Paul Still Sounds F------g Good
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No sane person can say he sounds good on Confidante. Understand that I love this song, but his voice sounds not just weak, but ravaged. It actually works in a sense for a song looking back on distant memories, but in places it still makes me wince. If anyone watched the live comments during the Grand Central Station webcast, a steady stream of comments were to the effect of, "god, he can't sing anymore." I actually think he manages to sound okay on a number of Egypt Station tracks -- albeit largely with the help of skillfully deployed backing vocals and studio wizardry. And am deliriously happy we have one more excellent album from Paul (I'd rate ES in the top 15% of his solo work at least), but on several tracks I just have to mentally pencil in the sound of his younger voice to keep from getting depressed as hell.
If that makes me a Debbie Downer, so be it. Debbie was right sometimes.
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Bruce M. wrote:
This is a deeply delusional thread.
Yep.
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Capitol Records obviously still has faith in Paul AND his voice or they wouldn't have released the album. It did very well by the way. The fact that he and his music are still loved by millions of people is a testament to his marketability in the recording industry, and I think it's wonderful that he wants to create new music for us. That should be appreciated, and I feel we should show encouragement and support, rather than tear him down. He's only doing what he loves to do, and he's doing his best, and gives 200% to each song. I think he should be commended for all the good work he did with his singing and instrumentals on Egypt Station.
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I was at 3 of his recent shows and really enjoyed all of them. To each his own.
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LadyLeslie wrote:
Capitol Records obviously still has faith in Paul AND his voice or they wouldn't have released the album. It did very well by the way. The fact that he and his music are still loved by millions of people is a testament to his marketability in the recording industry, and I think it's wonderful that he wants to create new music for us. That should be appreciated, and I feel we should show encouragement and support, rather than tear him down. He's only doing what he loves to do, and he's doing his best, and gives 200% to each song. I think he should be commended for all the good work he did with his singing and instrumentals on Egypt Station.
I agree with everything you said Lady Leslie! 100%!
I love the sound of Paul's voice no matter what! He still sounds great! You guys who say that his voice isn't good is your own problem. You can go ahead and call me delusional but I will never be ashamed to say Paul's voice still sounds wonder ful to me! I love Paul always Period! End of story!
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Bruce M. wrote:
No sane person can say he sounds good on Confidante. Understand that I love this song, but his voice sounds not just weak, but ravaged. It actually works in a sense for a song looking back on distant memories, but in places it still makes me wince. If anyone watched the live comments during the Grand Central Station webcast, a steady stream of comments were to the effect of, "god, he can't sing anymore." I actually think he manages to sound okay on a number of Egypt Station tracks -- albeit largely with the help of skillfully deployed backing vocals and studio wizardry. And am deliriously happy we have one more excellent album from Paul (I'd rate ES in the top 15% of his solo work at least), but on several tracks I just have to mentally pencil in the sound of his younger voice to keep from getting depressed as hell.
If that makes me a Debbie Downer, so be it. Debbie was right sometimes.
You’re entitled to your opinion , but it’s just that - an opinion . I consider myself reasonably sane , and completely disagree with you . Confidante sounds just fine to me . It’s actually not my favourite track on the album , but there’s not a thing wrong with his vocal .
Interesting that you think a lot of studio trickery is being used . I’d suggest otherwise , and if the trickery IS being used , and you view the singing as poor -they’re not doing too well with the trickery are they ?!
You seemed profoundly offended that a lady had difficulty dealing with Paul’s more risky anecdotes , yet at the same time declare open season on his voice ... I have to admit I’m confused !
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stuartshire wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
No sane person can say he sounds good on Confidante. Understand that I love this song, but his voice sounds not just weak, but ravaged. It actually works in a sense for a song looking back on distant memories, but in places it still makes me wince. If anyone watched the live comments during the Grand Central Station webcast, a steady stream of comments were to the effect of, "god, he can't sing anymore." I actually think he manages to sound okay on a number of Egypt Station tracks -- albeit largely with the help of skillfully deployed backing vocals and studio wizardry. And am deliriously happy we have one more excellent album from Paul (I'd rate ES in the top 15% of his solo work at least), but on several tracks I just have to mentally pencil in the sound of his younger voice to keep from getting depressed as hell.
