jeffreymark

ENIGMATIC JOHN LENNON

Beatle John Lennon embodied enigmatic characteristics that made him both a legend and infamously complex. The Beatle creator and informal CEO often channeled his bitterness over childhood tragedies into creative juices offering eternal fan pleasure. Sometimes Lennon turned the magic into a raucous disposition bruising anyone who stood in its way. Yet, adolescent men particularly idolized Lennon's bad boy demeanor. He held an affinity with snideness and teenage rebellion.  

Lennon's most compelling act came in the form of what he called a little man on a flaming pie. This faux heavenly being anointed John's rock band declaring, "Thou art Beatles with an 'A'!" And so it began. The fab four from Liverpool set the world on fire with their British brand of Rockabilly. Indeed we have never been the same.  

This Mr. John Lennon always subtly pumped the band members up with his grandiose vision of world domination and confident posture. Watch below as a nonchalant Lennon calmly walks up to a visibly nervous Paul McCartney and, before thousands of fans, acts as though it's just another day at the office. Following McCartney's immortal Yesterday Lennon clowns with the audience. George Harrison later admitted this was how Lennon relieved his nerves. But, to the uninformed he appeared witty, jovial, and delightful.

John wrote some of the most engaging harmonies to have ever graced the early rock genera. You're Gonna Lose That Girl, for example, is galvanizing. Cool, smooth, like a man predestined for a rock'n roll microphone, his resonating nasal baritone affected the listener. And no one sings those edgy ballads with more reverberating aplomb than John Lennon. Listen below.

BEATLE WANNABES ALMOST STUMP YOUR'S TRULY

Let me say it right off-tribute bands suck. That's right. They seem like a bunch of wannabes who suck out the almighty dollar off the backs of the true geniuses. People who know little about the Beatles in particular scratch their heads in bewilderment when they find out I possess no desire to see a Beatle tribute band. 

Enter the Cavern Beatles. Yesterday as I cruised the internet I ran across what initially looked like a solo performance of John Lennon singing Baby It's You. I thought to myself, "Hmmm...I've never seen or heard of this performance before." It sounded really good, yet awkward. Something was amiss. My highly trained Beatle mind grew increasingly skeptical as the performance wore on. First of all certain inflections in John's voice did not quite fit the original Lennon. This actor's nasal tone sounded a bit forced-unnatural. Second, when John originally recorded the number he used a Rickenbacker guitar as opposed to the Epiphone Casino seen here. His Casino came later during the Revolver days. Nevertheless, I almost fell for it. Listen to this wannabe Cavern Beatle sound hauntingly like Lennon. (Yes Virginia, I like it, but I will not be caught dead at a wannabe concert)

TH REAL KING OF POP SOUNDS OFF

Every generation crowns a king of Pop music. First came Elvis, later Michael Jackson. But, the real king of pop, I've always maintained, is Beatle Paul McCartney. His name graces the Guinness Book of World records as the wealthiest entertainer, the best selling composer of all time, and the composer of more number one songs than any pop star alive. McCartney, a private yet, charismatic individual, never really opened windows into his soul. He gave us shadowy hints in his music over the years to his inner disposition, while generally offering us merry, clever toe tapping pieces we unconsciously hummed as we marched on our way to the daily grind. Following wife Linda's death Sir Paul evolved into a more publicly introspective composer. Recently he offered this soul revealing response to journalist James Paulk in the Atlanta Journal Constitution who asked McCartney about his motivation for ceaseless touring:

I love it, that’s all. Sheer love of what I do. I always said, you know, if I didn’t do it for a living, I’d do it for a hobby. I’d still wake up in the morning and if I had a little bit of time and saw my guitar, I’d want to play, and I’d probably want to write a song, just because it’s a great privilege to be able to do that stuff. It’s a gift, you know? People, when we were kids, used to say, “It’s a God-given gift.” Now I listen to those words a little more carefully. I think, you know what? That makes a lot of sense. It’s a gift, it’s a great blessing.   

Paul McCartney's latest video appears to reinforce this spiritual bent in his character. And, it sounds like a post scrip to his classic Cant Buy Me Love composition from 1964.

