In a new installment of Paul McCartney’s “You Gave Me the Answer” online Q&A series, The Beatles legend fielded an interesting question regarding the music by other artists that continues to resonate with him.
Videos by American Songwriter
A fan named Alex explained that he and his partner had been discussing the albums and songs that they feel have served as the soundtrack of their lives. He asked Sir Paul if there were any albums that took him back to certain periods in his life when heard them.
“Yeah, definitely,” McCartney replied. “My favorite albums by other people tend to be: Music from Big Pink by The Band, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, and Harvest by Neil Young. They are the three classics that I love to listen to, and they all remind me of certain times in my life.”
Alex also asked McCartney if playing his own songs similarly evokes memories for him.
“When I perform my own songs, the great thing is that they often bring back memories of recording them,” Paul explained. “That can often entail memories of John [Lennon] and George [Harrison] in the studio—sweet memories!”
More About McCartney’s Affinity for The Beach Boys, Neil Young, and The Band
McCartney’s love of The Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds is well documented. In fact, Paul has cited the Pet Sounds track “God Only Knows” as one of his all-time favorite songs.
In a 1990 interview that was included in the 1997 The Pet Sounds Sessions box set, McCartney talked at length about his adoration of Pet Sounds.
“Pet Sounds … blew me out of the water,” he said. “First of all, it was Brian [Wilson]’s writing. I love the album so much. I’ve just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life—I figure no one is educated musically ’til they’ve heard that album. I was into the writing and the songs.”
Young’s 1972 album Harvest is one of Young’s most successful and acclaimed albums, featuring the folk-rock legend’s chart-topping classic “Heart of Gold.” McCartney and Young certainly are fans of each other and have performed together on a few occasions.
In 2004, McCartney performed at Young’s Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, California, and the two sang Neil’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” together.
At a 2009 concert in London’s Hyde Park, McCartney joined Young for a version of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.”
Then in 2016, Young hit the stage during McCartney’s set at the Desert Trip festival in Indio, California, to perform “A Day in the Life” and “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?”
Music from Big Pink, The Band’s debut album, was released in 1968, and the group’s influence was definitely evident in the Fab Four’s later work. When The Beatles played “Hey Jude” on the 1968 U.K. TV show Front on Sunday, McCartney sang a lyrical snippet from The Band’s classic tune “The Weight” near the end of the performance.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.