After a 2009 that featured a headlining set at Coachella and the inaugural concerts at New York’s Citi Field, Paul McCartney will return to the stage this year with his “Up and Coming” tour, which will stop at unique venues and rarely visited cities throughout the U.S. The trek begins March 28th at Phoenix, Arizona’s Jobing.com Arena, marking the first time McCartney has visited the state since his 2005 tour. On March 30th, McCartney returns to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time since 1993. The exclusive pre-sale for both shows is going on now at McCartney’s official Website, with a general public onsale scheduled for February 28th.
McCartney promises more shows are on tap for 2010.
I heard great things from people who’s opinions I respect regarding his performance at Coachella, so I assume McCartney has enough left in the tank to continue touring. Despite a surprise appearance at a Paul Simon concert, I’ve never seen him live. As this may be the last jaunt of his career, it’s probably better not to risk it and just buy a ticket to a show out here in Los Angeles when it becomes available. I don’t want to regret not seizing the opportunity.
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (12/28/2009 @ 3:02 pm)
Paul McCartney will be the first Beatle to have his solo work featured in Rock Band. Earlier this year, McCartney released a live album, Good Evening New York, to favorable reviews. On January 5th, three tracks from that album will be available for download on the Rock Band and LEGO Rock Band marketplace. Billed as the “New York Pack 01,” the songs include “Band on the Run,” “Jet,” and “Sing the Changes.”
The tracks will become available for XBox 360 and Wii on January 5th, while Playstation 3 users can get their hands on the content on January 7th. McCartney becomes the first of the Fab Four to have their solo material feature on the Rock Band series, and continues a partnership with Harmonix and MTV Games that saw the release of The Beatles: Rock Band on September 9th.
As Rolling Stone previously reported, more than 40 years after Beatlesmania took over Shea Stadium, McCartney was chosen to headline the first concerts at Citi Field in July. The sold out run of three concerts found Macca touching upon all aspects of his discography, from the Beatles to Wings to his solo catalog. Billy Joel, who recruited Paul McCartney during the final string of Shea Stadium concerts, also made a guest appearance at the first Citi show.
I generally avoid video games, but a Rock Band purchase seems inevitable.
RIYL: Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones
When Paul McCartney opined about the bliss of eventual retirement in “When I’m 64,” no one could have guessed at the time, that in actual fact he’d put that premise to the test and choose to ignore that option completely. Indeed, here he is at 67, showing no signs of slowing down while wailing away and glibly commanding the stage like a rocker half his age. McCartney’s sixth live set in the past 19 years – a remarkable feat in itself – finds the aging mop top dutifully spanning his entire career as always , but oozing out an emotional commitment that’s truly astonishing. Yes, the usual standards – “Let It Be,” “Yesterday,” Hey Jude,” “Live and Let Die” – make the cut for the umpteenth time, usurping slots that could have best been taken from the hundreds of other worthy contenders. (It’s worth noting that the entirety of McCartney and Flowers in the Dirt, unquestionably two of his best albums, have been booted entirely.) Still Paul, ever the crowd-pleaser, clearly doesn’t want to deny his fans the old stand-bys.
Recorded at the opening show of Paul’s three-night stand at Citi Field (a fitting choice, given its approximation to Shea Stadium), the two-CD/one-DVD Good Evening New York City spans nearly three dozen tracks, with the usual inclusion of newer material – the jocular “Dance Tonight,” the full tilt “Only Mama Knows,” the irresistible “Flaming Pie” – along with a handful of songs seldom revisited; an emotional ode to Lennon, “Here Today,” the ever-compelling duo “Paperback Writer” and “Day Tripper,” a jaunty “Mrs. Vanderbilt.” Tributes to former band mates via a ukulele-initiated “Something” and an unlikely medley of “A Day in the Life” (with Paul managing John’s part as well as his own) and “Give Peace a Chance” add a nice touch, but ultimately it only heightens the sense of nostalgia that can’t help but shadow every McCartney appearance. Ghosts of Shea haunt practically every facet of the proceedings, from the archival clips of that concert to animated images appropriated from the recent “Beatles: Rock Band” release to an effusive reprise of “I’m Down,” Shea’s rarely performed show-stopper. As much as Macca strives to remain freshly re-groomed, clearly he can never outrun the memories, causing even his best new efforts to eventually dim in comparison to his former band’s luster. After all, when it comes the Beatles, memories don’t easily cede the spotlight.
