Deryk Barker wrote:

>Well, if you are assuming that McCartney wrote every last word and note of
>the stuff he did with the Beatles, you'll be in error yourself.

Of course Paul did not write EVERY note himself.  Beethoven didn't, and
Bach didn't.  Mozart didn't and Mahler didn't.  Many of the classic "GREAT"
composers borrowed a line or a little fragment here and/or there.  You just
allow them this for the simple reason that you like their music more.


>....I for one thought the Liverpool Oratorio was pure drivel, from start
>to finish.  And what I heard of Standing Stone sounded like watered down
>Brahms.

I feel the same about the Liverpool Oratorio but I really liked Standing
Stone.  What's with the comparisons anyway? IT's nonsense I think.  I mean,
some people think that Brahms sounds like pretentious Beethoven.  Some say
that Bach ripped off Vivaldi.  I think these people need to find something
to do during the day to keep themselves occupied.  If those same people
ripped off Bach or Beethoven I'm sure their music wouldn't sound ANYTHING
near as good as Brahms.  By the same token, I guarantee these people can't
write a tune anything like the brilliant songs of McCartney.  Also, is it
possible to judge a work without making comparisons? Your comparison is so
incredibly commonplace among CM fans.  First you make the quick point of
stating WHO McCartney sounds like or is TRYING to sound like, then you
grind out the point of how horrible his "version" of that composer really
sounds.  If you don't like it you don't like it; you're not making your
point any better with cliche' degradations.

This is essentially very similar to the attitude I described in the thread
about Bernstein-haters  (Judging the Person or the Performance) in which I
make the point that SO MANY CM fans turn their backs on performers once they
reach "POP Culture" status.  Paul McCartney was ALREADY a pop icon and so he
was and will be degraded for even entertaining the thought of wading into
the classical pool.  Not really fair to Paul.  Sure he is rich and famous
but he can never attain a fair, listening audience with a ridiculous
prevailing attitude such as this.

--Wes Crone (receiving EXACTLY the kind of replies I knew I would get from
a group of CM fans 900 strong)