Set List critique
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SkLeigh:
I went through and compared the setlists for the 6 concerts that I've been to (spanning almost 26 years, dates in my signature). I was really surprised at how much they did vary. Much more than I would have thought. Assuming that the setlists I found (the first 3 were from setlist.fm) were correct, I've seen him do about 90 songs. The thing that shocked me was that there were only 6 songs that were played at every single concert: Band on the Run Back in the USSR Let It Be Live and Let Die Hey Jude Yesterday Not even the Abbey Road medley was played at all 6! Only 5 for that one; for some reason he didn't do it in 1993. Every show I've seen has had songs I've never seen before. Even in the time between last year and the Toronto show, he added not only Four Five Seconds (new) and Mull of Kintyre (Canada), but One After 909, Temporary Secretary, and Another Girl. The 1993 show was almost completely different from the '89-'90 shows. There were 20 "new" songs, and only 5 of those were from Off the Ground. There were only 11 holdovers, including the 6 that are common to every show. There were 16 "new" songs in 2011. (2 of those were actually new since 1993.) Then there were 13 "new" songs in 2014 (4 of those were new). I guess what I'm trying to say is that, IMO, he has actually changed things up a lot and added a lot over the years. He may not change much from show to show, and with the amount of songs has he certainly could do a different setlist every night, but he's had a lot more variety than I thought he would have. I was surprised that I'd seen him do Birthday, Michelle, and The Fool on the Hill, but not in over 20 years. "It's amazing how many great songs he has. It must be really hard to figure out which great songs to leave out. He could do a 6 hour show and still be omitting things!
" First, the 1989 and 1993 tours did not have as many Beatle songs and I think that is what myself and others wish he would do again. The complaint is not so much songs don't change it is just his solo career of 35 years is barely represented if you eliminate the 3-4 songs off his most current release. Yes, Mr. McCartney does have many great songs. The shame is people will never hear most of them if they were created after 1980.
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nobodytoldme:
In a different perspective, I've seen him 10 times now on 4 different tours in the last 6,5 years, and the only songs I haven't seen at least twice are 'Only Mama Knows', 'Flaming Pie', '(I Want To) Come Home', 'Two Of Us', 'Letting Go', 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'Cosmically Conscious', from which the latter two were super duper exclusive songs. And yet he rotates songs like 'One After 909', 'Good Day Sunshine', 'Birthday' on this very tour alone and does things like 'Calico Skies', 'I'll Follow The Sun', 'Things We Said Today', 'Every Night', 'Hope Of Deliverance', 'Bluebird', 'Coming Up' and so on at special occasions, as one-offs or as soundcheck staples and I never heard those once :')... Not even 'Your Mother Should Know', 3 gigs this tour alone. (Won't forget that one, hahaha). So yeah, that's completely off.
I wouldn't say it's "completely off"...you've seen him 10 times in 6 years. How much can you really expect to change? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the change we can get...but personally, I think yours is the figure that is "completely off". The first poster has a much broader span of data that truly encompasses his entire solo touring career.
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yankeefan7:
First, the 1989 and 1993 tours did not have as many Beatle songs and I think that is what myself and others wish he would do again. The complaint is not so much songs don't change it is just his solo career of 35 years is barely represented if you eliminate the 3-4 songs off his most current release. Yes, Mr. McCartney does have many great songs. The shame is people will never hear most of them if they were created after 1980.
I just went through the setlists. (I have them in a spreadsheet. Yes, I am an accountant.
