Lennon/McCartney: Two Different Ways
In the history of music, there have been great artists who have marked a before and after. Artists who have been spokespersons of a generation leaving an unattainable legacy. But between them, they emphasize two artists who revolutionized the form of singing, writing; and performing. John Lennon and Paul McCartney did all of that despite being from the same band at the beginning in the end they took separates ways. John Lennon's voice has versatility of his voice, his voice is more versatile than some people think.
It is true that John's voice sounds rather nasal and his vocal range is rather limited compared to Paul McCartney, but his voice is still versatile. John could do any other styles of vocal such as primal scream style vocal, psychedelic style vocal, ballad style vocal, rock n roll style of vocal, and even pop-style vocal. On the other hand, Paul was a tenor in the Beatles, but the cigarettes and drugs significantly dropped his range and darkened his sound. Vocal range is related to your voice type, but it’s not the determining factor. Where you sing most comfortably and the texture of your voice, in general, is the best indicator. Even though he was a tenor, Paul could drop down into baritone range and imitate them very well.
On another note, they have different ways of writing songs, John tended to start with the lyric - he thought of himself as writing poetry. His subjects tend to be very personal, often writing in the first person and about his anxieties or loves. He was also very idealistic and wrote a few anthems about world peace, etc. He had a strong feeling for silly wordplay, but could also come up with simple messages that would have wide appeal. In addition, Paul mostly started with a musical idea. And sometimes, (not always), the lyrics were a bit of an afterthought, (Yesterday being a classic example). His melodies are often beautiful in an almost classical sense that contained beautiful shapes.
Often, the most striking phrases will be right at the beginning of a song so that the song is more “even”, and less of a build to a climax. Paul often wrote in the third person about characters he invented. Finally, after the separation of The Beatles, John Lennon with Yoko Ono formed ‘‘Plastic Ono Band’’ and published a dozen long-playing records. His talent as a composer and lyricist continued to manifest itself in themes such as "Give peace a chance", "Power to the people" or "Some time in New York City". But, its undisputed success was Imagine, an intensely personal LP, published in 1971, which contained the song of the same name, whose text would become a pacifist manifesto in that conflictive decade.
In contrast, Paul had the best-selling album in the 70’s of the 4 x-Beatles with Band on the Run. Paul with and without Linda and Wings had many more top 5 singles and albums than the others at that time. Wing’s tour was huge and popular. When we talk about John Lennon and Paul McCartney, they are great artists who changed the way of transmitting messages through music. Despite their differences in the way they write songs and in their solo career, the two left a legacy that lasts for generations and that we should enjoy day after day.
