The Case for Paul

I'm aware that my last post was sycophantic. Bordering on obsessive even. Any time I mention a certain Mr Lennon, it seems I'm overcome with effervescent praise and admiration for him. It's fair enough, though - it's John fucking Lennon. That said, I like to think I'm not one of these Beatles fans who discounts Paul. You know the type, all "Lennon's pain and experimentation mattered, Paul was just a pop song writer". As much as I do believe that Lennon was the more experimental songwriter, it must be said that McCartney was capable of deep, reflective and esoteric songwriting himself along with finely crafted pop.

Lest we forget Paul's contributions to The White Album, for instance. Not content with inventing heavy metal on 'Helter Skelter', McCartney also contributed the lascivious, subversive 'Why Don't We Do It in the Road?' to the 1968 double album. And we must also remember, as I noted how Lennon channelled American poet Sylvia Plath in 'Mother' in said last post, that McCartney's 'Blackbird' could be argued to be channelling another American poet in Edgar Allen Poe, specifically his poem 'The Raven', with its metaphoric ornithological protagonist. It is also a fine, masterful guitar piece to boot.


The Beatles - Blackbird

I'm sure I do not need to state that Paul McCartney is a great songwriter. I do feel, however, that a lazy argument has developed where he's concerned, in which he's seen as a jolly, jumper-wearing bore to Lennon's tortured genius poet. No doubt, Lennon is worthy of that moniker, but nonetheless, McCartney was just an untortured genius.

There's a touch of tribalism from certain Beatles fans who feel the need to pick a side between the two front men. I must admit I have, and unfortunately still sometimes do, enter into this sort of nonsense - being such a staunch fan and admirer of John Lennon's music and words I've often gone in for all of the 'John's great, Paul's good' drivel, but the fact is that they're both great and that Paul McCartney is often harshly seen as playing second fiddle to John.


Wings - Band on the Run

Whether it be in his cameo on 'A Day in the Life', his structural experimentalism on 'Band on the Run' or even coming up with the idea of the concept of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Paul McCartney's quality and capacity to create artistic, avant-garde music is undeniable. Don't forget that next time you think of saying otherwise. I'll try to also.

5 of the Best - Newspapers

With the abhorrent actions of those under a certain Australian tycoon's wings still fresh in the mind and causing passionate outpourings of scorn the World over, here's 5 of the Best songs ever made to do with newspapers.

The Clash - The Leader: This track off of their wonderfully varied fourth LP Sandinista is a humorous riot, with its refrain line of "the people must have something good to read on a Sunday" being its focal point. Very apt today, the first Sunday without the News of the World available in newsagents since 1843.

The Jam - News of the World: An equally apt song, if not more so. Paul Weller's sarcastic, snarling commentary on Britain's best-selling Sunday newspaper is also one of his best songs.


The Jam - News of the World

The Beatles - A Day in the Life: The last song on Sgt. Pepper's... is quite simply astonishing. No song on this list, or any other maybe, will match its brilliance and its impact.

Billy Joel - New York State of Mind: Though not directly about a newspaper, this song's mentioning of The New York Times and the Daily News justifies its entry here. Joel's best ballad? Maybe, I think Piano Man just wins that one though.


Billy Joel - New York State of Mind

Bob Dylan - Ballad of a Thin Man: Dylan tells it like it is on this track and once again tells it better than anybody else. Might have to rethink that Beatles statement, this is up in that pantheon. Its brilliance and impact are also immeasurable.

Great Songs: The Beatles - In My Life

I've often thought that when George Harrison was writing When We Was Fab with Jeff Lynne, he must have had In My Life rattling around in his head. To me, no other song manages to capture those brilliant days of '62 - '66 Beatledom quite like this track. Before Yoko, before the squabbles, arguably before they'd made their best run of albums, The Beatles made this song, which can be found on 1965's Rubber Soul.


