Musician, August 1995: Difference between revisions
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At St. James' Palace where he lives, just over the road from Buckingham Palace | At St. James' Palace where he lives, just over the road from Buckingham Palace where his mother lives, Prince Charles stands up in the middle of his guests | ||
where his mother lives, Prince Charles stands up in the middle of his guests | |||
and says, "Paul McCartney put so much into this evening." The honored friends | and says, "Paul McCartney put so much into this evening." The honored friends | ||
all clap their hands and Charles adds, "As somebody who was born a little bit | all clap their hands and Charles adds, "As somebody who was born a little bit | ||
Line 286: | Line 285: | ||
powerful. Scarier, too. | powerful. Scarier, too. | ||
"It's lesser known than some of the others but it's one that we enjoyed | "It's lesser known than some of the others but it's one that we enjoyed writing," he said. "It's tempting on a short show to just pack it with your hits that everyone knows. But we decided it would be nice to stick that one in. One of the reasons we wanted to do it is because I did record it up. I sort of made more of a record of it when we did it. Afterward I remembered how it was when we demo'd it. For one thing it was a completely different key. We're singing it really low here and I think I put it up from D to G, I whapped it right up. So it is a more intimate version, which is what the original song was. It got lighter when we recorded it. | ||
writing," he said. "It's tempting on a short show to just pack it with your | |||
hits that everyone knows. But we decided it would be nice to stick that one | |||
in. One of the reasons we wanted to do it is because I did record it up. I | |||
sort of made more of a record of it when we did it. Afterward I remembered | |||
how it was when we demo'd it. For one thing it was a completely different | |||
key. We're singing it really low here and I think I put it up from D to G, I | |||
whapped it right up. So it is a more intimate version, which is what the | |||
original song was. It got lighter when we recorded it. | |||
Hearing "Mistress and Maid" next to "Eleanor Rigby," "For No One" and | Hearing "Mistress and Maid" next to "Eleanor Rigby," "For No One" and "Yesterday," I realized that McCartney's public image as an eternal optimist is not supported by his work. It was something I'd been circling around since I heard Steve Earle's new version of "I'm Lookin Through You," as bitter a put-down song as ever got softened in the studio. McCartney has certainly written lots of positive songs, but from "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be" to "That Day is Done" and "Put It There," his optimism is always in the face of a shadow. There is always some awful thing that has to be overcome. If there's a defining subtext in McCartney's music it's probably "Take these broken wings and learn to fly." | ||
"Yesterday," I realized that McCartney's public image as an eternal optimist | |||
is not supported by his work. It was something I'd been circling around since | |||
I heard Steve Earle's new version of "I'm Lookin Through You," as bitter a | |||
put-down song as ever got softened in the studio. McCartney has certainly | |||
written lots of positive songs, but from "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be" to "That | |||
Day is Done" and "Put It There," his optimism is always in the face of a | |||
shadow. There is always some awful thing that has to be overcome. If there's | |||
a defining subtext in McCartney's music it's probably "Take these broken | |||
wings and learn to fly." | |||
"Yeah, well," McCartney said quietly, "that's me I suppose. I think that the | "Yeah, well," McCartney said quietly, "that's me I suppose. I think that the danger is if you just get into the happy songs then it can be a little bit music hall. It can get a little bit light. So I like to always have a little bit of edge, or else a little bit of tongue-in-cheek. You know, 'When I'm 64' isn't really a song about growing old, although on the surface it is. It's a joke song, but it has serious concerns in it, a little melancholy. | ||
danger is if you just get into the happy songs then it can be a little bit | |||
music hall. It can get a little bit light. So I like to always have a little | |||
bit of edge, or else a little bit of tongue-in-cheek. You know, 'When I'm 64' | |||
isn't really a song about growing old, although on the surface it is. It's a | |||
joke song, but it has serious concerns in it, a little melancholy. | |||
'Yesterday' — she went away and all that shit. 'Suddenly I'm not half the man | 'Yesterday' — she went away and all that shit. 'Suddenly I'm not half the man I used to be.' But if you think about it, I was writing those in my early 20s! Talking about not half the man I used to be when I was barely a man!" | ||
