Tiks for the Really Big Shoe as Ed Sullivan would say
One of the bonuses of living in Ottawa is that Montreal is just down the road, about 1.5 hours away. Case in point, guess who Alistair and I will see tomorrow in Montreal? Yes, that is right, one of the Beatles!
Paul McCartney is, in my mind, the leading figure in music today. Sure he is getting on in years, and sure he hasn’t had a “hit” in the last 25 years or more, but who cares?
I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to finally see him play live. I have been a rather large Beatles fan ever since I started listening to music as a wee lad, I never actually thought I would ever see one of them live, especially given McCartney is now almost 70 (and still going remarkably strong mind you).
Some might say Bob Dylan could give McCartney a run for his money as being the greatest living musical legend; however, although I respect Dylan and enjoy much of his music, (he is obviously a brilliant lyricist and a great songwriter himself), he simply could not, however, craft melodies like McCartney, and I don’t think Dylan was nearly as creative (or prolific) as McCartney was in his heyday.
Of course McCartney is the other half of the greatest songwriting partnership that will ever be. When you look at the songs that he has written over his career, I think it is pretty safe to say that nobody measures up.
At any rate, regardless of his place in musical history, is an honour to be able to see him tomorrow, and I am very glad that it will be Alistair’s first concert – I’m sure it will be a memorable one. (I remember my first one – it was 1984 and I saw April Wine and, ahem.. Corey Heart. Even though April Wine is great and all, Alistair has done one better, to be sure!)
Here are a few clips, some old and some new, including a clip of PM playing recently on Saturday Night Live, can you tell I am excited?
Set List: And here is a link to the set list from his show at Yankee Stadium last week:
**** For those real Beatles fans, you just have to see Paul sing (and play his beautiful bass guitar on A Day in the Life on Saturday Night Live last Christmas here:
Finally, before Elanore Rigby, for a little humour, see the wonderful Chris Farley and Paul McCartney below:
