February 07, 2005

• Paul gave a great performance. It was like watching the Beatles in their prime. I have seen him on TV many times and he never really seemed to rock out. He sure did tonight.
• Wow, are you his publicist? A saw a sad old man, involved in a jingoistic, clownish spectacle for a country he isnt even a from (a xountry I temorarily wished i wasnt from during the pregame bullshit) His voice didnt sound too too bad, assuming he wasnt lip-synching. The simple idea that he would perform "Live and Let Die" as one of his greatest songs is emabrassing all by itself. John Lennon is surely rolling over in his grave.
• You are a bit harsh, drjimmy. It is not like the Beatles never did anything that was motivated by money. I think that Paul McCartney and "Hey Jude" is one of the only combinations that could cut the music and be sure that they would get a sing-along from an impartial audience. That crowd was not there for a Paul McCartney concert. That was a feat I think very few could pull off.
• Perhaps I am a bit harsh but I am defending Paul's talent in the other SB thread. I have little problem with people doing things for money, I do it all the time. However I consider the Superbowl as a whole to basically be a jingoistic pro US-Military/Bush fest. The Beatles never played a Nixon fundraiser.
• drjimmy - I once read a fantastic essay positing the Superbowl as capitalism's equivalent of those North Korean stadium spectaculars, only slightly tongue in cheek. Can't find it online unforunately.
• Ah, geeze. Bush doesn't put on the superbowl. The superbowl is not a Bush fundraiser. It's just a well paid venue for the performers, and I'm sure they try to find something to play that will make each half of audience happy enough that they won't go out and trash the other half, depending on who loses. (Yeah, I'm not a sports fan.) And, bernockle, certainly they weren't there for a McCartney concert. That appearance was just something to cover the interim between the main courses. It might be sad that the last Beatle has sunk to that, but, hey, it was just a football game. I think you'd all do better to save your angst for things that are really important.
• So... was it Jeff Beck playing guitar?
• I don't think it was Jeff Beck. The guy looked much younger, and besides, Beck is never that restrained. I did think the drummer looked like Mick Fleetwood, though.
• It didn't looked to me like Sir Paul actually playd his own guitar: he clutched the neck in one vaguely chord-like grip and strummed nervously at the top two strings (sorry I don't play so I can't be more specific), but I'd be surprised if it was even turned on. I'm also not sure if he did his own singing while he stood there, as the big microphone was right in front of his mouth and the lead vocals sounded too much like the (now remastered I'm sure) studio versions from 30 years ago or more ago; his voice sounded much older when he performed for the Queen. He might however have actually played the piano for "Live & Let Die". At least they didn't trot out another aspiring starlet. But couldn't they have found somebody not quite as "classic"? A star from the early '80s maybe? And why does McCartney bother? Path, whaddaya mean "the last Beatle"? Ringo's still alive; he's even got his own web site. (Am I the only person around without a web site, blog, or online journal?)
• I think you'd all do better to save your angst for things that are really important. As near as I can tell my angst reserves will not run out anytime in my liftime, so there is no need to conserve them. And if it does start to run low, I can fuel my posts with one of those new angst/smarminess hybrids. Seriously though, it was just something to talk about- not going to keep me awake tonight. From a musical POV, this kind of performance cant possibly be good. They set up so quickly, and since musical flourishes are coordinated with things like fireworks, at least some of it almost has to be pre-recorded to make it go right. In short, it's a "show" and not a musical performance.
• Paul's a bassist, and it looked to me like he was indeed playing, albeit not particularly creatively. Bassists can get away with using only the top 2 strings depending on the key of the song in question. He was, however, singing over a recorded track of his own voice. (Very obvious on the first song, where he was slightly out of tune with the recording so you could hear the disonance.)
• paul is indeed a bassist... most of the time... if you recall the first time he performed for the queen, he played an acoustic guitar while singing "yesterday"...
• Bassists can get away with using only the top 2 strings depending on the key of the song in question. Would you be meaning the two closest strings to the top of the neck? Because they are the lowest ones, and the lowest ones sound the best. /bass player
• Those top strings way up there on the headstock attached to the tuner? Hmm... no matter how much I loosen them they just go "plink plink plink".
• If you can't tell the difference between the headstock and the neck, your sound will definitely suck. You will also have the very fuck of a time tuning up, which is a big drag considering this could be so easily sorted out.
• It does look like Jeff Beck, the Guitar is a Gibson ES 335, and Paul is really playing.
