Paul McCartney has officially become an oldies act.
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DavidP:
yankeefan7:
left hand man:
Yankeefan7, every time I've seen McCartney the crowd sings along with BOTR, also I agree that the crowds may listen more when McCartney performs his new material, but there's no mass exit! Some give the impression that hundreds and hundreds of people take a break whenever McCartney performs anything besides the Beatles, and that's just not true! Again, if McCartney would perform the best of his Wings and solo material, songs like Juniors Farm, No More Lonely Nights, 1985, Silly Love Songs, etc. Songs that many people in reviews, columns, articles, comments, and on many different websites have been asking for, the crowds would be thrilled and no one would be going anywhere! The non stop Beatle thing has become too predictable, and people are starting to say so!
I agree, I don't see people heading for the exits on non-Beatle songs. I do think there is a noticeable difference in reaction for the most part and that is understandble to a degree. I also agree if he did some of the songs you have mentioned which were top 10 hits with Wings some people would enjoy them. ( I definitely would) I have said this numerous times before but I think most people are Beatle fans that attend his concerts whereas you and I are McCartney fans. The Beatle fans love McCartney but Beatle songs are all they care to hear. There is a minority (is it growing?) that are McCartney fans and would love to hear his whole career represented in concert. I love the Beatle songs as much as anybody but if McCartney only did 15 Beatle songs in a concert I would not be disappointed. I happen to think his last two records have been some of his best work ever and would love to hear it live. Also, Wings records were all big sellers so I don't understand not playing more songs from that period of his career. BTW - I have seen Sting several times on his solo tours and he throws in a few Poilice songs but most of the show is his solo work and the crowd loves it. Finally, it is nice that McCartney has done something different like "Mrs. Vanderbilt" on these one time shows. I only hope if he tours again, he spices it up a little more.
The difference with Sting is, when he wants to play the Police songs, he just gets that band together and they go out on tour. In the 1970's Paul ignored the Beatles catalogue except for a few classic songs, in favour of his new band, Wings. During the 1980's he never toured, unfortunately. Finally in 1989/1990 he began performing again and by then things had changed and he decided to fully embrace The Beatles music. Lets not forget, Wings generally received abysmal reviews throughout the 1970's. The press were quite unkind to Paul and belittled his solo work every chance they could get. No wonder he became a little gun shy, and stuck more with the Beatle songs on tour. And now, it is hard for him to replace some of those songs from his setlist, because he hears and sees people just going nuts when he plays anything by The Beatles, so of course he is going to keep doing it. Sure there might be a handful in the audience who aren't that enthralled, but they are such a small minority they don't even register. When you have 50,000 people screaming and singing along, quite frankly who cares about the dozen or so who aren't digging it? I've read some saying that Paul should play songs such as Getting Closer, I've Had Enough, etc...... but those songs weren't even big hits in the 1970's when they were released, so he's never going to play them, not ever, and to think he will is wishful thinking. I can see him eventually doing Listen To What Man Said again, or re-visitng Silly Love Songs or Goodnight Tonight, but songs like Big Barn Bed or Girls School(someone mentioned those two) are never going to be performed live. If he's going to tinker with his setlist he isn't going to be including lesser known Wings songs. Now, I totally agree about Juniors Farm, it is time to dust off that old rocker and introduce it to the masses.
1. Sting did a one tour with the Police recently but had several solo tours. The difference is Sting embraces his solo work and by doing so the audience does also. Granted, Paul does not have the opportunity to get the Beatles together again but even if he could I don't believe he would change. 2. Critics loved BOR and did not trash every Wing record. Even if they did, Wings records were always at the top of the charts so the audience obviously liked them. McCartney has received very good reviews from plenty of his solo works like "Tug of War", "Flowers In The Dirt", "Flaming Pie", "CHAOS" and "MAF". Why not perform something like something like "Take It Away" (top 10 hit)? Wouldn't it be nice to hear "Promise To You Girl" (was a single) from "CHAOS". "House of Wax" from "MAF" is awesome, think the crowd would like it (guitar solo rocks and great McCartney vocal) even if they don't recognize it. 3. Everybody didgs Beatle songs, that is not the problem. The problem for some of us is they wish he would do more songs from his non-Beatle career. Would you be terribly upset if McCartney only did 15 Beatle songs in a concert and the rest were from his solo/Wings career? I understand he has to pay homage to his Beatle days but 1/2 the concert should be enough. Also, I would think playing different stuff would make it more fun for the band and McCartney. They all seemed to get a kick out of doing "Too Many People" on the last tour. 4. I agree and think if he ever does more Wings songs it will not be things like "Girls School" or "I've Had Enough" (although it is a nice little rocker). It is nice to hear him doing "Mrs. Vanderbilt" and wish he would do some other things from his Wings days . Heck, it would be nice to hear "Hi Hi Hi" again, that was a hit and a good concert song.