If that makes me a Debbie Downer, so be it. Debbie was right sometimes.
You’re entitled to your opinion , but it’s just that - an opinion . I consider myself reasonably sane , and completely disagree with you . Confidante sounds just fine to me . It’s actually not my favourite track on the album , but there’s not a thing wrong with his vocal .
Interesting that you think a lot of studio trickery is being used . I’d suggest otherwise , and if the trickery IS being used , and you view the singing as poor -they’re not doing too well with the trickery are they ?!
You seemed profoundly offended that a lady had difficulty dealing with Paul’s more risky anecdotes , yet at the same time declare open season on his voice ... I have to admit I’m confused !
Not sure what there is to be confused about. The offense at a factual recollection in an interview was just silly. That has precisely zero to do with the fact that his vocal apparatus is a shadow of what it was, and if you can't hear it in Confidante, I strongly recommend getting your hearing checked immediately. Noting an obvious fact is hardly declaring war on anything, just like noting factually that I can't tapdance to save my life.
And Confidante is my favorite song on the album (though that may change, opinions are still settling in). In context, the ravaged vocal fits the song's mood. But good god, he can barely even make the notes come out. It really takes some effort not to notice how much he's struggling. As for studio trickery, I thought it was pretty clear I was talking about other tracks. On Confidante his voice is left unguarded -- presumably a deliberate artistic choice, and an entirely legitimate one. But much as I love the song, I do wince a little everytime I hear it.
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Bruce M. wrote:
stuartshire wrote:
Bruce M. wrote:
No sane person can say he sounds good on Confidante. Understand that I love this song, but his voice sounds not just weak, but ravaged. It actually works in a sense for a song looking back on distant memories, but in places it still makes me wince. If anyone watched the live comments during the Grand Central Station webcast, a steady stream of comments were to the effect of, "god, he can't sing anymore." I actually think he manages to sound okay on a number of Egypt Station tracks -- albeit largely with the help of skillfully deployed backing vocals and studio wizardry. And am deliriously happy we have one more excellent album from Paul (I'd rate ES in the top 15% of his solo work at least), but on several tracks I just have to mentally pencil in the sound of his younger voice to keep from getting depressed as hell.
If that makes me a Debbie Downer, so be it. Debbie was right sometimes.
You’re entitled to your opinion , but it’s just that - an opinion . I consider myself reasonably sane , and completely disagree with you . Confidante sounds just fine to me . It’s actually not my favourite track on the album , but there’s not a thing wrong with his vocal .
Interesting that you think a lot of studio trickery is being used . I’d suggest otherwise , and if the trickery IS being used , and you view the singing as poor -they’re not doing too well with the trickery are they ?!
You seemed profoundly offended that a lady had difficulty dealing with Paul’s more risky anecdotes , yet at the same time declare open season on his voice ... I have to admit I’m confused !
Not sure what there is to be confused about. The offense at a factual recollection in an interview was just silly. That has precisely zero to do with the fact that his vocal apparatus is a shadow of what it was, and if you can't hear it in Confidante, I strongly recommend getting your hearing checked immediately. Noting an obvious fact is hardly declaring war on anything, just like noting factually that I can't tapdance to save my life.
And Confidante is my favorite song on the album (though that may change, opinions are still settling in). In context, the ravaged vocal fits the song's mood. But good god, he can barely even make the notes come out. It really takes some effort not to notice how much he's struggling. As for studio trickery, I thought it was pretty clear I was talking about other tracks. On Confidante his voice is left unguarded -- presumably a deliberate artistic choice, and an entirely legitimate one. But much as I love the song, I do wince a little everytime I hear it.