• it wasn't Jeff Beck. why have Beck there without mentioning "Jeff Beck on guitar!".. also, why pay Beck to play, when a young session guitarist will play exactly what you tell him to for a fraction of the price? and while there was some augmentation going on with the voice, he was actually singing, not lip-synching.
• Eh, I pretty much automatically lose respect for anyone who plays the SB halftime show. It's crap, it's always been crap. It's about garish spectacle, and has nothing to do with quality or talent. I don't know how anyone can possibly expect a quality performance in this venue. The SB halftime show is to actual music what Branson is to New Orleans.
• However I consider the Superbowl as a whole to basically be a jingoistic pro US-Military/Bush fest. Yea, I was kind of curious what the image of the Statue of Liberty had to do with "Hey Jude".
• Except when Aerosmith totally RAWKED "Walk this Way" with Britney Spears and N'Sync! OMG that was AWESOME! Totally solidified Aerosmith's place as keeping it TROO TO DA RAWK! Seriously, somebody get Tyler and Perry some heroin, STAT.
• I loved that show actually - it rekindled my love for Her Majestic Britneyness. Sad, but true.
• Actually, I would not be the least surprised if Aerosmith and Kiss opened up their own Branson theaters.
• housepig has it - Beck wouldn't play without it being well-promoted that he was playing. SB halftime is always death for whoever does it. Which is why I was happy that Paul did a great job. No, I don't knw what the Statue of Liberty had to do with anything - it was a little Rah Rah USA for me. Paul's contributions to the bass guitar are practically unrivaled. Holy shit the man can play. Of course he was yesterday, although the point is practically moot. The pre-game tribute to heroes was well intentioned and well done but misplaced. It's a game you head-crunching women-objectivizing corporate stooges. Yeah "Live and Let Die" was pretty weird. WTF? Why not "Maybe I'm Amazed" like the SB bumpers had?
• I once read a fantastic essay positing the Superbowl as capitalism's equivalent of those North Korean stadium spectaculars, only slightly tongue in cheek. When the people in the stands held up the cardboard signs to spell out "Nah Nah Nah Nah" (in patriotic Red White & Blue no less!) as Hey Jude was playing, I commented to my Brother in Law that someone at Fox either had a really wicked sense of ironic humor...or that this country may now officially be considered irretrievably damned and lost to the jingoist barbarians...
• I think that was just lighting that spelled out Nah Nah Nah.
• no it was signs alright. But it was "Na" not "Nah". The latter being more taunting. Not that it wasn't already pretty taunting.
• taunting to whom?
• May I throw another angle here that I'm left wondering about? I agree that Hey Jude is a remarkable anthem type song to choose. It seems to have a unifying effect in all languages and parts of the world. Especially as sung by the master himself. Those live appearances shall in many people's lifetime, be just long-ago memories. / which leaves me wondering who exactly made such shrewd use of the choicest piece of prime air-time...as opposed to Janet's breast. I was left repelled by the thought of Sir Paul being hired by anyone. Why would a musician of his status do such? / wonders about Freudian relationship signifying his wife, somehow. If he chose to give a concert and make lots of money, who'd think twice about it? So is there something strange or just different here? Is there some difference between an artist making lots of money from his own devices as opposed to just accepting a job? *shakes head* I wonder why he would publically associate himself and his persona with an activity that contravenes the initial spirit of the '60's. Perhaps it's all because I've simply never sat through wathing a football game in my life. I really have to get out and about more, it seems. And thanks for the Ringo link as my Dad grew up in Liverpool and it's been a long time since I've heard that exact accent. What a fun second trip down memory lane from this one FPP.
• What IS "Hey Jude" ABOUT anyway? Years ago I read it was meant to subliminally turn white boys into heroin addicts.
• "hey Jude" was written for John's son Julian (was orginally "Hey Jules") to comfort him about his parents' divorce, i think. Of course, an anecdote about the author's inpsiration doesnt literally tell you what a song is "about," at the end of the day it's about whatever the listener wants to think it's about. Never heard the heroin thing, but "Happiness is a warm Gun" is rather clearly about smack.
• I wonder why he would publically associate himself and his persona with an activity that contravenes the initial spirit of the '60's How so? Football is just a game. I see nothing wrong with Paul playing the Super Bowl half-time show. From what I hear, people of all ages enjoyed it, so it was a perfect choice. Much better than Janet & Justin, anyway
• drjimmy: I heard a Lennon interview where he said he said someone had shown him an advertisement in a gun magazine that had the very words "Happiness is a warm gun" (as in just having been fired) and he was so shocked by the sentiment that he wrote a song around it.