Rubber Soul

The simplicity of it is certainly a huge factor in its overall beauty. George Harrison's oh so simple guitar refrain just has all of that down. Nostalgic, melancholic, powerful. The instrumental bridge was actually all of George Martin's work, having realised he couldn't play the part at the song's tempo, Martin recorded it at half-tempo (which leads to it being one octave lower) and simply sped it up, leading to that harpsichord-like timbral sound.

The lyric is Lennon looking back over his childhood in Liverpool after being told to do so by Kenneth Allsop (journalist). Without pointing out any specific part of Liverpool, Lennon manages to lead you into the city through rather more vague terms.


In My Life

This song makes me think of Liverpool. It makes me think of The Beatles 'when they was fab'. It sends a shiver down my spine every time I hear it. Any song which can provoke that kind of transcendental, emotional, irrational response can only be labelled as great.

Obviously The Beatles have many great songs and it's always a hard question to answer ("what's your favourite Beatles song?") but this does rank very highly on the list. So high in fact that Mojo mag named it the greatest song of all time in 2000.

5 of the Best - Tears

Here's 5 of the best to do with your eyeballs leaking...

Aerosmith - Cryin': I love this track, Tyler's vocal is superb. Great 90s video as well.

Aerosmith - Cryin'

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears of a Clown: Fantastic soul classic. Smokey's high register voice on the refrain line makes it all the more potent.

Justin Timberlake - Cry Me a River: "You don't have to say, what you did", one of the most iconic stars and one of the best pop songs of the 21st Century.

Johnny Cash - Cry, Cry, Cry: The American hero lets loose on one of his greatest songs. Superb!

Johhny Cash - Cry, Cry, Cry

The Beatles - Cry, Baby, Cry: Doing these '5otB' thingys makes me realise how many great tracks the fabs have recorded. Not that I didn't know already. This one, from The White Album, is a gem!

5 of the Best - Food & Drink

Today's 5 of the best is songs based around food and drink. Bon Apetit...

The Beatles - Savoy Truffle: "Cream Tangerine, Montelimar". A song devoted to telling us about which tasty desserts to go for with the warning: "but you'll have to have them all pulled out after the savoy truffle". Your teeth that is. Love this one!

The Beatles - Savoy Truffle


UB40 - Red Red Wine: Makes sense really doesn't it. Obvious one. Great party tune.

R.E.M. - Imitation of Life: A sugar cane, cinnamon and lemonade all mentioned here. This is a lovely pop tune: melodic, falsetto vocal in the chorus. Great, happy pop.

Radiohead - Bangers & Mash: Very, very good track. In Rainbows is a fantastic album as well.

Thin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar: Originally an Irish Folk song, this rocked-up version is brilliant. That signature riff is horribly catchy as well.

Thin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar

Had to do a bit of flicking through the iPod for that one. Feeling rather hungry as well.

My John Lennon Figurine

I own a John Lennon figurine. Is this sad? My girlfriend seems to think it's the saddest thing a man could own. When I was buying it she told me that it was a complete waste of £12 (I thought it was quite the bargain personally) and that toys were for kids. It is not a toy! John Lennon is one of my absolute music heroes and if I want to get a miniature model of him in his New York City phase then that's fair enough isn't it?

John inspired so many of the great artists that came after him and inspired millions of people to have a more idealistic view of the world (me for one). Sure some people scoff and say he was naive, that is purely because they don't have the capability to just dream and empathise with a world free of hatred. I know that in real life John is reported to have had his moments - violence, heroin addiction, sarcasm - but I just believe that adds to his humanity.

Along with Joe Strummer, Morrissey and Eminem I can't think of a better pop lyricist and can't think of anybody as iconic in the history of popular music (with maybe the exception of Elvis Presley). You say "John Lennon" to anybody in the world and they know who you mean.

So I can get a fucking figurine of the man if I want! Look at his fucking track record! He's a bloody modern day Beethoven! Alright!