It was a very enjoyable show with a great setlist. I'll watch it again this weekend.

Didn't hear this "surprise" show".

Regarding Macca's singing voice... and even his speaking voice... well...

...just going on that Marc Maron interview posted above, which was great by the way...

...the reason Mick's voice is still great is because he always could sing.

In later years, Mick has even taken singing lessons -- or should we say voice coaching.

McCartney has never been... a singer.

I mean, if he were, his voice would've held up.

He's a shouter... self-taught, do the Elvis, Everly's, Little Richard, etc.

But he never really sang.

Even in younger days, very pleasant voice, but never a quality singer -- and even in those days, you could hear when cigarettes and drinking, etc., was interfering.

That's why now, when you're comparing in your head... the way he used to sound, to now... it sounds like he has this permanent... head cold type of thing.

He doesn't sound really old per se... just blocked...

...the way that Mick would sound if he weren't really a singer.

I mean, how else to explain it? Paul's in great shape physically, lots of energy, still a fantastic musician,... but there's that one thing he never looked after... because he's still just a shouter...

...rather than a singer.

Maybe that's the one physical drawback of being self-taught.

Paul Mc artney is not a singer. Even he isnot a bass player.
I am so sorry, but last post is the most stupid one I have ever seen in this forum
I am so sorry

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KeithNacho
Paul Mc artney is not a singer. Even he isnot a bass player.
I am so sorry, but last post is the most stupid one I have ever seen in this forum
I am so sorry

:-) Yeap! I will add, that he is also can not play guitar and paino. Also he died in 1966.

The voice is an EXTREMELY delicate instrument. Even the most accomplished, well-trained singers are capable of losing their voice from time to time due to overuse, colds, etc.

Additionally, vocal cords lose elasticity with age, which deepens the voice and makes it more difficult to hit high notes or sing in the key that the songs were originally recorded in when younger. As I said, I'm a huge hard rock/metal fan, and there are SO many singers from those genres in their 50s and 60s out there that struggle to hit the notes in their songs now. A lot of bands are down-tuning to accommodate their singers' reduced ranges.

To say that McCartney isn't really a singer simply because he's having common age-related issues with his voice at the age of 76 is quite the hot take.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-08 11:44 by keefriff99.

Mick Jagger is a singer because he even took singing lessons......also he is a dancer because of the very same reason.
I love both Stones and Beatles.
Paul could shout, sing and do wathever he wanted with his voice, with orwithout singing lessons (how do we know that he has 'nt had lessons???)
Mick is not better singer, is different. And he barks when he tries to shout (see love you live and DW)
Paul has smoked too much......but he is vegetarian

Mick’s voice is amazing still. He is a freak

I may be hated and or "stoned" for this but I never thought Mick had a great voice. He has a style. He can carry a tune for sure but a great voice? I don't think so. Macca had a very sweet voice in earlier years. Also, not a great voice (think Freddie Mercury, etc.) but a pleasant voice. It hurts me to say it but Paul has destroyed his voice. I think it's because he never stops touring and while touring, he gives himself hardly a break between shows. Mick has held up much better. The Stones tour "smarter" and I believe Mick has taken lessons to learn how to maintain his voice. I feel that Mick sounds very, very close to how he sounded back in the day.

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steffialicia
I may be hated and or "stoned" for this but I never thought Mick had a great voice. He has a style. He can carry a tune for sure but a great voice? I don't think so. Macca had a very sweet voice in earlier years. Also, not a great voice (think Freddie Mercury, etc.) but a pleasant voice. It hurts me to say it but Paul has destroyed his voice. I think it's because he never stops touring and while touring, he gives himself hardly a break between shows. Mick has held up much better. The Stones tour "smarter" and I believe Mick has taken lessons to learn how to maintain his voice. I feel that Mick sounds very, very close to how he sounded back in the day.