BIRTHDAY FOR THE REAL KING OF POP/ROCK

Today he shoots past 64 and continues to defy the individual he characterized in the song When I'm 64. Paul McCartney turned 67 today. In partnership with John Lennon the two stand as the most famous song writing duo of all time. The exceptional story of the two moves beyond Beatlemania. Paul McCartney enjoys the title as history's most prolific song writer and musician. He's listed in the Guinness Book of world records as having sold more records than any other musician. He also enjoys the status of billionaire-the only musician in history to accomplish this financial feat.

James Paul McCartney grew up around music. His father Jim played in local bands and encouraged his son to learn piano. Paul's mother died from breast cancer when he was only 14. His retrospective piece Let It Be stands as a mystical appeal to his mother Mary Mccartney. Some thought the piece subtly revealed his hidden religious nature. He once quipped, "If the song helps someone else then that's great." In addition, fellow Beatle John Lennon lost his mother at the age of 17. The tragedies inspired a common bond between the two.

The list of McCartney's accomplishments tend to boggle one's mind. He surpassed the other three Beatles as the ace musician of the bunch. Hand him an instrument he's never played and it doesn't take him long to figure it out. Paul's exclusive break began with the recording of his signature song Yesterday. He had profound help from Beatle producer George Martin who helped him shape history's all time best seller. McCartney wanted to call the song "Scrambled Eggs". Martin suggested he change the name and add a cello to the instrumentation, and the rest is "histwa" as they say. In 1997 Queen Elizabeth knighted Paul as a Knights Bachelor. In addition to his musical accomplishments McCartney possesses an impressive philanthropic character. He gives and gives to his community of Liverpool as well as to a host of other causes. Read the formidable list of his feats at Wikipedia. As a life long Beatle fan I found the Wikipedia article an accurate synopsis of McCartney's life.

The canon of McCartney's songs rings a bell or two even in the memories of those whose generation precedes Paul's. Songs like Yesterday, The Long And Winding Road, I Saw her Standing There, And I love Her, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude(written for John's son Julian), Uncle Albert, My Love, Eleanor Rigby, Silly Love Songs, Listen To What the Man Said, Let It Be, Get Back, Back In The USSR, Helter Skelter, Birthday, Sergeant Pepper, A Little Help From My Fiends, Woman(under the pseudonym Bernard Webb), Come And Get It (recorded by Badfinger), A World Without Love (recorded by Peter and Gordon).

Not only does McCartney excel as a musician/song writer, he also owns a enchanting crooner's voice. One of his signature pieces is a cover song from the musical The Music Man entitled Till There Was You. Listen below as McCartney, along with the rest of the Beatles, performs this delightful number before the Queen. (Love George Harrison's jazz guitar solo played on the Chet Atkin's style Gretsch.) (Also note McCartney's visible case of the nerves)

Paul McCartney continues to perform at breakneck speed often headlining noble benefits around the world. Following 9/11 He made personal visits to various fire departments around New York. In addition he wrote this patriotic piece.

One of my favorite McCartney originals from way back, The Long And Winding Road, he recently performed at a Parkinson's benefit. Paul wrote this particular song for then girlfriend Linda Eastman, who later became his wife of almost 30 years. Linda died in in 1998 tragically from breast cancer-the same disease that took Paul's mother. Below McCartney performs The Long and Winding Road the way he originally intended it to sound, without the stringed instruments. Hat's off to both a marvelous individual and the real king of pop/rock.

MORE MCCARTNEY MANIA

Mark Adams left a comment on my previous McCartney post that gave me quite a chuckle. Responding to McCartney's hazardous love triangle Adams inquires:

Hey, do ya blame him? If everything's still workin' right down there, he'd have to take full advantage of the: "Hey, I used to be a Beatle!" line. That line drops drawers like Ted Kennedy at an open bar!

BEATLE MISERY

The immortal rock group Beatles once sang a song entitled Misery. Looks like misery may make a return visit to Paul McCartney. His gold-digging soon to be ex, Heather Mills, is self-destructing before our very eyes. Now Sir Paul appears to have climbed aboard the self destruction train as well. Seems as though the King of music entered a love triangle. McCartney, I love you like a brother. But man, what in the hell are you doing? These women will squeeze your wallet like a lemon.
Read the story here.