Paul McCartney has officially become an oldies act.
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left hand man:
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!
Right, because album sales are the single most important measure in how good a band is, totally yeah! : : : : : Britney Spears had a few #1's didn't she? I was so upset to not see her ranked in the top 10 in Rolling Stone's 500 greatest artists of all time!
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I like wings a lot and in fact, their the reason I got interested in Paul's music (all phases of his career) in the first place. However, the talk back then was that a lot of his early post Beatles success was based on his 'Beatle' name (I say early, but actually mean up through Tug Of War). I'm not sure I buy that theory since if the albums were really that bad and just riding on the coattails of the Beatles, this trend would've ceased happening after just a couple of albums - and it didn't.
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Exactly right Rich n, there are many people that discovered McCartney because of Wings! Those singles and albums would of never sold or been #1 if tons of people all over the world didn't like them! Also someone had to come and see Wings for their tours to break world records! It's amazing how some people want to totally overlook these facts! Like her or not, if Britney Spears is selling tons of records, it means there's tons of people that like her music. I am not one of them, but I give credit where credit is due!
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Wings were the reason i got into Paul's music in '73, i was 9 years old. CharlieD is right popularity is not a barometer of quality in any arts.I think people forget that Wings were very successful in there time, but it's always been in the shadow of the fab four.I do think the band would have more credit if Paul hadn't been in the Beatles,i think the issue clouds peoples opinion of Wings.
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BOYCIE:
Wings were the reason i got into Paul's music in '73, i was 9 years old. CharlieD is right popularity is not a barometer of quality in any arts.I think people forget that Wings were very successful in there time, but it's always been in the shadow of the fab four.I do think the band would have more credit if Paul hadn't been in the Beatles,i think the issue clouds peoples opinion of Wings.
It's not that which makes me think Wings weren't that great, it's just that what they did was a lot of the same, compared to some of the great stuff being released at the time. James Brown, Parliament and Sly and the Family Stone pioneered Funk music. Neil Young was releasing innovative country and rock fusion with Harvest, On the Beach, and Zuma. Stevie Wonder had his classic period, Marvin Gaye released What's Going On, and David Bowie released Ziggy Stardust, his Berlin trilogy, Alladin Sane, all his most popular works. Paul did some amazing eclectic music that heavily influenced the indie scene today on Ram, but aside from that he didn't really do much else in the 1970s that was absolutely brilliant work. It was merely average in my opinion.
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CharlieD, you're entitled to your opinion, but for McCartney to put together a totally new band and create a totally new sound and then have major worldwide hits and world record breaking tours and to do all of that after the massive success of the Beatles is a major, major accomplishment! I love all those artist you named, but not a one of them had to deal with what McCartney had to deal with being an ex Beatle and having his every move and sound unmercifully crucified! In spite of all that insanity, the man still came out a total success, the people heard the music, not the critics! Wings proved how good they were in all the places that it truly counted, on their records, on the charts, and live on stage in front of their many screaming fans! There was absolutely nothing the same about Wings, not a one of their songs sounds like the other. Each album is totally different from the other. They were tested in the hottest of fires, with journalist and critics perpetrating against them they still came out one of the most successful bands of the 70s! You better believe they were good, real good!!
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left hand man:
........one of the most successful bands of the 70s! You better believe they were good, real good!!
You hit the nail on the head. McCartney's work in the 1970's was incredible.
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left hand man:
CharlieD, you're entitled to your opinion, but for McCartney to put together a totally new band and create a totally new sound and then have major worldwide hits and world record breaking tours and to do all of that after the massive success of the Beatles is a major, major accomplishment! I love all those artist you named, but not a one of them had to deal with what McCartney had to deal with being an ex Beatle and having his every move and sound unmercifully crucified! In spite of all that insanity, the man still came out a total success, the people heard the music, not the critics! Wings proved how good they were in all the places that it truly counted, on their records, on the charts, and live on stage in front of their many screaming fans! There was absolutely nothing the same about Wings, not a one of their songs sounds like the other. Each album is totally different from the other. They were tested in the hottest of fires, with journalist and critics perpetrating against them they still came out one of the most successful bands of the 70s! You better believe they were good, real good!!
I thought his songwriting got much... blander in Wings, to be honest. I wish he had taken the band in the route of "Helter Skelter" style material. That would have been amazing. I know he was popular with the people and everything, I just think Wings doesn't stack up with the other stuff being released at the time.
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CharlieD, he did take Wings in the hard rock territory of Helter Skelter! Have you heard... Rockshow Girlschool Hi Hi Hi Old Siam Sir Rockestra Theme Soily Beware My Love I've Had Enough Juniors Farm So Glad To See You Here These are all some pretty hard rocking songs, Wings just didn't get the credit for being as hard as they were! When people saw them live, it couldn't be denied!
