McCartney 3,2,1 (2021) User Reviews

A Total Musician Geek-Out Session

[anthony_ian · 9/10 · 17 July 2021]

Even if you know most the stories behind the iconic Beatles songs, there's still plenty new to learn here about how they were constructed or key mistakes/happy accidents that became epic moments in Beatles history.

(Just wait until you hear how "Come Together" was originally intended).

This certainly isn't a "Beatles documentary" that goes in chronological order and reminisces about their greatest hits. It jumps from era to era, song to song--even including McCartney solo stuff and Wings.

But boy, there's some really cool stuff in here--they have the original masters (!!!) from Abbey Road and Rubin is constantly pulling tracks in and out to illustrate what McCartney's talking about. It's like a better-produced, more free-form take on the show "Classic Albums".

But it also focuses on the musical ideas/techniques (and the mistakes) rather than simply the composition (as "Classic Albums" does).

It probably wouldn't be of much interest to non-musicians or non-music geeks, but for those who are, it's a must-watch.

It should be noted there's not much gossip here about the Beatles' personal lives or drama behind the scenes--it's very focused on the music.

A total delight

[Katz5 · 9/10 · 20 July 2021]

You don't have to be a Beatles fanatic to enjoy this documentary, but it helps. Paul McCartney joins legendary producer Rick Rubin in a large studio and goes through various Beatles songs, albums, memories, as well as moments from the Wings and his solo career, in non-chronological order. The format is simple - and filmed in black and white. Rubin asks McCartney a leading question or plays a bit of a classic song through a mixer (sometimes removing the instrumentation so you only hear McCartney's voice, or removing the voices so you only hear the instrumentation). And then he just lets Sir Paul talk. And we're talking the Beatles here so there are many fascinating stories to be told.

Rubin also has access to original tracks from Abbey Road so you hear previously unreleased versions of many classic tracks. For someone who is credited for bringing rap music and hip hop into the mainstream, Rubin is a certified music historian for all genres, and McCartney is totally at ease with him and even feels humbled by his role as the interviewer.

Some viewers who just want to hear music without all the "background" may get bored with the documentary. The documentary is 3 hours long, but is presented in 30-minute episodes. The recent Bee Gees documentary directed by Frank Marshall would have benefited from this approach.

As these legendary musicians are entering their twilight years (but McCartney amazingly is still putting out albums of good to great material), it is critical to get these documentaries made now. I would love to see a similar documentary on Bob Dylan. I tried to get into the various documentaries on Dylan and couldn't. This simple, stripped down approach in McCartney 3, 2, 1 should be a new template for other music documentarians.

Genius

[pdc15725 · 10/10 · 30 July 2021]

To me, this is the equivalent of having Davinci or Einstein telling you what he (in this case,they) was thinking during their most creative period. It's completely fascinating and Rick Rubin does an excellent job of asking the right questions.

Awesome

[billcr12 · 10/10 · 4 October 2021]

Everyone is aware of the Beatles music and probably believes that nothing new can be added to the legendary story. I have never seen a music production as well done as this Hulu TV series. Three hours is not enough, as Rick Rubin and Paul McCartney discuss the music making process in front of a mixing board. Rubin expertly breaks down some of the songs, using the board to isolate individual instruments. Even Paul is astounded by Rick's keen observations. Hearing his bass playing during Come Together is an eye opener. I had always understood McCartney's incredible genius as a songwriter but Rubin shows Paul's unmatched creativity on the bass. Please Hulu, I need another three hours of these two men.

If I can give it an 11 I would!

[shawnmarine-88-284953 · 10/10 · 18 July 2021]

This was great! Although you can't tell every story, include everyone, and everything around the Beatles, Paul and Rubin do a great job at covering some of the highlights of the Beatles and their recording process and history.

If it's a look at the Beatles' music, then you know that it's gonna be good!

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 10 August 2021]

"McCartney 3, 2, 1" features Rick Rubin interviewing Paul McCartney for insight about the Beatles' music. Probably the coolest part of the whole thing is seeing Paul playing the songs but playing with the the dials so that we can hear how the songs sound with only lyrics or with only instrumentation.

Great miniseries. You gotta see it.

Rick and Paul Music

[Lejink · 9/10 · 6 March 2022]

Paul McCartney must have carried out hundreds of interviews over his professional career and I believe I've seen, heard or read quite a lot of them, being a big Beatles / McCartney fan myself. I must admit that I know very little about Rick Rubin other than that he first came out producing rap and hip hop music, before much later producing critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums very late in their careers by the likes of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond to name but two. I wouldn't automatically have had him sharing much in common musically with McCartney, but clearly he knows and loves Paul's work especially the Beatles years. Coupling this with his obvious knowledge of studio technology, we here get a very detailed and in-depth analysis of McCartney's music as this extended interview is carried out with just the two of them standing in front of a production console in a darkened studio. You could argue it's a metaphorical duplication of his production work with Cash in particular, i.e. Honest, stripped back and black and white, but whatever it is, it works, making for one of the best, most revealing interviews ever with the ex-Beatle, in fact it's almost poignant given his obviously advancing years.

Of course as I said, McCartney has been doing this for a very long time and yes, one or two of his old anecdotes do get repeated that we've heard before, but on the whole I found this a fascinating and insightful conversation between two very obviously experienced music men.

