Just my opinion – John Lennon had a way better quality solo career than McCartney

broke wrist so i am writing funny.

was listening to walls and bridges and mind games the lps last night again. two of my faves.

great stuff. freda people, meat city, the song mind games, no. 9 dream, tight as, you dont know what you got...

great stuff.

we're really comparing too diamonds here... both brilliant - paul is a higher karat than anyone tho still...

jeff

 

As much as I respect the hell out of Johns' solo work, and the brutal honesty of his material, I've also felt that there was a severe lack of output on his part. Always, there was the potential of greatness coming from him as a solo, but for the most part he wasn't delivering the goods.
Now , on the other hand, McCartney, being more prolific also put out a boatload of crap along the way, along with his good stuff. They were defintely as a whole, better than the sum of the parts. And I think that Lennons music suffered the most from the separation of the two, enen though in the later years of the Beatles there was much less collaboration. I believe that for John especially, his music benifited just from having McCartney around. I reluctantly give the edge to Macca.

 

This is a stupid debate they are chalk and cheese, why not compare two similar musicians! McCartney is one of a kind uncomparable, who in music today has the same success and is musically like McCartney? he is the top man in his field and will remain so until he dies!, so trying to compare him to Lennon now is silly!

I know lets compare George Harrison to Bob Dylan they were both in the same group and wrote songs together one is dead, it just doesnt work totally different musicians, but working together great!

 

John lennon is the one who decided to become a househusband, McCartney kept rocking.

McCartney has done some bad songs thru out his career, but the vast majority of his output is just excellent! I love what he says in Silly Love Songs, you can bash it all you want, but the truth is people love the music that McCartney makes.

It's been said and is very sad, but the man will have to die before people pull their heads out and realize all of the great music McCartney has given us!

 

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

I am fed up with this argument and i do agree that McCartney was the driving force in the Beatles, and we all love his work! we don't need to prove our love by saying he is better than Lennon they BOTH have their place, comparing their solo careers can not be done.... But i am sure through the years McCartney has also had his 'househusband' years maybe after Lennon died maybe before i don't know and frankly don't care thats his business, although i have been reading his autobiography and one of McCartney's househusband years were in the late 60's early 70's looking after Heather for Linda etc so what! McCartney's a better musician because he kept rocking why Lennon devoted his time to raising his child, for ***** sake! i for one am glad Lennon did that at least Sean had something before he died!

Lennon, McCartney, The Beatles are NOT OUR PROPERTY! it is all good, accept the merits of all the parts of the Beatles and stop putting them in the 'Boxing ring' with each other!

As for McCartney having to die before people relise the great music he has done! what crap! we wouldn't be here debating it if we didn't hold SIR McCartney as an important historical figure, the whole world knows with out McCartney their would be no Beatles as with all the other parts to that group!

 

It isn't.
But I see his point
Paul has been a little bit ridiculed by doing his "man of family" bit and act normally...as if he weren't a regular bloke.

John being like this is also a great point and another similarity between both.

 

Maidenpriest, there lies the main problem, McCartney is much more than just a freaking Beatle! This man has a post Beatles career that any artist would die for (no pun intended), but what does almost everyone talk about, the freaking Beatles!

That's why I and many many others have said that the man will have to die before people really appreciate what he's done since the Beatles!

It's sad to say, but that isn't crap, as I've been told on these very forums, that's the way it is!

 

I'm sure it was a blast showing up at recording sessions and see Yoko there.

 

Yes i know!, McCartney knows that, does he care i dunno! but its not unique to McCartney its the same with every Artist, the way of the world! that ain't gonna change and i don't care i would rather see McCartney alive and healthy rather than put on a higher pedestal, lets face it his pedestal is pretty high already!!

 

"Double Fantasy" is good, but it's not THAT good... soccer mom music.

 

Maidenpriest, I don't care about pedestals, I care that the mans post Beatles career gets the credit it truly deserves!