For his peer group of older singers, Mick is top of the class by a country mile. He knows how to pace himself and take care of his voice. 2 shows a week, plenty of recovery time, a top personal trainer and he drinks lots of water on stage, during as well as between songs. His 2 song break when Keith takes over vocals is a big help too.

Macca, on the other hand manages himself very poorly by comparison. Why, oh why oh why will he not drink any water on stage!!!?? Daft!
He’s certainly in good shape physically and I believe he does gym work to maintain that. His instrumental ability is still strong too.
He frequently does shows 2 days apart and, until recently, shows on consecutive nights were not uncommon. His standard shows last around 2 hours 45 minutes too and he sings and plays an instrument on all 38-40 songs he performs.

Surely it would help to space his shows further apart and drink water on stage?

That all said, I still love his live shows and his performance of Blackbird and Here Today at the edge of the stage at Rock Werchter in 2016 remains my top live music moment ever. For those 2 songs, his fading voice actually add to the poignancy of them, imho. I was front row centre, about 4 or 5 metres away. I will see him in Kraków in December and I look forward to it. His band are excellent.

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grzegorz67

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steffialicia
I may be hated and or "stoned" for this but I never thought Mick had a great voice. He has a style. He can carry a tune for sure but a great voice? I don't think so. Macca had a very sweet voice in earlier years. Also, not a great voice (think Freddie Mercury, etc.) but a pleasant voice. It hurts me to say it but Paul has destroyed his voice. I think it's because he never stops touring and while touring, he gives himself hardly a break between shows. Mick has held up much better. The Stones tour "smarter" and I believe Mick has taken lessons to learn how to maintain his voice. I feel that Mick sounds very, very close to how he sounded back in the day.

For his peer group of older singers, Mick is top of the class by a country mile. He knows how to pace himself and take care of his voice. 2 shows a week, plenty of recovery time, a top personal trainer and he drinks lots of water on stage, during as well as between songs. His 2 song break when Keith takes over vocals is a big help too.

Macca, on the other hand manages himself very poorly by comparison. Why, oh why oh why will he not drink any water on stage!!!?? Daft!
He’s certainly in good shape physically and I believe he does gym work to maintain that. His instrumental ability is still strong too.
He frequently does shows 2 days apart and, until recently, shows on consecutive nights were not uncommon. His standard shows last around 2 hours 45 minutes too and he sings and plays an instrument on all 38-40 songs he performs.

Surely it would help to space his shows further apart and drink water on stage?

That all said, I still love his live shows and his performance of Blackbird and Here Today at the edge of the stage at Rock Werchter in 2016 remains my top live music moment ever. For those 2 songs, his fading voice actually add to the poignancy of them, imho. I was front row centre, about 4 or 5 metres away. I will see him in Kraków in December and I look forward to it. His band are excellent.

Please don't get me wrong. I adore Paul and always will....just saying

For me... best number of the show was I've Got A Feeling
Paul good on vocal & electric guitar
Both guitars sparkling
Tight backing vox & rhythm section

Good show overall, fun to watch on tv
Paul's vocal range in his 60s, 70s ... can't compare to his range in the 60s, 70s ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-08 23:18 by schillid.

A couple observations while I'm watching the video. First, cool Paul is wearing Beatle Boots, yeah! Second is I hope he will play From Me To You and Love Me Do (this version) through the upcoming Euro Tour. And finally I hope he's playing Blackbird in front of me standing in the crowd in Wien in December. I can dream out loud!

Watching the Grand Central Station webcast. Sorry to say, I think his live voice may be gone. I know over the last 10 years it comes and goes, and oddly enough he usually sounds worse doing promo and TV performances than during his actual live shows. But I feel you can hear the hoarseness in his voice that it may really be starting to go for good. I still get a kick out of it and appreciate him still being up there pumping out some truly great stuff that I want to hear like A Hard Day's Night, Hi Hi Hi, Can't Buy Me Love, Letting Go, From Me To You, 1989, Birthday but his voice is really taking a toll. I'd be lying if I said he sounds good. I guess he gets by well enough on charisma alone and I still don't feel he's cheating on the show, but the voice is basically gone.

