Paul McCartney on Why It’s Hard to Get Honest Feedback and Why He’s Afraid to Call Bob Dylan
Paul McCartney has opened up about the unique challenges that come with being a music industry legend, admitting that it has grown increasingly difficult to get sincere, unfiltered feedback from collaborators.
Speaking on US comedian, actor, and podcaster Amy Poehler’s Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, McCartney contrasted his current solo dynamic with the environment he shared with The Beatles. Because the band grew up together, spending their formative years playing small, rough clubs in Hamburg, Germany, a tight-knit family atmosphere naturally developed.
“When you know each other that well, and you’ve been together that long, it does become like a family,” McCartney told Poehler. “So then that finds its way into your writing and your work, you know, that I can tell what he’s thinking or I can tell him that I didn’t like that line, or he can tell me that sucks.”
The Danger of Yes-Men in the Studio
When Poehler suggested that people often become afraid to offer genuine critiques to artists who have attained massive success, McCartney readily agreed.
“Yeah, that’s a danger now,” McCartney said. He noted that people frequently ask him if producers will tell him when an idea is no good, admitting, “And I’m not sure, maybe he doesn’t… I think you find people who will tell you and stuff, but it must be hard for them. Because you’ve got such a reputation.”
McCartney’s most recent album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, arrived in May and was produced by Andrew Watt, whose recent production credits include projects with The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Ozzy Osbourne.
Watt previously told The Telegraph that working with a childhood hero required him to push past his own intimidation. “I had to get up in the morning, look in the mirror, say, OK, I am going to let go of the fear even if I feel like an absolute moron telling Paul McCartney what I think about making records,” Watt explained, noting that McCartney could indeed be “a bit pushy” in the studio.
Why a Bob Dylan Collaboration Hasn’t Happened
Despite working with a celebrated roster of modern artists and producers, McCartney admits there is still one legendary peer he finds himself too intimidated to approach.
When Poehler asked if there was anyone left he wished to collaborate with, McCartney replied, “Ummm, no. I asked this question and I always think Bob Dylan. But I’m too nervous to ring him up!”
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