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idontwanttospoiltheparty · 2 years

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ok genuine question here and im asking you because you seem to allow for thoughts that are not generally popular in the fandom to be at least heard.

i see this sort of narrative in the Beatle fandom space about how paul let john down during the period of india and/or apple (whether it’s because you think something happened in india or paul just generally not supporting john during this time and not seeing how things are around him). specifically im thinking about the discussion around john dealing with a worsening of his mental health at that time (ex. calling a meeting at apple to announce he was Jesus Christ, going on an lsd binge after he came back from india) and just overall deteriorating of his mental health which was in no way helped by the unfortunate tragic death of brian, and let’s be honest the exhaustion of having that level of fame for years now. and with this ive seen people somehow blame paul for this, or chastise him for supposedly knowing everything john was going through at this time and not doing anything about it. and idk but it just seems a bit too simplistic of an explanation? like humans are much more complicated than that. I mean even if paul had been witnessed to or known all of the things john was going through at the time, how would he even begin to understand it? if it’s a matter of “well paul should have seeked some help for john”, well in those days, specifically in Britain, psychotherapy was rarely talked about, let alone taken seriously. there’s actually quite a few instances where John’s talked about his reticence towards therapy and psychiatrists during the 70s when he’s speaking about how he and Yoko came upon Janov’s therapy. so i really doubt paul would have been able to contribute much more to the conversation about how to truly help John during this time (especially considering he never even went to therapy despite everything he’s gone through only until after Linda died - which was a full 30 years after all this).

my point being, i know people like to shit on paul for his lack of methods in helping John through this time (and i admit i was one of those people who looked down on him for it for a long time), but like, what was he supposed to do, im genuinely asking?

there is the suggestion of well he should have allowed the Beatles to take a break, but i think if we were to take a look at the pattern of how paul seems to deal with trauma and sadness, for him it was music that gave him solace. and i think we tend to forget that these boys honestly probably all suffered from some sort of some mental health condition - be it anxiety, depression, substance use disorder. and each of them had their own way of coping. For paul, it was music. so i don’t think he would have even been capable of taking a break (during the height of this crazy fame) without it driving him probably to a brink. i mean he’s even said that at one point he thought it was the only thing that gave him purpose. And yes we could say “well he could have just made music on his own, a la George and wonderwall” but honestly wouldnt that have even caused more problems? Once the McCartney album was released john had mentioned in an interview that he always knew Paul had wanted to release a solo album, and we already knew of his issues with Yesterday and the Family Way so wouldn’t that of just enforced something in John’s mind that Paul was trying to separate himself from him and the group?

Also, let’s not forget there were other people aware about John’s state of mind during this time: George, ringo, pete Shotton, derek Taylor, etc. it just doesn’t make sense to me how the onus should somehow fall solely on paul? I mean that was the whole point of that Apple trip? Derek and the others thought that a trip with just paul and john would somehow level John or calm him down, like what? that’s not how mental wellness works..

And finally, a final detail that often goes missed is the fact that paul was high for like 95% of this entire decade. Ok sure he wasn’t doing too many psychedelic drugs but the man was high off weed almost every single day during this period, I mean it should be common knowledge at this point he was co-dependent on it (even throughout the 70s). so how are we trusting this guy to be somehow the effective caretaker or the one who should have the most sense, like? he was stoned out of his mind for most it (which probably speaks to his mental health and way of handling his feelings of anxiety and grapplings with fame but that’s a whole separate discussion). but my point being, i wouldnt put the whole blame on paul as being the sort of John-whisperer and having to know and do what was best for John. My whole take away from reading about this band during their later years is that none of them really knew what was best for the other, which was why inevitably they had to make the break, i mean it’s not unheard of.

sorry if anything from the above was incoherent, functioning on 3 hours of sleep.

You're making perfect sense anon and I do largely agree! Always glad to hear different perspectives by the way and honoured you feel safe with me <3

I think most people don't in fact mean to imply that everything John went through was somehow Paul's fault or Paul's responsibility to solve, but the way we talk about them on here is so often shaped by our (often quite specific) view of John and Paul's relationship, that it does come off that way. It's like this JP-tunnel vision, which leaves Paul as the only available actor around.

(I talked about this in a textpost not long ago)

I also think sometimes people take John's complaints about how people (and Paul in particular) hurt him too literally; I think he had a very hard time deconstructing the complexities of his own traumas and understanding how they came to be, which led him to placing the entire blame on few people/things – see: how reductive he gets about the way his parents messed him up on POB.

