Is Paul McCartney an oldies act

Yep, I just took out Chip Madinger's book and noticed it wasn't played on that leg of the tour. Interesting. Ron

 

Kind of an unexciting setlist for Paul -- glad I never saw that tour!

And wow, a show where he did neither "Let It Be" nor "The Long and Winding Road."

 

Not sure where Ron got his info, but that looked like a partial setlist to me. I noticed earlier today that the '93 setlist is not very accurately reported online. Wikipedia's entry is wrong, as are entries at some prominent macca fansites (maccacentral and Harald Gernhardt's site). Looking at these entries earlier today I was puzzled to not see Long & Winding there, when I was sure I remembered it. I also didn't see Fixing A Hole, which I know was played on the US tour. Checked some uhhh, "alternate" cds, and saw that those songs were in fact played...

 

It did seem kind of short.

 

That's a factor IMH as well. Paul continuously makes new music. Does the interviews, specials when one happens (Chaos Abbey Road) and all that to promote. He has repeatedly put more recent tracks out there in his shows, big and small. He's even tried a new label and outlet (Hear Music / Starbucks) at risk of ticking off a deeply tied in EMI. It seems to me that he's tried every angle he could do that's seemed to have any shot at all. Paul can't do anything more about it.

It may have been a mixed blessing, to put it mildly, to do all the LOVE promotion since that sets him back in Beatle contexts. It reaffirms how much attention is still on him as a member of the Beatles. Obviously he benefits from the fame and money, guess what I'm saying is that he's at least had the good graces not to be ungrateful or uncharitable while about it.

 

Brainwashed, I ask you and anyone else please I'll say it again please don't assume. I typed the term McCartneys official website because that's where that info was located at. That's it totally!

The thought that McCartney is responsible for what members post never ever even entered my mind! That is totally ridiculous actually.

Also I posted the original comments because I was accused of not being honest and for no other reason whatsoever, I don't know if the guy is a Beatles fan, a Wings fan or not, and I don't know what his motives are other than he thinks McCartney is an oldies act, and that's it.

I don't have ulterior motives, I think I'm very honest with my opinions, nothing has to be read between the lines, I'm not afraid at all to state how I feel and what I think!

 

I must have hit the delete button by mistake... Add

My Love
Lady Madonna
C'mon People
Magical Mystery Tour
Let it be
Paperback Writer
Back In The USSR
Penny lane
Sgt. Pepper

As I mentioned previously, Paul dropped And I Love Her, Fixing A Hole, Long and Winding Road, Another Day and Every Night by the final leg of the 1993 World Tour. Sorry for leaving out the second set. Ron

 

I really like C Moon. Even though it is a completely silly, stoned-sounding ditty, it cheers me up every time I hear it. I'm glad Paul plays it. Even if the person on the official website thinks it makes him an oldies act.

 

I just listened to the first hour of the show and it's really a damn fine performance. The audience loves every second of it, singing along en masse on Blackbird and Something. It's really quite endearing. And Something is wonderful! The uke part isn't quite so hokey, and when Rusty comes in with a note-perfect solo it really adds some drama. The group playing and Paul's vocal are great. Some highlights include Hippy Hippy Shake, really rocks the house to start things off... Flaming Pie is also done nicely with some nifty Jeff Lynne-ish backing by Abe, Rusty and Brian. The Long and Winding Road sounds a bit more earnest than usual... some nice little piano breaks and almost jazzy lilt in the backing. Say what you will about this song, but give Paul credit for not mailing it in. Paul strains some on Got To Get You Into My Life, but it rocks out nicely. Unfortunately, the song In Liverpool is a bit weak. Sung in a lower register, it doesn't have much of a melody, probably a one-off for the occasion. My Love is moving and emotional, even without the visuals one can tell Paul was emotional singing it. The slight cracking doesn't come in on the high parts, but certain words or phrases. Surprisingly, Dance Tonight is very well received by the crowd and fits in the set just fine. No let down here. Blackbird is performed flawlessly, including some nice falsetto... that guy on the OFFICIAL website is a ***** Let Me Roll It was average, nothing spectacular in the group playing or Paul's vocal. He did it better in 2005. C Moon was also very average, some faux-Jamican vocal accents during the intro...at least he dropped "Is that the intro I should have been in" part. I'll post more tomorrow... off to the studio. Ron

 

Paul McCartney is in a league of his own. There is no "category". Sorry if someone said this before me.

