What would the Beatles sound like today? With two gone, and the others aged, is it even a valid question? Since the great songwriting and great singing were two of the bulwarks of the iconic band, perhaps the talented Dominic Fike could provide the fresher voice to Paul McCartney’s recent composition-“The Kiss of Venus”.
If this is performance is any indication, the Beatles great singing and songwriting aspect of the formula still works! The singing and songwriting are superb, the bass suitably groovy and the guitar quite strong. Perhaps the one main difference here is the absence of Ringo’s typical loose-in-a-good-way approach.
In an age where people WATCH music as much as they LISTEN to it, is McCartney still be able to be forward-thinking in terms of fashion or visual arts? McCartney’s “Who Cares?”, featuring Emma Stone is visually striking and poses a variety of situations where internal mental challenges become visualized and worked out.
This seems affirmative to the question, “Could a Beatle possibly contend with the visually-oriented artists of the music of today?” Paul McCartney was ever on the threshold of the avant-guard and quick to make visual statements of fashion and design beyond the associations of the visual artists prominent in his life such as best-friend and art student John Lennon, wife and photographer Linda McCartney and daughter and fashion designer Stella McCartney.
It seems that the future received a Beatle that was still musically needed! After all, it was Paul’s impetus that had guided the Sgt. Pepper album concept and it was he who almost singlehandedly initiated The Magical Mystical Tour-(An Experimental Beatles Film Tour/Album). (Was this the ancestor of Reality TV?) Not to mention the incredible design of his numerous solo projects and efforts on behalf of the group, Wings.
But what about the increasingly “song & dance” aspect of much contemporary popular music, increasingly dependent on choreography? Nowadays, EVERYONE has to move. If Elvis didn’t get the point across, successive waves of artists from Prince to Bruno Mars have.
Enter McCartney again, who creates his own dance routine and choreographers developed techniques and technology to mimic what he had improvised in his official video “My Ever Present Past”.
Or possiblyNote the ever-present ringing ‘G’ repeated throughout and the many reminders of one romance he had with famous actress and redhead, Jane Asher as but two persistent reminders of his indefatigable past. Zeus may refer to Linda, and the story of her life produced by Zeus films. (Perhaps the two initial busts of Zeus indicate Mr. McCartney’s two great loves/friendships with her and John Lennon, that may have partially attempted to fill the void after the death of his mother, Mary. Zeus, John, Linda & Paul were all (at least partially), raised without a mother. In this video, the second Paul may be finally seeing himself through his own eyes, instead of through the eyes of John, Linda, Jane or even his role as a Beatle.)
Are the urns representative of crematory urns for John and George?
Using the technique pioneered by impressionist painter Claude Monet of examining the same subject under different conditions, some exhibited photographs-(a possible references to first wife, Linda), feature depictions of guitars, and A H and-as in “I Want To hold Your Hand! The audio tracks seem to be clearly divided with a Lennon like rhythm guitar track panned left and a melodic guitar accompaniment a la Harrison panned right while the ever-present clock ticks away the present into even more past. An incomplete torsos may have another reference to his second wife, and there is very interesting re-arrangement of statuary. Even George Martin receives a nod as McCartney includes a sped up piano track which is reminiscent of the harpsichord-like sound from the “In My Life” recording. Even the drum used is a doppelgänger of Ringo’s iconic set.
The intrinsic thread of the visual artist surfaces in this somewhat surreal video which takes place in a gallery, and combines elements of multiple McCartneys seeming to reflect a dream-like state of self-examination. At the end, Paul McCartney’s pose is reminiscent of the sculpture commonly known as The Thinker by August Rodin. (Is this an invitation to ponder, through art?)
Did McCartney Save the Super Bowl Halftime Shows? Knowing that Little Richard befriended the Beatles and especially loved Paul, you can hear the echo of the man they call the “Architect” of Rock ‘n’ Roll” re-emerge at various time throughout the entire history of McCartney’s career. One of my favorites: While it was Michael Jackson who re-invented the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 1993, and Prince who Perfected it in 2007, Prince could not have done so without a little help from God in the form of the natural special effects of lightning and rain AND Paul McCartney who may have saved the very existence of Super Bowl Halftime Shows in 2005! Who else but McCartney could guarantee a grand-slam, professional, half-time solo performance after the Timberlake/Janet Jackson controversy? Does anyone else echos of Little Richard in the doo, doo, doo doo of Baby You Can Drive my Car?
APPRECIATE: A MASTERPIECE OF AN INTEGRATED PERSON, ARTIST AND GRANDFATHER
McCartney’s ten-year-old collaboration with Microsoft, Appreciate, combines his fully-human approach to art, while being forward-thinking at the same time.
0:12 the date is 31 August 3116, as a Robot/AI has enters the Museum of Man. The implication seems to be that mankind is no longer extant. (How could this be? How could it have happened? Did Robots attack? Or did mankind simply discard and ignore everything human?)
0:33 The first exhibit we see in the museum is a table where a mother and her two children seem to be praying to God. Is the Robot/AI seeking his creator in the Museum of Man, just as those humans depicted are pictured are seeking their Creator in prayer? Please note: There is no man.