#ask #anon #discourse #meta #jp

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mccartneysguitar · 5 years

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Surprise? | Paul McCartney x Reader

word count: 1.2k

I’m trash and wrote this during my math class.

pairings: Paul McCartney x reader, John Lennon x sister!reader

request for paul x john’s sister? and she finds out she’s pregnant, but they haven’t told john about their relationship yet.

Y/N adored her brother, he was the brightness in her childhood. John and Y/N were as close as could be, they comforted each other through the death of their Uncle and the situation with their parents. Throughout the years nothing changed that, Y/N was always beside John being his biggest supporter. When Paul joined the picture, Y/N was a bit miffed that John would now spend more time with him. As a result, Y/N was often cold towards Paul, preferring to make herself scarce when he came around. But true to his name - McCharmley made his way into your heart.

John has somehow convinced you to help out around with the logistics of starting the band. Which meant you had to call up venues and whatnot in order to get them gigs. It was one of those tiring days when Paul saw you and brought you a soda.

“You looked a bit thirsty, you need to take a break before you tire yourself out. I don’t know what we would do without our favorite assistant.” He said with a small smile. From then on you, two began to grow closer, much to the chagrin of your brother. He had explicitly told you not to mess around with any of his mates, he didn’t want to be put in a situation where he would have to pick sides. Which was why you and Paul had decided to keep your relationship under wraps. Poor Ringo was the only other person who knew of your relationship with Paul. He had been sharing a room with Paul and had the misfortune of walking in on the two you going at it. Ringo could not look at you without blushing for a solid month. Both of you had sworn him to secrecy, even bribing him with a new camera.

The boys were off at rehearsal when you found out you were pregnant. It started off innocently enough, feeling sick and the odd cravings. All of which you chalked up to your period starting soon, you always did crave chocolate or sweets when your period was coming. But as the weeks passed and your period didn’t come, you started to worry. Thinking back on the times you slept with Paul, you realized you weren’t as careful as you could have been. After taking several tests and all of them coming back positive you knew you were in for a whirlwind of trouble.

Y/N had gone over to Aunt Mimi’s place in hopes of getting advice on what to do and how to deal with the situation. YN wanted to let Aunt Mimi know of her current situation but knowing Mimi and her old fashioned beliefs it was more likely Y/N would get scorned. Paul would obviously be the next person to tell and from there they would have to face her brother. Which was honestly a nightmare in her mind, she could just imagine the different scenarios all of which did not end well.

Knocking on the door, you contemplated the best way of telling Mimi of your predicament. Would you work around to telling her or just be straight forward with her. Surely enough Mimi opened the door and greeted you warmly, well warm as Mimi could. Walking into your childhood home you just blurted out that you were pregnant. You heard a yell and crash come from the kitchen area, “You’re what?”

“What are you doing here? You are supposed to be at practice” you yelled back at the sound of your brother’s voice.

“It doesn’t matter! I was dropping by to check on Mimi and — I don’t have to explain myself to you. You on the other hand. Who did this to you? I’ll beat him if he doesn’t step up.” Of course, John didn’t know about your relationship, all he knew was that you were single and pregnant. You could just imagine the thoughts running through his head.

“Oh piss off John. You’re lankier than I am. I doubt you could even land a hit even if you were wearing your glasses. I don’t need you defending my honor.” You scoffed back. This was not how you wanted John to know, now it was a much bigger mess than you could have ever imagined. The look of anger and worry John gave you was enough to break your heart, Mimi was stunned. John rarely got angry and you could tell he was about to go off. He stopped himself and stormed off. You were sure that he was going to the boys, more specifically Paul to vent about the situation.

“Sorry Mimi, it was great chatting with you! Talk to you soon,” You yelled before chasing after John in hopes of getting to Paul before John was able to say anything.

The others could tell that something was up with John, he looked more serious than usual and the angry aura was palpable. Paul was playing random notes on the piano, trying to get the perfect tune to compliment the song in his head. When he noticed John angrily storm in, “What’s wrong Lennon?”

“Some bastard got my sister pregnant!” He yelled back. Paul practically fell out of his seat at the revelation, his shock was quickly replaced with excitement. He loved you and was excited at the prospect of starting a family with you.

John noticed the look on Paul’s face and started to connect the dots when you burst into the room. He had always suspected the both of you ever since he saw the looks you the two of you always exchanged when you both thought he wasn’t paying attention. “John, can we talk please?” You pleaded, hoping to calm him down before anything escalated. Paul at the sight of you got up and started making his way towards you.