At times in fact, it seems like heresy hearing Paul’s backing band appropriating john, George and Ringo’s roles on the old Beatles chestnuts, or for that matter, finding Billy Joel offering up a cameo on “I Saw Her Standing There.” But then again, Paul’s four-piece backing band is as adept as it is streamlined, and given that the current set stretches nearly three hours as opposed to the 30 minutes granted to Shea’s screaming masses, there’s something to be said for updating the MO. Ultimately, it’s a good – make that, great – evening indeed. (Hear Music)
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (09/30/2009 @ 1:40 pm)
Decades removed from their break up, the Beatles are possibly busier than they’ve ever been. Almost every day, an interesting bit of news surfaces with connection to the band. Earlier this week, Lucy Vodden, the underlying inspiration for “Lucky in the Sky with Diamonds,” passed away. Four days ago, an essay written by Paul McCartney when he was 10 about the Queen was unearthed. Of course, this news pales in comparison to The Beatles: Rock Band and the remasters of their entire catalog, which were released on September 9th. It looks like Beatlemania will never end and I couldn’t be happier.
On November 23rd, Paul McCartney will release a 2CD/1DVD package of his performances from earlier this year at New York’s Citi Field. Good Evening New York will highlight each night’s 33-song set filmed with 15 high-definition cameras.
A deluxe edition will feature an additional DVD featuring McCartney’s performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater. The live album will also be issued on vinyl.
The gigs, at which McCartney played songs by The Beatles and Wings, as well as selections from his solo back catalogue, took place on July 17, 18 and 21.
They were significant for McCartney as The Beatles played the venue in 1965 when it was known as Shea Stadium.
This will be McCartney’s second release on Hear Music, which is owned by Starbucks Corporation.
No surprise here. Rusty Anderson, Paul McCartney’s current guitar foil, releases a second solo album that oozes the same vibrant and infectious rock and pop that his boss is so fond of sharing with the masses. However, don’t look for McCartney among the backing crew, although it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he’s lurking in the shadows and maintaining anonymity under an alias. Actually, it’s no matter either way, as Anderson proves more than adept at delivering a set of mostly solid rockers, brimming with fanciful hooks and catchy choruses. Anderson’s approach tends to be rather explosive, as is evident with opening track “Born on Earth” and succeeding entries like “Baggage Claim” and “New Beginning,” but he’s also inclined to flirt with fluffier essence as well, lapsing into mellower terrain with “Timed Exposure,” curbing the tempo with “Where We Would Go?” and attempting some pseudo soul with “Intro.” Anyone looking for Macca comparisons will likely find them in the cuddly “Julia Roberts” and “Under a White Star,” but overall Born on Earth shows that Anderson is comfortably rooted in terra firma all his own. (Oxide Records 2009)
Posted by Christopher Glotfelty (08/07/2009 @ 1:25 pm)
You can’t fault the guy can you? Sir Paul McCartney began performing live with the Quarrymen — the band that would soon become the Beatles — over 50 years ago. Since then, he’s had his hand in the most popular band of all time, churned out well-received albums with Wings in the 70s, and has remained relevant and active as a solo rock artist, classical composer, and live act. Thus, it’s fitting for the man that has done it all to cap off his prolific touring career next year with one last jaunt across the globe. Unfortunately, if you’re a guy like me who’s listened and tried to play his songs for years instead of catching him live, it looks like McCartney won’t be covering as much ground in the U.S. as he has done in the past . Instead, as The Sun in the U.K. reports, he’ll opt for gigantic arenas and odd locations such China’s famous Tiananmen Square and the historical Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
A source tells the publication, “Paul wants to go out with a bang. He’s played countless stadiums over his 50-year career and is on the hunt for the most unusual locations he can find. He realizes that the older he gets, the less his body will be able to cope with the demands of extended periods on the road. He might play the odd benefit gig – but other than that he’ll be putting his feet up and enjoying retirement.
McCartney will be close to 70 when the tour kicks off next year. If you’ve seen him recently on “The Late Show” or at Coachella, it’s evident he’s much more vibrant than your typical 60s rock icon. It’d be great not to have to travel hours to catch McCartney on his exit from the stage. If so, might as well travel to China, right? Right?