0:38 reveals a puppet-master who seems to be dressed from the late 1800’s; 0:43 featured bisections of the brain of man, this “dual-core processor” to which the Robot/Ai can presumably relate and may even admire.
0:56 features senior citizens playing cards. Is there a conception of time, games or even growing old amongst Robot/AI? Do AI suffer from not having to measure their days… Aspects of the panorama exhibits in the video seem to echo other great visual art works such as the painting Nighthawks, by Edward Hooper.
0:58 depicts the pleasures of working together, as a boss dictates to his secretary who uses a typing machines. Again the machines which led to the computer are present, perhaps shown here alongside a job or two the AI may have replaced, and more pleasures they cannot seem to enjoy-in this case scotch and soda. The relationship and fascination of mankind with machines and devices that led to the Robot/AI is a theme throughout: typewriters, musical instruments, cameras, etc.
1:19 As the Robot/AI from the future approaches the McCartney exhibit, the bass guitar speaks to it first! Machine to machine. Then McCartney becomes animated, and sets down his old mechanical friend for a moment to meet a new one.
One imagines the transition of mankind losing their humanity that McCartney, now a grandfather and even possibly great-grandfather may have for seen as a possibility. “Lift up your head in the middle of a crisis” McCartney seems to sing to both the Robot/AI and to the display of three young boys playing video games on a couch. Could one of the boys have had their avatar die during a video game like ‘Call of Duty’? And now have to re-enter reality as he waits for his friends to die in the virtual world? “You don’t have to give it all away”. sings McCartney- Is he referring to their humanity? “When you’re left for dead in the middle of a crisis; you must appreciate.”
2:10 The Robot/AI and McCartney clasp hands, and McCartney attempts to pull the Robot/AI into the past, but as the Robot/AI brings McCartney into this person-less dystopia as he sings, “There’s something there, but you’re fighting to invite it. Beware of pushing it away”. Later, McCartney intones, “be certain you don’t fight it; you must appreciate.” If the future seems to promise a trans-human immortality, McCartney’s art and music say no thanks! Better a short time with the joys and pleasures of humanity, than to be locked in a shell which cannot die or feel.
As the ‘bridge’ (or second melody), is sung the amount of ‘white-noise’ or ‘machine-noise’ elevates, as if the machines themselves are contributing as well. McCartney remarked that he turned the amp up as much as possible, and very lightly touched the guitar. He said something to the effect that it almost gave the impression of the guitar playing itself! This, and all the small choices of this genius and his associates, make the work remarkable.
McCartney seems to be teaching the Robot/Ai to dance throughout, and the bridge sees the humans in the exhibit spring to life in dance as well. Cards are abandoned by the seniors, work by the boss and secretary, and even a photoshoot is interrupted. Cameras are another device on the road to the Robot/AI; do AI appreciate a beautiful photo or model? A boy makes a soccer ball dance between his feet as the puppet dances for its master. Closer examination shows the elderly card players aided by oxygen, walkers and canes-devices and machines.
“Lift up your head, and remember what your life is; don’t have to give it all way”, McCartney intones as you realize almost everyone with a smart phone needs the advice–lift up your head!
3:56 The second-to-last exhibit is revealed, as people relax and eat at a diner. Can Robot/AI enjoy taste and smell? Companionship? Or is it just another pleasure lacking? Were all of these lost human activities crowded out by technology?
In the last exhibit, two men prize fight. Do Robot/AI struggle? Fight? Experience victory? Defeat? Consequence? As the two guitar solos end the song, McCartney’s Aston Martin DB6 appears, another allusion to human attachment to our machines. The young boys on the couch playing video games get into a pillow fight as they abandon the virtual for the real. Perhaps, they finally appreciate!
BEATLES GENIUS LOCI THREE: Great Instrumental Musicianship All The Right Heroes. While tastes may change, I sometimes wonder what would happen if, at the snap of a finger, each Beatle turned into the artist that influenced them most. In my mind, it goes something like this: John Lennon becomes Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry, George Harrison-Carl Perkins & Paul becomes Little Richard-wooo! (Now you know where he got it!). Ringo, of course; stays Ringo.
If each Beatle turned into their SECOND musical hero at a second snap of the fingers, I believe that McCartney’s would be an instrumentalist and not a vocalist. As bass player developing into one of the most influential bass clef instrumentalists of the 20th Century-McCartney has citedJames Jamerson as his bass-playing inspiration.
Jameson was the iconic bass player from Motown who rewrote the book on the bass line as a countermelody instrument, surpassing all previous recorded bass clef players. Consider that many of your favorite Motown hits, from the Diana Ross & The Supremes to Smokey Robison & The Miracles, have Jamerson’s bass playing in common. Take into account that, while the European-oriented musician may prize expressive phrasing to unite the harmonies and melodies emphasized in much of their music, the AMERICAN musician often prizes FEEL-the rhythmic equivalent to melodic phrasing, as the highest order of musical sophistication in combining melodic and rhythmic elements.
