Watch: Paul McCartney, “222”

Post Author:

It's sort of a running tenet that the Beatles were some of the greatest artistic appropriators of the 20th century. Is this their former bass player and litigation specialist copping the finest in coffee shop neo-muzak? Is it a half-assed grab at softcore hip hop? A Jamiriqoui cover? I was just reading the other day about a time in 1967 when McCartney, eagerly playing his recent tape experiments to a room that included Bob Dylan (whom he apparently idolized), witnessed the folk singer promptly exiting without a word, to the Beatle's horror and chagrin. It's in that light that I've always looked at McCartney's prolific output—a struggle between legitimate experimentation and an appeal for everyone who listens to his work to also like it. I dont think anyone's going to lodge any complaints over their lattes at Starbucks.

Cool video (directed by Marco Sandeman):