“Y/N is it true?” Not caring that the others were in the room for the conversation. He didn’t care that John would know.

“Surprise? I just found out today. I was going to tell you later today, I didn’t think was going to happen,” You said with a small smile.

Ringo and George were just trying to process the whole scene: Paul looking excited and lovingly at you, John scowling and Y/N exasperated at the entire situation. Ringo already aware of what was inevitably going to happen stepped in between Paul and John, ready to intervene if necessary.

“Paul?! With my best mate Paul? I told you Y/N not to mess around with any from the band!” John let out angrily. He took several steps towards Paul before being held back by Ringo.

“Oh fuck off John, it’s not like I’m just sleeping around with her. I love her John. She means the world to me!” He said as he wrapped his arms protectively over you.

“I love him, John. I don’t care what you think.”

“This is better than anything on the telly,” George said.

John took a moment to process everything, realizing that he was blowing things out of proportion. The betrayal of his best friend messing around with his sister did sting but he could tell that they did love each other. Thinking back on all the songs he wrote with Paul, he realized they must have been written about you. The relationship also explained why Paul hadn’t even glanced at the groupies for months.

Running a hand through his hair he let out a sigh and said, “Fine. But I swear McCartney if you so much as make her cry I won’t hesitate in throwing you to the fans.”

#paul mccartney x reader #paul mccartney imagine #the beatles x reader #the beatles imagine #john lennon x sister!reader #my fic #my writing #mine*

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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McCartney 3,2,1 Review: Hulu Doc Examines a Beatle

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Hulu’s Original Docuseries McCartney 3,2,1 is a laid-back sit down with Paul McCartney, the man who believed in yesterday, reminiscing about all those years ago. Long-time Beatles fans will have heard most of the stories before, though there are a few new tidbits which have been buried in the mix. The casual conversation provides a wealth of tonality when McCartney talks about the sounds behind the music.

For the chat, McCartney sits down with Rick Rubin in the most familiar of settings: a recording studio, with easy access to the songs being discussed. The six-episode series explores McCartney’s work with The Beatles, Wings, and solo releases. Directed by Zachary Heinzerling, the interview is relaxed, although Paul is often very animated. He fiddles with console buttons, pops up for quick runs at a piano or guitar, and air drums throughout. The black and white filming makes the conversation feel intimate and timeless. It also calls attention to the splashes of color which come in archival footage and photographs. Some are so rare, they might be exclusive.

Besides footage of the Beatles and McCartney, we see clips of the artists who influenced the band, or who were with them at the start, like Little Richard or Roy Orbison. Most of this footage is used in service to a musical point. One clip, for example, compares two-part harmonies performed by McCartney and John Lennon with a performance by Phil and Don Everly.

The first episode, “These Things Bring You Together,” focuses on the early days. While we don’t get deep information on Paul’s early relationship with his songwriting partner, we get something from omission. Paul talks about his loving home, and how different his childhood was from Lennon’s. He points out that John lost his mother at 17. Paul lost his mother at 14, and most books on the Beatles emphasize this bond between the two.

Paul adds some depth to what we know about his pre-Beatle bond with George Harrison. The public knows they met on the bus to school, and connected over music when they were kids. But we didn’t know they cooked pudding on the side of the road. Paul also pulls out one of his pre-Beatles songs, “Thinking of Linking.”

One unexpected revelation comes with the song “Michelle,” which Peter Brown’s book The Love You Make categorized as McCartney’s attempt to class up his act for his then-girlfriend Jane Asher. Paul brings the song back to the parties he attended with Lennon while he was still at art school. Paul says he would put on a turtleneck and pretend to be a French coffee house singer. Sometimes it worked as far as connecting with the older, more sophisticated women, he says, humbly. It apparently made an impression on Lennon, who Paul remembers telling him to finish years later.

In “The Notes That Like Each Other,” McCartney admits that what made his musical styling unique was a combination of his influences from Bach, Fela Kuti or the tunes his father played at the piano, and lucky accidents. He also talks about keeping it all rock and roll. A studio musician would be too sensible to do the bass line on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Most of his innovations come through the energy of quick takes.

McCartney lays out structural lessons. He explains how to use a pick to bring out more treble in the bass. He points out how three fingers, evenly spaced, make a chord no matter where you put them on the piano, and why the possibilities are endless. He demonstrates his first song, an instrumental which begins with musical counterpoint, which was written before he knew what counterpoint meant.