In this, Jamerson reigns supreme, while adding unbelievably fresh rhythmic variety and complexity within the overarching balance of each song. Please note how Jamerson also masters what sometimes escapes otherwise sensitive musicians-the rhythmic release and attention to detail for the RIGHT hand side of each note, (& not only the left)!
A mere few miraculous James Jamerson bass-line gems would include: “I Was Made to Lover Her” with Stevie Wonder; “Bernadette” with The Four Tops; “What’s Going On?” with Marvin Gaye; “Someone Who Needs Me” with Stevie Wonder.
McCartney becomes a near-equal to Jamerson in crafting incredibly artistic and popular bass-lines. As one of the headliners who had incredible influence over writing and the recording process, McCartney used his advantage to allow the bass to become a signature sound for the Beatles, and was said to have often recorded his bass direct and/or last to increase the presence of the instrument on the recorded ‘takes’. Perhaps, McCartney’s bass-lines also become so melodic, because he began to conceive of them as more vocal, and approached them through singing. Hear McCartney SING the Bass lone is this recording from THE WHITE ALBUM-I Will!
An obvious Paul McCartney base-line masterpiece was for the Harrison composition Something from the Abbey Road album. This incredible example of linear harmony nearly stands on its own as a musical composition. At times, it is reminiscent of the incredibly melodic, yet accompanimental bass-lines such as those found in the “Air on a ‘G’ String” by J. S. Bach or other selections by classical composers.
In You Never Give Me your Money, there seem to be two recorded McCartney bass lines, and the beginning features a bass solo which adds interest while staying out of the way. Eventually, a second, more traditionally supportive bass-line is added above the beautiful “Lead-bass” solo that adds beautifully improvised ideas and variety without distracting from the pats above. In some respects, it is reminiscent of the solo-like piano accompaniments that noted jazz pianist for Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, used to craft for Billie Holiday on many of her great recordings.
In terms of the most imitated and complimented instrumentalists from amongst the Beatles, it is definitely Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. While admitting to less competition on bass as compared to drum set, one could imagine scenarios where McCartney eventually outpaced Starr as the most influential instrumentalist of the four Beatles.
Paper Back Writer was also a number one hit, and would have been relevant to almost everyone of the day who had access to a radio. For me, the first bass-line in a Beatles composition that embraced the mandorla of both popularity and artistic significance was Paper Back Writer. It, and the somewhat less popular Rain seem to best grasp the idea of syncopation and slightly-swung sixteenth notes. And your Bird Can Sing is in a similar vein of intention. All three recordings were part of the ground-breaking album REVOLVER.
(In Ragtime and Funk, the feel varied from a feel of a division of 4 to almost a swung unequal division of 6 divisions per beat (2/6, 1/6, 2/6, 1/6). Paper Back Writer also has that loose-in-a-good-way feel and singing approach where McCartney’s bass-line is right on the beat, but seems to surf through the notes rather than carrying the weight of the responsibility for each beat in a box-truck
Both McCartney and Starr are of central primacy to the third Loci of Genius for the Beatles-GROOVE! While the fabulous vocals of Lennon and McCartney got the group into the door, and their songwriting made the Beatles the most successful songwriters of the 20th century, each successive remix turns up the groove laid down by McCartney and Starr in recognition of an equal genius of instrumental excellence.
BALANCING SIMPLICITY AND COMPLEXITY
Like Tchaikovsky, Ellington and other artists before them, The Beatles masterfully managed the delicate balance between simplicity and complexity. Encouraged by their producer George Martin, and left with gaps of content due to the non-traditional lead guitar role invented by Harrison, typical Beatles recordings seem to add something new to each restatement of an idea. A second voice, a new instrument, a changed groove. Track to track, the contrast of timbral palettes is often refreshing, not to mention grooves and harmonic approaches.
As a result, the recordings of Beatles rarely even approach the border of too-simple or redundant, BUT when ever one sees the horizon of such a border ahead, almost miraculously, Starr or McCartney will add a slightly different twist to their parts, often taking turns-as if through intense listening, highly honed chamber music skills, ESP or a combination of all three! Starr and McCartney are the third genius loci of the Beatles, and this third loci is as important as any of the other aspects of the tremendous success of the Beatles.
c. 2024 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved
PS, I LOVE YOU!
Find your own favorite Beatles Bass Lines! A great number of people love: Come Together, Think For Yourself, Day Tripper, Hey Bulldog, Dear Prudence, I Want You/She’s So Heavy!
Most session/regular bass players would try to enhance songs with their bass playing. Jamerson, McCartney and Carol Kaye (of “The Wrecking Crew”-the famed Los Angeles studio session band), were among the best. Because McCartney was a composer in general and often THE composer of the music he recorded, he often used the bass as an element which would support the other musical aspects present in the recording or composition.
SPOILER: The Robot/AI in the music video Appreciate is a puppet. (And a darn good one!)
Editor’s note: This article was getting so long, that the editorial decision was made to break it into two parts, perhaps to be joined at some future point. Part of the credit goes to the ever industrious and multi-faceted Paul McCartney. One of the less-often mentioned attributes of genius is INDUSTRY, and that genius is often inauthentic, unless frequently applied.
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THE END NOT Paul on Bass…