Cool setlist though and looks like a fun show. I'll never get tired of seeing a 76 year old Paul bust out Helter Skelter 20 songs into a set. I mean come on, thats still the coolest thing ever. What an awesome grandpa. And yes, Mick Jagger is a freak of nature and one of the few people that sounds outstanding for his age. IMO, him and Steven Tyler are the two greatest frontmen for their age. There are other incredible ones, but those two still have traces of exactly who they always were and strike me as guys that rest and do everything they can to make sure you see them at their best. Those guys are few and far between. Can't be understated.

Agree comments re vocals.
But rock fans don't seem to mind. Compared to Dylan, Paul's vocals are still strong.
But do Dylan's fans care? It appears not.
I suppose its only r and r, after all. Not opera or 'serious' music.

It's very puzzling...Paul is literally a billionaire who has access to any doctor or therapist on the planet. He's also a perfectionist, so it's really weird that he doesn't do more to maintain his voice.

I mean, he doesn't sound terrible...just worn out and old.

Paul also has a weird rule that he doesn't drink water on stage. Maybe a bladder thing but it couldn't hurt his voice.

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jlowe
Agree comments re vocals.
But rock fans don't seem to mind. Compared to Dylan, Paul's vocals are still strong.
But do Dylan's fans care? It appears not.
I suppose its only r and r, after all. Not opera or 'serious' music.

Yeah, but Dylan has never had a great voice...it's always been about the lyrics and musicianship with Dylan.

Paul has historically always had a very warm, pleasant, melodic voice, so hearing it a bit hoarse and worn-down lessens the enjoyment.

It was really fun to watch. I've accepted his declining voice at this point...however, I'm always impressed with his playing (bass, acoustic/electric, ukulele, keyboards) throughout the show.

I thought it was an all around great performance and an amazing setlist, and the "decline" of his vocals are being a bit exaggerated here I think. Yes there's some warbling and a bit of scratchiness,
but he sounds no different than he did at Desert Trip almost two years ago. I also noticed his voice was a bit weak at Dodger stadium in 2015, but to say his voice is "gone" is being unrealistic.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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35love
LOL, I can’t believe ‘Helter Skelter’ was the encore!

I will look it up on utube later this weekend, and THANK YOU utube and Paul,
it was a joy to have a ‘right now with the world’ moment.

I didn't catch the beginning, and shut it off at the young girls coming on stage talking about bullying- I had other things to do, but truthfully it breaks up his shows for me. My show in Sacramento I left early before the encores/ end songs, and missed ‘Jet’ one I really dig too.

Last time I saw him a few years ago at Key Arena in Seattle, he brought Krist Novoselic out for "Helter Skelter". 2 basses! It was heavy & cool.

The man still puts on a hell of a show. Hell of a show. IMO that it makes up for any other imperfections, which again are only natural at this age. Its just super noticeable. I saw him 10 years ago and he sounded incredible. I went only because I saw him on Letterman and thought "@#$%&, he sounds incredible. I'd have thought he'd lost it by now." He didn't disappoint. Then like 2 years later he was on SNL and sounded bad. I was like "damn, glad I caught him when I did." Then got free tickets to see him 6 months later and he sounded unreal! Arguably better than that first time. So I realized his voice just wavers. But I feel in recent years its stayed consistently hoarse, which again makes complete sense. But I saw him on the SNL 40th doing Maybe I'm Amazed and I'm like "yeah, I wonder if he recovers" and it seems this is just his voice now. Again, not a criticism. Its just noticeable and more a comment of for several years it was on and off but more on than off. Now it appears to be more off, but his energy and playing is infectious enough that I don't mind. I don't think its embarrassing, but its very clear.

Its also pretty amazing that between 1989-2002 he was only on the road 4 of those years. And before then it had been like 14 years since he truly toured, at least the US. I just always forget how little he toured before then as compared to now. I remember it was such a big deal when he came back in 02 because he hadn't toured in close to a decade.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-09 01:01 by RollingFreak.

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RollingFreak
The man still puts on a hell of a show. Hell of a show. IMO that it makes up for any other imperfections, which again are only natural at this age. Its just super noticeable. I saw him 10 years ago and he sounded incredible. I went only because I saw him on Letterman and thought "@#$%&, he sounds incredible. I'd have thought he'd lost it by now." He didn't disappoint. Then like 2 years later he was on SNL and sounded bad. I was like "damn, glad I caught him when I did." Then got free tickets to see him 6 months later and he sounded unreal! Arguably better than that first time. So I realized his voice just wavers. But I feel in recent years its stayed consistently hoarse, which again makes complete sense. But I saw him on the SNL 40th doing Maybe I'm Amazed and I'm like "yeah, I wonder if he recovers" and it seems this is just his voice now. Again, not a criticism. Its just noticeable and more a comment of for several years it was on and off but more on than off. Now it appears to be more off, but his energy and playing is infectious enough that I don't mind. I don't think its embarrassing, but its very clear.

Its also pretty amazing that between 1989-2002 he was only on the road 4 of those years. And before then it had been like 14 years since he truly toured, at least the US. I just always forget how little he toured before then as compared to now. I remember it was such a big deal when he came back in 02 because he hadn't toured in close to a decade.

When I was in high school, I saw the 1976 Wings Over America show in the Kingdome that was used for the film. 2nd concert I ever went to, age 15. Also, the first time I was exposed to a certain herbal substance which is now legal in Seattle. I think there were 4 of us with a big bag of said herb. We sat at the very top of the upper deck & had a grand time. At the time, it was a huge deal. We were seeing a real live Beatle!!!!! Years later when I was in the music biz, I was supposed to meet him at a show. Turns out there had been a death threat & the event was sadly cancelled. Some friends saw the George Harrison show but that was before my parents started letting me go to the evil rock shows. I had to strike a deal for McCartney. I had to go to the Billy Graham crusade in the Kingdome in order to go to see Paul. Fortunately, Johnny Cash was featured at Billy Graham. My dad was in the choir & got to meet him. Needless to say, the Billy Graham didn't stick (at least in that form) & 2 years later I was conning my parents into letting me drive to Boulder to see the Stones in 1978.

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crholmstrom

When I was in high school, I saw the 1976 Wings Over America show in the Kingdome that was used for the film. 2nd concert I ever went to, age 15. Also, the first time I was exposed to a certain herbal substance which is now legal in Seattle. I think there were 4 of us with a big bag of said herb. We sat at the very top of the upper deck & had a grand time. At the time, it was a huge deal. We were seeing a real live Beatle!!!!! Years later when I was in the music biz, I was supposed to meet him at a show. Turns out there had been a death threat & the event was sadly cancelled. Some friends saw the George Harrison show but that was before my parents started letting me go to the evil rock shows. I had to strike a deal for McCartney. I had to go to the Billy Graham crusade in the Kingdome in order to go to see Paul. Fortunately, Johnny Cash was featured at Billy Graham. My dad was in the choir & got to meet him. Needless to say, the Billy Graham didn't stick (at least in that form) & 2 years later I was conning my parents into letting me drive to Boulder to see the Stones in 1978.

Kingdome's first ever concert (or event of any kind) as I recall..
I was 16 and thrilled to be there as well

I first saw Paul in 1988 at the UC Berkeley football stadium. It was a good show, but uncomfortable to see him in such a huge venue with old-fashioned stadium benches. I hate to say it, but having Linda sing and play keyboards was not a plus. He very nicely included a free glossy program, but he was in that phase of trying to prove he was as cool as John, so that free program served to make me like him a bit less.

I tried again in 2005 at the indoor HP Pavilion hockey arena. It was a much better show, a much better band, and a very nice performance by Paul. The setlist was longer and more Beatles songs were included. I think his band is pretty much the same now. I still might consider seeing him. I guess it depends on the venue, the price, and whether tickets are available as much as whether his voice is okay. He will have a good setlist. It is another chance to see a Beatle who isn't getting any younger.

