After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, The Beatles were considered one of the main forces that helped heal the nation with their infectious tunes, charisma and wit.
Decades later, former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is poised to help heal a nation again in the aftermath of Sept. 11 with his first tour in almost 10 years. In his tour, McCartney also pays tribute to his longtime friend and bandmate, George Harrison, who passed away late last year. Armed with a healthy selection of classic Beatles tunes and some hits from his solo years, McCartney’s Driving USA tour should prove to be one of the hottest and most emotional tours of the year.
McCartney also released his first studio album in four years with “”Driving Rain.”” In those studio sessions, McCartney recorded at a Beatles-like pace by finishing the album in about five weeks, compared to some bands who take years to release material. He also rediscovered himself as simply a bass player — playing his distinctive Hofner bass, of course.
“”Talking about the old way The Beatles used to record brought that back to me,”” McCartney states. “”So although I’ve played a bit of guitar and stuff on the occasional track, I’ve basically been a bass player. That’s my role. It’s simple and satisfying — I sing and I play bass.””
When it rains McCartney, it pours.
McCartney penned the title song for the movie “”Vanilla Sky”” and recently released the single “”Freedom”” with sales benefiting the families of the victims of Sept. 11. He performed “”Freedom”” for the pre-game show of the Super Bowl. McCartney was also part of the benefit concert for New York City.
The creativity of McCartney isn’t restricted to pop music. Under the pseudonym Fireman, the pop legend has released ambient-techno albums. But the releases are not readily available and may require a bit of hunting to acquire a copy.
The Driving USA tour has already garnered very positive responses, especially with a Beatles-heavy setlist. Compared to previous tours, there seem to be more selections from The Beatles’ self-titled release better known as the “”white album.””
Since Phish is taking a break from touring, you won’t be hearing any live versions of Beatles songs anytime soon. You never know when Sir Paul is heading back to the United States, so break open the piggy-bank and go see a living legend who can still sing well and listen to some classic tunes that The Beatles never had the chance to play live.
If all you Beatles fans don’t go, you might be missing one of the greatest performances of your life.
Paul McCartney will be performing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 4, 2002. He will also appear at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on Sunday, May 5, 2002. Both shows start at 8 p.m. Tickets are sold out but can sill be found on www.ebay.com. (No, it’s not worth it.)
