“Nowadays, McCartney’s Problem Is One Of Perceptions, Publicly And His Own Self-perception, I Think.

“Nowadays, McCartney’s problem is one of perceptions, publicly and his own self-perception, I think. He’s always leaned toward the grand, the orchestral; his musical progression away from the rigid rock & roll rules is entirely natural – if not well received – all the way to 1992’s Liverpool Oratorio. His rock & roll performances of late are often retreads of his older material – Unplugged, Live in Russia – and well they should be; he’s not a 20-year-old Beatle, and he’s not trying to be. If you’re disappointed with Paul for not somehow matching his work with the Beatles, as I often was growing up, reroute your expectations. That innocence is long gone. Just look at the black-and-white footage of him singing ‘Yesterday’ as compared to the footage of him doing ‘Let It Be.’ There’s something so sweet in his arched eyebrows, quivering smile and shy eyes that barely glance at the camera, that’s been totally eradicated by the bearded, bloated ‘Let It Be’ performance – by which time he’s aware that the eye of the camera is the face of the audience, and he won’t let it go. And now he’s stuck with the task of growing old gracefully, knowing full well that the single eye is holding him accountable for his every move. He should have followed Lennon’s lead by behaving like an ass – under the guise of the naked truth no one questions your motives. People confuse purported “total honesty” with integrity. That’s why Lennon was allowed to say whatever he damn well pleased about whomever he damn well pleased and still change his mind the next week with impunity. He was the Honest Beatle. […] My final point is this (and I do have one): I don’t want Paul McCartney to go down in history as a pussy-whipped vegetarian goofball in linen suits and high tops, always pointing at the crowd woo-hooing and yee-hawing, like somebody’s dad on Karaoke night. I don’t want him to pass quietly in the night not having heard in a very long time that his music thrilled, aroused, and colored some peoples’ lives to a greater degree than his wildest ego-rides could even imagine. I want to tell him that his voice is as familiar to me as a family member and, in the direst times, has calmed me like my father’s hand. I want to tell him that my best friend is my best friend because she always skips to the McCartney songs on Beatles’ albums and because she gave me a copy of Live in Russia. I want to tell him that I just may marry my boyfriend because he thinks ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’ was saved by Paul’s drumming and harmony on the chorus. I want to tell Paul all this, and I want to tell him now, because if there’s one glaring reminder to take home from the Beatles [Anthology] special it’s that when a musical idol dies, there simply is no more music. Yes, I know, John, the dream is over, but I still believe in Beatles. Namely Paul.”

— Mindy LaBernz, Austin Chronicle: In Defense of Paul McCartney. (December 15th, 1995)