• "I wonder why he would publically associate himself and his persona with an activity that contravenes the initial spirit of the '60's" How so? Football contains lots of elements of violence, a directive to dominate others, a culture of misogyny, might makes right, etc. But hey, 74 million audience is right up Paul's alley & always was. "Everybody's Got Something To Hide (Except Me and My Monkey)" always struck me as more about smack than HIAWG, although now that you mention it I can see it. "Having just shot something" heh.
• And to add on to petebest's comment, in recent years the Super Bowl halftime show has been pretty much a jingoism-fest. Appearing in it indicates implicit endorsement of the sentiments prevalent in it, of course. But I don't understand why any of this is a surprise after Paul's Super Bowl appearance of a couple of years ago, during which he sang his post-9/11 Freedom song, which may very well be the worst song ever written -- which I'd say negates half the points he got for his many good songs, in the great-artist hall of fame vote.
• I mean, come on: Even back in the 60s, the kids knew that Paul was the cheeseball of the group.
• Football contains lots of elements of violence, a directive to dominate others, a culture of misogyny, might makes right, etc. Oh... My... God. It's not P.C. to even like football anymore. *gives up*
• Does that mean rugby is bad too? I'm so screwed.
• Not only that, but it's discriminatory against paraplegics, quadruple amputees, and "little people." And I'm not sure about this, but I've heard that differently-abled sand crabs are discouraged from playing. So there you go.
• Actually, I agree with the sentiment that Sir Paul never succeded as a solo artist. Everything he did on his own was either cliqued or a reminisent of old Beatle rythms and themes, IMO. I had no idea he had done this before. Maybe I should watch something other than the parades on special days. / I really have to get out more...
• tracicle: Rugby is still good, because you don't wear pads or a helmet. If American football is reminiscent of military conflict, rugby is reminiscent of schoolyard snowball fights.
• I heard a Lennon interview where he said he said someone had shown him an advertisement in a gun magazine that had the very words "Happiness is a warm gun" (as in just having been fired) and he was so shocked by the sentiment that he wrote a song around it. If memory serves, and I need to double check my source, but the magazine was "American Rifleman" and John Lennon leafed through it while in a barber shop in the U.S. One of the editors, Alan Weber, needed to come up with a catchy title for some writer's one-page reminisce about growing up and learning how to hunt and shoot with the writer's dad. It was a heartfelt if syrupy piece noting that this was a wonderful part of the author's growing up and his connection with his dad. Alan was appropriately inspired to come up with a somewhat silly title--hey, this is the fun part of being an editor!--and so he wrote down: Head: "Happiness is a Warm Gun" Subhead: "Potting Poultry with Pops Provides Pleasant Memories" (I'm less sure of the subhead, will confirm). "Happiness is a warm gun" fit the space available perfectly and Alan, pleased with his little zinger, went on to the next article and thought no more about it. Unbeknownst to him, a certain world-famous muscician came across his humorous title and was, not surprisingly, shocked. (Ironically, Alan spent some considerable time working for UPI in England after WWII, and so was not unaware of British culture and the comparative lack of a gun/hunting mania). When word got back to Alan, he was suitably tickled, though I don't think he ever tried to contact Mr. Lennon. He simply retold the story to me many years later (in 2000, to be precise) and produced the now weathered clipping of the article in question to my astonished eyes. As I say, I need to confirm some of the details with Alan--and I'm long overdue to catch up with him.
• neat!
• And rugby got way cooler sometime in the past couple of decades when they started allowing the props to launch the locks high in the air during lineouts.
• It's not whether sports are PC or not, since they really shouldn't be even defined by such parametres, IMO. It's the fact that he has somehow 'rolled over' on the whole spirit of long ago, when the Beatles and Stones were so symbolic of change to a different life philosphy, to me. I don't like hockey, either, to my eternal Canadian shame, I'm made to understand by many. I watched a whole baseball game on television, once. That was when Canada won the world Series. I always like George, myself, although he didn't do so hot as a solo artist either. Actually, I preferred it when they were all together and we were not so judgmental. *whimsically remembers stoned and braless days*
• Don't fool yourself. Those records weren't free. And all four Beatles lived in mansions. "Was it a millionaire who said 'imagine no possessions'?" - Elvis Costello
• Q - What's the difference between a bassist and a rhino that's just eaten a tin of baked beans? A - One's a huge useless thing that makes a deep farting noise and the other is a rhino.