Have you noticed that whenever his post Beatles career is discussed the comments always tend to be negative? Why is that when his post Beatles career is filled with so much amazing material? Why do most broadcast the instances when the music wasn't good, and almost mention the vast amount of good as an afterthought?

Also I have to say, it's not the same with every artist. I don't know of any other artist that has been crucified the way McCartney has over the years!

 

I wish Ken was here to bring all this hero worshiping down to reality! that McCartney and The Beatles are not God's but very talented blokes, and they all play their part! so what McCartney may not get the same recognition as his work with The Beatles, and that being in The Beatles will always overshadow his Solo stuff, bloody hell what musicians wouldn't give to be in The Beatles! you can't have it all, i feel more sorry for Ringo and George it must have been a lot tougher for them with out all those Lennon/McCartney royalties!

 

I don't expect McCartney to get the same recognition as the Beatles! The Beatles were a once in a lifetime phenomenon!

All I say is give the music the credit it deserves, for instance the song Silly Love Songs is excellent, blasting horns, wonderful harmonies, great message, a killer bassline, and excellent vocals by McCartney, now you'd think that McCartney was the freaking anti Christ the way that song is bashed! To this very day it doesn't get the credit it truly deserves! That's just one example.

 

You must be reading different Newspapers/Magazines to me? I dont think McCartney gets crucified for every bad thing i read about him i read more good things he is the most respected modern musician this country has ever known! (UK) He wouldn't be good old lovable Sir Paul otherwise, for example his recent marriage to Heather, everyone is on his side! his music yeah some of it is good, some bad, and the media will judge it on its merits, but he is public property and critics are welcome to their opinion! it doesn't really effect his records sales! The Beatles have always overshadowed the solo careers, not just for McCartney. I used to work banking his cheques and if you saw the amount of money going through the system from MPL you get a better understanding of the whole picture and not just being a fan!

I think The choice of title for 'Silly Love Songs' is the reason it gets bashed! that was McCartneys doing not everyone will share your opinion of that song! thats natural and healthy it keeps musicians on their toes. You will always get bashing and jealousy where big money is involved that the way it is!

 

The thing is that he wrote Silly Love Songs to answer the critics...and he did irritate them because he did get another hit!

 

While we're on this topic, can someone tell me which came first? "Beef Jerky" or "Let Me Roll It".

The notable guitar riff (more obvious on "Let Me Roll It") is used in both songs... which came first? Was Lennon trying to make fun of McCartney again?

Jeff

 

I know crazy don't you think! but thats what makes Rock n Roll excited!!!!

 

Captain Groovy, Let Me Roll It was first. BOTR was released in June of 74, while WAB was released in Sept 74.

 

Wow.

Well, anyone else notice this? Play "Beef Jerky" and you'll hear it clear as day.

Jeff

 

Band On The Run was released in December 1973. Walls and Bridges was released some nine months later; Sept 1974 in the US and October 1974 in the UK. Ron

PS I don't hear many similarities between the two songs.

 

Funny how two great minds can think alike i doubt Lennon was copying McCartney the dates are too close together, this must have been recorded after that famous 1974 jam session, so that riff could have both been still fresh for them!

 

Nah, like I said just before you posted... BOTR was released 9 months before Walls & Bridges. The "Toot and a Snore" jam session was 28 March 1974. Beef Jerky was recorded in July. Ron

 

Yes cheers Ron, we wrote our post at the same time, i personally have not heard Beef Jerky for a long while (its not on my Lennon boxset, have it on vinyl) and can not remember how it went, Let Me Roll It i heard about 3 months ago, may check them out again, but frankly i am not bothered whether they sound the same! and neither is McCartney/Lennon i reckon!

 

"Steel and Glass" and "How Do You Sleep?" sound the same to me. Also, on "How?" John has the same musical interlude that Paul wrote in "The Long and Winding Road" (The bit after Paul says "Road" and ends before he says "That Leads" seems similar to the little few-note segments after John asks each "How" question). John even snatched the pre-chorus snippet of "Child of Nature" from his own little ascending riff in "A Day in The Life".