Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A friend of mine pointed out something on the lead on 'The End' (and something I had failed to fully hear after having heard it no less than a couple of hundred times or more)...but is it or is it not, three separate guitars following one another repeatedly, three times after Ringo's one and only drum solo? It sounds like three to me as well. Each guitar has it own sound and each player (if three) has his own style, supposedly in this order, Paul, George and John, and repeating through three different riffs, three times in a row. All three bouncing off each other like a mini jam session.

That's right, I'm not %100 on the order but yes, the three guys, three times. We're working on the Abbey Road medley right now, can't wait to spring it on the fans.

Stan, your friend is absolutely correct. Paul is first, very dynamic and angular for lack of a better word. George is second, more fluid and soaring. John is last, very primitive and guttural.

Ya know, somewhere in the back of my aging mind I had heard this before, seemingly, but obviously disregarded it. My friend couldn't recall where he picked it up the info. John's and Paul's leads are very distinctive, Paul's style, John's sound, for lack of better phrasing.

Thanks Ronn, Randy.

yup.... paul, george, john... and I remember reading that John was proud of his guitar work on that one.

Stan, in a recent thread we discussed the fact that Paul's guitar can be heard on many Beatle songs recorded during the studio years. He even plays lead on at least one of George's songs (Taxman). For years I blindly attributed many leads to George that were in fact Paul's. I simply wasn't paying attention. Paul has a very distinctive style. He's playing lead on Sgt. Pepper. To my ears, George is the more accomplished guitarist, in that he plays many styles and is more subtle. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy Paul's style because it's very entertaining.

I recall Randy. I posted the portion how Paul's style seemed evident, quite predominant even on SP, on the same thread.

I can usually tell he's not playing his number 1 instrument when he's playing electric guitar or drums. I think he's a great piano and acoustic guitar player but a not so great lead guitar player and a weak drummer.

There is something about Paul's lead work and drumming which often sounds very similar, not much variety or originality.

That's funny Stan because I thought the opposite, good ideas just lousy execution. He has a weak left hand on the guitar to me, lousy vibrato and doesn't hit the drums very hard, he doesn't make them sound good to me like Ringo did and of course Ringo was a much better drummer anyway.

Oh, you may be right Bob. The 'thought' is in his mind of how he may want it to sound but it fails to come out that way IMO. The stuff all sounds the same to me (but not his bass work). It's pretty generic in its sound. It's almost like it comes out over done on some stuff.

For some reason you don't see many bass players that are good lead guitar players and vice versa. I know a lot who play acoustic good. (I used to)

I think Paul did a great job playing drums on Dear Prudence, and a passable job on the other two Beatles songs he played on....Back in the USSR and The Ballad of John and Yoko. He's oviously not as good at it as Ringo. I think his versatility was extremely important to the success and appeal of The Beatles however.

Just remember, Paul was the guitarist until Stu died. Fate does some strange things and casts us into situations that we accept to carry on. I think we all agree that Paul is a great Bassist. I also think he is an excellent and very creative guitarist of many styles.

Bob, I agree with you regarding McCartney's drumming - kinda weak. As for his guitar playing, I think he's a great acoustic player and an in-your-face lead guitarist. I feel he play's with more confidence than George - nothing against George at all. I like Macca's style better.