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there were more than were named, too. Bono said he thinks Wings is the very best band of the 70's. he said that in Rolling Stone mag. Wow
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left hand man:
CharlieD, he did take Wings in the hard rock territory of Helter Skelter! Have you heard... Rockshow Girlschool Hi Hi Hi Old Siam Sir Rockestra Theme Soily Beware My Love I've Had Enough Juniors Farm So Glad To See You Here These are all some pretty hard rocking songs, Wings just didn't get the credit for being as hard as they were! When people saw them live, it couldn't be denied!
Those are good songs as far as Wings goes, but they just don't have that... dirty, gritty, hard rock/punk sound that Helter Skelter did. I am starting to appreciate alot of noise rock and no wave music (sonic youth, afrirampo, teenage jesus and the jerks, etc.) and it would have been so interesting to see him take the music that way. I just think that there is a lot more interesting music than Wings in the 70s.
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CharlieD, if you love noise rock then I'm thinking you must like the new Fireman track. Paul has never done anything like it, in fact it makes Helter Skelter sound like a ballad. This guy ain't ready for the old rocking chair just yet!!!!
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I have to admit, I don't like that new Fireman track. It just sounds like a bunch of loud noise to me. Where's the melody, where's the middle eight, where's the structure? The live performances of Rockshow, Hi Hi Hi, Rockestra Theme, Soily, Smile Away, were hard rocking, check out the footage.
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Apart from "Helter Skelter" and "Everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey" the Beatles were not a hard rocking group,more a rock'n'roll group on their faster songs. Also i think Paul went down his own path in the '70's,if he had been more punky i believe it would be just jumping on the bandwagon.Punk was a teenage thing to do. Listening to Wings now,the music sounds better out of it's time.In the '70's it was seen as old mans music by critics,as Paul was a '60's pioneer and seen as old at 30 plus.It seems funny people thinking Paul was old and past it at 37 in '79.
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Boycie, I don't know, the Beatles could rock pretty hard. The song Revolution is some ragged, raw, down and dirty screaming guitar rock, right along with Helter Skelter! The Beatles could do it all, they didn't just rock in one style. Wings was the same way they could rock hard with something bombastic like Rockshow or Rockestra Theme, or something that was smooth but still rocked like Cafe On The Left Bank or Getting Closer.
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left hand man,i think the Beatles were stronger away from trying to do hard rock.I think Wings and their rockers are more convincing,maybe this is because of multi-tracking and better instruments and amplifiers.
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left hand man:
CharlieD, he did take Wings in the hard rock territory of Helter Skelter! Have you heard... Rockshow Girlschool Hi Hi Hi Old Siam Sir Rockestra Theme Soily Beware My Love I've Had Enough Juniors Farm So Glad To See You Here These are all some pretty hard rocking songs, Wings just didn't get the credit for being as hard as they were! When people saw them live, it couldn't be denied!
and how to forget oh woman why and 1985 great songs to perform live
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TurnOn:
This is the dumbest thread I have ever read in my life. First off, as you admitted, the show HAD several surprises. Dave Grohl, A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance, and the Liverpool song written in Japan were worth the price of admission by themselves. A member of Nirvana AND a member of The Beatles shared the stage together, for chissake. This concert was Macca paying homage to Liverpool. He's not going to pay homage to Liverpool by playing obscure B-sides to please bored fanboys that have seen him live 32 times. There's no way you can call him an oldies act when he continues to produce quality new music. Hell, he was up for a grammy this year for Only Mama Knows, and MAF is an incredible album. Macca has always been the most accessible of all the Beatles, and he tries damn hard to please the fans. Fortunately or unfortunately, the majority of McCartney fans are Beatles fans first and foremost, which means he's going to play his "hits".
I agree with "TurnOn" and am extremely upset over this thread. I have had the privilege of getting to see Paul once in my life, in 2002, & I so wish that I could have seen him more. It was THE BEST concert I've ever been to & I don't care how many times you've heard the songs, they're special when you actually see the man singing them in person. Those who have been lucky to see him in concert so many times should appreciate the fact that he has toured often enough to satisfy his fans. Maybe some of you think he should tour less, or maybe some of those who call themselves Macca fans really aren't. Either way, I'm one fan who appreciates the wonderful music he has created over so many years, would NEVER call him an oldie, and I'm looking forward to the next tour & hope I'm one of the lucky ones who get to see him.
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DavidP:
left hand man:
........one of the most successful bands of the 70s! You better believe they were good, real good!!
You hit the nail on the head. McCartney's work in the 1970's was incredible.
Now people say that.....
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jaipur:
DavidP:
left hand man:
........one of the most successful bands of the 70s! You better believe they were good, real good!!
You hit the nail on the head. McCartney's work in the 1970's was incredible.
Now people say that.....
I think you're right - In hindsight, I feel like I was alone in thinking along those lines in the 70's...although the numbers would suggest otherwise. I never thought of him as an 'ex Beatle' until he started playing that card himself in the late 80's through now...in the 70's, I just saw him as my favorite out a number of good, relevent artists of the 70's.