 

Right about now, I wish I had an "oldies act" and "nostalgia trip" as necessary, fulfilling, enjoyable, and impressive, as Paul Mac does - and was able to make it come alive in the here and now, with myself, and an audience, every night, and continue to record and release new music as well.

 

I was at the show, what a great night. Before the show started I was fed up with Jet, Hey Jude, The Long And Winding Road, Band On The Run, Let Me Roll it, whatever. But what a night it was. It didn't matter what songs he played, it was just so great. I stood in front row, 8 meters from Paul and we got eye contact a few times.

The best thing I will always remember, was when he thanked all the people who had come from all around the world to Liverpool, then I took my Swedish flag and waved with it. He saw it and gave me his thumb up and smiled towards me.

WILL I EVER FORGET THAT?!

 

Here's me:



Is it me or Paul that is Macca?

 

Macca, looks like you had a great night. Personally I don't agree with the guy from McCartneys official site. I think McCartneys setlist for the Liverpool Celebration was very appropriate for that occasion, my comments really are in regards to his regular tours, that's where I have problems with his setlist.

Let's just see what the upcoming tours setlist looks like, will McCartney do something fresh, different, and surprising, or will he just drag out more of the same old same old?

 

Congratulations! That must have been great

No offense intended, but a look at the public (and I don't mean you Macca) in the picture answers the OP's question imo....

 

McCartney's 2005 setlist

Ok, just for kicks, I'm posting Paul's 2005 tour setlist, along with a listing of when he'd played those same songs on his post-Beatle US tours. I did this in excel and fear it may not format quite as nice here, but it's worth a shot. Also, there might be an error here or there, but I think it's pretty accurate. In some cases, Paul has altered setlists mid-tour, but for the most part he keeps it consistent (or "boring" depending on your perspective). Example, in '89/'90 he dropped Maybe I'm Amazed for (I think?) all of his '90 shows and replaced it with something easier on the vocal chords. Also, I broke out Sgt. Pepper/The End, as these were not performed jointly on all previous tours...

My big question here is for Maccafan. I honestly don't understand why you'd pass up seeing a show of one of your favorite artists when they're playing for about 2hr 40min, performing three dozen songs, and over 40% of their set are songs you've never had the chance to see live. If he announced a gig where he was only playing cover songs, would you skip that, too?

See, I think a lot of this board's "maccafans" are folks like me who would be happy to see him play whatever he wants live, as long as his heart's in it, and he's giving it his all. I was thrilled he played Hippy Hippy Shake for the first time in 45 years this week, but I think you felt that was really disappointing. It seems like you aren't much a fan of Macca the performer (IMO), but rather Macca the (solo) songwriter. This is very puzzling to me and, no doubt, many of the others on this board...

 

There were more IMO "good" songs added to that 2005 set list, than had been in many years (Helter Skelter, I've Got A Feeling, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, Too Many People). But even so, the total cost of admission is no where near worth it to me to see 4 new songs I would enjoy, a bunch of others I didn't like on the new albums in the first place, and the rest I've heard to death already. One way or another I'll still hear/see the four songs I'm interested in without paying hundreds, dealing with annoying crowds, lousy sound and watching a video screen to see the stage.

It used to seem like the "thing to do", but even when I was getting to go along to dozens and dozens of shows with great seats for free, I just don't like being at live shows--it wasn't worth it. It's not as enjoyable to me as sitting home watching a well-made DVD of a show. At this point, and with the price that tickets are anymore, I don't think there is anyone I would ever pay to see live, and very few I would even go if it was free. But that's just me. Unfortunately, Paul doesn't even produce well-made DVDs of his shows either.

 

Mrjinks, I've seen McCartney enough to determine if I want to spend my money to see him. I'll make this as plain as I possibly can.

For me to see McCartney again he will have to change the core of his show, it's just that simple for me. The setlist you posted from 2005, the only songs I'd want to hear again are...
Too Many People
Helter Skelter
She Came In Thru The Bathroom Window

He could change all the rest and I'd be totally happy, they've all been done enough already! Has he ever performed the song Birthday here in the states, if he has that's one that he should perform more because it hasn't been done to death and it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

I've shared this before, McCartney averages about 30 songs per show, the perfect setlist to me would be...

