Monday, July 13, 2009

Paul McCartney at Dallas Cowboys Stadium

For those of us who cut our musical teeth listening to Sergeant Pepper's, The White Album, and Abbey Road, the thought of one of the four Beatles playing to packed houses is a little strange. At least to me.

But play Paul McCartney will, on August 19th, at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

The final, full-cast Beatles' concert was in 1966. If the Beatles had had a concert, in say, 1969, at the time of the Abbey Road release, attendance would have been unmanageable and higher prices would have not kept the crowds from attempting to get in. They were that good and that popular.

The Beatles were over as a concert band years before their last albums; their friendships had ended and Yoko was on the scene, as was the the Maharashi. Their long-time manager, Bryan Epstein, died in 1969, and the thing just ended bad -- which would have made a concert, with all present, even more popular. 500,000 in attendance would not have been impossible, I hypothesize. If they had performed at Woodstock the numbers would have doubled.

The only other entertainers in my lifetime as influential and popular were Sinatra and Elvis, and possibly, Michael Jackson. The only current pop musician with the talent is Dave Matthews and Band. (Granted, I'm not exactly up to date, nor do I want to be after having seeing the Lady Gaga train wreck on American Idol).

I wish Paul McCartney well. I suppose the attendance will be 50,000 plus, I will not be one of them. When I'm 64 is not that far off for me.
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My favorite Beatles song? It changes over the years, but probably Harrison's, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Let It Be, would have been at one time. Back in the USSR, is probably my favorite satirical one, Blackbirds, my favorite anti-establishment song. There were very few I disliked.

Your favorite?
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More information: http://www.dallasnews.com

3 comments:

catherine said...

Oh a Beatles post, fun!! ;-)

Like yours, my best-loved Beatles' songs vary. Right now I'd have to say my all-time favorite is "Blackbird," closely followed by "Something." (I love the back story of George Harrison developing "Something" from that beautiful 1st line of the James Taylor song "Something in the Way She Moves." Also, the legend that it was inspired by Pattie Boyd.... I'm afraid the whole Pattie/George/Eric Clapton triangle fascinates me for some reason.) ;-)

Just for pure fun, nothing can get me pumped like "Hey Jude" (my sons also love Jude!) and "Here Comes the Sun," another George Harrison favorite. George couldn't write @ the level of John & Paul, but he did create a handful of pure gems... :-)

Anyhoo, there's my take! Again a fun post - looking forward to seeing everyone else's comments/choices!

Francis Shivone said...

I threw my list together too fast.

"Something" is my favorite, and "Hey Jude" is my favorite, too. Which reminds me of the 20 dates Dr Patrick included in his, "10 most important dates in the history of Western Civilization".

Thanks, Catherine. Good choices.

Lynn said...

Brother Sushi says the irony of "While My Guitar..." is that it is Clapton who is playing. Wonder what it was about George [if anything] that caused both wives to leave him for his close friends? Maybe he just fell in love with weak women?

You forget Michael Buble'. Lovely voice, great style, and unfortunately seems to be developing the same big head that Ol' Blue Eyes had.

"Lady Madonna" is one of my favorites, because of all the years *I* wondered how I was going to feed the rest. Also "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", though most of the time I prefer Joe Cocker's version. Also "Michelle" [ce sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble, tres bien ensemble].

You're not the only one who is heading for "64" at breakneck speed...