McCartney Times

Let’s be ineluctably clear from the outset: Paul McCartney stands alone as the finest singer-songwriter and most accomplished musician of the rock ‘n’ roll era. Sporting an impressive vocal range throughout the heart of his career as both a member of the Beatles and as a solo performer, he was arguably his industry’s most gifted singer from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s.

Working with John Lennon, his compositions, which include scores of Top 40 hits, will stand the test of time as the crème de la crème of the pop music songbook. As a writer and performer, McCartney is at home in virtually any style, from rock and country through jazz, R&B, and beyond. In terms of his musicianship, he is simply virtuosic, distinguishing himself time and time again as an inventive, often groundbreaking guitarist and perhaps the most innovative and melodic bass player to ever pick up the instrument.

And perhaps the best part? His talent has hardly begun to ebb. Witness last year’s “McCartney III,” one of his most compelling albums in decades, reminding us, as I wrote at the time, that at age 78, his musical chops were as exquisite and profound as virtually anyone’s. Ever.

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Source: Paul McCartney’s “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present”: A visual feast, if flawed, for Beatles fans | Salon.com