Paul Mccartney vs. John Lennon (Solo Careers)

[Lonely Summer]

If I were to rate only their voices, John would come out ahead - but not by a huge margin, because they were both supremely talented singers. Their vocal blend was so close, I would've sworn they were siblings. I find myself going back to the early Beatles songs and picking out John's parts, then Paul's....both parts being so strong, either one could be the lead, I don't know the technical terms for it, but that is something special, best vocal harmonies in rock or pop music, along with the Everlys and Beach Boys. After the Beatles? Unfortunately, much of John's work demanded that you share his views on society, politics, religion, etc, to enjoy his music. Although I can recognize some brilliance, for example, in the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band music, much of what he has to say I disagree with. I don't believe ALL religion is bullshit, I don't worship Yoko, and I find a lot of John's political ideaololy suspect. Paul, on the other hand, doesn't want to hit me over the head with such divisive issues, he just wants to entertain with music. A lot of people hated his early solo stuff like McCartney and Ram back in the day, but I suspect a lot of that was just fans being angry at Paul for his percieved role in breaking up the Beatles. There are plenty of moments of melodic and musical brilliance on both albums. The Wings albums get generally lukewarm reviews, but there is very little of their stuff that I dislike. Wildlife has it's less that inspired moments, but it is the first album by a new group still learning each other. If viewed that way instead of as "the latest musical pronouncement from that genius McCartney", it's quite charming. Red Rose Speedway has some filler like Loop (1st Indian on the Moon), but is generally solid, much more professional sounding that Wildlife. And there is so much variety on their albums. Can you think of anyone else (Beatles excluded) that could go from old timey, vaudeville (You Gave Me the Answer) to hard rock (Rock Show, Medicine Jar) on the same album (Venus and Mars)? I like John's songs on Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey, but never been much of a Yoko fan.

[MBE]

Honestly I think Paul has only made three to five good albums since John passed away but in the seventies he still tried to make music with a degree of quality and ingewnuity.  I would be a bigger Lennon fan, as I love the best of his stuff 1961 forward, but Yoko ruins it for me many times.

[Lonely Summer]

Honestly I think Paul has only made three to five good albums since John passed away but in the seventies he still tried to make music with a degree of quality and ingewnuity.  I would be a bigger Lennon fan, as I love the best of his stuff 1961 forward, but Yoko ruins it for me many times.

I don't know if it's even been that many. I haven't really liked an album of Paul's since the Tug of War/Pipes of Peace era. Enjoyed the Broad Street soundtrack, but that was mostly remakes, hated Press to Play, Flowers in the Dirt was half a good album, Off the Ground had maybe one decent song - Hope of Deliverance. I enjoyed some of Run Devil Run...but after that, I stopped caring. I suspect John would've made some good music in the 80's/90's, but we'll never know. Okay, how about those other two, Harrison and Starr(key)? I find I like George's albums the best of the ex-Beatles, but he never varied his sound much. I have to give credit to Paul, at least in the Wings years, every album had a sound of its own.

[MBE]

Honestly I think Paul has only made three to five good albums since John passed away but in the seventies he still tried to make music with a degree of quality and ingewnuity.  I would be a bigger Lennon fan, as I love the best of his stuff 1961 forward, but Yoko ruins it for me many times.

I don't know if it's even been that many. I haven't really liked an album of Paul's since the Tug of War/Pipes of Peace era. Enjoyed the Broad Street soundtrack, but that was mostly remakes, hated Press to Play, Flowers in the Dirt was half a good album, Off the Ground had maybe one decent song - Hope of Deliverance. I enjoyed some of Run Devil Run...but after that, I stopped caring. I suspect John would've made some good music in the 80's/90's, but we'll never know. Okay, how about those other two, Harrison and Starr(key)? I find I like George's albums the best of the ex-Beatles, but he never varied his sound much. I have to give credit to Paul, at least in the Wings years, every album had a sound of its own.

Flaming Pie is the only later one I think matches his seventies work completely.

[MBE]

Ringo's done some decent music but I think he rarely rises above being cute. It works for him, but his aren't records I play often. George I think had better standards than the rest. I find his solo work, with rare exception, to be the most interesting and individual. His voice over a whole album can get samey, but what he did was still of a high quality.

[PhilSpectre]

IMO, McCartney did a trilogy of excellent/ great albums in the last 10 years, with Chaos and Creation, Memory Almost Full and The Fireman - Electric Arguments. He's also got another CD's worth of non-album tracks and B-sides from the last 10 years that are of a similar quality to these albums. While a bit different sonically from his 70's era, imo they are of similar quality.

Lennon's post 1980 music is one of the great unanswered questions of pop music. His living in New York makes me think he might have pursued a more New Wave style for a bit, and then maybe even explored early hip hop, as a form of protest music, or even got into the avante garde Knitting Factory jazz/ classical/ metal thing a la John Zorn. But in the end, I think he would have gone back to what he did best, beautifully crafted pop/rock with often personal lyrics.

I suspect the Beatles would have reformed at some point in the 80's or 90s, with George an equal writing partner with the other two, but the general critical reception would have not been as good, even though I think there would have been some great songs. The Beatles moment as a group was truly the 60s imo.

