Theoretical Potential — merlin: “Eh up!” The Beatles

merlin:

“Eh up!”

The Beatles - “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (Bass, Isolated)

Like I say. Amazing bass line.

So deceptively simple. So fat. So totally in the pocket for what the song never knew it wanted.

But, just for a second, imagine how this song would sound without it. Totally different. Likely not for the better.

I think “WMGGW” is a good song; I wouldn’t call it a great song. Not by itself. Some of the rhymes are asinine, and most of the changes are the sort of meat-beating thing you write 2 weeks after taking up guitar. It’s definitely no “Something.”

But, for me? The players and arrangement just transform the tune. In particular, Clapton’s fills and solo + Paul’s pretty-perfect choice for the bass line¹ make George’s little ditty about life or the I Ching or Boethius’s Wheel or whatever into something unexpectedly menacing.²

The Beatles - “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (Clapton Guitar, Isolated)

Yep. Slowhand and Macca make this song sound dangerous. So good.

The Beatles - “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (The Beatles, 1968)

Well. Conceptually perfect. Paul hits a clam and a frequently misattributed non-clam along the way. But nothing’s out of keeping with the slacker-sloppy style and tone of the part he’s playing. ↩

In other news, fucking Chicago owes Paul a coke. ↩

Oh, the paradox of Merlin Mann. So right about so many things, and that with great conviction. And yet, so wrong about this with the same conviction. Granted, the bridge is melodic but it’s not genius. The rest of the bass part is not great. I don’t think it’s even good. At all. Okay, I’ll be direct, just like Merlin - it sounds like bollocks, really. And on different but related note, I’ll take Terry Kath’s solo on 25 or 6 to 4 over Clapton + Harrison any day and twice on Sunday.

merlin