Who Cares about Paul McCartney’s Voice, What About His Guests?
by Brody Duggson
Paul McCartney has been receiving flack about his singing voice during his current “One on One” tour.
Some fans, mainly those who spend too much time on the internet, think his advanced age (he’s 75) has diminished his vocal prowess and made him too reliant on his backing band.
A few want Sir Paul to lower the keys of his songs. The tune that appears to draw the most ire is “Maybe I’m Amazed.”
I think they’re being a little harsh. Granted, no one has a higher bar than Paul McCartney, but when compared to most of today’s music, there’s no comparison. An off-key Macca is still better than a current singer on key. And all you need are a pair of Macca tickets to hear for yourself!
There is reason to critique Paul on his current tour, but it’s not his singing. It’s his choice of guests.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, and Barbadian singer Rihanna have all joined him on stage.
If you’re going to deride a former Beatle don’t do it over his voice. Do it for having to share his sound system with Rihanna.
Yes, I know he recorded “FourFiveSeconds” with Rihanna, performed with her at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and she has sold more than 230 million records, but I can’t name one of her songs (besides “FourFiveSeconds”), nor do I ever want to.
And what about Jimmy Fallon? Jimmy Fallon! Jimmy Fallon shared a stage with the guy who conceived Sgt. Pepper.
Thankfully Rob Gronkowski just danced to “Helter Skelter.” Great job on not giving him a tambourine or something like that. Now, Gronk is a great football player, but he’s the Tom Arnold of sports celebrities.
Gronkowski being on the same stage as McCartney is like McCartney lining up in the slot during a Patriots game.
What’s next? Is Macca going to perform “Things We Said Today” with Jared Kushner, “Band on the Run” with Sarah Silverman?
If you want to share the stage with Paul McCartney you should have to meet a certain high artistic standard. Shouldn’t we, as a society, have stringent safeguards to protect our cultural icons from publicly performing with mediocrity? I think so.
Let’s hope that during his next round of concert dates, Macca’s guests are of a higher caliber.
McCartney returns to his “One on One” tour on Sept. 11 with the first of two shows at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
He travels to New York City for two concerts at Madison Square Garden (Sept. 15 and 17) and two at Barclays Center (Sept. 19 and 21).
He remains in New York State for a show at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on Sept. 23 and two at NYCB LIVE’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale on Sept. 26 and 27.
On Oct. 1 and 2, Sir Paul concludes the North American leg of his 2017 “One on One” tour with two performances at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
His latest setlist contains some deep cuts, although a deep cup for McCartney is a hit for most artists: “Here Today,” “Temporary Secretary,” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five.”
He ends his shows with “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.”
I met Ivor Davis for the first time at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans in August. The word most commonly used to describe Ivor was ‘charming’. And that he was! He won everyone over who had the privilege to meet him and take home a copy of his book. I’ve finally gotten around to reading this book and here’s my honest review.
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