) I put the songs into categories. Some of them were a little tricky, but I just had to pick something. Beatles - I included the George and John tribute songs in this if they were Beatles songs, because even if they're not "Paul's songs", they're still Beatle songs. Wings Solo non-Beatles covers - This was the trickiest one. I included things in this like "Twenty Flight Rock". Even though it was on Choba b CCCP, I just have a hard time calling it a solo Paul song since it's really just a cover. I also included Give Peace a Chance in this since it's not the Beatles. I only had 7 out of 215 songs in this category, though. For anything in a medley I counted each as a separate song (Abbey Road and the John tributes). I didn't include things like Foxy Lady and something called "Robbie's Bit (Thanks Chet)." (I have no idea what that was! lol ) Here's how it came out: 1989 - 32 songs Beatles 56% Wings 9% Solo 28% non-Beatles covers 6% 1990 - 34 songs Beatles 62% Wings 12% Solo 21% non-Beatles covers 6% 1993 - 31 songs Beatles 52% Wings 16% Solo 26% non-Beatles covers 6% 2011 - 38 songs Beatles 66% Wings 21% Solo 11% non-Beatles covers 3% 2014 - 39 songs Beatles 64% Wings 15% Solo 21% non-Beatles covers 0% 2015 - 41 songs Beatles 63% Wings 15% Solo 22% non-Beatles covers 0% So he's added almost 10 songs from his 40s to his 70s! Beatles songs have always been over 50%, from 52% up to 66%. Wings have been from 9% to 21%. And solo has been from 11% up to 21%. (But when solo was at its low, Wings was at its high.) I think that's a pretty good distribution. I mean, there are a lot of solo (and Wings!) songs I'd like to hear, but it's hard to quibble with the Beatles. And for every song he plays where I'm like, that's not really my favorite, there are 15,000 people in the arena screaming and crying. Especially for the Beatles songs. And then I'm the one going crazy for Hi, Hi, Hi! (Thanks Paul!) -
WixRocks!:
nobodytoldme:
In a different perspective, I've seen him 10 times now on 4 different tours in the last 6,5 years, and the only songs I haven't seen at least twice are 'Only Mama Knows', 'Flaming Pie', '(I Want To) Come Home', 'Two Of Us', 'Letting Go', 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'Cosmically Conscious', from which the latter two were super duper exclusive songs. And yet he rotates songs like 'One After 909', 'Good Day Sunshine', 'Birthday' on this very tour alone and does things like 'Calico Skies', 'I'll Follow The Sun', 'Things We Said Today', 'Every Night', 'Hope Of Deliverance', 'Bluebird', 'Coming Up' and so on at special occasions, as one-offs or as soundcheck staples and I never heard those once :')... Not even 'Your Mother Should Know', 3 gigs this tour alone. (Won't forget that one, hahaha). So yeah, that's completely off.
I wouldn't say it's "completely off"...you've seen him 10 times in 6 years. How much can you really expect to change? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the change we can get...but personally, I think yours is the figure that is "completely off". The first poster has a much broader span of data that truly encompasses his entire solo touring career.
I'm not comparing both stats. I'm even mentioning that two of the songs included were exclusive ones. I'm merely making a point that yet I've seen him loads of times throughout many countries and tours he rehearsed, soundchecked, even performed the songs mentioned many times on the very same tours, yet I never heard those songs. Finally dropping 'Got To Get You Into My Life' for the 'Out There' tour, then finally bringing the tour to Europe, then bringing exactly that song back for the Amsterdam leg for a territory which has heard that song on every gig there in the last 10 years, while he performs 'One After 909' (never performed here), 'Good Day Sunshine' (not since 1989) at the same very leg at that very spot! Yup, that's off. Bottom line is that I simply don't understand that while he DOES keep territory/tours/second gigs in consideration (opening with 'Venus & Mars' in Antwerp in 2012, bringing back 'I'm Looking Through You' for mainland Europe last summer who didn't get to hear that one yet, the completely shaken up first encore this leg, and so on) that he can't do that more often, while it takes zero extra effort with all those songs being rehearsed, soundchecked and even performed at other gigs during the very same leg of a tour. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing McCartney live, but I want to keep it special as well, that's why after 3 gigs of one tour, even after not seeing him for 3,5 years, I wasn't going to do the other gigs of the tour this time.
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I guess we now have about 6 months of waiting until the next tour begins. Hopefully he will replace a dozen songs and lose the rising platform.
