As I watching Paul McCartney work out the words to the song “The Long And Winding Road,” this incredible wave of emotion just overtook myself and everyone else watching the new Beatles documentary Get Back. It was only a few minutes earlier that we witnessed Paul McCartney working on the writing of “Let It Be.” Just think about what we all have witnessed in the past few days. Just focusing in on those moments alone of watching Paul McCartney working on those songs, we were all brought into a world we could have never imagined being a part of. Two of the most famous Beatles songs of all time, let alone two of the most beautiful songs ever written all coming from that genius mind of Paul McCartney. A scene or two later we witness Paul McCartney teaching the other Beatles the song “Get Back,” as they all try to come up with lines for the song. Just simply overwhelming.
The Beatles documentary has changed the way so many of us now look back at the Beatles. Without a doubt, we have always felt that it was both Paul McCartney and John Lennon who were the leaders of The Beatles . Yet, from the documentary it is clear that the leader at least in that point of time was Paul McCartney. John Lennon has some incredible moments in the documentary film Get Back but it’s Paul McCartney that really shines for so many reasons.
Looking at the groups other songwriter we see that the age difference between George Harrison and the rest of The Beatles had never been more apparent than ever before. Because of his age, it seems his talents were overlooked by Paul and George. Yet he has some incredible moments too. His introduction of his new song “I Me Mine,” was one of them. Yet time and time again throughout the series we can’t take our eyes of Paul McCartney as his talents are just so overwhelming throughout the series.
If only we could go back further in time with The Beatles and watch the dynamics within the band on all the rest of their albums. It would be interesting to see if Paul McCartney’s dominice that shined so bright in the Get Back documentary resonated also on albums like Revolver, A Hard Day’s Night and every other Beatles album.
The question of who stands as the greatest musical artists of the modern pop music era has been discussed for years. Even before viewing the Get Back documentary we here at ClassicRockHistory.com have always argued that it was Paul McCartney who should hold that title. Just based on the music he composed during his time with the Beatles should grant him the title. That’s not taking anything away from John Lennon. Lennon and McCartney shared songwriting credits on all the Beatles songs for many reasons. If both artists never released a song on their own after the end of the Beatles than we would argue that they both should share the title of the greatest ever. However, we all know that the end of the Beatles defined the beginning of the solo careers of both Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Sadly Lennon’s solo career was cut way too short.
If John Lennon had not been murdered on that horrific December night in New York City forty one years ago, we may be having a different discussion right now. Who knows what John Lennon would have created as he grew older. Yet, we all know what Paul McCartney has done since The Beatles broke up. While having to endure some harsh and very unfair criticism from both fans and critics over his solo material, Paul McCartney has had hands down a spectacular solo career. Over a fifty year period since the Beatles dissolved, Paul McCartney has continued to release new material on a very consistent basis, for FIFTY YEARS! That’s after his incredible seven year run with the Beatles when his music along with John, George and Ringo changed the world in so many ways.
Paul McCartney released his first solo album in 1970 entitled McCartney. On the album were some songs that were intended for the Beatles but never were released on any of the Beatles albums. Yet there were songs like “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which would become a big hit many years later when it was released on Wings Over America. Still while many people blamed the album as one of the reasons the Beatles broke up (which we all know now is not true), the album defined the start of an amazing solo career.
So far and we make sure we utilize the phrase “so far,” because it’s Paul McCartneywe are talking about, so far Paul McCartney has released fifteen solo albums titled McCartney, Ram, McCartney II, Tug of War, Pipes of Peace, Press to Play, Flowers in the Dirt, Off the Ground, Flaming Pie, Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Memory Almost Full, New, Egypt Station and McCartney III. With his band he called Wings which made up the majority of his 1970s solo albums he released seven records including WildLife, Red Rose Speedway, Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound, London Town and Back to the Egg. That’s twenty two solo albums of amazing pop music.
Think about some of the songs that he released as singles over the years from both is Wings albums and McCartney records. Songs like “My Love, Maybe I’m Amazed,Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey Junior’s Farm, Band On The Run, Jet, Listen To What The Man Said, Blackbird, Live And Let Die, Venus and Mars, Beware My Love, Mull of Kintyre, With A Little Luck, Ballroom Dancing, Tug Of War, Hope of Deliverance, Freedom,” and just so many more. Take all those singles and albums tracks from his solo career and them add up the over two hundred songs he wrote with the Beatles that have become standards in music and what do you have?……..The Greatest Musical Artist Of All Time!
It would be hard to choose someone else. We are talking pop music hers as of course we are well aware of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, And yes of course there is Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and many others who have brought this world great joy with their prolific music. Yet, if we had to pick one artist who has had more of an impact than any other musicals artist ever, we would still choose Paul McCartney. No question about it.
