McCartney Sabotaged Lennons Songs?

[Ric5]

I am a huge Beatles fan. Not to start a flame war or anything but I have always been of the opinioin that Paul McCartney would have been a star without John Lennon but the converse would not have been true. Both were clearly better than the sum of their individual parts but I always found Lennon to be less talented than PM. That is not to say that Lennon was talentless but next to McCartney, few musicians look like stars. He's so well rounded...bass player, pop vocalist, songwriter, personality.

As for his personality (at least what has been on display), Lennon always seemed petty, childish and the kind of guy I probably wouldn't want to spend time with. So, I guess this comment doesn't surprise me.

I'm sorry to the JL fans out there...all opinion, of course...

It can be argued that Paul was the best bass player, the best guitarist, the best songwriter, and the best vocalist in the beatles. ... and maybe the best keyboard player.

 

[5StringBlues]

Yeah, Lennon never says that in there. To my knowledge he has never made such a comment.

Yeah,I just scanned the whole thing myself and can't find the comment.



OP,if you could link us to the inteview you speak of it would be appreciated.

 

[Floyd Eye]

How Do You Sleep is a direct swipe at Paul.


Part of the reason you see so many swipes at Paul from the others is that they were going to keep the break-up hush-hush until a date that they all agreed on.

Then Paul rushed his solo album out ahead of the agreed upon date,which contained a press release hinting at the Beatles breaking up.


All the Beatles were sick of being Beatles by the end,and sometimes took it out on each other in the years following.They all regreted it as the years went by.

Except maybe George.












^ Bingo.

Several songs off "Ram" are subtle jabs at Lennon. Too many people, 3 Legs, Dear Boy. How do you sleep was Lennon's reply. He stated that Paul hides his jabs in lyrics and you have to read between the lines, while he prefers to lay it all out.

George's song " Sue me sue you blues" is directed at Paul too.

 

[Floyd Eye]

It can be argued that Paul was the best bass player, the best guitarist, the best songwriter, and the best vocalist in the beatles. ... and maybe the best keyboard player.

Paul taught himself to read music and play piano, then he taught the others.

 

[Skitch it!]

in an interview with I think Rolling Stone magazine, Lennon was really nasty to Macca, accusing him of ruining his songs by recording them with a boring and unimaginative bass parts, while his songs were adorned with beautiful lines crafted for them.
I for one cannot understand what he is talking about!
Macca laid some lovely lines for Lennon including Mr Kite and most of the white album especailly the slow version of Revolution!
Lennon played bass on Long & Winding Road and made a right hash of it! At least Macca never left any blemish on a released recording!

Wasn't the original idea that Lennon was being churlish with Paul when Lennon recorded the bass for 'Long and Winding', I have read a comment somewhere that the bass part 'lacked imagination', implying Lennon's 'couldn't care less' take on it. I actually like the line Lennon put down ; )

 

[Floyd Eye]

Wasn't the original idea that Lennon was being churlish with Paul when Lennon recorded the bass for 'Long and Winding', I have read a comment somewhere that the bass part 'lacked imagination', implying Lennons 'couldn't care less' take on it.

Listen to any bass parts Lennon played though. ( The White Album contains several, including Helter Skelter) They ALL lack imagination.

 

[5StringBlues]

Several songs off "Ram" are subtle jabs at Lennon. Too many people, 3 Legs, Dear Boy. How do you sleep was Lennon's reply.

These jabs were found in album artwork as well:

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[Skitch it!]

Yes Helter Skelter should have definitely gone the way of tight 16th note funk I jest, I haven't really found any of Lennons bass playing 'offensive', just looser and different, I mean, he's wasn't going to match McCartney on bass playing, but I think it was good enough to communicate the tunes.

Anyone read Goldman's book 'The Lives of John Lennon', he could be quite some character to deal with if you upset him, if the book is correct.

 

[electracoyote]

It can be argued that Paul was the best bass player, the best guitarist, the best songwriter, and the best vocalist in the beatles. ... and maybe the best keyboard player.

You left an instrument out.

In one interview with Lennon (and getting back to his sometimes cruel sense of humor), Lennon was asked, "Do you think Ringo Starr is the best drummer in the world?"

To which Lennon replied:

"He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles."

Ouch.

 

[ExaltBass]

Just read the Geoff Emerick book and you'll see that Paul dug in and did everyone's songs justice... while they went home and crashed - or whatever.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Goldman's book is widely regarded as rubbish.

McCartney played all the instruments on McCartney and Ram, including drums.

 

[Skitch it!]

As much as I love Lennon, I've read enough different accounts to know he could be 'very difficult', he was in life as acerbic as the quality that made his tracks shine through imo.

 

[electracoyote]

Just read the Geoff Emerick book and you'll see that Paul dug in and did everyone's songs justice... while they went home and crashed - or whatever.

+1, great read.

And when The Beatles went to multi-tracking instruments in seperate takes, Paul usually waited until everything else had been recorded to analyze the song, write, and record the bass line, which he spent many hours per song perfecting. He was very critical of his own bass lines.

 

[Skitch it!]

I remember some of an interview, John was asked 'with all this fame isn't it hard to keep modest'? John- 'No when I look at Ringo I know full well we're not supermen' Worded incorrectly of course, it may be somewhere on the web?

 

[MUSHROOMSeAcOw]

My favorite Beatle is George

But seriously, I think George and Ringo are wayyy underrated. If I was in a band dynamic like that, I think I'd be gone.

 

[Floyd Eye]

10 Things you may not know about John.


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[GregC]

when was the interview from? they had a bitter relationship for a long time after the breakup, sounds like he's just talking shite

The 1970 Wenner interview is full of things John would later regret saying.He and Paul lashed out at each other in interviews and songs for about 4 years after the Beatles broke up.


Here's another quote from Lennon that is probably closer to his true feelings on the subject: “Paul was one of the most innovative bass players ever. And half the stuff that is going on now is directly ripped off from his Beatles period.”

Inter-Beatles dynamics were often a complete fiasco. Don't get hung up on anyone interview, it's not an accurate picture.

The Bob Spitz book is a good read if this type of thing interests you but we'll never know the real Beatles story.

+1 to these. The two had a complicated relationship that had its ups and downs. As someone else said, Lennon seemed to mellow in his last years and realized he'd been too defensive and churlish at times. I think he ultimately appreciated Paul's playing quite a bit.

 

[Skitch it!]

10 Things you may not know about John.


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All but 3 I've read before sometime, Best Man, Crosby and his Ashes are new to me, cheers ; )

 

[williamk]

It can be argued that Paul was the best bass player, the best guitarist, the best songwriter, and the best vocalist in the beatles. ... and maybe the best keyboard player.

he was the best at every of those, including drummer!

whoups just noticed someone allready mentioned it...

 

[Floyd Eye]

Ringo also claims that Paul came back to the studio after they had all left on occasion and re-did his drum parts.