogue does receive proper recognition. Though I did not remember reading anything good about Ecce Cor Meum before. On the contrary. And I am by far not versed enough to judge it myself. I am still struggling to even listen to his clasical works, I prefer minimalism. Though I do really like the single with the piano version of A Leaf.

 

I remember trying to catch up on all of his solo a few years ago that A Leaf received several positive comments and was cited several times. The most interesting thing is that the reviewer if acknowledging Paul’s very wide musical genre output..one of his greatest assets IMO.

 

My listening these days is about 25% "classical," so I'm predisposed toward the genre.

You'd think that, with my adulation for McCartney as a composer of pop/rock music, his "classical" pieces would be a natural fit. Not so much. I don't know who he's trying to emulate in his works, but it's not someone good. I mean, kudos for giving it the old try and and all, but what a snore.

I had oral surgery in 1997 and my girlfriend at the time brought home Liverpool Oratorio to make me feel better. I guess she figured "since he has everything else..." Talk about adding insult to injury. Should have known she was not the one right then. Really directionless stuff when he writes instrumental. I wish it wasn't so because it seems like something great could happen if he brought the usual McCartney sensibility to it.

 

Wings At The Speed of Half

 

Agreed. His online shop recently positioned the top of the page to feature the “333” video, followed by this:

I thought, “well that can’t be a coincidence,” but now the Wild Life remaster has moved up above it all…

 

No matter what one thinks of the albums, how cool is it that we finally got III.

 

I like parts of his classical stuff but overall don’t think he’s suited to writing in that genre. I’ve wondered what it is…not knowing enough music, music theory, enough about composition, etc. I’m very glad he attempted that genre but when his voice was in better shape I wish that he’d instead have done more pop albums instead of all of the classical ones. I do like some of the ambient albums more.

 

Can't wait to hear the songs he wrote for the "It's a Wonderful Life" musical!

 

And High in the Clouds next year!

 

The middle one along with its singles is in my top two all time Macca albums..first one was my first Macca solo album then, bought it with Beatles LIB ..always loved it. After several listens, I like Macca III and glad he’s still going. Had you told me when bought first Macca album when it was released that he’d still be making music all these decades later, I probably wouldn’t have believed you…as I was so young then, age 13.

 

At the Half Speed of Sound

 

With the announcement of the new LP edition of Wild Life I notice it is getting an amazingly huge amount of love over there at SDE. See here and here and here.
May it be experiencing a late turnaround in appreciation? I myself have changed, no, reversed my opinion on this album. I once thought of it as the nadir of McCartney's body of work and prove that even he can come up with a complete waist of an album. No, I did not like this album at all. Whenever I tried listening to it I was flying high, opinion low, prejudice blocking my way. When the SDE came, my first reaction was: Who will buy even more of this?!???
Until I met two people here who are genuinely loving it, singing it's praise whenever they get a chance. That took me by surprise, as that could not be true, or ... could it? Then I heard the life version of the title track, and wow, did I not expect it to be such a strong song!
And then ... a few weeks later I put the album back on. Yet another time. Though this time I ... I managed to actually listen to the album instead of the negativity inside my head. I have been loving the album ever since, 16bit/44.1kHz deep and rising.

So have I now turned into one of those blind McCartney revisionists? Eager to rewrite history, which has long ago decided Wild Life was a waste of vinyl? Lucky me, for I may be blind, but to listen all I need is ears and an open mind. And now I find that history will no longer be the one who she has always been for Wild Life. It seems, she is slowly pulling back the blinds, unfolding an unexpectedly huge amount of hope for the future.
And when the day is done, harmonies will linger on.
And I, I am now finding that my voice sounds much more like me, singing my love song to you, La la la la all along with with Joy and Vandebilt. Bip bop, bip bop, bop.

And who in the world can be right
All the right time,
I know I was wrong,
Make me right, right.

 

I was 17 in '71 and I liked Wild Life immediately but it was very different then what FM radio was playing in the US at the time.
And I understood the criticism, Paul should have understood too because everyone was getting back to rock-n-roll at the time, April '71 fingers got sticky and Paul wasn't rockin'.
But I always loved Wild Life, I used to play it alone all the time.

 

It would be interesting if someone could verbalize how time, perspective and cultire can wholeheartedly change a peoples' opinion of an album.

I am pretty much in your camp too. That alt version of the album in the archive is tops!

 

To the poster above…all so very true. That and incorporating all the other music and musical trends you’ve experienced since first hearing some of these old albums. I read a …younger critical review re assessment of wild life album when the big barn boxset came out and the reviewer noted that wasn’t so bad as folks thought then. Like all paul and other seventies albums, it’s definitely an album of its era.

 

This was on DJ Food's web-page....

 

The above spoof album is comedy gold…on down to the red skeleton. Lol.

 

"Wild Life" just never really worked for me. It certainly has its moments, but it just feels kind of rambling and unfocused. I don't listen to it a lot.

 

Paul McCartney’s bass and Eddie Vedder’s Telecaster break world records in Music Rising charity auction

"Highlights from the event, which was organized by U2’s the Edge and producer Bob Ezrin, include Paul McCartney’s tour- and studio-played Yamaha BB-1200 “Wings” bass guitar, which raked in $496,100."