McCartney is God

Sorry, Eric.

Saw Sir Paul perform last week and am still reeling from it. Best concert I've seen since the last time I saw him. The dude is 63 years old and still puts on a show that has him on stage for about 2-3/4 hours. Bands and performers half his age wouldn't do that. And the audience would be happy enough with a 90-minute show (like the Rolling Stones gave here a week before). He's performing because he needs to; because he needs to perform, certainly not because he needs the money. Speaking of money: yeah...prices on big gigs are insane these days, but I'd have spent it twice over to see Paul again. That 2-3/4 hours was not loaded with filler or bloat, either.

I really liked how he took the time to explain how he (or he and George Harrison or John Lennon) came up with some of the songs and how he approaches performance. Interesting and -- even in an arena setting -- especially intimate when he was alone, or nearly so, on stage. He was alone on stage, just him and his guitar, for a fair while, too. Rather brave for a stadium concert. He had a great band, though, just four dudes who made a wall of great sound (with Wix Wickens on keyboards and various other gadgets, as he has been since I first saw Paul live in '89).

The songs from the new album (including "Fine Line," "Jenny Wren," and "English Tea") were great, but the key to it all was the stuff we're all more familiar with. His voice and guitar were perfect on songs like "Blackbird" and "I Will" (easier to hear the intact clarity of his voice on these songs than on the louder rock numbers) and he was still channeling that Beatles sound in songs from as early as "I'll Get You" and "Please Please Me." Then there were the songs he just has to do in concert, like "Live And Let Die," "Band On The Run," "Get Back," "Jet," "Hey Jude," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Let It Be," "Long And Winding Road," "Yesterday," "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," and "The End" (the latter two closing the show at the second encore as an effective medley). Some great songs I'd seen him do on earlier tours, too, like "Let Me Roll It," "Got To Get You In To My Life," "Good Day Sunshine," "Magical Mystery Tour" (the opener)," "Eleanor Rigby," "Penny Lane," "Back In The USSR," and "Drive My Car." He even did a pre-Beatles Quarrymen song, "in Spite Of All The Danger." A couple of unusual songs, too, in that he hadn't done them before in concert (unless, as for "I've Got A Feeling," you count the 1969 rooftop concert). And -- get this -- "Helter Skelter." Yeah, baby. That sucker was loud. The drummer -- an entertaining dude in his own right -- undoubtedly had blisters on his fingers by the end of that song. Paul reclaimed the song from Manson's madness. Amazing. Amazing he'd even attempt that thing live, let alone be able to screech it out at the end of a long, vocally-demanding show.

It was great. He is great.

That night I heard a live run-through of some of the best music ever recorded.

Can't wait for the next round.



Las Vegas, November 25

Here's the Las Vegas setlist (partly from memory, based on published setlists from earlier shows on the tour):

Magical Mystery Tour
Flaming Pie
Jet
I'll Get You
Drive My Car
'Til There Was You
Let Me Roll It
Got To Get You Into My Life
Fine Line
Maybe I'm Amazed
The Long And Winding Road
In Spite Of All The Danger
I Will
Jenny Wren
For No One
Fixing A Hole
English Tea
I'll Follow The Sun (with five reprises)
Follow Me
Blackbird
Eleanor Rigby
Too Many People/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Good Day Sunshine
Band On The Run
Penny Lane
I've Got A Feeling
Back In The USSR
Hey Jude (with "Baby Face" intro)
Live And Let Die

Encore
Yesterday
Get Back
Helter Skelter

Encore
Please Please Me
Let It Be
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)/The End

He played "In Spite of all the Danger" live though?

That must have sounded weird, since the only thing we have to compare it to is a scratchy old demo from the late 50's.

But I like "Silly Love Songs." Even though it was Billy Shears who actually wrote it.

Yep, the old Quarrymen song held up really well -- a definite Elvis/Buddy vibe going on and the audience actually seemed to recognize it. Quite impressive.

Rick Allen can kick ol' Paul's ass with one hand tied behind his back.
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Oh, that's right. Rick only has one arm.



In my best Emily Litella voice, "Nevermind."

Yoko!

That was so bad that I am angry with myself for falling off my bed and knocking over the last morsels of my meal, thusly spilling olive oil on the carpet (true story) while I wet my pants from hysterical laughter (not true, at least the pants-wetting bit). You got a lot of 'splaining to do....

And did you know that those boundhas at "sweat pants erection" (one can only wonder, as one can only wonder how you so readily accessed their site) are calling you a "jerk"? Let's go get 'em!!!

Now WHO'S calling me a jerk? Should I go kick their asses? "Sweat pants erections"--pardon me while I heave.

(And I found the friggin' photo by doing a google search. Swear I didn't see the photo URL."


:evilgrin:

:D

I'd never doubt your veracity on that one. Yeah, let's go deflate their sweatpants!

And, yes, I'm pretty sure it was Oliv...hey! You! There she is again!



:o

On their about page:

People Dan Hates for No Good Reason:
Rod Stewart
John Favreau
Danny Devito
David Arquette
UB40
John Carmack
Chuck Norris
Jack Palance
Peter Cetera

This site is for anyone who thinks that Michael Jackson did it, anyone who fondly remembers making their action figures hump and everyone who can...not...wait for Britney's first round of plastic surgery. Popular culture is serious shit, people, and not to be taken lightly. If you aren't instictively drawn to issues of Star featuring the Olsen Twins' eating disorder woes, do us both a favor and take your Aerostar and get out.

If you are planning to leave, at least you can be a good girl and fix mommie dearest a scotch before you go.

www.sweatpantserection.com

Though the hated and feared Michael Bolton, the true anti-Elvis (Michael J. Fox was set up), has long since outCetera'd Peter. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseum.

My list would also include Kenny G.

Alright...it's my bedtime. :hi: :loveya:

A happy thought as you drift away to the dulcet sounds of Tom Waits' version of "white Christmas."

:loveya:

Nightynight...

Who?

A knight, yes. A god. I cannot imagine that.
Even if I try.

They weren't even close.

pinball.

Who's on first again?

He takes a much more serious and mature approach on it than he did during his (seemingly endless) "silly love songs" period. A lot of it is due to the producer (Nigel Goodrich), who wasn't too awed by Sir Paul to kick ass. They almost came to blows in the studio, but the result was a worthy album.