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Why wouldn't McCartney do a song like I've Had Enough, he's performed it before? I don't count out any song, because he's performed even more obscure material than Girlschool (which was a single). If he can pull out something as totally unknown as In Spite Of All The Danger, he can do any of the songs I've suggested!
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left hand man:
Why wouldn't McCartney do a song like I've Had Enough, he's performed it before? I don't count out any song, because he's performed even more obscure material than Girlschool (which was a single). If he can pull out something as totally unknown as In Spite Of All The Danger, he can do any of the songs I've suggested!
In Spite Of All Danger is a cool little song that was presented on tour in 2004 (I think) as a tribute to George. I have no problem with that.
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[quote="yankeefan7"][quote="DavidP"][quote="yankeefan7"]
left hand man:
. The difference is Sting embraces his solo work and by doing so the audience does also. Granted, Paul does not have the opportunity to get the Beatles together again but even if he could I don't believe he would change.
Sting has a very limited fan base compared to Paul McCartney, not even close. The average Joe on the street would be hard pressed to name even 6 Sting songs (including The police songs). As a result he is afforded a lot of latitude with his set list since there is only a couple songs that people would expect to hear him perform. And none of those songs come close to Paul's standards.
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DavidP:
left hand man:
Why wouldn't McCartney do a song like I've Had Enough, he's performed it before? I don't count out any song, because he's performed even more obscure material than Girlschool (which was a single). If he can pull out something as totally unknown as In Spite Of All The Danger, he can do any of the songs I've suggested!
In Spite Of All Danger is a cool little song that was presented on tour in 2004 (I think) as a tribute to George. I have no problem with that.
He did it because it's historical that's why. It is on The Beatles Anthology Vol. I as the first record Paul, John, and George made together in someone's living room in 1958 when they were Quarrymen. He presented it as the first song they wrote and recorded together, and he had everyone in the audience sing the chorus. It was part of the US Tour setlist in 2005 also. It's hardly unknown, the Anthology Vol. 1 was quadruple platinum in the U.S. alone.
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DavidP, I didn't write that quote about Sting, and In Spite Of All The Danger was not a tribute to George. Beatlesfanrandy, The worldwide smash #1 Wings hits are hardly unknown as well, #1 singles, #1 albums and world record breaking tours! Also Wingspan sold big time! Wings is much more historical than one obscure Beatle song, Wings was and still is a major part of McCartney's career!
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left hand man:
Why wouldn't McCartney do a song like I've Had Enough, he's performed it before? I don't count out any song, because he's performed even more obscure material than Girlschool (which was a single). If he can pull out something as totally unknown as In Spite Of All The Danger, he can do any of the songs I've suggested!
Totally agree. ISOATD would have been great had he done it only a few times, but doing it to death on the 04 and 05 tours bled it dry. Too Many People is not exactly a chart buster and (thankfully) he does that, and Mrs Vandebilt...and in Beatles terms, you'd be hard pressed to find a rmore unexpected live song to perform than "I'll Get You' which was the "She Loves You" b-side. Nobody could have seen that coming in 05! So he's not averse to dragging out the more obscure stuff - Still love that 79 setlist!!!
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Whya hasn't Paul been singing Maybe I'm Amazed lately?
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Chicago Tom:
Whya hasn't Paul been singing Maybe I'm Amazed lately?
If you noticed during the 2005 tour, he had a little trouble with it - especially the last time he goes through the chorus where he had to go to a wierd falsette when he sang 'you're the only woman who could ever help me' where as in the past, he hit that high screen pitch just right. Personally, that's small potatoes and not a big deal - but perhaps he doesn't want to tackle that issue at this point.