I used to be.' But if you think about it, I was writing those in my early | |||
20s! Talking about not half the man I used to be when I was barely a man!" | |||
I said, if you'd been half that man you'd have been eleven. | I said, if you'd been half that man you'd have been eleven. | ||
"They have more poignancy now," McCartney said, "just because of the water | "They have more poignancy now," McCartney said, "just because of the water that's been under all our bridges. So we all now relate to those lyrics a little bit more seriously. Perhaps." He changed gears and said, "But you know, my composing has always been made up, it's a fantasy. I remember George Harrison saying to me when I did 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,' 'How'd you do that? You don't know anyone named Desmond or Molly, you don't know any of these people.' | ||
that's been under all our bridges. So we all now relate to those lyrics a | |||
little bit more seriously. Perhaps." He changed gears and said, "But you | |||
know, my composing has always been made up, it's a fantasy. I remember George | |||
Harrison saying to me when I did 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,' 'How'd you do that? | |||
You don't know anyone named Desmond or Molly, you don't know any of these | |||
people.' | |||
"I said, 'I just like making up a story.' A short story writer doesn't | "I said, 'I just like making up a story.' A short story writer doesn't necessarily know the pit and the pendulum, he hasn't necessarily been to Dracula's castle. But he makes it up as an escape in a way. I think a lot of my songwriting always was, and still is, an escape." | ||
necessarily know the pit and the pendulum, he hasn't necessarily been to | |||
Dracula's castle. But he makes it up as an escape in a way. I think a lot of | |||
my songwriting always was, and still is, an escape." | |||
From? | From? | ||
"From the harsh realities of the world. If I'm in a bad mood, I always find | "From the harsh realities of the world. If I'm in a bad mood, I always find that a good time to write a song. Go off on your own and put the feelings in a song rather than in someone's face. The fact that it's a musical vehicle seems to defuse it a bit. Rather than just shouting at someone or wagging a finger, you can get those emotions out. | ||
that a good time to write a song. Go off on your own and put the feelings in | |||
a song rather than in someone's face. The fact that it's a musical vehicle | |||
seems to defuse it a bit. Rather than just shouting at someone or wagging a | |||
finger, you can get those emotions out. | |||
"I think 'For No One' was probably an argument with a girlfriend. I think that | "I think 'For No One' was probably an argument with a girlfriend. I think that was a little bit of a tough time. But 'Eleanor Rigby' was completely fictitious. When I grew up I remember hearing from various people that people like sad songs. It had not really occurred to me. So as I became a songwriter I always remembered, 'People liked sad songs. I don't know why, but they just like 'em. They work in music.' I now know why. It's because it's a powerful medium to put those emotions in. But 'Eleanor' was completely fictitious. There is a grave up in Liverpool..." | ||
was a little bit of a tough time. But 'Eleanor Rigby' was completely | |||
fictitious. When I grew up I remember hearing from various people that | |||
people like sad songs. It had not really occurred to me. So as I became a | |||
songwriter I always remembered, 'People liked sad songs. I don't know why, | |||
but they just like 'em. They work in music.' I now know why. It's because | |||
it's a powerful medium to put those emotions in. But 'Eleanor' was completely | |||
fictitious. There is a grave up in Liverpool..." | |||
Oh yes, the famous story of the grave of an Eleanor Rigby in the churchyard | Oh yes, the famous story of the grave of an Eleanor Rigby in the churchyard where McCartney met Lennon. "I think I made the name up!" McCartney said. "But right there in Woolton in the church John and I used to hang out near... It's all pretty spooky but as far as I'm concerned it was just a matter of chance." | ||
where McCartney met Lennon. "I think I made the name up!" McCartney said. | |||
"But right there in Woolton in the church John and I used to hang out near... | |||
It's all pretty spooky but as far as I'm concerned it was just a matter of | |||
chance." | |||