“The People We Loved Were Loving Us!” highlights McCartney’s influences but also talks about why the Beatles needed to take the trip to India. The band met most of the artists they were listening to as they were coming up through the different levels of entertainment. But Paul also noticed his contemporaries. He’s told the story about seeing Jimi Hendrix ask Eric Clapton to tune his guitar before, but it’s a different whistling of the melody.

It is a special treat to hear Paul talk about the Kinks, who were a supporting act during some of the Beatles performances in 1965. Ray Davies spoke about enjoying his very privileged view of the band in his book X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography. So, hearing that the Beatles stood on the side of the stage to take in their opening act is especially satisfying.

“Like Professors in A Laboratory” lets McCartney explain some of the experimentation which went into the output. The Beatles were allowed to break boundaries because they had success. If there was a way to get more treble on Harrison’s lead on “Nowhere Man,” they had the clout to ask the engineers to bounce a track for it. Paul also gets into what made him and Ringo Starr special as a rhythm section.

As always, Paul gives credit to the Beatles’ longtime producer George Martin, including one piano part which has gone heretofore uncredited. Martin did more than help the band translate their sounds, he often played on tracks, and as an in-house arranger, was invaluable. Paul has spoken about the intercontinental rivalry which saw the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds spurring him on to undertake Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. But, until now, he hasn’t slipped in the bit about getting the title from mishearing someone ask him to “pass the salt and pepper.”

“Couldn’t You Play It Straighter?” gets to the bottom of the beat. McCartney admits he has been accused of overplaying, and has no regrets. The bass can lead a band, as he shows in the isolated tracks of “Come Together” and “Something,” or it can function as squarely as a tuba. Paul then demonstrates how he gets that effect on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” through strict staccato playing. He also discusses how Mal Evans had a heavy hand when playing the anvil.

One of the most musically meaningful revelations is how McCartney’s playing was freed by listening to James Jameson, who played bass for Marvin Gaye, among others. Another interesting note is how McCartney intentionally juxtaposed older, more traditional melodies with the new sounds afforded by technology. He admits it was fortuitous to have Robert Moog on hand in EMI studios with one of the first synthesizers.

There were no portable phones, and most recording devices which were available during the Beatles’ most creative period were bulky devices. This forced the songwriters to write memorable songs. This is the basis for “The Long And Winding Road,” where McCartney focuses on the craft of songwriting and how he worked with Lennon. The duo’s earliest bond was creative communication. They spoke chords, not sports. He also discusses the importance of developing a separate musical vocabulary as a solo artist, and how he wouldn’t even Beatles songs onstage for years. The most important skill, he says, is knowing when to stop.

Every time a new interview special with a former Beatle is hyped, it makes me think of the David Letterman joke about a special edition of Anthology coming out because Ringo remembered a new anecdote. It is fun to hear McCartney retell the “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” story again, as if he’s telling it for the first time. It’s been told so many times, even Julian no longer buys it, and he’s the one who drew the picture.

Paul has never been a forthcoming public figure, historically. He has always been less communicative about his personal life than the other Beatles. It’s not that he’s being cagey, though he certainly can be when he wants. His song “Got to Get You into my Life” is his love song to marijuana, and who knows what he was carrying in “I’m Carrying.” But he is more practiced at the art of self-presentation. When John Lennon gave his Playboy interviews, the transcripts even caught Yoko asking if he might be sharing a little too much.

McCartney never had that problem. All the Beatles knew how to hide even the most controversial of themes behind humor. In a vintage press conference clip, when the media asked about prostitutes in “Day Tripper” and lesbians in “Norwegian Wood,” McCartney said he just liked writing songs about prostitutes and lesbians. He learned an invaluable lesson when he copped to taking LSD in front of a TV camera, even telling them not to air it. Paul sticks to too many known talking points.

The intimacy of McCartney 3,2,1 is deceptive, however. Each episode runs about 30 minutes, and the stories are shallow by necessity. Peter Jackson’s upcoming cinematic remastering The Beatles: Get Back will provide a much deeper dive into the mechanics and backgrounds of the band’s process. McCartney 3,2,1 feels like a countdown to something bigger.

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McCartney 3,2,1 debuts July 16 on Hulu.

The post McCartney 3,2,1 Review: Hulu Doc Examines a Beatle appeared first on Den of Geek.

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