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QUOTE..."Lets not forget, Wings generally received abysmal reviews throughout the 1970's. The press were quite unkind to Paul and belittled his solo work every chance they could get." I agree with you somewhat. Wings may have had a hard time in the press until Paul announced the band was finally planning a tour of America. McCartney and Wings were on the cover of every magazine in the spring and summer of 1976. Late night shows covered the concerts (Geraldo Rivera) and people were actually comparing it to "Beatlemania". Having the number 1 LP and single at the time was a huge boost for the band. Sadly, Wings' popularity (in the U.S.) never regained that height in the later part of the decade as he concentrated more on studio work and a small tour in the U.K.
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left hand man:
Also that was the critics and the press perpetrating those lies! Notice that the fans weren't buying that nonsense, when Wings performed anywhere the place was packed!
The fans may not have been buying it but unfortunately,at the time,Paul was. However,by the spring of 1997 at least,Paul had seen the light as far as the Wings albums were concerned. Paul McCartney: ' I was talking to my son and, you know what? It's his generation which is discovering them. It's amazing actually. He started to play all these old albums, just to check 'em out for his own interest, 'cos he's a pretty good musician. He was playing them, and I said "What's that?" 'Cos I've forgotten a lot of it. And its really not as bad as I thought it was. Because it was post-Beatles, and the Beatles were the hardest act to follow, Linda and I fell in with everyone else's opinion of it, which is that it's not as good as the Beatles, therefore it's no good. We had an album called "Back To The Egg", which I always thought was the world's greatest disaster but, actually, my son has been playing it and it's very interesting. I discovered "Back To The Egg" went to No. 8, but we thought it stiffed and didn't even enter the Top 100! Such was the climate that we were believing other people's myths."
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i love 'back to the egg,' i adore it. rockers which really get your blood going interspersed with smooth more laid back yet throbbingly vibrant numbers to soothe you and yet stimulate in a different way than the rockers (my fave is 'old siam,sir'), i love 'i'm getting closer' and 'spin it out,' they really rock. my favorite of the slow songs is 'arrow thru me' followed closely in my estimation by 'winter rose' and 'baby's request.' this album is especially scintillating in its diversity and variety of musical stylings. i just love back to the egg, and listen to it often.
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It doesn't matter if McCartney was mistaken, the point is, McCartney could and should be performing this material because there are plenty and I do mean plenty of people that want to see and hear him perform it! All those people that attended and absolutely loved Wings concerts are still around, they haven't gone anywhere!
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I would like to see what we would be doing at Paul's age. Could we being tours like he does? I bet not. ROCK ON Paul!
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Does anyone else find it odd that Paul hasn't performed "Maybe I'm Amazed" in the last year? It seems like "My Love" has taken its place as his song for Linda... Kind of a shame, since I consider "Maybe I'm Amazed" the superior track. Hopefully he'll bring it back during his proper tour--it's one of the few songs that I feel like he should ALWAYS perform.
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Dear Boy:
Does anyone else find it odd that Paul hasn't performed "Maybe I'm Amazed" in the last year? It seems like "My Love" has taken its place as his song for Linda... Kind of a shame, since I consider "Maybe I'm Amazed" the superior track. Hopefully he'll bring it back during his proper tour--it's one of the few songs that I feel like he should ALWAYS perform.
I'm surprised that he's dropped "Amazed" from his set list but I truly adore "My Love." Maybe he just wanted to change things up, considering how some fans (not me) complain about him playing the same songs over and over.
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Also My Love was a #1 worldwide hit, not Maybe I'm Amazed.
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left hand man:
Oh please, no one is complaining and no one is acting like a child, we're simply having a discussion! Stop trying to find something where there isn't anything to find!
Oh, please! All you do is bitch and moan about how he doesn't play your favourite Wings songs! If anything, YOU need to stop trying to find something where there isn't anything to find! And, uh, it needs to be said: Wings wasn't that great of a band.
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CharlieD, Yeah I know, Wings just had all those #1 singles and #1 albums plus those world record breaking tours because they weren't that good! Hey I have some land on the moon for sale, do you believe that too?
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You know every time i see the title of this thread i think, well so what i'm an 'oldie' too. I'm part of Paul's generation, and proud to be. Without Paul singing these amazing Beatle songs, some remember had never been song live, they would have died. Yes the usual ones would be played on the radio sometimes but others would be lost for ever except to the real fans. Of course we want him to mix it up, i actually feel that he does. He tries to please everyone. Lets be glad that we have his music in our lives and that he still goes out there, opening himself to criticism all the time, when he could now stay at home and relax on his laurels with all he has achieved.