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I don't want to start a major war, since so many Beatles adorers lurk here, but does anyone else

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Posted on November 4, 2009 at 17:59:41
tinear
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 feel that Paul's output, in the main (excepting that strawberry album, perhaps) lapsed into sugar-coated cutie pop?
Or that John was trying ultra-hard to have an edge but the knife was pretty dull at that point of the break up?
I think their solo work is great evidence of how they smashed together to bring out the best in both. Too many collaborations do the opposite: the worst emerges.
Too bad they couldn't hold it together for awhile longer, both had the energy (and George and Ringo obviously had lots more to add, too).
I guess the point I'm trying for is to express disappointment that the parts were terribly inferior to the whole.

Paul is an incurable romantic optimist, posted on November 6, 2009 at 01:43:36
FenderLover
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 Which I guess isn't ALWAYS bad, in this overtly cynical world. One thing, you can't fault his ability as a musician. He not only played the bass well, but contributed a lot of the more complex lead (esp acoustic) work. He liked mixing different scales and chord progressions that hadn't been heard in commercial pop, up to that point.

In that fantasy land of what if, had the Beatles held it together for as long as the Stones have, posted on November 5, 2009 at 12:01:37
musetap
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 (for the most obvious example) they'd most likely have as weak a catalog for the past 30-35 years as the Stones do.

I'm giving the benefit of the doubt of a few years too.

What was was good but it is what was.

The sum of the parts were the right people at the right time doing the right thing. Remove that and you have a completely different paradigm and
any attempt at analysis seems mostly pointless.

BTW: McCartney has done some "serious" works besides the pop/rock thing.

“ Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination. ” -Michael McClure
Paul's music has not held up very well,, posted on November 5, 2009 at 10:09:14
Bruce Kendall
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 at least in my opinion. His first solo effort (the cherries album) and Ram have held up pretty well. John's early solo work show an effort to distance himself from the Beatles sound. Even though a lot of people are just ga-ga over his early solo work, I was disappointed by it. I don't know if he just had a bad attitude or what, but I know he was close friends with heroin at the time. I've never seen anyone wear heroin well.



Interesting, as I feel that John's post Beatles work that suffered the most., posted on November 6, 2009 at 09:14:15
Raiderman
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 Most of John's work seemed to head downhill after the Beatles, (IMHO anyway). His work was becoming more and more spotty as he got older. I never felt that his solo albums could really hold a candle to the stuff he did with Beatles.

Paul's work was more musical, and at least I could tap my toes to his songs, even when his work became more commercial. (And Paul knew how to put on a live show!)

And unlike Paul, (at least until recently), John's voice started getting more and more monotone as time when on. I'll be honest and state that if I never hear that the boring vocal rendition of "Imagine" again in my lifetime, I will die quite happy.
(And Double Fantasy is a pretty awful album when you go back and listen to it in its entirety.)

My two cents worth anyway.

PS Obviously Paul's work has become more spotty too, (and not particularly good lately), but what would one expect after 50 years in the music business. Just look at The Stones, The Who or Eric Clapton or Neil Young, all of their work has dropped in quality from their early days, IMHO.

RE: Interesting, as I feel that John's post Beatles work that suffered the most., posted on November 6, 2009 at 11:29:51
MylesJ
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 Except for Imagine, I have to agree with that.

I assumed there would be greater . . ., posted on November 5, 2009 at 11:06:07
John PA
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 inspiration coupled with great music but I agree, as a four yes but singles. . . . Ringo has done some good stuff though and I think with more imagination.


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are we saying George is now considered the great songwriter of the group?, posted on November 5, 2009 at 12:45:29
dave c
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 As Lennon said, Sinatra recorded George's song(s).
When I play the later Fabs' records, frankly I wouldn't be prepared to say Harrison was any less a writer than MacLen.
Was the Maclen star already waning by The White Album and George's in the ascendant?

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George commented after the breakup . . ., posted on November 8, 2009 at 14:35:58
caspian@peak.org
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 . . . that he felt extremely frustrated that so few of his songs were deemed worthy of inclusion by the other guys. So he had this huge backlog of unrecorded material, which certainly made for a prolific solo career.

And I agree that he was a superbly tasteful guitarist. Never a showoff, but he had an unerring instinct for playing what was just right for the song.

GH knew instinctively that Miles Davis was right when he said, posted on November 8, 2009 at 17:39:14
LWR
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 that the music was in the space between notes....GH played that space as well as anyone could. He knew how to invoke the feeling of apprehension in music.
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RE: are we saying George is now considered the great songwriter of the group?, posted on November 6, 2009 at 01:09:52
FenderLover
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 Harrison was one of the most under-rated guitarists, IMHO. He didn't have the flash of EC, Hendrix or Page, but his riffs stand the test of time as well as either EC, Hendrix or Page. They fit the songs well. And I think he nailed C&W riffs as well as anyone.

I have always enjoyed the soulful sound . ., posted on November 5, 2009 at 14:10:51
John PA
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 of his double album. "All Things Must Pass". To me he was saying what he really felt and I heard it. I wish I could find a better recording of it. I know it has been remastered but I wasn't too impressed with the sound quality.
The Elaborate DAC=Johnny's Balloon Meshplate 27 Balanced Preamp=Balanced Six Pacs=Newform Research 645
iRiver H140/120gb/iBasso D10/Monica II Dac, modified Woo 6/Ultrasone Ed. 9/JH13 Pro IEM's

see images at: www.pbase.com/jamato8

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