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Post by fabtrick on Jun 16, 2008 23:21:55 GMT -5
Mrs. Vanderbilt was an excellent choice. Let's make a list of songs that we'd like to hear, that will allow Paul to keep his voice from getting burnt out too quickly on tour.
I choose ANOTHER GIRL. He's not really singing per se, is he? He's more or less "speaking" the lyrics. It would be great to see him do this, and fairly easy for him to pull off.
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Post by theman on Jun 17, 2008 13:13:00 GMT -5
He'll never do these two songs, but "Back on My Feet" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" should work with his current vocal range.
One song that he MIGHT consider doing--and that falls within your premise--is "Tug of War" And that's a song I'd love to hear him play live.
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Post by John S. Damm on Jun 17, 2008 17:14:25 GMT -5
World Tonight might be good these days.
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 17, 2008 17:25:47 GMT -5
Hot As Sun Valentine Day Momma Miss America
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Post by Sir Frankie Crisp on Jun 17, 2008 20:28:28 GMT -5
Wasn’t that a great version of Mrs. Vanderbilt in Kiev? It only frustrates me knowing bloody well that when Paul extends himself a little he can still produce exciting live music. He still has the ability and it looks like the desire still burns so why doesn’t he tap into that well spring of material that lies before him? Dig into the early years with “Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby.” He could really sink his dentures into that song and have a laugh at the same time. Or how about “A World Without Love” – a great tune that everyone knows and it’s easy on the vocal chords. Or how about “Eat At Home” from “Ram”? McCartney could wrap his tonsils around that without a problem.
I always liked the slow blues of “On the Way” from “McCartney II” because there’s a lot of room to move around within the song. It provides a framework for extended solos and it could stretch the band a little. There are a couple of songs from “Off the Ground” that I think are forgotten gems. “Golden Earth Girl” and “Winedark Open Sea” are classic McCartney ballads but may be a little too slow or esoteric for a concert. “Café on the Left Bank” or “Too Much Rain” are a couple of other tunes I’d love to hear live. The thing is, with a catalogue as extensive as Paul’s it’s got to be tough trying to finalize a set list. He’s not going to please everyone so he may as well adopt the Rick Nelson motto from his great song “Garden Party.” “If you can’t please everyone, you might as well please yourself.”
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Post by sexysadie on Jun 18, 2008 0:32:57 GMT -5
You have to ask the question--how much of this is Paul not wanting to tackle the formidable task of coming up with a more diverse set list, and how much is his simply not wanting to do the work involved with learning new songs, many of which he has never played live? Is he mostly phoning it in at this point? My gut feeling is he really is afraid that doing some of his more obscure material will fall flat with the audience. I wish he would do one concert, in a big city like NY, LA, or London, and advertise it as a special "thank you" to the serious, longtime fans. Make it known that the performance will showcase a reworked set list largely devoid of "the hits," and see how ticket sales go. Then he would be able to judge the demand for the lesser-known songs, and reassure himself that they would be well-received. As I recall, when Paul toured the States in 2002, the reviews were almost universally positive. Ecstatic, even. When he returned in 2005, some negativity began to creep in, especially from a few younger critics, who don't feel any compunction to write worshipfully of a former Beatle. Snarky comments about his clothing and his hair (what? What's wrong with his hair? ), but mostly criticisms of his increasing vocal shortcomings. (I have a recording of one of the 2005 shows, and the vocals are all over the place. Jenny Wren is just horrible.) So this thread has a lot of merit. He toured the US twice in 2002, and again in 2005. If he returns this or next year, people are, understandably, going to be looking for something fresh. I fear that if Paul doesn't address the set list issue, and accept that his voice isn't what it used to be, he will end his touring career on a real low note (sorry, pun). One can stay too long at the party, you know.
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Post by John S. Damm on Jun 18, 2008 9:12:28 GMT -5
My gut feeling is he really is afraid that doing some of his more obscure material will fall flat with the audience. I wish he would do one concert, in a big city like NY, LA, or London, and advertise it as a special "thank you" to the serious, longtime fans. Make it known that the performance will showcase a reworked set list largely devoid of "the hits," and see how ticket sales go. Then he would be able to judge the demand for the lesser-known songs, and reassure himself that they would be well-received. That is a great, great idea but in the U.S. do three shows, L.A., Chicago and NYC. Get a feel from across the U.S. And London is a great place too to try this. He might as well do a few shows since he would have to go to some trouble of learning many "new" songs for the setlist. Agreed. Paul could easily turn his tours into.....Ringo and The All-Starr tours and that would be a shame. An "oldies but moldies" show with nothing new and interesting to give.
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ImBigK
Very Clean
Take a sad song and make it better
Posts: 66
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Post by ImBigK on Jul 21, 2008 18:12:32 GMT -5
The irony here is that one issue that led to Paul's erosion from the charts was a far-too-long absence from touring. No US tour from 1976 until 1989?? Ouch. The big news with the '89 tour was that he was going to include a large number of Beatles tunes... previously they had been special treats in a show and were few and far between. While I thought then and still think that three or four Fab tunes per show is too stingy, that sort of set list (and regular tours) did go a long way toward contributing to an image of him as an ongoing, vital artist.
To be fair, the first few "Beatles-heavy" tours weren't that similar, because there was so much of that catalog that remained unexplored live. It's only in recent years that the set has gotten somewhat stale and predictable.
