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Author: breno
Date: 04-04-12 05:37
From USA Today:
Imagine: Four sons of four Beatles forming a new group. Or as New York editor Ben Greeman puts it: Here come the sons.
In an interview Monday with the BBC, James McCartney, 34, son of Paul, said he'd be "up for it."
The 34-year-old musician, who's released three EPs on his own, was asked about forming The Beatles - The Next Generation, with Sean Lennon (John's son), Dhani Harrison (George's son) and Zak Starkey [Ringo Starr's son]?
"I don't think it's something that Zak wants to do. Maybe Jason [another of Starr's sons and also drummer] would want to do it. I'd be up for it. Sean seemed to be into it, Dhani seemed to be into it. I'd be happy to do it," said James.
So does he think it could happen? "Yeah, hopefully, naturally. I don't know, you'd have to wait and see. The will of God, nature's support, I guess. So yeah, maybe."
*********
First of all, that's not really a story so much as James McCartney saying "Yeah, whatever. That's sort of an idea, ennit?"
It's the sort of thing that would've been cool if it had just happened as a spur of the moment thing at a Ghost of a Sabertooth Tiger show or something. But as an actual band? Meh. Even with the best of intentions I don't see how it could rise much above a novelty act.
That said, I've always been impressed by what decent people all the Beatle children seem to be. You'd think that there'd have been at least one or two of them misbehaving and causing the sorts of scandals celebrity children are wont to do. But the Beatle brats all generally seem to be level-headed, hardworking types who don't have much interest in stirring up controversy or engaging in the sorts of shenanigans the family fortunes could easily bankroll.
The closest thing to controversy any of them ever seem to be interested in is Julian talking shit about Yoko every few years, and that doesn't even approach the neighborhood of controversial. Just a stepson who has problems with his stepmom.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 04-04-12 08:18
I have two--ok three--separate thoughts about children of great talents thinking that the world needs to hear from them or that their stuff will even remotely resonate with the essence of their forbears.
Thought #1: Fiction Plane
Thought #2: Susan Cheever
Thought #3: a tale that may or may not be true about a drunk William Faulkner being ushered upstairs so that he doesn't ruin his daughter's debutante party--he turns around and hisses, "Nobody remembers Shakespeare's daughter."
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Author: breno
Date: 04-04-12 09:17
Danette, the receptionist where I worked in 1990 on the band Nelson: "They're so much better than their dad and will be around a lot longer."
She was a sweet girl, but a terrible analyst of pop culture. Although in fairness, she was really into David Lynch movies due to Twin Peaks and even had nice things to say about Dune. But in even more fairness, she also proclaimed Pretty Woman to have been the best movie ever made, "even better than Willy Wonka!"
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Author: HollowbodyKay
Date: 04-04-12 10:57
Ask yourself why Paloma Picasso opted to not go into painting.
"The Beatles - The Next Generation" sounds like somebody's been smoking pot with the Queen on the holodeck.
Stupidest thing I've heard all day. May it NEVER Happen.
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Author: R. Totale
Date: 04-04-12 11:16
> "I don't think it's something that Zak wants to do."
Because the level of interest any of the musicians might have in desperately doing something like this is inversely proportional to the level of success they've managed to eke out on their own.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 04-04-12 11:33
"She was a sweet girl, but a terrible analyst of pop culture."
Sounds like all of my former girlfriends.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 04-04-12 11:37
I would also like to point out that the offspring in the mix who actually *has* credibility (Zak Starkey) also happens to have The Icicle Works on his resume.
I've seen him with the Who and Oasis--and he's great and all that--but Icicle Works is clearly at the other end of the recording artist spectrum from his dad's band (assuming that said spectrum runs from "shit" on one end to "transcendent" at the other).
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Author: breno
Date: 04-04-12 12:56
I'm taking the whole thing with a grain of salt, since of the three that are said to be interested, it's the one who's got the smallest and most obscure resume of the bunch that's talking it up. I hadn't even been aware that any of McCartney's kids were aspiring musicians until this article came out. So it was certainly an attention getting way to make that hitherto little known information public.
I'll wait to see if Sean Lennon or Dhani Harrison have anything to say about it beyond "What? Hell, I thought he just meant jamming together at a wedding or something sometime" before I give it much credence.
Just listened to a couple of snippets of James McCartney stuff on Spotify. Wasn't awful by any stretch, but nothing particularly awesome, either. Though I do have to say that five minutes later one of the melodies is still stuck in my head, so that's saying a little something for him.
Sounds kind of like Baxter Dury's first album as much as anything. He's not going too overboard trying to ape his pappy or anything.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 04-04-12 14:39
There's a parcel of George W. Bush jokes running through my head because of this post. But the list is scrolling too fast (and is far too long) for me to choose one.
At least John Quincy Adams had the Monroe Doctrine and the Treaty of Ghent. That kind of made him like Dylan's kid--respectable enough to escape any derision but distinct enough not to always be in the shadows of dad.
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Author: Delvin
Date: 04-04-12 15:09
I think if they just did it as a one-off, it'd go over fine. Not a transcendent moment, but something that people could talk about. Especially if they could pull it off as a surprise gig. (And if they're smart enough not to wear the Sgt. Pepper costumes or any stupid shit like that.)
But an ongoing pursuit? A tour? Fools rush in, lads ...
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Author: HollowbodyKay
Date: 04-04-12 15:52
Quote:
Even The Beatles didnt perform most of the great Beatles songs live.
Somewhere ... in an alternate universe ... John Lennon is perched on a stool filming his "VH-1 Storytellers" introduction to the unplugged version of 'Revolution#9.'
Yes. That's Yoko in the bag at his feet.
...
But really: What is the greatest Beatles song that never got performed live? There was a point where "A Day In The Life" was getting a ton of press as the definitive Fab Four tune.
The worst might have been "Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Dah." But that's not important right now.
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Author: rebelwithoutaclue
Date: 04-04-12 23:46
maybe they can open for wilson-phillips.
better idea is to have the dads of younger bands to form
for example- the replacements parents
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Author: HollowbodyKay
Date: 04-05-12 10:24
Quote:
better idea is to have the dads of younger bands to form
for example- the replacements parents
"We've got no wars to name us"
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Author: breno
Date: 04-05-12 13:06
Quote:
By the way, how's Jakob Dylan doing? Anyone dig what he's puttin down?
A friend of mine burned me a copy of his last album because she knew I liked Neko Case, who guested on it. That was a couple of years ago and I'm unsure if I ever got around to listening to it. If I did, I don't remember anything about it.
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Author: Delvin
Date: 04-05-12 13:46
> I'm unsure if I ever got around to listening to it. If I did, I don't remember anything about it.
Great pocket review, Reno.
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