When talking about the Beatles, most people think about the two main singer/songwriters in Paul McCartney and John Lennon. But guitarist/songwriter George Harrison was no slouch, and he certainly went on to have many years of success after the big breakup. In fact, Harrison had four Number One singles on the Billboard pop charts, and any fan of his music with or without the Beatles is going to have to own this encompassing collection of the man’s big hits, Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison. There are tracks like “My Sweet Lord,” “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) and “Got My Mind Set On You,” as well as live versions of Beatles classics that he wrote such as “Something,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” There are also some of the more obscure beauties, like “All Things Must Pass” and the pure ear candy of “This is Love.” There is also “Marwa Blues,” a stunning instrumental that showcases Harrison’s unique guitar tone and the way that he could, well, make that thing just weep. If you’ve been a fan from the beginning, you probably already own this album, but if you’re less in tune with the man’s work and you love timeless pop, it’s a classic that you just need to have. (LABEL: Capitol)
Better than the 2003 collection that bears his name, this michelgondry.com-exclusive set of music videos is simply staggering. The beauty of Gondry’s work is that his methods are surprisingly low-tech (Beck’s “Cellphone’s Dead” being this set’s exception). He uses reflective glass to create the ghosts that haunt Paul McCartney’s house in “Dance Tonight,” and Steriogram’s “Walkie Talkie Man” is a brilliant stop-motion clip, using both real people and their string equivalents. Gondry assembles a couple of clever yet completely unique one-take videos with Michael Andrews and Gary Jules’ cover of “Mad World” and the White Stripes’ “The Denial Twist,” and his videos from the pre-CGI early ’90s, namely Thomas Dolby’s “Close but No Cigar” and Sananda Maitreya’s “She Kissed Me” (otherwise known as Terence Trend D’Arby to your older brothers and sisters), look as good as any video made today. The set comes with a bunch of behind-the-scenes footage, a couple films featuring Gondry solving a Rubik’s Cube with various parts of his body (feet and nose, to be precise), and they also added the parody of Gondry’s video of the White Stripes’ “The Hardest Button to Button” that appeared on a 2006 episode of “The Simpsons.” Genius stuff, across the board. If only he could replicate this consistency in the feature film arena.(ElektroFilm)
At age 66, Macca’s more prolific than ever, releasing new records on a regular basis, coming clean with his guise of the Fireman and still touring consistently. So it’s not enough that he should make the compulsory Grammy showing; he can also appear at a more intimate venue that’s generally reserved for up-and-comers. Consequently, this four song set, recorded live in 2007 at the Amoeba record store in L.A., reminds us he’s still a mere mortal, capable of rocking a small crowd with offerings both old and new. Vibrant versions of “That Was Me” and “Only Mama Knows” from his then-current album, Memory Almost Full, cast aside doubts about Paul’s present ability to deliver on a memorable melody. “I Saw Her Standing There” provides the inevitable nod to nostalgia with a rollicking rendition would have us believe that indeed, 45 years have passed in the blink of an eye. The sound quality, which veers towards bootleg variety, makes for a minor complaint, but the choice to include “C Moon,” one of McCartney’s lamer attempts, ought to cause greater ire. On the other hand, the fact that Ringo was in the house and wasn’t asked to join in seems the biggest bummer of all. (Hear Music)
This year has seen some extraordinary new music come our way. I’ve heard the opposite opinion from elsewhere, but for me, being on the West Coast has a lot to do with my enthusiasm. In fact, seven of the albums in my top ten are by West Coast artists, some more well-known than others. Not only that, three of the albums in my top ten aren’t albums at all. The “EP” is an anachronistic term that originally referred to a 7” vinyl record with more music crammed on each side (usually at the expense of volume and general sound quality) than what a normal single would hold. It’s an abbreviation for “Extended Play.” And yet, today’s EP is really just a half-length CD. They tend to be overlooked, either because they’re too short to warrant much attention or they contain songs not deemed strong enough for a full album, or both. But, like Bob Dylan said, “things have changed.” Our lives are busier, our attention spans are shorter, and our disposable income is shrinking by the hour. What better time for the EP to make a mini-resurgence than now?
Top 10 Albums of 2008
1. The Parson Red Heads: Owl & Timber (EP)
There’s a timelessness to the sound and the vibe of the Parson Red Heads that’s beyond explanation. You can single out the familial harmonies, the guitar interplay that recalls the Byrds and the Dead, the irresistibly solid pop songs, or their flowery evocation of a bygone era. But when it comes down to it, this band’s music simply feels good. No other band has released music this irresistible and uplifting in years, and only a select lucky few up and down the West Coast have had the luxury of being able to see and hear them live. With a little luck, this may change, and we’ll be able to look back at Owl & Timber as one of the elements that made it happen.
2. Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun
Following up the 37-years-late Smile with another similarly built song cycle seemed like little more than a fantasy in 2004. But here we are in 2008, and Brian Wilson pulled it off. Mike Love would be proud to hear that there’s only one “downer” on the album (the beautiful, Pet Sounds-worthy “Midnight’s Another Day”), while all the rest are upbeat, aural murals depicting the sunny side of Southern California. It’s Brian doing what he does best, and outside of Smile, it’s easily his best, most enjoyable solo work.
3. Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8
Technically, Tell Tale Signs is an archival release, but the recent vintage of the material (1989 through 2006), the abundance of never-before-heard songs, and the fact that most of it was recorded during the same period in which Guns n’ Roses’ 14-years-late Chinese Democracy gestated, qualifies it as new. And even if it didn’t qualify, it would still be listed here, since it does as good a job (if not better) as any of his last three records of proving that, even in his old age, Dylan has lost none of his power to inspire, confound, delight and move his audience.
4. The Gutter Twins: Saturnalia
Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli have collaborated in the past on a few tracks from Greg’s Twilight Singers albums, and while those duets were pretty good, they were never major stand-outs. Not until the two covered Massive Attack’s “Live with Me” on last year’s A Stitch in Time EP, anyway. As good as that cover was, this full album of originals by Greg and Mark is even better. Dulli stretches himself here, eschewing his usual rockin’ R&B swagger and falling under Lanegan’s dark, spiritual influence.
5. Chris Robley & The Fear of Heights: Movie Theatre Haiku
That straight-laced dude from Portland with the Harry Nilsson fixation strikes again, this time crediting his road band and turning in an even more confident record than last year’s The Drunken Dance of Modern Man in Love. If the 1966 Beatles were a young band today, they’d likely be playing songs like Robley’s “User-Friendly Guide to Change.”
6. Joseph Arthur: Vagabond Skies (EP)
Of the four EPs and full-length album Joseph Arthur released this year, Vagabond Skies rises to the top not only for bearing some of his most captivating and ethereal songs, but also for containing the year’s most memorable guitar solo, in the EP’s centerpiece “She Paints Me Gold.” Plus, the cover art is damn cool.
7. The Happy Hollows: Imaginary (EP)
They’re funny, they’re smart, they’re tight as a conservative’s behind, and they’re the most exciting live indie rock band in L.A. right now. Imaginary is just a short burst of five songs, but what a burst it is – from the simple exclamatory chant of “Colors” to the almost prog-like tour-de-force of “Lieutenant” with singer/guitarist Sarah Negahdari’s Eddie Van Halen-esque guitar tapping, Imaginary tantalizes and teases, just like you want it to.
8. Guns n’ Roses: Chinese Democracy
Yes, it’s bloated and overproduced. No, it’s not the old, sleazy Guns n’ Roses of the late ‘80s. Yes, it should have been out ten years ago, and would have sounded even more contemporary in 1998 than in 2008. But Axl Rose is still the king of tortured, overwrought power ballads and menacing rock n’ roll screams, and on these counts, Chinese Democracy more than delivers – it beats you over the head with its twisted logic.
9. Metallica: Death Magnetic
Metallica sounds like Metallica again! It may be clichéd to say this is their best album since …And Justice for All, but it’s true, and it bears repeating: Death Magnetic is Metallica’s best album since Justice.
10. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges Evil Urges goes to great lengths to prove that My Morning Jacket is no typical southern jam band. Not that they ever needed to go so far as to throw some Prince-like falsetto singing and funky R&B into the mix, but as it turns out, it sounds pretty cool.
When Paul McCartney opined about the bliss of eventual retirement in “When I’m 64,” no one could have guessed at the time, that in actual fact he’d put that premise to the test and choose to ignore that option completely. Indeed, here he is at 67, showing no signs of slowing down while wailing away and glibly commanding the stage like a rocker half his age. McCartney’s sixth live set in the past 19 years – a remarkable feat in itself – finds the aging mop top dutifully spanning his entire career as always , but oozing out an emotional commitment that’s truly astonishing. Yes, the usual standards – “Let It Be,” “Yesterday,” Hey Jude,” “Live and Let Die” – make the cut for the umpteenth time, usurping slots that could have best been taken from the hundreds of other worthy contenders. (It’s worth noting that the entirety of McCartney and Flowers in the Dirt, unquestionably two of his best albums, have been booted entirely.) Still Paul, ever the crowd-pleaser, clearly doesn’t want to deny his fans the old stand-bys.