It was about 11 PM when the rehearsal broke up. A while later I was walking | It was about 11 PM when the rehearsal broke up. A while later I was walking back toward Hyde Park, toward my hotel, when a car pulled up alongside me and McCartney stuck his head out of the window. "Hey, want a ride?" I climbed in and he said, "Just push that junk over." A lyric book and an acoustic guitar. The next evening at the Palace Prince Charles' guests stood around drinking champagne and waiting for the royal gig to begin. As everyone filed into a drawing room where a makeshift stage had been erected under a particularly porcine portrait of Henry VIII, Paul Cassidy — the Irish Brodsky — spotted the Prince's butler telling four crestfallen teenage girls who had played violin music while the guests arrived that in spite of what they had been promised they would not be allowed to go in and watch McCartney play after all. The only chairs not taken by guests were close to the Prince and Charles could not be seated within eyesight of the help. Cassidy's Irish ears turned red at this insult to the only other musicians in the place. Pretty soon the kids found themselves seated behind the curtain with the McCartneys, while Elvis went and found programs for them. They got the best seats in the house. | ||
back toward Hyde Park, toward my hotel, when a car pulled up alongside me and | |||
McCartney stuck his head out of the window. "Hey, want a ride?" I climbed in | |||
and he said, "Just push that junk over." A lyric book and an acoustic guitar. | |||
The next evening at the Palace Prince Charles' guests stood around drinking | |||
champagne and waiting for the royal gig to begin. As everyone filed into a | |||
drawing room where a makeshift stage had been erected under a particularly | |||
porcine portrait of Henry VIII, Paul Cassidy — the Irish Brodsky — spotted | |||
the Prince's butler telling four crestfallen teenage girls who had played | |||
violin music while the guests arrived that in spite of what they had been | |||
promised they would not be allowed to go in and watch McCartney play after | |||
all. The only chairs not taken by guests were close to the Prince and Charles | |||
could not be seated within eyesight of the help. Cassidy's Irish ears turned | |||
red at this insult to the only other musicians in the place. Pretty soon the | |||
kids found themselves seated behind the curtain with the McCartneys, while | |||
Elvis went and found programs for them. They got the best seats in the house. | |||
McCartney says he doesn't think young Prince Charles was at the famous Royal | McCartney says he doesn't think young Prince Charles was at the famous Royal Variety Performance in 1963 when the Beatles played for the Queen and her court. That was the night that John Lennon told the people in the cheap seats to clap "and the rest of you just rattle your jewelry." But you know who was there, also on the bill? The Joe Loss Orchestra with singer Ross MacManus — who got John, Paul, George, and Ringo to sign autographs for his eight-year-old son Declan, a very big Beatles fan. The other day Declan, who now calls himself Costello, told his dad he was playing the palace with McCartney. Ross replied, "Stealing my gig!" | ||
Variety Performance in 1963 when the Beatles played for the Queen and her | |||
court. That was the night that John Lennon told the people in the cheap seats | |||
to clap "and the rest of you just rattle your jewelry." But you know who | |||
was there, also on the bill? The Joe Loss Orchestra with singer Ross MacManus — who got John, Paul, George, and Ringo to sign autographs for his eight-year | |||
-old son Declan, a very big Beatles fan. The other day Declan, who now calls | |||
himself Costello, told his dad he was playing the palace with McCartney. Ross | |||
replied, "Stealing my gig!" | |||
Watching from behind the curtain as McCartney sings a heartbreaking | Watching from behind the curtain as McCartney sings a heartbreaking "Yesterday" Costello says quietly, "Listen to that. That's why this guy is in the business." | ||
"Yesterday" Costello says quietly, "Listen to that. That's why this guy is in | |||
the business." | |||
The morning after the palace show, I follow Costello down to Paris where he | The morning after the palace show, I follow Costello down to Paris where he has agreed to play his first-ever opening act slot, for Bob Dylan. Elvis has his new album of cover songs, ''Kojak Variety'', to promote, but with his perverse ambition he instead treats the French crowd to a set full of new material, what will presumably make up his next album which he will begin recording in August. | ||
has agreed to play his first-ever opening act slot, for Bob Dylan. Elvis has | |||
his new album of cover songs, ''Kojak Variety'', to promote, but with his | |||
perverse ambition he instead treats the French crowd to a set full of new | |||
material, what will presumably make up his next album which he will begin | |||
recording in August. | |||