You are not going to change certain people's minds, they are just acting like fanboys/fangirls in regards to his voice. Concert reviews and album reviews have mention his declining vocals. I don't think you I and are trying to be mean, just stating something that appears to us to be obvious. BJ is another poster who has mentioned the same things about his voice. I don't think anybody expects his voice to be as wonderful as years past but we can question whether the producer could have possibly gotten a better take on song like "Confidante" for example.
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As the existence of a certain U.S. president shows, some people hear what they want to hear. If that makes them happy, so be it. At least with music (unlike politics) it doesn't affect me.
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I saw him in Melbourne last year and I thought he sounded fine.
Dont make judgments based on listening to Youtube clips because it doesnt sound great on there - not much does.
Live is different though.
His upper register is slightly strained as you would expect at his age (start of Maybe I'm Amazed etc) but his falsetto was still good and his lower register or rock voice is sensational (in Helter Skelter etc).
Over 3 hours without a drink at his age is still pretty good...
Most of us at 76 will probably be sitting in a corner shitting ourselves so lets keep all this stuff about his voice in perspective.
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Yankeefan - I never once said that Paul's voice hadn't declined ! That would be a ludicrous assertion . I've said so many times that he obviously isn't 25 or 45 anymore !
What I have said is that Paul's voice is still good , and I love to hear it .
Bruce - you're entitled to your opinion, but unfortunatley you go further than that .
You tell a lady YOU'RE offended because she's uncomfortable with Pauls risque stories , and that her having this opinion is basically unacceptable!
I'm apparently insane and can't hear ...
I'm actually a musician - it's how I make my living . My hearing is perfectly fine thanks.
I love to hear Paul singing - as his voice is - right now.
If you don't , listen to something else . Simple . You don't have to belittle others for having a different opinion from you ...
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belly wrote:
I saw him in Melbourne last year and I thought he sounded fine.
Dont make judgments based on listening to Youtube clips because it doesnt sound great on there - not much does.
Live is different though.
His upper register is slightly strained as you would expect at his age (start of Maybe I'm Amazed etc) but his falsetto was still good and his lower register or rock voice is sensational (in Helter Skelter etc).
Over 3 hours without a drink at his age is still pretty good...
Most of us at 76 will probably be sitting in a corner shitting ourselves so lets keep all this stuff about his voice in perspective.
Great post Belly
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The Melbourne concert was awesome!
But it was beautifully camouflaged by noise and sentiment. I had no issue with Paul's voice that wonderful night, covered well by harmonies from his trusted band, and it worked well. Still wiping the tears from my eyes.
But I don't think Bruce deserves shite for saying Paul's voice is far less off what it once was..... and by some way....because he, and others who say that, are correct. And I agree.
But just because they, and me, say his voice is a shadow of the BRILLIANCE doesn't mean they/we don't love Paul.
It is just stating a fact....It is a fact.
How I'd love to hear Beware My Love and Call Me Back Again, in their full glory. Never going to happen again.
It should not be disrepectful for one to say that. It is not meant as a dagger in the heart. It is just a fact. And anyone saying that should be still respected as a massive McCartney fan.
That being said, we all love Paul.
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I reserve the right to hold a different to Bruce without being told I'm insane or have a hearing problem . Pauls voice isnt what is was for obvious reasons - but if think its still great and enjoy listening to it right now, then theres no need for me to be patronised and insulted really. So , I'm not giving anybody s@#te , I'm just looking for a little respect. If thats not happening i'm happy to give as good as I get.
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I respect everyone's right to state their opinion, and since Paul is a public figure, he's open to criticisms about his music and recording techniques. What I'm confused about is the need to criticise Paul if you love him so much.
If you went to someone's house for dinner, and they made lasagna, wouldn't it be rude to tell the hostess "I'm sorry, but your lasagna wasn't as good tonight as it was 20 years ago. You're not as good of a cook anymore. I'll still eat it, but-- frankly I was disappointed."
Or... if you went to a church where a friend made a stained glassed window, and they were dedicating the window, and you tell your friend "I just want you to know that that window looks terrible. You really knew how to use colors well, and how to meld the glass together a long time ago, but you're just not that good anymore"
I guess my point is, why bring up the flaws you hear in Paul's voice, and draw attention to them... what good does it do? And because other fans choose to be encouraging and supportive of him, that seems to be viewed as a flaw too... when we're just choosing to be positive and uplifting, and happen to like his voice and music anyway.
