Following his simple greeting "Good evening, New York City," Paul launched into his three-date appearance back in July of this year at Citi Field, initiating the Shea Stadium replacement as a major concert venue as well as upgraded sports arena. Commemorating that historic event is this new double disc plus DVD set titled after his salutation, and it rocks through over thirty very well-known tracks, especially emphasizing The Beatles’ material, with more than half the album dedicated to the Fab Four’s catalog.
This is a dream come true for Beatles fans, but what about McCartney and Wings devotees? Smartly, McCartney includes some of the best of his personal repertoire, with high-energy takes on sing-a-longs like "Mrs. Vanderbilt," "Let Me Roll It," and "Flaming Pie" that are as spirited as those on the hits "Jet," "Band On The Run," "My Love," and "Live And Let Die." And on the DVD–no surprise here–Paul owns the stadium, moving about and controlling the audience from whatever vantage point he’s momentarily stationed.
Good Evening New York City is a marvelous testament to McCartney’s energy, voice (yeah, his chops are in fine form), and relationship with his former band mates. You can’t help but get a little misty during Paul’s acoustically-strummed ode to his fallen brother, John Lennon, in "Here Today," a song in which, it should be remembered, he tells his friend he loves him. He also melds Lennon’s anti-war anthem "Give Peace A Chance" onto "A Day In The Life," creating one of the most satisfying medleys you can think of. And John isn’t the only Beatle to whom Paul throws a nod. Though it begins with a disorienting shuffle, Paul’s version of George Harrison’s "Something" then shifts into a more faithful interpretation that sounds like it was written for the singer. Other warm moments include a take on "The Long And Winding Road," "Blackbird," and "Let It Be," whose gospel organ permeates the new facility as reverently as if it were a game night.
For those who remember, The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium back in 1965, inventing arena-rock during a time when they reinvented pop music for the modern world. These recent concerts may not have been as significant as that historical sixties event, but for so very many people in Citi Field those nights, this was as close to hearing something like The Beatles as they were going to get; for Paul McCartney, it probably was intoxicating reliving some cherished memories of his younger years; and for the rest of us, Good Evening New York City is the only way we will be able to appreciate the magic and music performed at the new structure.
Start Here: "Jet," "Live And Let Die," and "Back In The USSR"
Tracks:
CD 1
1. Drive My Car
2. Jet
3. Only Mama Knows
4. Flaming Pie
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Let Me Roll It
7. Highway
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. My Love
10. Blackbird
11. Here Today
12. Dance Tonight
13. Calico Skies
14. Mrs. Vandebilt
15. Eleanor Rigby
16. Sing The Changes
17. Band On The Run
CD 2
1. Back In The USSR
2. I’m Down
3. Something
4. I’ve Got A Feeling
5. Paperback Writer
6. A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
7. Let It Be
8. Live And Let Die
9. Hey Jude
10. Day Tripper
11. Lady Madonna
12. I Saw Her Standing There
13. Yesterday
14. Helter Skelter
15. Get Back
16. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End
DVD
1. Intro
2. Drive My Car
3. Jet
4. Only Mama Knows
5. Flaming Pie
6. Got To Get You Into My Life
7. Let Me Roll It
8. Highway
9. The Long And Winding Road
10. My Love
11. Blackbird
12. Here Today
13. Dance Tonight
14. Calico Skies
15. Mrs. Vandebilt
16. Eleanor Rigby
17. Sing The Changes
18. Band On The Run
19. Back In The USSR
20. I’m Down
21. Something
22. I’ve Got A Feeling
23. Paperback Writer
24. A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
25. Let It Be
26. Live And Let Die
27. Hey Jude
28. Day Tripper
29. Lady Madonna
30. I Saw Her Standing There
31. Yesterday
32. Helter Skelter
33. Get Back
34. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End
Tags: paul_mccartney
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