Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!

Subject: Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 12:02 AM

Good people,

I just saw the DVD "Paul McCartney In Red Square"

All I can say is that's it's the best concert video I've ever seen! What a band. And the guy on the keyboards/synthesizer/organ did things and got sounds I didn't think it was possible to obtain electronically, acoustically or any other way. The three band members, plus Paul, were able to create (recreate) the proper background for songs from every single one of the Beatles musical periods over the years they were a band.

At the risk of tarnishing my own trad image here at the Cat, I've just got to say that it was simply inspirational. Paul McCartney is better than ever.

(And as one who finds it hard to get out a lot these days, I must say that Netflix is one of the best ideas anyone has ever had! ;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!
From: GUEST,Sidewinder.
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 01:49 AM

Hi Art,
I haven't seen it yet but rest assured I will seek out this treasure on your recommendation and I am sure I will enjoy it as much as yourself.

Best Wishes.

Sidewinder.

Subject: RE: Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!
From: alanabit
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 04:04 AM

I have seen it and I think it is pretty good too.

Subject: RE: Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!
From: Peter T.
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 08:36 AM

I haven't seen this one, but the Concert for George is one of the best videos I have ever seen. Truly inspirational, especially the Indian musicians. I almost never play videos more than once, but this one goes on a lot.

(Paul, alas, is on this one, and occasionally makes a fool of himself with his usual arrogance, but it is a minor annoyance).

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 09:19 AM

Paul did, as you said, "go on a bit". The ego is there. The obvious talent surely transcends though. But the extent that the Beatles music did truly have a solidifying IMPACT on the underground, black market, lives of many Russian dissidents and young people (now older folks) in the U.S.S.R. era was a larger real factor apparently or probably than I have ever realized. The desire for an escape from smothering totalitarianism, not so much against the many humanizing and, yes, to me, decent aspects of socialism, was unbelievably obvious in this amazing DVD. Please pardon my foray into the politics of it all. The politics are there in the video as historical contexts, I thought, and not much more.

I saw this video just 6 hours ago, and it had an amazing impact that I'm just processing here and now. But seeing Putin with tears in his eyes in the emotional chaos (in a good sense) of the crowd reactions to the music was simply inspiring. ---------------------------------In these very dark and negative times, the concert was all about possibilities, hopes for the future, and THE VALUE OF MUSIC IN PEOPLE'S LIVES as a rallying point for possible betterment of our human condition!!

This morning, after half a night's sleep, these are a few of my thoughts. I needed to share them! And I needed to feel the positve feelings that came from seeing this video.

"P.M. in Red Square" (and the concert in St. Petersburg is included as well)is going to be my Chistmas present to a few good friends and relatives this year. I do hope that the ego of the man doesn't get in the way of my watching this often.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Review: McCartney In Red Square wonderful!!!
From: alanabit
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 10:09 AM

Of course there is an ego at work when Paul McCartney goes on stage. That is correct. The audience goes to see him play his songs. He does write some annoyingly banal lyrics, but when he is on song he really is very good. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is an unimprovable love song and the sentiments behind "Yesterday" have never been better expressed either. His ego is an essential part of his tool kit for getting across what he does. It does not make him any less enjoyable for me and anyway, I think he's basically a good bloke.