Not saying people don't have a right to state their opinion, just don't understand what good it does to criticize him. If you're criticizing his setlist or the way MPL does tickets or how a concert is arranged, that's something that Paul and his management can read, that's constructive criticism they can take under consideration. But when it comes to things Paul can't help, such as his voice or the fact that he's getting older, just don't see what good can come of criticizing that.
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Politics on a P McCartney sounds good thread? I'm sure there are many more forums than this one about McCartney to discuss politics.
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I agree with SusyLuvsPaul post creator: Paul sounds f-ing great. Both on his new album, and live. I saw both the Philharmonic and Grand Central performances and he sounded excellent. Hey! You can't argue with No. 1!
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beatlesfanrandy wrote:
I agree with SusyLuvsPaul post creator: Paul sounds f-ing great. Both on his new album, and live. I saw both the Philharmonic and Grand Central performances and he sounded excellent. Hey! You can't argue with No. 1!
You appreciate and enjoy his voice and performance at 76 or you don't. Nobody is wrong its a matter of opinion. If you do enjoy, if you don't, don't buy the album or go to any shows. Or complain and buy the album and go, its your decision. ME, I go quite often, actualy very often,as often as I can, I consider his concerts as the greatest show on the planet. You might disagree, its meaningless to me because it's my opinion and other than family events it's my favorite thing to do! Were they better when he was younger, we are all better at what we do when we are younger, father time is undefeated, you might disagree, thats fine, its an OPINION.
I wasn't at the Philarmonic but the concert at Grand Central was FU****G AWESOME, once again MY OPINION!!
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toris wrote:
The Melbourne concert was awesome!
But it was beautifully camouflaged by noise and sentiment. I had no issue with Paul's voice that wonderful night, covered well by harmonies from his trusted band, and it worked well. Still wiping the tears from my eyes.
But I don't think Bruce deserves shite for saying Paul's voice is far less off what it once was..... and by some way....because he, and others who say that, are correct. And I agree.
But just because they, and me, say his voice is a shadow of the BRILLIANCE doesn't mean they/we don't love Paul.
It is just stating a fact....It is a fact.
How I'd love to hear Beware My Love and Call Me Back Again, in their full glory. Never going to happen again.
It should not be disrepectful for one to say that. It is not meant as a dagger in the heart. It is just a fact. And anyone saying that should be still respected as a massive McCartney fan.
That being said, we all love Paul.
A live show in a massive arena or stadium is the worst possible circumstance to evaluate a singer's voice. There's so much ambient noise and echo that you can't discern subleties at all. You actually get a much better sense from online videos if they're professionally recorded, e.g. the recent Grand Central webcast -- or , of course, on released recordings. I can love Paul and mourn the decline of his voice, just as I admired Muhammad Ali and mourned the decline of his boxing abilities in the last years of his career.
Aging sucks. But, all things considered, it's better than the alternative.
Whether you enjoy a performance or recording is absolutely a matter of opinion, and everyone's entitled to his own. Whether a given singer's voice has deteriorated or not is a matter of readily discernible fact, not opinion. As for folks demanding respect -- well, respect is earned. People who throw around aspersions shouldn't be surprised when they get the same in return.
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Every singers voice has to change and not for the better to a certain degree, along with most other attributes in life when it comes to aging. i don't think anyone questions that. What is a matter of opinion is how you enjoy the current state of the singing voice, and that is an opinion that cannot be proven wrong . Every singer or athlete has a peak and a decline. Many are still great after their PEAK, just not as GREAT. Discussing opinions is good for a message board, disrespecting an opinion because it is not shared by others is ridiculous. In this case many people who sold out many arena's are still enjoying Mr. McCartneys concerts so i'm assuming they still enjoy his 76 year old voice, and in my opinion I am one of them.