One on One with McCartney
- sixstrings17
- Apr 23, 2016
- 3 min read
The very first record I ever bought was the Beatles "Second Album" featuring hits such as "She Loves You", Roll over Beethoven", and many others, circa 1980. Here's that album that's been with me for almost 40 years. The record itself is somewhat scratchy having played it non-stop the first few years after I'd bought it. It cost $6.99, out of my $10 a week allowance. One day, out of boredom, I doodled the fab four directly onto the inner record sleeve inaccurately showing Paul playing the bass wrong-handed. You see, I knew nothing about actually playing an instrument and had no previous serious interests. This album lit the fire to learn how to play the guitar and started my life-long appreciation of not only the Beatles but music in general.
It was purchased from the old Simpson's department store in Montreal and I listened to it constantly on a very cheap stereo system with horrible sounding plastic speakers, until I had memorized every word and musical phrase. Knowing the songs helped to easier match the sound I heard to the notes on the guitar. I was then in grade school in Montreal; a fine arts core school called FACE with a large population of kids into music, arts, theatre, etc. As many of the kids were in bands, there was great camaraderie with better players who taught me basic chords and importantly how to play Beatles songs. Along with the impromptu lessons and jamming, this record, or literally the Beatles, was essentially my guitar teacher as I patiently matched the sound to that first guitar for hours on end every day (I still have that guitar also bought from the Simpson's department store). My story is typical of many around the world with the Beatles having had such a personal influence that would last to this day. They were the start of something new and something big back in the day that gave new voice and individuality to the youth of yesterday that are still relevant. It isn't about the notes one could play, or how much theory one knows, but how one could have a voice when there was previously none. That, is what the Beatles were all about. Paul McCartney, as the half of the "Lennon-McCartney" genius, is a cultural icon, a 20th century legend who continues to be on another level when it comes to musicianship, song writing, and performance (don't ask him about music theory either). This man releases the collective memories and emotion of generations, relevant to the times of the listener's life no matter who one is, where one might be or what one's social status. Until we first saw him in 2013, he had not been to Vancouver since the very first Beatles concert in 1964 (yes, way before my time). We have now seen him twice more with a trip to Seattle and this week, here again in Vancouver for his "One on One" tour. This man never gets old. The music he's (and his old friends) created over the decades remains fresh, powerful, vibrant, fun, and relevant. It was three hours of songs that leaves one wanting more. Seeing Paul was like meeting an old friend once again, whom I've known my whole life but who was too far away out of reach to see let alone meet; that I'd never ever thought I'd see in person. How unbelievable that we've shared the same personal space and times with Paul (Ringo, we saw last fall). Here's to all of us wherever we might be, in celebration of Paul's and the Beatles' music, and to the times of our lives!
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