Watching the Beatles documentary. Fascinating stuff and incredibly watchable. Here are 5 thoughts in no particular order:
- Paul McCartney is clearly a cut above the others in terms of musical ability, charisma, and leadership.
- (This could be a consequence of the filming and editing process but…) Without mobile phones their recording life comes across as much more linear than a lot of current working lives. They’re all together working on one thing and talking about it and everything happens in a simple sequence. Certainly my working life is endlessly disrupted by interjections and distractions, as often is my social life. A difference that is neither wholly good nor bad. When things are going wrong and people are arguing or tense it’s harder for the Beatles or their management to escape than it would be for people now.
- When things are tense neither Paul nor John ask any questions. They just tell each other things. They’re both completely caught up in their own perspectives. I think people have genuinely been taught to be more emotionally literate now.They’re so young! Not yet thirty. Very close in age to myself and my friends.
- Going back to linearity, it’s wonderful to see the creative craft of four people playing about together who have been focused on a craft for a decade and a half all together. So much can happen without being spoken.
- I would massively recommend it if you’re at all interested in the subject area, it’s a very playful and enjoyable film.