LesserFollies on 3/6/2006 at 13:42
The consensus in the US seems to be that Lennon had the edge. But being a mystic and dying young always leads to cannonization... who knows what sort of nonsense, à la Wings, he might have produced if he'd been given a chance? They both had strengths and weaknesses, but together they were brilliant.
And Yoko may have sung like two cats fighting in a bag, but she showed true grace and class in the face of tragedy.
Paz on 3/6/2006 at 15:15
"It Don't Come Easy"
Narrating Thomas the Tank Engine
THAT'S RIGHT, RINGO WINS.
Headphones on 3/6/2006 at 17:02
Quote Posted by Fafhrd
Paul, while obviously a very fine musician and composer and songwriter, typically used his talents for more sugary pop fluff and lullabies (at least during The Beatles years
I think this kind of stuff is worth disagreeing with. ;) You're completely right that Paul wrote more bubblegum than John, but the implication that Paul wasn't as experimental as John musically is completely wrong I think, and probably a consequence of John being more politically interesting than Paul, as you point out.
Listen to Back in the USSR, right. I just did and Paul basically does a Beach Boys send up with a chorus of "I'M BACKING THE USSR." In 1968. How fucking political do you want :).
Steelman on 3/6/2006 at 18:04
Personally speaking, I think that Paul made some superb and groundbreaking music both with the Beatles and without. Leaving aside his obvious achievements with the Beatles, I think that his early output as a solo artist was outstanding. Redrose Speedway( for example, as I am aware of his earlier solo albums) was a very good album that showed both his ability to write catchy pop tunes with a good hook and also his ear for a good riff. He then followed this up with Band on the run, another great album that not only had some very memorable tunes but nearly every instrument on the album was actually played by Macca himself - as was most of his solo stuff. Venus and Mars was another really good album that although sounding dated now, when it was released in the mid seventies - that's when I bought it - sounded really fresh and new. Wings at the speed of sound, another seventies album, continued with the same formula of catchy pop songs and did really well sales-wise.
In the same era and at the same time Lennon was doing his own thing and although I have the greatest of respect for Lennon as a songwriter, musician and performer, for me, out of the two and as far as it goes I prefer McCartney's solo stuff.
Ulukai on 3/6/2006 at 19:38
Quote Posted by Headphones
In the UK Macca/Lennon are basically both regarded as genii of pretty much equal standing (ish).
Hrm. I regard them as Things I Wished Would Go Away.
Macca is prone to outbursts of rodomontade which irk me beyond belief, and he's also responsible for the Stella spawn.
Lennon wrote Imagine which is one of the most stupefying songs I've had the displeasure to hear. And because he died, Lennon is a martyr second only to Diana in terms of the amount of insufferable nonsense you can read about him. We also get to watch Yoko Ono being wheeled out on TV every now and again spouting increasingly inane gibberish. Were he alive my money says he'd of divorced her crazy ass by now.
Look out for my forthcoming appearance on (
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/g/grumpyoldmen_999031010.shtml) grumpy old men :D
BEAR on 3/6/2006 at 20:21
Yeah, I think John wrote the more edgy stuff while paul wrote more sweet songs. At that point its just a matter of preference which kind of song you like more, I cant get enough of either (by the beatles anyways).
Gillie on 4/6/2006 at 15:40
As a Duo John and Paul both wrote some fanstastic Music and songs. No one else could touch them. It is hard to compare them.
I think in Britain they are of equal standing.I loved them both.
Seperatly too wrote some great music.
I actually loved Hey Jude.:) George too wrote some great songs.
Para?noid on 5/6/2006 at 12:56
the beatles contributed nothing to music apart from ringos breakbeat on Strawberry Fields, which is dense as fuck
