Musician, August 1995: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3>Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, | <center><h3> Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and all the other{{nb}}princes </h3></center> | ||
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<center>Bill Flanagan</center> | <center> Bill Flanagan </center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
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 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 later than he was..." McCartney holds up his forefinger and thumb a fraction of an inch apart to denote a real little as the Prince goes on, "I remember when I was at school and he was at the height of his fame. I was getting out of an aeroplane and a strong gust of wind blew my hair down into my eyes. In the papers the next day it said, 'Prince has Beatles Hairstyle.'" Ho ho ho, the gentry get a big kick out of that one! One Lord laughs so hard that his cummerbund snaps like a slingshot, almost taking out the eye of the bejeweled woman sitting next to him. | 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 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 later than he was..." McCartney holds up his forefinger and thumb a fraction of an inch apart to denote a real little as the Prince goes on, "I remember when I was at school and he was at the height of his fame. I was getting out of an aeroplane and a strong gust of wind blew my hair down into my eyes. In the papers the next day it said, 'Prince has Beatles Hairstyle.'" Ho ho ho, the gentry get a big kick out of that one! One Lord laughs so hard that his cummerbund snaps like a slingshot, almost taking out the eye of the bejeweled woman sitting next to him. | ||
To be sitting in the palace patting palms with the aristocracy while the Prince makes jokes and the bourgeoisie cackle is a stretch even for Musician. But this is where McCartney has led, so this is where we follow. Charles seems like a good fellow, even if he does add a few inches to his height by standing on the neck of Ireland. It's unfair to make fun of him for that, though | To be sitting in the palace patting palms with the aristocracy while the Prince makes jokes and the bourgeoisie cackle is a stretch even for Musician. But this is where McCartney has led, so this is where we follow. Charles seems like a good fellow, even if he does add a few inches to his height by standing on the neck of Ireland. It's unfair to make fun of him for that, though — it's an inherited characteristic. McCartney warned me yesterday that the palace security would peg me as IRA the minute I stepped through the royal door. "You've got a semtex face," McCartney said. | ||
As it turned out, the palace could not have been nicer. Elvis Costello (who | As it turned out, the palace could not have been nicer. Elvis Costello (who | ||
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My favorite was a big canvas titled "The Defense of Zululand" that showed a | My favorite was a big canvas titled "The Defense of Zululand" that showed a | ||
squad of heroic British soldiers slaying wave after wave of wild Africans. | squad of heroic British soldiers slaying wave after wave of wild Africans. | ||
Oh man. "Better move that one back to the servant's quarters, Jeeves | Oh man. "Better move that one back to the servant's quarters, Jeeves — don't | ||
want company to see it." | want company to see it." | ||
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that McCartney has his own music academy going. The Liverpool Institute for | that McCartney has his own music academy going. The Liverpool Institute for | ||
the Performing Arts, the "Fame" school opening in the old building where | the Performing Arts, the "Fame" school opening in the old building where | ||
McCartney and George Harrison went to high school | McCartney and George Harrison went to high school — begins its first term in | ||
September. McCartney's devoted a lot of time to LIPA, fundraising, lending | September. McCartney's devoted a lot of time to LIPA, fundraising, lending | ||
his name and image to promotions, and doing all he can to proselytize the | his name and image to promotions, and doing all he can to proselytize the | ||
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lately been put to good use. It is a coincidence that since they began | lately been put to good use. It is a coincidence that since they began | ||
writing songs together seven years ago both Costello and McCartney have gone | writing songs together seven years ago both Costello and McCartney have gone | ||
off and worked on classical pieces | off and worked on classical pieces — Paul's Liverpool Oratorio, Elvis's | ||
collaboration with the Brodsky Quartet, ''The Juliet Letters''. As Costello has | collaboration with the Brodsky Quartet, ''The Juliet Letters''. As Costello has | ||
continued to work in the classical world, he has run into the sort of snooty | continued to work in the classical world, he has run into the sort of snooty | ||
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man who failed his O-levels in music!" | man who failed his O-levels in music!" | ||
It occurred to me listening that one reason for the Beatles appeal is never | It occurred to me listening that one reason for the Beatles appeal is never mentioned. We think of the Beatles as great melodists, but while Paul's melodies were quite sophisticated, John's were often very narrow and plain, almost folkie. Now there are advantages and disadvantages to both plain and elaborate vocal melodies. The good thing about a plain melody is that it tends to suggest that the lyrics are true, that the singer is speaking directly to you without ornamentation. That's why polemicists, leftists, and country singers like conversational melodies. Such tunes can, however, get boring. The good thing about ornate melodies is that they excite the ear and keep the listener's attention, but they can also erect a distance from the lyric and make the listener suspect that the blatant craft of the musical construction means that the singer is not speaking his heart, is putting on affectations. Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash, who favor plain melodies, sound very sincere but risk being repetitious. The Beach Boys are musically compelling, but the words and sentiments often come off as artificial or banal — disconnected from the voice singing them. What was remarkable about the Lennon/McCartney team was that the main melody, often sung by John, had that simple, plain-speaking directness that suggests this is true, while the harmonies, often sung by Paul, were innovative and aurally exciting. The combination (and each was capable of taking on the other's role) produced songs that felt both musically compelling and lyrically sincere, innovative craftmanship married to heartfelt delivery. | ||
mentioned. We think of the Beatles as great melodists, but while Paul's | |||
melodies were quite sophisticated, John's were often very narrow and plain, | |||
almost folkie. Now there are advantages and disadvantages to both plain and | |||
