rockinlibrarian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rockinlibrarian) wrote2012-06-18 10:39 am
rockinlibrarian) wrote2012-06-18 10:39 am
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When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now...
Seventy years ago today, Mary and Jim McCartney of Liverpool England welcomed a baby boy into the world, little knowing he would grow up-- heck, even BEFORE he'd quite grown up-- to change popular music forever.
And seventy years later, I still haven't seen him in concert.
THIS MUST CHANGE, world. I have told you, world, time and again, that this is the man responsible for the first half of my Internet username/alias! If there is ANYONE on EARTH I NEED to see in concert before I die-- well, before HE dies is the problem.... GAH, Paul, STOP GETTING OLD. Wait no, that's wrong. That's the exact opposite of what I mean. PLEASE, CONTINUE ON IN THIS TIMELINE. Just show up in Pittsburgh again sometime soon.
Did you watch any of the Queen's Jubilee concert the other week? It was full of awesomeness across the board. But I noticed something when Paul took the stage-- I couldn't stop singing along. But that's not unusual for me-- I sing along to Muzak. But EVERYONE in the crowd on TV was singing along, too. The camera focused on these rather stodgy-looking old people-- they weren't very animated, but they were clearly singing along, and clearly knew all the words. Then the camera moved to some young dancing folks-- also clearly singing along, clearly knowing all the words, clearly loving it. It was more, somehow, than just a good concert. It was like we'd all taken OWNERSHIP of these songs, they were deep inside us as MORE than songs, they were some kind of shared love between us all, some transcendental understanding...
...or maybe that's my own bias feeling things.
I AM certain, though, that Paul McCartney is the greatest songwriter in the history of the world. Right, you can make arguments for other composers in general-- your Bachs and Mozarts and whatnot-- but when it comes to crafting a short, simple, singable song, no one has ever been able to do it the way Sir Paul can. So catchy. So unforgettable. You immediately feel the difference, when you're listening to the radio or even a shuffled playlist, you're contently --or not-so-contently-- listening to perfectly serviceable songs, and then all of a sudden, GREATNESS HAPPENS. Too many songwriters just don't manage to push their good songs into GREAT. (Too many songwriters don't even manage to push their mediocre songs into GOOD, but what). Not the way he does.
A couple years back he was getting some sort of award from the President, and there was a tribute concert at the White House. A wide variety of musicians came to sing his songs. Did you see this? I'm trying to find it on Youtube, but all I can find is the actual award presentation, not any, you know, CONCERT footage. So, musicians from every genre, every decade of popularity, they all chose a McCartney song to perform. They were all utterly different, and all wonderful. THAT is the mark of the Greatest Songwriter in the History of the World. So much variety, and so much awesomeness ACROSS that variety.
It's incredible, to witness the extent of that awesomeness, all in one concert. That's why my mind was completely blown that summer night nearly twenty years ago. I feel it again every time I watch such a concert on TV... or when I'm sitting listening to records.
Just need to see it live, now. I MUST, NEED, HAVE TO see it live. Anybody hook me up?
And seventy years later, I still haven't seen him in concert.
THIS MUST CHANGE, world. I have told you, world, time and again, that this is the man responsible for the first half of my Internet username/alias! If there is ANYONE on EARTH I NEED to see in concert before I die-- well, before HE dies is the problem.... GAH, Paul, STOP GETTING OLD. Wait no, that's wrong. That's the exact opposite of what I mean. PLEASE, CONTINUE ON IN THIS TIMELINE. Just show up in Pittsburgh again sometime soon.
Did you watch any of the Queen's Jubilee concert the other week? It was full of awesomeness across the board. But I noticed something when Paul took the stage-- I couldn't stop singing along. But that's not unusual for me-- I sing along to Muzak. But EVERYONE in the crowd on TV was singing along, too. The camera focused on these rather stodgy-looking old people-- they weren't very animated, but they were clearly singing along, and clearly knew all the words. Then the camera moved to some young dancing folks-- also clearly singing along, clearly knowing all the words, clearly loving it. It was more, somehow, than just a good concert. It was like we'd all taken OWNERSHIP of these songs, they were deep inside us as MORE than songs, they were some kind of shared love between us all, some transcendental understanding...
...or maybe that's my own bias feeling things.
I AM certain, though, that Paul McCartney is the greatest songwriter in the history of the world. Right, you can make arguments for other composers in general-- your Bachs and Mozarts and whatnot-- but when it comes to crafting a short, simple, singable song, no one has ever been able to do it the way Sir Paul can. So catchy. So unforgettable. You immediately feel the difference, when you're listening to the radio or even a shuffled playlist, you're contently --or not-so-contently-- listening to perfectly serviceable songs, and then all of a sudden, GREATNESS HAPPENS. Too many songwriters just don't manage to push their good songs into GREAT. (Too many songwriters don't even manage to push their mediocre songs into GOOD, but what). Not the way he does.
A couple years back he was getting some sort of award from the President, and there was a tribute concert at the White House. A wide variety of musicians came to sing his songs. Did you see this? I'm trying to find it on Youtube, but all I can find is the actual award presentation, not any, you know, CONCERT footage. So, musicians from every genre, every decade of popularity, they all chose a McCartney song to perform. They were all utterly different, and all wonderful. THAT is the mark of the Greatest Songwriter in the History of the World. So much variety, and so much awesomeness ACROSS that variety.
It's incredible, to witness the extent of that awesomeness, all in one concert. That's why my mind was completely blown that summer night nearly twenty years ago. I feel it again every time I watch such a concert on TV... or when I'm sitting listening to records.
Just need to see it live, now. I MUST, NEED, HAVE TO see it live. Anybody hook me up?
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