When he finishes Costello stands behind the curtain watching Dylan weave | When he finishes Costello stands behind the curtain watching Dylan weave through inspired versions of "I Want You," "[[It's All Over Now, Baby Blue|It's All Over Now Baby Blue]]," and a fair chunk of ''Blood on the Tracks''. Studying Dylan this close makes you conscious of what a commanding performer he can be when he chooses and how this endless tour has resulted in his developing, at this late date, unexpected if eccentric skill as a lead guitarist. He plays in blue lights, backlit with a white spot to disguise the lines on his face and emphasize the thin frame and halo of hair. He looks just like the cover of ''Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits''. | ||
through inspired versions of "I Want You," "[[It's All Over Now, Baby Blue|It's All Over Now Baby Blue]]," and | |||
a fair chunk of ''Blood on the Tracks''. Studying Dylan this close makes you | |||
conscious of what a commanding performer he can be when he chooses and how | |||
this endless tour has resulted in his developing, at this late date, | |||
unexpected if eccentric skill as a lead guitarist. He plays in blue lights, | |||
backlit with a white spot to disguise the lines on his face and emphasize | |||
the thin frame and halo of hair. He looks just like the cover of Bob Dylan's | |||
Greatest Hits. | |||
As he comes off stage Dylan confers with Costello, the two of them laughing. | As he comes off stage Dylan confers with Costello, the two of them laughing. I look around and see an unlikely handful of guests gathering behind the stage, including expatriate Americans Elliot Murphy and Ernie Brooks, incoming Attractions Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve, and guitarists Marc Ribot and James Burton. | ||
I look around and see an unlikely handful of guests gathering behind the | |||
stage, including expatriate Americans Elliot Murphy and Ernie Brooks, | |||
incoming Attractions Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve, and guitarists Marc Ribot | |||
and James Burton. | |||
Those last four are here for rehearsals for Costello's ''Kojak Variety'' shows in | Those last four are here for rehearsals for Costello's ''Kojak Variety'' shows in London next week. The next day the Attractions, Ribot, and Burton set up in a Paris rehearsal studio and blast through hours of oldies. It's a gas to watch Burton — who played guitar with Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley — and avant-gardist Ribot trade licks, work out arrangements, and find common ground. "Better be careful here," Ribot cracks after they practice some harmony lines on the guitar, "We don't want to be mistaken for the Allman Brothers!" Burton is a pure pleasure to watch. He maintains eye contact with all the other musicians like a secret service agent and as hard as he works, he rarely stops smiling. | ||
London next week. The next day the Attractions, Ribot, and Burton set up in | |||
a Paris rehearsal studio and blast through hours of oldies. It's a gas to | |||
watch Burton — who played guitar with Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley — and | |||
avant-gardist Ribot trade licks, work out arrangements, and find common | |||
ground. "Better be careful here," Ribot cracks after they practice some | |||
harmony lines on the guitar, "We don't want to be mistaken for the Allman | |||
Brothers!" Burton is a pure pleasure to watch. He maintains eye contact with | |||
all the other musicians like a secret service agent and as hard as he works, | |||
he rarely stops smiling. | |||
And here's what it leaves me thinking: if you love rock 'n' roll and all the | And here's what it leaves me thinking: if you love rock 'n' roll and all the music that has grown out of rock 'n' roll, you are very lucky to be around in 1995. | ||
music that has grown out of rock 'n' roll, you are very lucky to be around in | |||
1995. | |||
There will never again be a moment when so many of the giants are alive and | There will never again be a moment when so many of the giants are alive and | ||
operating at the same time...[long list of big names] What a great time to | operating at the same time...[long list of big names] What a great time to be a music lover! | ||
be a music lover! | |||
At least that's what I was thinking when I went from watching Paul McCartney | At least that's what I was thinking when I went from watching Paul McCartney singing "For No One" on Thursday to Bob Dylan singing "All Along the Watchtower" on Friday to Elvis Costello jamming with James Burton in a little room on Saturday. How lucky we all are. Leave the complaints to the kids who'll come next, the ones who'll miss what we take for granted. We cats here in the 1990s, we've got it made. | ||
singing "For No One" on Thursday to Bob Dylan singing "All Along the | |||
Watchtower" on Friday to Elvis Costello jamming with James Burton in a little | |||
room on Saturday. How lucky we all are. Leave the complaints to the kids | |||
who'll come next, the ones who'll miss what we take for granted. | |||
We cats here in the 1990s, we've got it made. | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} |
Revision as of 04:21, 12 October 2013
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