Oh, and Ringo is imo underrated as a solo artist, especially in the early 70s and over his last several albums. He's no Lennon, but he's made some nice records in his time, that deserve a bit more recognition imo.

[OGoldin]

I
I suspect the Beatles would have reformed at some point in the 80's or 90s, with George an equal writing partner with the other two, but the general critical reception would have not been as good, even though I think there would have been some great songs. The Beatles moment as a group was truly the 60s imo.

Yes, I think McCartney said in a recent Rolling Stone interview that it was the expectation that new work, no matter how good, just wouldn't match up to the old, that was in part responsible for their not regrouping -- best to leave the legacy as it was.  That's sullying of the legacy certainly happened with the Stones and our Beach Boys, though both have done what they had to do to restore it.

[Newguy562]

I
I suspect the Beatles would have reformed at some point in the 80's or 90s, with George an equal writing partner with the other two, but the general critical reception would have not been as good, even though I think there would have been some great songs. The Beatles moment as a group was truly the 60s imo.

Yes, I think McCartney said in a recent Rolling Stone interview that it was the expectation that new work, no matter how good, just wouldn't match up to the old, that was in part responsible for their not regrouping -- best to leave the legacy as it was.  That's sullying of the legacy certainly happened with the Stones and our Beach Boys, though both have done what they had to do to restore it.

the stones f***ed up after the tattoo you album..and the beach boys f***ed up after the smile massacre lol

[Lonely Summer]

Honestly I think Paul has only made three to five good albums since John passed away but in the seventies he still tried to make music with a degree of quality and ingewnuity.  I would be a bigger Lennon fan, as I love the best of his stuff 1961 forward, but Yoko ruins it for me many times.

Okay, how about those other two, Harrison and Starr(key)?

I like Ringo's "Y Not", some separate tracks, e.g. Stardust, Let The Rest of The World Go By, Sunshine Life For Me, Goodnight Vienna, Back of Boogaloo and few others. As for George, I prefer his not-so-famous albums (Somewhere in England, Gone Troppo, Extra Texture), although there are some my faves in ATMP & CN f.ex. Art of Dying,  Fish on the Sand, Run of the Mill, My Sweet Lord, When We Was Fab, Someplace Else, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp, What is Life. For some strange reason, it turned out that the most playable George's songs are Not Guilty and Bangladesh.  

Have you heard the original Somewhere in England? Some really great tracks got dumped - Sat Singing, Tears of the World, Flying Hour. I think Gone Troppo is a wonderful little gem of an album, nice melodies, George sounds happy....not commercial, but happy. Extra Texture is more of a dark feeling album, but nicely crafted.

[MBE]

Honestly I think Paul has only made three to five good albums since John passed away but in the seventies he still tried to make music with a degree of quality and ingewnuity.  I would be a bigger Lennon fan, as I love the best of his stuff 1961 forward, but Yoko ruins it for me many times.

Okay, how about those other two, Harrison and Starr(key)?

I like Ringo's "Y Not", some separate tracks, e.g. Stardust, Let The Rest of The World Go By, Sunshine Life For Me, Goodnight Vienna, Back of Boogaloo and few others. As for George, I prefer his not-so-famous albums (Somewhere in England, Gone Troppo, Extra Texture), although there are some my faves in ATMP & CN f.ex. Art of Dying,  Fish on the Sand, Run of the Mill, My Sweet Lord, When We Was Fab, Someplace Else, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp, What is Life. For some strange reason, it turned out that the most playable George's songs are Not Guilty and Bangladesh.  

Have you heard the original Somewhere in England? Some really great tracks got dumped - Sat Singing, Tears of the World, Flying Hour. I think Gone Troppo is a wonderful little gem of an album, nice melodies, George sounds happy....not commercial, but happy. Extra Texture is more of a dark feeling album, but nicely crafted.

Yeah I have the LP boot with the original cover. Flying Hour in particular was a huge loss to the finished LP.

[Lonely Summer]

Honestly I think Paul has only made three to five good albums since John passed away but in the seventies he still tried to make music with a degree of quality and ingewnuity.  I would be a bigger Lennon fan, as I love the best of his stuff 1961 forward, but Yoko ruins it for me many times.

Okay, how about those other two, Harrison and Starr(key)?

I like Ringo's "Y Not", some separate tracks, e.g. Stardust, Let The Rest of The World Go By, Sunshine Life For Me, Goodnight Vienna, Back of Boogaloo and few others. As for George, I prefer his not-so-famous albums (Somewhere in England, Gone Troppo, Extra Texture), although there are some my faves in ATMP & CN f.ex. Art of Dying,  Fish on the Sand, Run of the Mill, My Sweet Lord, When We Was Fab, Someplace Else, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp, What is Life. For some strange reason, it turned out that the most playable George's songs are Not Guilty and Bangladesh.  

Have you heard the original Somewhere in England? Some really great tracks got dumped - Sat Singing, Tears of the World, Flying Hour. I think Gone Troppo is a wonderful little gem of an album, nice melodies, George sounds happy....not commercial, but happy. Extra Texture is more of a dark feeling album, but nicely crafted.

Yeah I have the LP boot with the original cover. Flying Hour in particular was a huge loss to the finished LP.

Agreed. I don't have many boots, but the day I saw that one in a shop, I had to buy it.

[Puggal]

Probably Lennon. His albums and singles were always more memorable.