Lennon/McCartney

[Sir Stewart]

The four of them (taken broadly, as caricatures) have distinct personalities that each view life from disparate points. Taken together, they become a pastiche of ways to deal with life. I think that's what makes them to appealing as characters.

Paul: driven to succeed with optimism as fuel

John: acerbic wit that helps cope with the insanity of the world

George: humble quietude in deference to all we do not know

Ringo: happy-go-lucky, let the chips fall where they may

And of course there's peace and love, which they all feed off of.

[MattZ]

It's funny too (might as well drudge up everything about them) that in regards to their wives, John talked a lot about love love love, but Paul really lived it.

 

I know what you are getting at, but I think that's a bit of an overstatement. Obviously, you don't mean it literally, but John lived those bed-ins and War Is Over and Two Virgins and NYC. Sure, there were lost weekends, and Cynthia/Julian, but there was a lot of love love love on Double Fanstasy. I think the guy was just messed up in the head, but I think he was crazy about Yoko and Sean.

[Sir Stewart]

I guess what I'm saying is that's it's sexier to talk about love love love than it is to live it. Paul was (as far as I know) 100% committed to Linda. How great was Lennon's love for Yoko that he needed May Pang?

[MattZ]

I guess what I'm saying is that's it's sexier to talk about love love love than it is to live it. Paul was (as far as I know) 100% committed to Linda. How great was Lennon's love for Yoko that he needed May Pang?

 

Yeah, I hear you. That's what I meant by lost weekends (obviously, more than a weekend). I can't answer that (fair) question.

[WilcoFan]

I think people viewed Lennon as the more cool/cosmic Beatle. But to me there's no doubt that McCartney did a lot more than just help on other people's songs. From what I've read, McCartney was basically pulling the whole cart around the time of Abbey Road. And I think it's pretty obvious the Beatles was his band at that point.

 

p.s. I've always like McCartney's voice over just about any other musician. It's all subjective.

[Sir Stewart]

Yeah, I hear you. That's what I meant by lost weekends (obviously, more than a weekend). I can't answer that (fair) question.

 

You know the James Lipton/Actors Studio question 'what would you want to hear St. Peter say as you approach the pearly gates?' I'm thinking "Hey we're talking about The Beatles over here, wanna join us?"

[Guest Speed Racer]

I guess what I'm saying is that's it's sexier to talk about love love love than it is to live it. Paul was (as far as I know) 100% committed to Linda. How great was Lennon's love for Yoko that he needed May Pang?

 

I think John Lennon had tons of love, so much so that he wasn't sure what to do with it. I don't mean that in any sort of romantic sense, but he was clearly impulsive and a bit wonky when it came to commitment and monogomy, but I would almost be more inclined to say that he didn't know how to maintain a relationship like that more than I would say he didn't want to maintain a monogamous and committed relationship to any of his lovers or children. I think it's far too simplistic to say that he didn't live the "love love love" that he preached simply because he wasn't faithful.

 

But Paul and Linda? Yes, that was love. I'd be happy in life to have a relationship half as fulfilling as that one.

[mpolak21]

As far as who-wrote-what, this site is pretty good as a database of interview quotes: http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/index2.html

I'd wager Analogman has a link or two regarding this question.

 

I think there's only disagreement on In My Life (McCartney says he wrote part of it) and Eleanor Rigby.

 

Everything started with the Beatles for me, they were the first band I remember listening to as a young kid, I became particularly obsessed with them and their music when I was about eleven. They both have written so many songs that I have connected with it's almost impossible for me to favor one of the other. It really depends on the day or the mood, whether I need to hear Across The Universe or Hey Jude or Penny Lane or A Day in the Life. Their best albums for me are the most balanced ones between John and Paul, and later George (this is perhaps why most of my exposure to their solo albums has come from creating "fantasy" 70's solo albums mix tapes and alternating between my favorite tracks of theirs), and most of my favorite songs of theirs each had a hand in writing or arranging.

 

I have always had a soft spot for Paul. Even his shitty solo songs I think I probably secretly like, and I really loved Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard and Electric Arguments (the last Fireman record). He's had some missteps (wanting to switch the credits to McCartney/Lennon, Give My Regards To Broad Street, Heather Mills, etc.), but I just think he's not extremely self-aware which all the copious amounts of money he has/pot he's smoked will do to you. Lennon was always way too cool for me to even think I could be like, but I always related a little more to Paul.

 

Somewhere around 1972, Lennon became a more interesting personality than an actual songwriter. I'll watch every documentary ever made or read every book ever written about the man, but I really have no desire to ever listen to Mind Games in its entirety again.

 

George's solo albums that I have seem to be the most consistent of all three of them, but I must admit there are some holes in my collection. With his material I think he could have easily fronted a lot of other great sixties bands, and he was the third guy in the Beatles.

 

I do not own any solo Ringo releases, I do have several of his Shining Time Stations on VHS.

 

--Mike

[Analogman]

According to some books about Paul I have read, he was a pretty cold person emotionally. As I have said before, it is interesting to read some of those books, and then read the one he authorized to be published.

[mpolak21]

You know the James Lipton/Actors Studio question 'what would you want to hear St. Peter say as you approach the pearly gates?' I'm thinking "Hey we're talking about The Beatles over here, wanna join us?"

