Paul McCartney has officially become an oldies act.
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left hand man:
Imagine the show has been going along, and then the lights go down at the back of the stage a huge Wings emblem lights up and McCartney comes stepping out with the Rickenbacher and all you hear are the opening riffs to the song I've Had Enough and then McCartney and his band rip thru a 10 song rocking set of Wings classics! I think the crowds would go crazy and be totally thrilled!
Now that would be awesome!!!! I love that idea. Hey, you need to somehow get this email sent to the man himself.
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Some israelis, or was it just nirose, came in here a while back and said they're mainly heavy into Beatles music over there, much more so than wings and solo stuff. they recently had a big Beatles festival in Israel, too. paul probably read all that and thought he'd better concentrate on beatles songs again, to please the massive audience there so they wouldn't groan or hurl tomatoes or something. (hard to imagine anything like that, at one of his concerts, seems virtually impossible)! anyway i'd like to remind you of this, don't want to hear a lot of belly achin'
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SusyLuvsPaul:
Some israelis, or was it just nirose, came in here a while back and said they're mainly heavy into Beatles music over there, much more so than wings and solo stuff. they recently had a big Beatles festival in Israel, too. paul probably read all that and thought he'd better concentrate on beatles songs again, to please the massive audience there so they wouldn't groan or hurl tomatoes or something. (hard to imagine anything like that, at one of his concerts, seems virtually impossible)! anyway i'd like to remind you of this, don't want to hear a lot of belly achin'
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left hand man wrote: Imagine the show has been going along, and then the lights go down at the back of the stage a huge Wings emblem lights up and McCartney comes stepping out with the Rickenbacher and all you hear are the opening riffs to the song I've Had Enough and then McCartney and his band rip thru a 10 song rocking set of Wings classics! I think the crowds would go crazy and be totally thrilled Man, that would be the ultimate bring-down-the-house showstopper, mega-goosebump inducing, crowd screamin' its lungs out moment....problem is, Paul just does not get that at all. He won't touch those songs (nor the Rick for that matter) with a ten foot pole. It's as if all of that is not to be mentioned or even considered - like it's off limits. Just don't understand that - incredible missed opportunities that slip by year after year...
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left hand man:
Linka, that is a very fantastic image! It's time for a change now! McCartney needs to totally refresh his live act, give the Hofner a rest, give the Beatle heavy setlist a rest, show people that he can do much more than just crank out Beatle songs, there was a time when he did this. It's time for McCartney to stretch out and really put on a new show, new fireworks, new stage props, new outfits, and of course totally new songs! I'd love to see McCartney play the drums, wouldn't that be great? Imagine the show has been going along, and then the lights go down, all of a sudden at the back of the stage a huge Wings emblem lights up and McCartney comes stepping out with the Rickenbacher and all you hear are the opening riffs to the song I've Had Enough and then McCartney and his band rip thru a 10 song rocking set of Wings classics! I think the crowds would go crazy and be totally thrilled!
As much as I would agree with you, I don't know if the majority of the crowd would be thrilled. I have said before that the reason McCartney's setlist is so Beatle heavy is due to the reaction of the crowd to non-Beatle songs with very few exceptions. I think seeing McCartney play drums would be pretty neat. How about him and Abe doing a "dueling drum solo" for a couple of minutes. This would be cool and give his voice a little rest.
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left hand man:
The only thing I wouldn't want McCartney to change about my setlist is the encore, those three songs performed back to back like that would be hard rocking heaven! To me, No More Lonely Nights evokes everything that's good about music period! Also this type setlist would be fresh and would at least make people think differently about McCartney being an oldies act. Most of the songs may be old, but his actual show wouldn't be!
Why do you always refer to Paul as 'McCartney'? Does that detachment make it easier for you to criticise him? Just curious, you're entitled to express your opinion about this, naturally.
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JeffLynnesBeard:
left hand man:
The only thing I wouldn't want McCartney to change about my setlist is the encore, those three songs performed back to back like that would be hard rocking heaven! To me, No More Lonely Nights evokes everything that's good about music period! Also this type setlist would be fresh and would at least make people think differently about McCartney being an oldies act. Most of the songs may be old, but his actual show wouldn't be!
Why do you always refer to Paul as 'McCartney'? Does that detachment make it easier for you to criticise him? Just curious, you're entitled to express your opinion about this, naturally.
I also refer to Paul as McCartney. IMO - I don't know him personally so I use his last name when speaking of him. I believe most journalists do the same thing when they write articles about him. I understand this a fan website so people like to call him Paul as a personal touch and that is fine. I guess people just have different ways of writing and I just wanted to share why I do the same thing.
