Lennon-McCartney

[Insidious Von]

Let it Be was a strange album, a collection of hits with rejects from other albums. Yet it also had the song that best exemplifies the duo at their best, Paul's hypnotic melody combined with John's cryptic lyrics. Great choral singing with Paul singing the bridge simply but to great effect.

If their difficulties could have been resolved and Apple Records didn't go bust, who knows what direction they could have gone.

 

[Insidious Von]

This December will mark the 40th Anniversary of John Lennon's murder. His killer has been up for parole 11 times, Yoko and Cynthia have seen to it that he never gets free. Probably a good thing, too many bounty hunters out for his hide.

 

[redshank]

My favourite tune on the album

There's a lot of musical acts I have loved over the years but there's still one that stands above the rest. I love them

As for their breakup. Just a natural progression of life. People get sick of each other. Especially when they have to live life in a fish bowl

 

[Insidious Von]

Something we can agree on redshank. I consider that song not just one of their best, also one of the best songs in Western culture. David Bowie (Young Americans) should have left it alone.

I watched a few episodes of the Louis CK written show Better Things. I was surprised by the theme song - Yoko must like CK.

 

[tml]

If their difficulties could have been resolved and Apple Records didn't go bust, who knows what direction they could have gone.

Interesting post Insidious Von. Do you think the compositions of their solo careers give a clue as to the direction they would have gone, or would it have been completely different? If I remember correctly, John was very critical of Paul's post-Beatles work. I can't see George or Ringo being satisfied with their limited input for much longer than they had been. George pretty much said so in post-Beatles interviews.

 

[Insidious Von]

Who knows, Paul's melodies were always interesting but his lyrics were bubble gum. John nearly killed himself on heroin which he wrote about in the brutal Cold Turkey. He became more philosophical as he explored what caused the addiction in the first place. You're right about George, he had a treasure trove of material. Most of it ended up on the All Things Must Pass album. Some of what came later was mediocre but he found inspiration again with The Traveling Wilburys. As for Ringo, he would have jumped at the chance to reunite, correct me if I'm wrong but he only wrote two songs for The Beatles. And both of those John and Paul contributed on.

Ringo's biggest hit is from a George Harrison song.

 

[Insidious Von]

John was a natural poet which Paul always resented. It wasn't enough for him that he was perhaps the most versatile musician ever. To often with Paul his music is epic but his lyrics are insipid.

Paul established his compositional strength early on, haunting melodies.

 

[Insidious Von]

Burton Cummings was heavily influenced by The Beatles, he tried to write his own version of Nowhere Man. He didn't understand the song, John never lampooned the working class.

 

[lomotil]

Timeless music, this quality resilient stuff!

 

[shack]

John was a natural poet which Paul always resented. It wasn't enough for him that he was perhaps the most versatile musician ever.

As much as I love Paul, I'd put Stevie Wonder and Steve Winwood up against him for that title.

 

[Insidious Von]

As much as I love Paul, I'd put Stevie Wonder and Steve Winwood up against him for that title.

Ok, but could Wonder and Winwood compose such a monstrous bridge?

This is why George Harrison would always be secondary.

 

[Robert Mugabe]

As much as I am a fan of the fab 4, they never came up with anything much after they split. Individually. John wrote Imagine, which kind of trumps anything Paul wrote after the fact. During their time together,Paul's songs were so hauntingly melodic that he must have made some kind of pact with the devil. Hey Jude.Fool on the hill. and others.
I think George did the most completely Beatlesque song with "when we was fab". That song takes me right back to the day.

 

[Insidious Von]

There are actually nine versions of Revolution. The B side of Hey Jude was No. 6.

 

[Insidious Von]

As much as I am a fan of the fab 4, they never came up with anything much after they split.

You sort of have a point Robo. Like David Bowie with Diamond Dogs, Paul played all the instruments on Band on the Run. He wanted to give the album a Sergent Pepper ending, he only got it half right.

James Coburn and Christopher Lee were on the album cover, haven't figured out some of the others.

 

[unassuming]

James Coburn and Christopher Lee were on the album cover, haven't figured out some of the others.

Left: Michael Parkinson-english broadcaster, Behind Paul:Kenny Lynch, english entertainer, behind Linda: Clement Freud, British broadcaster, Right: John Conteh, british boxer and of course Denny Laine on his knees in front.

 

[Insidious Von]

Left: Michael Parkinson-english broadcaster, Behind Paul:Kenny Lynch, english entertainer, behind Linda: Clement Freud, British broadcaster, Right: John Conteh, british boxer and of course Denny Laine on his knees in front.

Hardly knew that Lucian Freud had a brother, both are grandsons of Sigmund Freud. Lucian Freud was an internationally renowned artist. Here's his portrait of Kate Moss.

 

[bluebro69]

As much as I am a fan of the fab 4, they never came up with anything much after they split. Individually. John wrote Imagine, which kind of trumps anything Paul wrote after the fact. During their time together,Paul's songs were so hauntingly melodic that he must have made some kind of pact with the devil. Hey Jude.Fool on the hill. and others.
I think George did the most completely Beatlesque song with "when we was fab". That song takes me right back to the day.

I'd put "Maybe I'm Amazed" up against "Imagine" any time.

 

[shack]

Ok, but could Wonder and Winwood compose such a monstrous bridge?

This is why George Harrison would always be secondary.

Talking Book, Innervisions, Fullfillingness First Finale and Songs in the Key of Life were 4 consecutive masterpieces that changed music and aside from composing and singing, he played practically every instrument. It dwarfs Paul's solo accomplishments. Those albums set the groundwork for Michael Jackson's superstardom (not that I was a big fan).

Stevie Wonder | Artist | www.grammy.com
www.grammy.com › grammys › artists › stevie-wonder

Wonder is one of only three artists in GRAMMY history to win Album Of The Year three times in his career. The others are Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra. He is also one of the top GRAMMY winners of all time with 25 awards.

From Wikipedia:

Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the second-half of the 20th century, Wonder is one of the most successful songwriters and musicians. A virtual one-man band, his use of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He also helped drive the genre into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive, consistent socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Wonder is often hailed as a "genius", and has been credited as a pioneer and influence to musicians of various genres including rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz.

Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy known as Little Stevie Wonder, leading him to sign with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11. In 1963, the single "Fingertips" was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when Wonder was 13, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. Wonder's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s. His "classic period" began in 1972 with the releases of Music of My Mind and Talking Book, the latter featuring "Superstition", which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. His works Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) all won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making him the tied-record holder for the most Album of the Year wins, with three. He is also the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases.

Wonder's "classic period", which culminated in 1976, was noted for his funky style of playing on the keyboard, personal control of production, and series of songs integrated with one another to make a concept album. In 1979, Wonder made use of the early music sampler Computer Music Melodian through his composition of the soundtrack album Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants". It was also his first digital recording, and one of the earliest popular albums to use the technology, which Wonder used for all subsequent recordings. Wonder's 1970s albums are widely regarded by writers as very influential, as his pioneering stylistic approach to his music helped shaping the sound of pop music in the following decade.

Wonder has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, making him the Grammy's most awarded solo artist of all time.

Sorry Paul. You needed John and George Martin.

 

[Insidious Von]

I'd put "Maybe I'm Amazed" up against "Imagine" any time.

I wouldn't, it's not even on the same scale as 1985 or Yesterday. Again incredible melodies, pedestrian lyrics. I wouldn't even put it on the same scale as this:

 

[Insidious Von]

Paul didn't need George Martin, he did most of the orchestration himself. This is the closest he came to John.