It Was 41 Years Ago Today....

that the Beatles arrived in the USA. And to commemorate that event, Sir Paul McCartney was the featured performer at the Super Bowl halftime show. I wonder if this was just a coincidence.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of the cheesy glitz that seems to be part of a halftime show for the Super Bowl and the NCAA Bowl Championship Game. In fact, I've tended to watch the productions only occasionally, often surfing channels. I'm usually disappointed by the show. Often the performance is sub-par. But tonight's show was different. McCartney and his band were excellent. The singing was on key. I didn't get the feeling that McCartney was overly hamming it up. The best part was he was really singing, not like some recent performances by teeny bopper celebrities who use "backing tracks." The only disappointment was that it was only four songs long. I didn't even mind the cheesy displays. Maybe the current generation of performers will appreciate the ability to do their music live and unassisted by a backing vocal track. Or maybe, producers and record companies can promote performers who have real talent without the need for electronic manipulation of the voice. Maybe current performers will realize their limitations. I could name several of the current pop artists who I am referring too, but I think most can be easily guessed.

I am a huge Beatles fan (as well as the solo Beatles) and I can say that my interpretation could be looked on as biased. But I will admit that several performances from McCartney that I watched in the past have sucked. I'll admit that I wondered why I continued to watch them. But it is refreshing to see a great performance at a Super Bowl halftime show. Maybe, next year the halftime show can be as good.