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5th-beatle:
I guess we now have about 6 months of waiting until the next tour begins. Hopefully he will replace a dozen songs and lose the rising platform.
Yeah, lose the platform!
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nobodytoldme:
WixRocks!:
nobodytoldme:
In a different perspective, I've seen him 10 times now on 4 different tours in the last 6,5 years, and the only songs I haven't seen at least twice are 'Only Mama Knows', 'Flaming Pie', '(I Want To) Come Home', 'Two Of Us', 'Letting Go', 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'Cosmically Conscious', from which the latter two were super duper exclusive songs. And yet he rotates songs like 'One After 909', 'Good Day Sunshine', 'Birthday' on this very tour alone and does things like 'Calico Skies', 'I'll Follow The Sun', 'Things We Said Today', 'Every Night', 'Hope Of Deliverance', 'Bluebird', 'Coming Up' and so on at special occasions, as one-offs or as soundcheck staples and I never heard those once :')... Not even 'Your Mother Should Know', 3 gigs this tour alone. (Won't forget that one, hahaha). So yeah, that's completely off.
I wouldn't say it's "completely off"...you've seen him 10 times in 6 years. How much can you really expect to change? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the change we can get...but personally, I think yours is the figure that is "completely off". The first poster has a much broader span of data that truly encompasses his entire solo touring career.
I'm not comparing both stats. I'm even mentioning that two of the songs included were exclusive ones. I'm merely making a point that yet I've seen him loads of times throughout many countries and tours he rehearsed, soundchecked, even performed the songs mentioned many times on the very same tours, yet I never heard those songs. Finally dropping 'Got To Get You Into My Life' for the 'Out There' tour, then finally bringing the tour to Europe, then bringing exactly that song back for the Amsterdam leg for a territory which has heard that song on every gig there in the last 10 years, while he performs 'One After 909' (never performed here), 'Good Day Sunshine' (not since 1989) at the same very leg at that very spot! Yup, that's off. Bottom line is that I simply don't understand that while he DOES keep territory/tours/second gigs in consideration (opening with 'Venus & Mars' in Antwerp in 2012, bringing back 'I'm Looking Through You' for mainland Europe last summer who didn't get to hear that one yet, the completely shaken up first encore this leg, and so on) that he can't do that more often, while it takes zero extra effort with all those songs being rehearsed, soundchecked and even performed at other gigs during the very same leg of a tour. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing McCartney live, but I want to keep it special as well, that's why after 3 gigs of one tour, even after not seeing him for 3,5 years, I wasn't going to do the other gigs of the tour this time.
I used to think he put that much thought into the song selection but I just do not think it's the case. Except for when he plays one for the first time ever, and I have a feeling there's someone in his team telling him that. He doesn't know these stats. If you called him up right now and asked when the last time he played "Let Em In" or "I'm Down" was...I doubt he'd have a clue.
