Deryk Barker responds to Wes Crone:

>>...  I guess I am just curious about how one comes to such a standpoint.
>>I am curious to hear from someone who feels it is entirely different for
>>McCartney to borrow from or sound like someone else than it is for Bach
>>or Brahms to borrow from or sound like someone else.
>
>Because Brahms and Bach were perfectly capable of sounding like
>themselves.  McCartney doesn't.

If I am following this thread properly appears that Wes is perceiving Deryk
as saying the following:

   "It is Okay for Classical composers to be derivative but not for Paul
   McCartney"

FWIW people have often accused Mendelssohn of being derivative.  I would
agree that Mendelssohn is somewhat derivative and yet he is still one of
my favorite composers.

So what is my point? I think that we can cut Sir Paul some slack because as
a gifted musician with a long history of great music, he has earned the
right to give CM a shot.  I think that it would be unfair to suggest that
Paul is anything less than a GREAT musician even if he is mediocre composer
of Classical music.

If we want to have a list of "Enemies of CM", I think it would be a mistake
to put McCartney on that list.

Steve M. (Northern Virginia)