Revisit the moment Paul McCartney joined Neil Young to cover The Beatles
On paper, there are many similarities between Sir Paul McCartney and Neil Young. Both are lauded as the most skilled musicians of their generation, as respectively, both artists have significantly pioneered the proliferation of popular music.
McCartney is one of the finest songwriters of all time, and without him, The Beatles wouldn’t have had some of their most cherished cuts such as ‘Yesterday’, ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’. However, his work is not just confined to the Liverpool band, and even before they split in 1970, he was composing the solo material that would launch the celebrated Beatle’s career to new heights. Added to this magic is the decade he spent with Wings between 1971 and 1981, writing masterpieces such as ‘Band on the Run’, ‘Jet’, ‘Arrow Through Me’ and countless others.
McCartney’s resumé speaks for itself, and it is certain that in hundreds of years, he will be discussed in the same way that the likes of Beethoven and Mozart are today.
As for Neil Young, the Canadian remains one of the definitive heroes of the counterculture, a poet, esteemed vocalist, and guitar hero all wrapped up in one imposing form. Like McCartney, he’s delivered many classics over his long and eminent career, with his solo efforts and work with Buffalo Springfield and CSNY ranking amongst the most critically acclaimed in rock.
Just like his Liverpudlian contemporary, Young’s talent is so extensive that he has managed to escape the shifting zeitgeist and remain relevant, a testament to the timeless quality of his work. Everyone from Nirvana to Radiohead has cited him as a defining influence over the years, reflecting just how consequential Neil Young is in the story of popular music.
Given that they are two titans of rock, there can be no surprise that McCartney and Neil Young have shared the stage on numerous occasions, with one of the best coming at London’s Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park in 2009. After returning to the stage for an encore, Young was joined by McCartney for ‘A Day In The Life’, the closer of The Beatles’ 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s. Singing the track’s middle section together, the crowd were understandably elated at watching two of music’s greatest legends perform alongside one another.
At the end of the song, the pair played a vibraphone on stage to close out the set, with them sharing a candid moment and rolling back the years in the best way possible. See the footage, below.
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