I first saw him with my wife in Vegas at the MGM Arena around 2005/2006. A bit sterile sounding, and have to admit a bit boring, but his voice was still there. Then in 2014 at Dodger stadium (not '15 as I previously posted) which was a massive stadium spectacle - a much better show than Vegas, even though his voice was not what it once was. Next was Desert Trip wkd 1 which was nearly a replica of the Dodger stadium show - good, but like watching a rerun. Then Desert Trip wkd. 2 - after Neil Young's set was over I lingered for a bit but then left a few songs into Paul's set, partially due to saving some energy after a marathon week of shows, and partially because it was a replica of wkd. 1. Needless to say, I'm not a huge fan of seeing Paul live, but his work with the Beatles is masterful, and some of his solo material throughout the years with and without Wings is really great. Will I ever see him again in an arena or stadium? No. Would I like to see him at a small "venue" such as Grand Central Station. Yes indeed. Will I buy his new album? Based on what I've heard, no.

After skimming through some of this video, seems his voice has now deteriorated more than I thought since this Dodger stadium show - he actually sounds pretty good here vs. today where he sounds a bit feeble.

Paul McCartney Out There Tour! @ Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA 2014

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-09 05:30 by Hairball.

I think the best current singing voice in that generation is Paul Simon. His voice was incredibly strong and pure (for his age) when I saw him a few months ago. Much sweeter than Paul McC. But Simon doesn’t try anything like Helter Skelter.

Mick doesn’t sing throughout a show — there’s a lot of sing song and spoken song. He saves his voice that way, and usually sticks to a relatively limited range.

Best male rock singing voice of all time — IMHO — Carl Wilson.

I saw Paul in 1989, when he was, of course, still relatively young (47), but I didn't see him again until 2012, then 2013,and 3 times in 2016, including Desert Trip #2, so I've heard how his voice has gotten a bit warble-y, yet still remained fairly melodic and powerful, but after last night's webcast I think he's really lost a few notes, and his midrange is sometimes cringe - worthy, like on 'Let it Be'. On other tunes, he went for lower register vocals a few times, when he should have been doing the high.

You can hear his band - especially drummer Abe ghosting his higher vocal lines at times - the same way Bernard does with Mick.

I'm still hitting Edmonton in a few weeks and will enjoy it, no doubt. Paul still rocks and his band sounds stellar. Guess it'll be the same old warhorses with a few nuggets sprinkled in (sound familiar?). Not much 'freshening up' here.

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bam
I think the best current singing voice in that generation is Paul Simon. His voice was incredibly strong and pure (for his age) when I saw him a few months ago. Much sweeter than Paul McC. But Simon doesn’t try anything like Helter Skelter.

Mick doesn’t sing throughout a show — there’s a lot of sing song and spoken song. He saves his voice that way, and usually sticks to a relatively limited range.

Best male rock singing voice of all time — IMHO — Carl Wilson.

Yeah, I mean it has to be said about Mick...as great as he still sounds, most of his "singing" since 1989 is really a very controlled talk/shout/sing thing.

It preserves his voice but he really doesn't stretch it much. I'm not criticizing him...it obviously works for him, but also doesn't allow him to really emote or reach for a transcendent moment. It's like driving at 45 MPH on a highway, especially on the warhorses.

But then he'll do songs like I got the Blues or Moonlight Mile or Worried About You, or hit the falsetto in Emotional Rescue and just blow you away, so he's obviously still got it.

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marianna
I first saw Paul in 1988 at the UC Berkeley football stadium.

Paul didn’t tour in 1988.
1990?

I happen to love Egypt Station: he has hit a rich seam of albums since Flaming Pie at least.

I know the voice isn't that great, but he's better than Dylan. Dylan sounds like a fly in a jar at times, albeit Dylan's seam of albums from Time Out of Mind to Shadows In The Night were better.