notes a small green godong

Paul. What the what is this??

Don’t get me wrong, I love any and every Beatles and McCartney tune, but…

I don’t understand. The auto-tune level on this “live” album is so strong and overwhelming that it begins to sound like a terrible imitation of Paul and not Paul himself. He does manage to cover a lot of ground with the lengthy setlist, but the over-production becomes nauseating after only a few tracks.

This just made me lose a substantial amount of respect for Paul. And made me not want to listen to Beatles music for awhile.

Do yourself a favor: before you even begin to think about getting this miserable excuse for a record, go to your local record store and get some Beatles remasters. That is where the good stuff lies.

I’ll be gracious and give this two stars, only because it’s Beatles music.
Rating: 2 / 5

I saw the concert on ABC in High-Def and would love to buy the DVD, but only if it is on Blu-Ray.
Rating: 1 / 5

You think after almost 40 years of touring as a solo artist Paul’s song selection would be a bit more creative? There is no denying the quality of the majority of these songs, it’s the artist’s interpretation and selection I have a problem with.

I understand there are many people out there who don’t go to many shows and when their favorite artist comes to to town they want to enjoy the evening listening to the songs they all know, exactly the way they sound on the record. Paul knows this as well. They want to hear Back In The USSR, Live and Let Die, Band on the Run and Get Back for the 10th zillionth time constructed the same old way. BORING PAUL. At this point in his career he should be touring in somewhat smaller venues and picking out dozens of Beatles and solo songs he’s never performed on stage. He could stand up there reciting the London phone book and he’d still sell out. So why the worry, Paul? Do you feel it’s mandatory to do Hey Jude, Let It Be and I Saw her Standing There when you have gems like Lovely Rita, Two of Us and Mother Nature’s Son floating around? It’s nice to see a few additions to the set list but this does not cut it.

For the most part Paul and the band perform these songs line for line, tempo for tempo with the same vocal interpretation as they appear on the albums. The band sounds generic half the time just following the song book. Does he have no ability to step out of his shell and be a bit more expressive? Could you imagine a world where Bob Dylan or Neil Young went all these years doing the same songs over and over again the same ol’ way? They’ve transcended by pushing the envelope and reinventing their songs countless times, giving the music a freshness which seems to be lacking here with Paul.

Paul, on your next tour grab yourself an acoustic guitar, let yourself loose and tour the world by yourself. People will show up. Trust me…
Rating: 2 / 5

How many live albums does Sir Paul intend to put out? Considering that he’s past retirement age, he can’t have that many left in him, and he certainly doesn’t need the money, being one of the wealthiest men in the world. But he’s an energetic 67 and clearly enjoys performing: his voice is remarkably strong, the band is tight, and the crowd is enthusiastic.

It’s a good show, and if I could, I’d give it 3-1/2 stars. While it suits my 50-something tastes (4 stars), there are slow and/or weak spots scattered throughout (3 stars) and the whole production finally strikes me as pointless. If you were there, though, or wish that you could have been, it’s well-recorded and well-filmed and serves as a fine souvenir.

Citi Field in New York brings back memories of the Fab Four at Shea Stadium, which used to occupy the same grounds, but that was another time and place, and it was long ago if not so far away. What does Paul bring to 2009? For the most part, this is a trip down nostalgia lane for baby boomers who will never get enough. The show starts out with a rollicking “Drive My Car” and a roaring “Jet,” then scatters Beatles songs (“Got to Get You into My Life,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “Blackbird,” “Eleanor Rigby”) through a first half that’s mostly Wings and solo output. A few of these are tepid rehashes of lesser songs (“Here Today,” “Dance Tonight,” “Calico Skies”), but most hit the mark (“Only Mama Knows,” “Let Me Roll It”). A new song celebrating New York, “Sing the Changes,” isn’t bad, but that’s the most I can say for it.

The latter half of the show, beginning with “Back in the USSR” and winding up with a medley of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “The End,” is virtually all Beatles hits. Out of the 33 tracks on DVD and CD, 20 are Beatles songs. Most of them are rockers (“I’m Down,” “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Paperback Writer,” “Day Tripper,” “Helter Skelter,” “Get Back”) to get the crowd on their feet and demonstrate that Paul still has chops, and these are high points of the show. “Something” gets both a folksy mandolin treatment and an orchestral version that will surely remind you of the original. “Let It Be” is similarly faithful, while “Lady Madonna” is more of a rave-up than the Beatles made it.

On the other hand, there are less successful efforts: “A Day in the Life” devolves into a “Give Peace a Chance” sing-along, and “Hey Jude” becomes a ladies-and-gentlemen sing-along. Unfortunately, these just slow down the proceedings. And an encore duet with Billy Joel on “I Saw Her Standing There” will certainly not supplant the Beatles classic. Paul being as old as he is, the obligatory “Yesterday” bears a certain poignancy, but do we really need to hear him sing it one… more… time…?

If you don’t have one of Paul’s numerous live shows on CD or DVD, or if you’re young and need proof that age is just a number, this bargain-priced set will do. But for the most part it’s simply unnecessary. McCartney and company have performed almost all of these songs as well or better elsewhere.
Rating: 3 / 5

Big Paul fan, was at one of the NYC shows, have seen the fan-flimed clips on YouTube….and I will never watch this DVD or listen to the CD again, once was enough. The use of auto-tune on Paul’s vocals is just ridiculous – he sounds mechanized, synthesized, processed – you pick the term. Very disappointed in Paul and his team, he should be above this. I have read comments saying Paul’s engineer denies the use of auto-tune – does he not realize we have ears!!! Please.
Rating: 1 / 5