"When I’m Sixty-Four"

One of my all-time favorite artists (musicians) turns 64 today. In fact his music has impacted my life more than any other in my history of listening to music. His music inspired me to open up my own music shop in the mid-eighties, it inspired me as a musician recording my own music, and having seen him in concert has encouraged me when I performed my own music in the past. Of course I’m talking about Paul McCartney.

With my generation, having been born in 1965, I first heard about Paul McCartney after the Beatles had already broken up and he formed the band Wings. In fact, my all time favorite song as a kid was Paul McCartney and Wings hit song titled Let ‘Em In, and a close second was Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. The first Beatles song I can remember hearing was Penny Lane. I first hear the song in the summer of ’76, just before my 11th birthday.

I can recall being in Houston, Texas that summer and hearing Penny Lane. We were driving to the Gulf Coast, the song played and I turn to my step-sister and said that sounds like Paul McCartney. She replied, “It is, when he was with the Beatles.” My response was something like this, “With who?” (Remember I was still 10 years old, “whom” was not in my vocabulary at the time) And that was my introduction from Paul McCartney and Wings to the Beatles. Today, every time I hear Penny Lane I am reminded of that event back in the summer of ’76.

McCartney recently released his 20th album since being with the Beatles; Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. The album itself contains music that goes full circle and is very reminiscent of his music with the Beatles. Several tunes sound like something John Lennon would have written, and the song Jenny Wren is very akin to Blackbird. Moreover, there is a song titled Friends to Go which sounds like a George Harrison tune. If you like the Beatles and you enjoy McCartney I highly recommend this album.

Anyway, thanks for more than 40 years of great music and happy Birthday Paul!!