Friday, September 7, 2012

The Dogwood Bark's Top 100 Songs Of All Time - #98: Paul McCartney - "Too Many People"

Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram (1971)

"That was your first mistake.  You took your lucky break and broke it in two.  Now what can be done for you?  You broke it in two."

As you can imagine, this list will be scattered with more than its fair share of contributions from Liverpool's most lauded lads.  Following one of history's most infamous break-ups, several members of the Beatles went on to create some of music's most memorable masterpieces.  1971's Ram is no exception; though its initial release elicited lukewarm reactions.  "Too Many People" is also the first of many album openers to make the countdown.

It's no secret that Sir Paul was taking thinly veiled shots at Lennon in this song; he even mentioned in an interview that the line "too many people preaching practices" referred directly to John and Yoko.  While the palpable tension bursting between each note makes for a compelling listen, it's not what endears the record to me so considerably.  

Simply put, it's got all the warmth, character and melody of a Beatles song without it being a Beatles song.  It contains a certain tangible familiarity while simultaneously expressing something that's just slightly off.  No one else can deliver a vocal chord shredding shout followed immediately by a sweetly sung falsetto line quite like McCartney.  Plus, the band plainly jams at the end.


Check out the rest: