Banding Together

More from Get Back, the film about The Beatles by Peter Jackson.

Once again I’m struck by the benefits and disadvantages of being in A Band as opposed to creating and performing as an unadorned solo artist.

It clearly is a thing that makes moving forward in any direction, whether musically or otherwise, a lot more complicated. John Lennon comments about how great it would be to have the wonderful Billy Preston as a fifth Beatle (poor George Martin!). And Paul says: “To be honest, it’s hard enough with the four of us”.

And yet so much of what is great in the Beatles songwriting and recordings seemed to come out of the tension and uncertainty that made the path difficult. At that point in their careers, they were a lot closer to giving up on all the hassle. But they still pushed through.

And for them, as a team, it was the pushing on through that lead to the joyful explosion of music. Music that becomes a joy to share, and to experience.

I enjoy the freedom to be the boss when I write and record. But something about watching this documentary makes me envy the band experience all over again.

At the end of the day though, whether alone or together, it’s the pushing on through that makes the music come to life.