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This is my 4th time seeing him since 2009. Obviously an incredible show, but the setlist in the beginning was definitely a little shaky. Some random thoughts Eight Days a Week is a cool opener, I guess? but whatever energy was in the building was completely stalled when he did Save Us next. Way too early for a song from the new album that probably 90% of the audience didn?t know. Out of all the songs that he could/should drop, he decided to drop Jet? It's a killer song that pumps the whole crowd up every time. To replace it with Save Us is very strange. Got to Get You Into My Life still using the same Beatles Rock Band visuals from 2009. Harmless, but also lifeless. I definitely never need to see it live again. One After 909 was awesome, even if most people didn?t know it. Temporary Secretary is probably the worst song Paul has ever decided to dust off and add to the setlist. That awful 80s synth loop and chorus is an assault on the ears. I don?t think a single person enjoyed it. Out of all the unknown solo stuff he could have pulled out? why this one?? Love Let Me Roll It. Can hear it every time and I'll never complain. Paperback Writer needs to go away for awhile. My Valentine was sleep-inducing. Just incredibly boring. But the rest of the piano bit was incredible as always. 1985 is one of his best live songs ever. A fantastic jam. And he killed the vocals on Maybe I'm Amazed. FourFiveSeconds was pretty boring, and even with the lyrics up on the screen no one was singing along. Side note What was the deal with the roof coming down for Another Day?? Why is Paul doing songs for video games? Hope for the Future is just bad. Garbage. This one, Temporary Secretary, and My Valentine were the worst songs of the night (and probably the worst three I've ever seen Paul do). After that the setlist is pure magic. Blackbird, Lady Madonna, and Eleanor Rigby are staples that should never leave. New and Queenie Eye were fantastic live. All Together Now was so fun. Lovely Rita live? Amazing! Mr. Kite was an absolute highlight and one of the most inspired setlist choices he's ever pulled out. Loved the lasers. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da live makes life worth living. Band on the Run for me is a spiritual experience. He could vomit on stage and as long as he plays that one I'd be happy. Sublime. Live and Let Die was epic as always. And Hey Jude live is about as close to perfection as one can hope for in life. Another Girl and Hi Hi Hi were awesome to hear live. These are the types of song choices that make Paul a master at crafting a setlist. Helter Skelter is one of those staples that I never get tired of hearing. So much energy. Same with Get Back. I know they've been done to death, but I love 'em every time. And is there a better ending to a show than Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End? Unbelievable. While there were some clunkers in the first 16 songs or so, the rest of the show more than made up for it. Final ramblings While I love Mrs. Vandebilt and A Day in the Life, I was fine with not seeing them this time around. I wish he hadn't dropped Listen to What the Man Said and kept Venus and Mars/Rockshow and Junior's Farm from the past couple tours. Is it heartless to say that I can do without Here Today and Something the next time around? And I still think it's a sin for Paul to not play Jet at every show he does. But yeah, it's Paul live. 10/10. A highlight of my life. Hoping for show number five in 2016!
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WixRocks!:
[..] I used to think he put that much thought into the song selection but I just do not think it's the case. Except for when he plays one for the first time ever, and I have a feeling there's someone in his team telling him that. He doesn't know these stats. If you called him up right now and asked when the last time he played "Let Em In" or "I'm Down" was...I doubt he'd have a clue.
That's something I'm sure of as well. I can't blame him, really.
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SkLeigh:
yankeefan7:
First, the 1989 and 1993 tours did not have as many Beatle songs and I think that is what myself and others wish he would do again. The complaint is not so much songs don't change it is just his solo career of 35 years is barely represented if you eliminate the 3-4 songs off his most current release. Yes, Mr. McCartney does have many great songs. The shame is people will never hear most of them if they were created after 1980.
I just went through the setlists. (I have them in a spreadsheet. Yes, I am an accountant.
) I put the songs into categories. Some of them were a little tricky, but I just had to pick something. Beatles - I included the George and John tribute songs in this if they were Beatles songs, because even if they're not "Paul's songs", they're still Beatle songs. Wings Solo non-Beatles covers - This was the trickiest one. I included things in this like "Twenty Flight Rock". Even though it was on Choba b CCCP, I just have a hard time calling it a solo Paul song since it's really just a cover. I also included Give Peace a Chance in this since it's not the Beatles. I only had 7 out of 215 songs in this category, though. For anything in a medley I counted each as a separate song (Abbey Road and the John tributes). I didn't include things like Foxy Lady and something called "Robbie's Bit (Thanks Chet)." (I have no idea what that was! lol ) Here's how it came out: 1989 - 32 songs Beatles 56% Wings 9% Solo 28% non-Beatles covers 6% 1990 - 34 songs Beatles 62% Wings 12% Solo 21% non-Beatles covers 6% 1993 - 31 songs Beatles 52% Wings 16% Solo 26% non-Beatles covers 6% 2011 - 38 songs Beatles 66% Wings 21% Solo 11% non-Beatles covers 3% 2014 - 39 songs Beatles 64% Wings 15% Solo 21% non-Beatles covers 0% 2015 - 41 songs Beatles 63% Wings 15% Solo 22% non-Beatles covers 0% So he's added almost 10 songs from his 40s to his 70s! Beatles songs have always been over 50%, from 52% up to 66%. Wings have been from 9% to 21%. And solo has been from 11% up to 21%. (But when solo was at its low, Wings was at its high.) I think that's a pretty good distribution. I mean, there are a lot of solo (and Wings!) songs I'd like to hear, but it's hard to quibble with the Beatles. And for every song he plays where I'm like, that's not really my favorite, there are 15,000 people in the arena screaming and crying. Especially for the Beatles songs. And then I'm the one going crazy for Hi, Hi, Hi! (Thanks Paul!) "I think that's a pretty good distribution. I mean, there are a lot of solo (and Wings!) songs I'd like to hear, but it's hard to quibble with the Beatles" Since you are an accountant, do me a favorite and redo the solo percentages. I would like to see what the solo percentage is if you eliminate the new songs he does from his most recent record/CD. It is a no brainer to try and promote your lastest recording by playing it live. I think it would be very telling how much is solo career is ignored once you take out the songs from record like "New" for example.