10 Beatle songs
10 Wings songs
10 solo songs

McCartney could mix them up anyway he likes so that the audience is hit with surprise after surprise. This setlist is equal and would represent his career very well.

As I posted before, changing three or four songs just isn't enough and doesn't cut it for me. I know it probably won't happen, but I want to see a totally different McCartney show. A show that isn't so Beatle heavy and more representative of the variety within his amazing career.

 

Here's a link to the video from Paul's show on sunday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool08/video/06/liverpool_sound_mccartney.shtml

I was surprised I found myself bored with most of it and skipped ahead to hear A Day In the Life. If he keeps this setlist, there's no way I'd pay to see him again. Even Eleanor Rigby bores me and that's one of my favorite songs. Hey Jude is also one of my favorite songs ever and I NEVER want to hear it live again with the lame 'just the ladies, now just the fellas' routine. I agree with Maccafan it's time for major changes and this comes from a HUGE Beatles fan.
Mike

 

I think that's why he posted the 2005 setlist... it didn't contain just 3 or 4 changes or songs never done previously, it had 16 he had never played live before.... and another 4 he played only during the 1993 World Tour and many of those only on certain legs of that Tour. The Liverpool show was a special event, there's no telling what songs will be in the setlist for the upcoming tour... though I suspect a few from MAF will certainly be added. Ron

PS Birthday was performed during the second US 1990 tour in July. He premiered the song during the June Knebworth concert, but it was only in the setlist for the short US Tour. It was not one of the better songs performed that tour and made an odd choice as leadoff single from Tripping The Live Fantastic.

 

I agree that the other guy was quite harsh.


And I really don't care. He can be as harsh as he wants.
Don't buy tickets. Think what you want.


The fact is Paul's shows are warmly received by those who attend.

I've seen Paul many times and one thing I've always done to keep
the experience "fresh" is invite someone to come along that isn't
a McCartney fan... I get to see the concert through someone
else's eyes...



For what it's worth, the songs I've enjoyed the most are the songs
that PRE-DATE Beatlemania.

"Twenty Flight Rock" was the highlight of the 1989 tour.
"Midnight Special" was the highlight of the 2002 and 2006 tour.


I know and understand the criticism that he's playing an "oldies"
show... but given that he always plays 5-6 new songs from a
new album and usually digs out "old" songs that have never been
played on stage previously... the concerts still feel "fresh"
in my mind.

But that's just my opinion

 

I found 4 mistakes on that 05 tour list.
For No one
I've Got A Feeling
Helter Skelter
Flaming Pie
McCartney performed all those songs during his 04 European tour.

There were some nice additions during that European tour, but he didn't bring any of them to the tour in 05. I would of enjoyed hearing these...
She's A Woman
All Things Must Pass
I've Just Seen A Face
You Won't See Me

Also when he changes the few songs that he does, it's always majority Beatles, he should change and replace the Wings and solo songs out as well. I mean he has plenty to choose from?

 

Look at the list: 23 of the songs had either never been performed on a US tour, or performed on only ONE previous tour - that IS changing the core of the show! We all understand that you want a more "balanced" setlist, but for a "maccafan" you seem awfully choosy about what you'll pay for.

The guy has toured the US five times in 38 years - it's not like he's Elton or the Stones and you get a chance to see him every other year. If you count Beatle tours you can up that number by a whopping 3. I'm a little tired of some of the "staple" songs, too, but the reality is that he's altering that set a lot more than you give him credit for. When I'm seeing one of my favorite artists for the Xth time live, I don't expect to hear more than a handful of numbers I haven't seen them do before. I'm a Paul McCartney fan, and when I saw him last time around, he did sixteen numbers I'd never seen him perform in front of me - that's pretty cool. If he does 16 more that I haven't heard in fall 2008, I'll be ecstatic - and I won't care if they're Beatles, solo, or cover songs. It's too bad you can't appreciate that aspect of his career. Ten years from now, when he's done touring (?) you might look back at the last three tours he did and go, "wow, I could've heard him do another 50 songs live", if only I could've "suffered through" those agonizingly painful songs like Let it Be and Yesterday and Band on the Run...

Exactly Ron!

 

No you didn't. Read what I posted. As a resident of Selma, Alabama, I figured you didn't travel to see the European shows. Or is that another mistake of mine???

 

Yes, his vocals were not very good on that version of 'Birthday'. He did it much better in 2003.