I also notice that there are a fair number of big solo hits that Paul's mostly ignored or dropped from concert sets. I've gotta think it would be a good idea to rotate that stuff into shows, because it's a great way of reminding casual fans of some songs they may really be fond of but have forgotten. The Rolling Stones, for example, do a good job of shuffling moderate hits and popular album cuts into and out of the set list in this manner. Also, playing something like, say, MY BRAVE FACE beyond the tour where it was a new single demonstrates confidence in the song and the notion that it can hold its head up with the obvious classics. That sort of confidence and respect can often go a long way toward having a song be considered a classic, too.
Paul has recorded some great music in the last 25 years or so, and it would be a shame if only the diehard fans remain aware of most of it.
-Big K
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ImBigK
Very Clean
Take a sad song and make it better
Posts: 66
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Post by ImBigK on Jul 21, 2008 18:15:29 GMT -5
ANOTHER GIRL, WORLD TONIGHT, ON THE WAY and TUG OF WAR are all great suggestions, BTW. I also like the idea of revisiting a song or two that he's given to other folks over the years... WORLD WITHOUT LOVE or maybe COME AND GET IT would probably go over like gangbusters AND get great reviews, for instance. Good thought.
-Big K
NP - SHINE ON: 25 YEARS OF BADFINGER
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Post by joeyself on Jul 21, 2008 18:56:05 GMT -5
ANOTHER GIRL, WORLD TONIGHT, ON THE WAY and TUG OF WAR are all great suggestions, BTW. I also like the idea of revisiting a song or two that he's given to other folks over the years... WORLD WITHOUT LOVE or maybe COME AND GET IT would probably go over like gangbusters AND get great reviews, for instance. Good thought. -Big K NP - SHINE ON: 25 YEARS OF BADFINGER Don't know if he can handle it--with the right arrangement, probably--"Mine For Me" would be a nice chestnut. JcS
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ImBigK
Very Clean
Take a sad song and make it better
Posts: 66
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Post by ImBigK on Jul 21, 2008 20:06:05 GMT -5
Don't know if he can handle it--with the right arrangement, probably--"Mine For Me" would be a nice chestnut. JcS Yes, it would. I've always quite liked that one. -Big K
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Post by John S. Damm on Jul 21, 2008 20:21:16 GMT -5
I also notice that there are a fair number of big solo hits that Paul's mostly ignored or dropped from concert sets. I've gotta think it would be a good idea to rotate that stuff into shows, because it's a great way of reminding casual fans of some songs they may really be fond of but have forgotten. The Rolling Stones, for example, do a good job of shuffling moderate hits and popular album cuts into and out of the set list in this manner. Also, playing something like, say, MY BRAVE FACE beyond the tour where it was a new single demonstrates confidence in the song and the notion that it can hold its head up with the obvious classics. That sort of confidence and respect can often go a long way toward having a song be considered a classic, too. Paul has recorded some great music in the last 25 years or so, and it would be a shame if only the diehard fans remain aware of most of it. Well said. My Brave Face, Hope Of Deliverance, Wanderlust, World Tonight, Press and dozens more are wonderful songs that would still be terrific in concert and everyone would recognize them(well, maybe not the idiots who sat around me at Paul's first of two Chicago concerts in April 2002). Just because songs were not No.1 is not a reason to stop playing these songs(or never doing them live)! Things like My Brave Face and Hope Of Deliverance are much too good to be shelved forever after one tour each.
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Post by vectisfabber on Jul 22, 2008 4:40:11 GMT -5
There are still a few Beatle numbers he hasn't touched. The Night Before has been mentioned, and You Won't See Me comes to mind. The time has probably passed for him to do When I'm 64 (it could have been done with gentle irony when he was 63). I doubt he could manage Oh! Darling, although it's an obvious one for live performance. And I think Ob-la-di would go down well live.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2008 6:22:53 GMT -5
Paul could aways replace Hey Jude,The Long and Winding Road and Let it Be with Martha My Dear,Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da and I've Just Seen a Face....
It would certainly make for a different show,maybe Abe could wear a Sheepdog mask whilst Paul was performing Martha..........
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Post by John S. Damm on Jul 22, 2008 9:05:02 GMT -5
And I think Ob-la-di would go down well live. Hmmm. Yes, Paul could borrow Tony Orlando's routine and leave the stage, walk the aisles and serenade young and old women alike with this frolicking song and the love and joy on their faces would be priceless, all as captured live on the Jumbotron screens. To keep it from being too precious, Paul could then sit in the lap of some grizzled old man and sing to him too, causing the whole stadium to chuckle at Paul's zany antics! It would beat the continued whoring of the majestic "Hey Jude" with the, "Now the people in the middle seats" or the "You were great, and you were great and you were great."
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Post by hotassun on Jul 22, 2008 14:03:16 GMT -5
You're a strange, little man.
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Post by vectisfabber on Jul 23, 2008 3:35:25 GMT -5
OK, I understand those comments - by which I mean that I translate them as "I don't like Ob-la-di" - but I still think it would present well as a live number. You'll note that I didn't suggest Maxwell or Honey Pie.
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Post by winstonoboogie on Jul 23, 2008 19:38:53 GMT -5
OK, I understand those comments - by which I mean that I translate them as "I don't like Ob-la-di" - but I still think it would present well as a live number. You'll note that I didn't suggest Maxwell or Honey Pie. ....let alone "Why Don't We Do it in the Road?"
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Post by John S. Damm on Jul 23, 2008 22:28:08 GMT -5
OK, I understand those comments - by which I mean that I translate them as "I don't like Ob-la-di" - but I still think it would present well as a live number. You'll note that I didn't suggest Maxwell or Honey Pie. You are right though, OBD, OBD is one of the last big Beatles songs not done live by Paul. It would go over well, indeed fantastic. If only Paul would do it instead of that lame-ass "C-Moon."
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