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yankeefan7:
SkLeigh:
yankeefan7:
First, the 1989 and 1993 tours did not have as many Beatle songs and I think that is what myself and others wish he would do again. The complaint is not so much songs don't change it is just his solo career of 35 years is barely represented if you eliminate the 3-4 songs off his most current release. Yes, Mr. McCartney does have many great songs. The shame is people will never hear most of them if they were created after 1980.
I just went through the setlists. (I have them in a spreadsheet. Yes, I am an accountant.
) I put the songs into categories. Some of them were a little tricky, but I just had to pick something. Beatles - I included the George and John tribute songs in this if they were Beatles songs, because even if they're not "Paul's songs", they're still Beatle songs. Wings Solo non-Beatles covers - This was the trickiest one. I included things in this like "Twenty Flight Rock". Even though it was on Choba b CCCP, I just have a hard time calling it a solo Paul song since it's really just a cover. I also included Give Peace a Chance in this since it's not the Beatles. I only had 7 out of 215 songs in this category, though. For anything in a medley I counted each as a separate song (Abbey Road and the John tributes). I didn't include things like Foxy Lady and something called "Robbie's Bit (Thanks Chet)." (I have no idea what that was! lol ) Here's how it came out: 1989 - 32 songs Beatles 56% Wings 9% Solo 28% non-Beatles covers 6% 1990 - 34 songs Beatles 62% Wings 12% Solo 21% non-Beatles covers 6% 1993 - 31 songs Beatles 52% Wings 16% Solo 26% non-Beatles covers 6% 2011 - 38 songs Beatles 66% Wings 21% Solo 11% non-Beatles covers 3% 2014 - 39 songs Beatles 64% Wings 15% Solo 21% non-Beatles covers 0% 2015 - 41 songs Beatles 63% Wings 15% Solo 22% non-Beatles covers 0% So he's added almost 10 songs from his 40s to his 70s! Beatles songs have always been over 50%, from 52% up to 66%. Wings have been from 9% to 21%. And solo has been from 11% up to 21%. (But when solo was at its low, Wings was at its high.) I think that's a pretty good distribution. I mean, there are a lot of solo (and Wings!) songs I'd like to hear, but it's hard to quibble with the Beatles. And for every song he plays where I'm like, that's not really my favorite, there are 15,000 people in the arena screaming and crying. Especially for the Beatles songs. And then I'm the one going crazy for Hi, Hi, Hi! (Thanks Paul!) "I think that's a pretty good distribution. I mean, there are a lot of solo (and Wings!) songs I'd like to hear, but it's hard to quibble with the Beatles" Since you are an accountant, do me a favorite and redo the solo percentages. I would like to see what the solo percentage is if you eliminate the new songs he does from his most recent record/CD. It is a no brainer to try and promote your lastest recording by playing it live. I think it would be very telling how much is solo career is ignored once you take out the songs from record like "New" for example.
And also do 1976. That would be very telling.
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oobu24:
yankeefan7:
Since you are an accountant, do me a favorite and redo the solo percentages. I would like to see what the solo percentage is if you eliminate the new songs he does from his most recent record/CD. It is a no brainer to try and promote your lastest recording by playing it live. I think it would be very telling how much is solo career is ignored once you take out the songs from record like "New" for example.
And also do 1976. That would be very telling.
and 1979 UK. I think he did 20-some songs and only 4 Beatles songs on that tour...
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SkLeigh:
I think that's a pretty good distribution. I mean, there are a lot of solo (and Wings!) songs I'd like to hear, but it's hard to quibble with the Beatles. And for every song he plays where I'm like, that's not really my favorite, there are 15,000 people in the arena screaming and crying. Especially for the Beatles songs. And then I'm the one going crazy for Hi, Hi, Hi! (Thanks Paul!)
Yep, is a good distribution, specially if you consider that Paul is the only keeper of Beatles's legacy. Paul has different publics (Beatles fans, Wings fans, McCartney fans)... people like you and me have heard every single album and every song he made and we would love to hear more of his solo work. Anyway, I had the privilege of hear those wonderful Beatles's songs and is a memory that I will never forget. That is more valuable than hear songs like 'My Brave Face' or 'The World Tonight'
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Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
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RMartinez:
Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
But Paul promotes it way more. Ringo rarely likes to talk about the Beatles. He'd rather talk, at times, about Rory Storm.
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oobu24:
RMartinez:
Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
But Paul promotes it way more. Ringo rarely likes to talk about the Beatles. He'd rather talk, at times, about Rory Storm.
So? What if Paul talked more about Wings? Ringo was every bit as much a part of the Beatles legacy.
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RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
But Paul promotes it way more. Ringo rarely likes to talk about the Beatles. He'd rather talk, at times, about Rory Storm.
So? What if Paul talked more about Wings? Ringo was every bit as much a part of the Beatles legacy.
Who the heck said he wan't? Of course Ringo was part of it.
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oobu24:
RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
But Paul promotes it way more. Ringo rarely likes to talk about the Beatles. He'd rather talk, at times, about Rory Storm.
So? What if Paul talked more about Wings? Ringo was every bit as much a part of the Beatles legacy.
Who the heck said he wan't? Of course Ringo was part of it.
Then he should perform Octopus' Garden more often.
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oobu24:
RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
But Paul promotes it way more. Ringo rarely likes to talk about the Beatles. He'd rather talk, at times, about Rory Storm.
So? What if Paul talked more about Wings? Ringo was every bit as much a part of the Beatles legacy.
Who the heck said he wan't? Of course Ringo was part of it.
You did. It doesn't matter what Ringo talks about, he is also a keeper of the Beatle legacy. He tours and plays their songs. My point is he is also doing it, though Paul is more blatant. Which is ironic, since he could carry on as a solo artist with greater ease.
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RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Ringo Starr is also a keeper of the Beatles' legacy. It is NOT just Paul's legacy.
But Paul promotes it way more. Ringo rarely likes to talk about the Beatles. He'd rather talk, at times, about Rory Storm.
So? What if Paul talked more about Wings? Ringo was every bit as much a part of the Beatles legacy.
Who the heck said he wan't? Of course Ringo was part of it.
You did. It doesn't matter what Ringo talks about, he is also a keeper of the Beatle legacy. He tours and plays their songs. My point is he is also doing it, though Paul is more blatant. Which is ironic, since he could carry on as a solo artist with greater ease.
I did not! Another person may have but I DID NOT. I said Paul promotes the Beatles more & Ringo almost hates talking about them. I never said he wasn't a part of the Beatles. PLEASE do not put words in my mouth. Anyway....Ringo did get decapitated in England after he said he doesn't miss anything about Liverpool. LOL!