 

When I was 13, my grandmother asked me what I wanted to do as a career and I said I wanted to be Mark Lewisohn. I am not sure where or why I went astray .

 

--Mike

[mpolak21]

Most agree that Lennon was the superior lyricist and was "cooler" in his rock n' roll sensiblities.

 

McCartney chews carrots and celery as the rhythm track for The Beach Boys Vegetables, it doesn't get much cooler than that.

 

--Mike

[Guest Jules]

There are French rock magazines?

[MattZ]

You know the James Lipton/Actors Studio question 'what would you want to hear St. Peter say as you approach the pearly gates?' I'm thinking "Hey we're talking about The Beatles over here, wanna join us?"

 

Couldn't have said it better, and I won't try.

[Guest Jules]

Sounds like a great thread idea.

[Sir Stewart]

There are French rock magazines?

[learnhowtosteer]

You answered your own question.

 

Also, try imagining any of those songs without Ringo or George.

Bottom line is, it took 4 to make The Beatles. NONE of them alone did anything even close to approaching what they did together. The closest we got to The Beatles from the various solo projects is:

George - All Things Must Pass

John - Imagine

Paul - Band on the Run

 

But even those amazing albums pale in comparison to even the weakest of The Beatles' offerings.

 

What about Ringo's 'Sentimental Journey'?

[learnhowtosteer]

hmm. well, i don't think paul has made a good album in many many years (flowers in the dirt is alright - but nothing overly special - and that's where it ends as far as making goodish music is concerned). so when the general public discuss paul today, it's all about his public life. you'd be hard pressed to find anything cool or good about that. he's a figure of fun for marrying heather mills and turning up to the opening of a letter if he thinks it'll make him look cool. saying all this - i prefer paul in the beatles, and also prefer his solo career up until the mid to late 70s - eventhough plastic ono band wins out for favourite solo beatles album. if john lennon had not been shot the odds are he'd have died of some kind of drug abuse or other, gone shit like paul, or miracle or miracles had a few comebacks like bob dylan and still be capable of making good music - but the odds on the last one are pretty slim judging from the friends he hung around with when he was alive, and what yoko ono is like now.

 

you ought to check out 'chaos and creation in the backyard' from 2005. Nigel Godrich produced. it is beautiful stuff, not your usual sappy mccartney fare.

[Moss]

McCartney chews carrots and celery as the rhythm track for The Beach Boys Vegetables, it doesn't get much cooler than that.

 

--Mike

 

He did the same thing with the Super Furry Animals, chewing celery as well.

 

I love "Coming Up", I love "With a little luck", hell, I even love "Silly love songs". I don't think you have to be a Paul guy or a John guy. I don't think Paul has ever been clownish. He's written the most amazing songs and he's written complete crap. That's going to happen when you right songs for 50 years. Imagine being in the public eye at that level of fame for that long and not becoming a complete douchebag. It rarely happens. I'm pretty much the guy that likes and gets along with everyone so I identify with Paul a bit more maybe but damn, Dear Prudence, Tomorrow never knows, you don't get better than that.

 

As usual, I'm non-commital and I can't pick a favorite.

[LouieB]

Apropos of nothing....In My Life is a great great song, but I believe it was mostly written by John.

 

LouieB

[Sir Stewart]

Apropos of nothing....In My Life is a great great song, but I believe it was mostly written by John.

 

LouieB

 

I realize you noted it was apropos of nothing, but where did this come from? In My Life is pretty well known as John's...

[Synthesizer Patel]

you ought to check out 'chaos and creation in the backyard' from 2005. Nigel Godrich produced. it is beautiful stuff, not your usual sappy mccartney fare.

 

i have heard it, but i didn't like it. i just think he's well past his best - and with the way he lives his life, i can't see him ever being any good again.

[Dude]

At some point in my musical journeys, I came to the realization that even the silliest, most inane McCartney songs have great melodies. This was probably midway through 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey', when I stopped groaning at how unbelievably corny it was - and the good Lord knows that song is corny - and instead started singing along with it.

 

Once you get past that, you can see the charms of even the weaker McCartney material.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

As far as who-wrote-what, this site is pretty good as a database of interview quotes: http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/index2.html

I'd wager Analogman has a link or two regarding this question.

 

thanks for sharing that link. interesting stuff. i burned my afternoon at work yesterday reading though a bunch of it.

[Guest Speed Racer]

He's written the most amazing songs and he's written complete crap.

 

Doesn't mean he had to release the crap, though. He could have released probably half as many post-Beatle albums, minus the duds, and still been wildly successful. That says to me he maybe didn't know they were crap when he wrote/released them, or he just wanted to get the product out. Eh, like I said, his public personality just bothers me, and releasing the crappy stuff is part of that persona.

[Synthesizer Patel]

At some point in my musical journeys, I came to the realization that even the silliest, most inane McCartney songs have great melodies. This was probably midway through 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey', when I stopped groaning at how unbelievably corny it was - and the good Lord knows that song is corny - and instead started singing along with it.

 

Once you get past that, you can see the charms of even the weaker McCartney material.

 

That's a brilliant song. I don't think there is anything corny about that at all - it's just got some humour to it - like The Bonzo Dog Band or something. He has definately written some corny songs though - which i like (silly love songs, and even wonderful christmas time). At some point, however, his corny songs just became 'corny' and nothing more.