elaborate vocal melodies. The good thing about a plain melody is that it | |||
tends to suggest that the lyrics are true, that the singer is speaking | |||
directly to you without ornamentation. That's why polemicists, leftists, and | |||
country singers like conversational melodies. Such tunes can, however, get | |||
boring. The good thing about ornate melodies is that they excite the ear and | |||
keep the listener's attention, but they can also erect a distance from the | |||
lyric and make the listener suspect that the blatant craft of the musical | |||
construction means that the singer is not speaking his heart, is putting | |||
on affectations. Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash, who favor plain melodies, | |||
sound very sincere but risk being repetitious. The Beach Boys are musically | |||
compelling, but the words and sentiments often come off as artificial or | |||
banal — disconnected from the voice singing them. What was remarkable about | |||
the Lennon/McCartney team was that the main melody, often sung by John, had | |||
that simple, plain-speaking directness that suggests this is true, while the | |||
harmonies, often sung by Paul, were innovative and aurally exciting. The | |||
combination (and each was capable of taking on the other's role) produced | |||
songs that felt both musically compelling and lyrically sincere, innovative | |||
craftmanship married to heartfelt delivery. | |||
I spun this whole theory out for Costello who listened patiently and then | I spun this whole theory out for Costello who listened patiently and then said, "Which is why they were the best." | ||
said, "Which is why they were the best." | |||
On the rehearsal room stage McCartney was at the piano, leading the Brodskys | On the rehearsal room stage McCartney was at the piano, leading the Brodskys through a rip-roaring "Lady Madonna," after which he called a break. "It's wild," McCartney laughed. "Anything with a string quartet — it completely turns the stuff on its head. And I've never done it before outside of a movie or recording session. Actually doing it live is interesting." | ||
through a rip-roaring "Lady Madonna," after which he called a break. "It's | |||
wild," McCartney laughed. "Anything with a string quartet — it completely | |||
turns the stuff on its head. And I've never done it before outside of a | |||
movie or recording session. Actually doing it live is interesting." | |||
"This is the first time you've played in public with a quartet?" I asked. | "This is the first time you've played in public with a quartet?" I asked. | ||
"Yeah. And it's the first time Elvis and I have played live. We've written | "Yeah. And it's the first time Elvis and I have played live. We've written together, we've made demos together, we've done a bit of recording together and we've always enjoyed it. But we've not actually played live together. It's a bit of a first." | ||
together, we've made demos together, we've done a bit of recording together | |||
and we've always enjoyed it. But we've not actually played live together. | |||
It's a bit of a first." | |||
McCartney requested that Costello and the Brodskys do a couple of songs and | McCartney requested that Costello and the Brodskys do a couple of songs and they played "I Almost Had a Weakness" and "The Birds Will Still be Singing" the former the funniest song from ''The Juliet Letters'' and the latter the most beautiful. Next they did a showstopping version of Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows," the best encore number from their tours. | ||
they played "I Almost Had a Weakness" and "The Birds Will Still be Singing" | |||
the former the funniest song from ''The Juliet Letters'' and the latter the most | |||
beautiful. Next they did a showstopping version of Brian Wilson's "God Only | |||
Knows," the best encore number from their tours. | |||
"I suggested the Brods do something of their own choice," McCartney explained | "I suggested the Brods do something of their own choice," McCartney explained "Which was 'Harold.' Then I asked Elvis if he would do a couple of things off ''Juliet Letters'' because I really like that. I think I expressed that those two were my favorites, so I kind of chose them. Then he said, 'Well, I'll tell you what. We should do 'God Only Knows' cause it's a good | ||
"Which was 'Harold.' Then I asked Elvis if he would do a couple of things | |||
off ''Juliet Letters'' because I really like that. I think I expressed that | |||
those two were my favorites, so I kind of chose them. Then he said, 'Well, | |||
I'll tell you what. We should do 'God Only Knows' cause it's a good | |||
showstopper.'" | showstopper.'" | ||
With that McCartney went up and joined Costello onstage for some two acoustic | With that McCartney went up and joined Costello onstage for some two acoustic guitar Everly Brothers action. They played and sang the Beatles' "One After 909" and the McCartney/MacManus song "Mistress and Maid." It was interesting that of the dozen or so songs they've co-written they chose to perform that one for their duet debut, rather than the better known "My Brave Face" or "Veronica." | ||
guitar Everly Brothers action. They played and sang the Beatles' "One After | |||
909" and the McCartney/MacManus song "Mistress and Maid." It was interesting | |||
that of the dozen or so songs they've co-written they chose to perform that | |||
one for their duet debut, rather than the better known "My Brave Face" or | |||
"Veronica." | |||
"Mistress and Maid" is a hard dark song, a lament for a marriage as cold as | "Mistress and Maid" is a hard dark song, a lament for a marriage as cold as "For No One" and considerably more acerbic. The refrain is the wife saying to her oafish husband, "Look what you've done to me, I'm just your mistress and maid." On the recorded version, on McCartney's Off the Ground, the song was overproduced and Paul sang it like a lip-smacking movie villain, as if worried that people might miss the point. Singing it stripped down with Costello, McCartney held back and in doing so made the lyric much more powerful. Scarier, too. | ||
"For No One" and considerably more acerbic. The refrain is the wife saying | |||
to her oafish husband, "Look what you've done to me, I'm just your mistress | |||
and maid." On the recorded version, on McCartney's Off the Ground, the song | |||
was overproduced and Paul sang it like a lip-smacking movie villain, as if | |||
worried that people might miss the point. Singing it stripped down with | |||
Costello, McCartney held back and in doing so made the lyric much more | |||
powerful. Scarier, too. | |||
"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. | "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. | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
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 be a music lover! | ||
operating at the same time...[long list of big names] What a great time to be a music lover! | |||
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. | 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. |
Latest revision as of 00:11, 7 June 2019
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