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most people are too appreciative and awed by his accomplishments to even think of ascribing the "oldies act" label to him. it's ludicrous. Today's the big day of the Tel Aviv concert !!
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Jefflynnsbeard, I'm retired military and in that environment everyone is called by their last name, so it's a combination of respect and habit. Yankeefan7, I have to disgaree with you, the vast majority of McCartney's crowds do not react negatively to non Beatle songs, Too Many Poeple comes to mind! That has been totally overexaggerated and I really wish people would stop! Also If you notice I'm asking for McCartney to play the best of his Wings and solo material, so no one would be going anywhere and I believe they would be thrilled! Susy, no one can complain about McCartney's show in Tel Aviv! His Beatle heavy setlist is appropriate for these special one time shows. It's his upcoming world tour setlist that should contain the big changes!
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left hand man:
Jefflynnsbeard, I'm retired military and in that environment everyone is called by their last name, so it's a combination of respect and habit. Yankeefan7, I have to disgaree with you, the vast majority of McCartney's crowds do not react negatively to non Beatle songs, Too Many Poeple comes to mind! That has been totally overexaggerated and I really wish people would stop! Also If you notice I'm asking for McCartney to play the best of his Wings and solo material, so no one would be going anywhere and I believe they would be thrilled! Susy, no one can complain about McCartney's show in Tel Aviv! His Beatle heavy setlist is appropriate for these special one time shows. It's his upcoming world tour setlist that should contain the big changes!
Wow, you're still complaining? I thought you might have grown out of it by now, but you're still acting like a child.
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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!
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oldies act, always get this much attention from the WORLD press. whatever.
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left hand man:
Jefflynnsbeard, I'm retired military and in that environment everyone is called by their last name, so it's a combination of respect and habit. Yankeefan7, I have to disgaree with you, the vast majority of McCartney's crowds do not react negatively to non Beatle songs, Too Many Poeple comes to mind! That has been totally overexaggerated and I really wish people would stop! Also If you notice I'm asking for McCartney to play the best of his Wings and solo material, so no one would be going anywhere and I believe they would be thrilled! Susy, no one can complain about McCartney's show in Tel Aviv! His Beatle heavy setlist is appropriate for these special one time shows. It's his upcoming world tour setlist that should contain the big changes!
If you read my quote again, I said with few exceptions. I saw him in 1989 at MSG and the crowd "sat on their hands" during songs from "Flowers In The Dirt". There have been other posters who were at the same show as me and will tell you the same thing. I saw him again in 1993 (Charlotte) and the same thing happened with songs from "Off The Ground". This concert was televised so I can prove my point fairly easily. I attended the next couple of tours also and songs from DR and CHAOS were received with apathy(Fine Line got a decent reaction) for the most part. OK, so maybe it is just people don't know the new stuff but it also occurs during older non-Beatle songs. I don't know what shows you have attended but I have not heard the crowd roar during songs like "Flaming Pie", "Vanilla Sky" or "C Moon". Due to repeating these songs constantly, "Jet" and "BOR" do not even have the same crowd affect as they did years ago. I would love to hear different stuff and have defended you most of the time on this thread. Unfortunately, I still believe the majority of the audience was to hear non stop Beatle songs.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Who ever just said that fans don't stream out during non Beatle songs are twisting around what has been said earlier...of course the fans stay to watch the more popular numbers from his Wings/Solo (BOTR, Live and Let Die, etc)...it's the new songs from whatever album is current at the time dating back to 1989/90 (Flowers in the Dirt, Off The Ground, Driving Rain, Chaos)...From what I can recall, Jenny Wren is the only brand new song that so call 'casual fans' hung around to hear...I think it's pathetic that just because you don't recognize the song, you walk out. The same human voice that's going to sing Yesterday and Hey Jude later in the set is singing the songs you're walking out on...
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"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 to a certain extent that at the time Wings may have been 'colored' as being uncool at times (by the press and hence, feeding down to some casual fans). However, sometimes it takes a body of work some time to be appreciated for the genius it is...one just has to witness how well Wingspan was embraced to understand this.
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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! Wings records went #1 quite often and the albums did as well, even the ones that they criticized! So the fans did and do love this music and McCartney should be performing it! How many people would say, wow he hasn't played this one before, I love this song! I can imagine it would happen a lot if he would just do them!
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Some of the press still to this day try to belittle Paul's Wings and solo's. One of the reviews (The Times) did just that following his Israel show. I just think well, it is your loss that you don't get it and i do and it makes me feel good.
