In all, I published three pieces this week on the excellent six part Hulu doc, “McCartney 3, 2, 1.” This is the last one.
Rick Rubin was the founder of DefJam Records. He made a mint there. He sort of talked himself into being a mythic figure. At one point he was the head of Sony Music, which he nearly destroyed. He cost them a fortune, and left. He gained new fame as the producer of Johnny Cash’s last albums. The final one included the Nine Inch Nails cover, “Hurt,” which won acclaim and awards.
How Rubin wound up with McCartney is a mystery to me. They’ve never had anything to do with each other. But somehow McCartney felt like talking a blue streak to this odd looking fellow. Maybe Paul thought he was Father Time. In any case, it worked.
In the last two segments, they talk about the Beatles breaking up and Paul moving on. Paul says, “I was heartbroken,” although– this is another story– he instigated the break up. In the segment he plays “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which is among the greatest pop songs of all time. In the final segment he remembers how he dreamt “Yesterday,” and didn’t trust that it was original. They talk about “A Day in the Life,” although I wish Rubin had asked him more about the piano work.
There could be six more episodes. I wish they’d go back and finish. But to have these six is a pleasure, and they are gems. Me? I can’t get enough of this stuff.