I particularly appreciated McCartney giving kudos not just to Lennon as is to be expected but also to Harrison, Starr and indeed George Martin for their contributions to the Beatles, and with the latter, his solo years too.

So what we get is Rubin I presume selecting certain songs and then isolating instruments and vocals in an attempt to analyze the magic that went into so many Beatles recordings. I counted just three songs from McCartney solo years and none of them past the year of 1980 while the remainder were all from the Beatles songbook. Even so, some of the Beatles songs chosen were a little off the beaten track such as "Another Girl" from "Help" and "And Your Bird Can Sing" from "Revolver", although the usual biggies such as "Yesterday" "Hey Jude" and "Eleanor Rigby" naturally get a look-in too.

Combined with some rare, never-seen before vintage photographs and video clips, this whole three-hour interview was compulsive viewing for this particular Beatlemaniac. The only slight downside was that whenever he tried to sing along to his old records, it's very obvious, as it has been for some years, that Paul's once golden voice just isn't there anymore. That and his slightly rude habit of chewing gum throughout the interview.

Otherwise I was only curious as to how many other songs that were selected for dissection in this way perhaps ended up on the cutting-room floor, although I suppose this leaves a small hope for an extended version with more conversation and discussion if a subsequent DVD release ever comes out.

I have to admit that I watched this after viewing Peter Jackson's marathon production / reduction job on the massive "Get Back" / "Let It Be" sessions released late last year, but I do think this entertaining and informative interview goes with it very well and I would recommend all Beatles or McCartney fans to set aside about half a day to watch both these fascinating projects.

You'll not be disappointed.

THE 1 AND ONLY McCARTNEY

[mmthos · 9/10 · 30 July 2021]

Exhaustive and somewhat exhausting, incredibly jam-packed with behind the scenes Beatles lore and analysis of musical composition and arrangements, Macca's interviews with record mogul Rick Rubin come across very relaxed and conversational, making the viewer feel. As much as possible, that they are also in on the conversation. Bits of historical contexts are included, but I think the more you are familiar with the material discussed, the better oriented you'll feel to absorb it all..,

Fascinating!

[mary-83533 · 10/10 · 18 July 2021]

Enjoyed every moment. A must see for music lovers.

Why The Beatles Needed Paul McCartney And Why He Needed Them!

[Sunsphxsuns · 10/10 · 22 July 2021]

If you love the Beatles then you will absolutely love this series. To McCartney's credit, the band was on the verge of breaking up much earlier than most fans realized, especially after their manager's (Brian Epstein) untimely death from an accidental prescription drug overdose. Without Brian the band suddenly felt rudderless. As Lennon said, " I knew we'd had it."

Yet Paul convinced the band to "carry on lads," and carry on they did, culminating in the release of Abbey Road and Let It Be albums. Without Paul's insistent demands, nagging and prodding, we would never have been gifted with so many timeless works of artistic, far-reaching songs like Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane.

As I write this, Paul is almost 80, and I genuinely believe he will always miss his friend and composing partner, John Lennon, no matter what successes he has enjoyed as a solo artist. You can see the slight pain in his eyes when he reflects on his time with Lennon.

While I don't think there is anything "new" or "revealing" to Beatle historians and ardent fans in this well paced series, it's still a lot of nostalgic fun to see and hear what this iconic artist thinks about his own experiences with what was once (and may still be) the most popular band in the world.

Paul carefully recognizes his own historic role in music, and for those that are just beginning to understand the incredible impact he and the Beatles made on the music scene itself, this series is going to leave them fascinated and likely ravenous for more.

If you like The Beatles

[hornbaker13 · 9/10 · 16 July 2021]

Amazing how there is still things we can learn about The Beatles. Fun to watch Paul looking so genuinely happy to be listening back to the songs and telling the stories.

deconstrucing art and luck

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 16 July 2021]

Greetings again from the darkness. Remember when ... in 1993 ... Chris Farley interviewed Paul McCartney on "Saturday Night Live"? That was awesome. Mr. Farley passed away four years later, and Sir Paul McCartney is now 79 years old and truly a living music legend. This Hulu original consists of six 30 minute episodes directed by Zachary Heinzerling, who was Oscar nominated for his 2013 documentary CUTIE AND THE BOXER. Filmed in black and white from inside a recording studio, McCartney and famed hip-hop music producer Rick Rubin spend three hours talking music, history, and influence.

Many of the stories McCartney tells here are the same he's told numerous times over the years, however, he infuses each episode with some new tale or, even better, a peek behind the music he's created over the last 60 years. Of course, there is next to nothing about his private life which he has expertly protected for so long, but this environment is about one topic. A sound studio with a music producer talking music with a musician should only be about the music, and McCartney and Rubin fascinate us by deconstructing some of the most famous and popular songs ever written.

The stories in the episodes meander a bit, rather than go in chronological order, and each contains some color clips that correspond to McCartney's memory of the moment. Episode 1, "These Things Bring You Together" finds Paul recalling how Edith Piaf not only influenced his songwriting, but also his "French" phase (although Jane Asher is not mentioned). It's really mesmerizing to hear Paul discuss the "intercontinental rivalry" with the Beach Boys and how the Pet Sounds album motivated him towards "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" (sprinkled with a humorous salt and pepper story). An incredible clip of Jimi Hendrix performing "Sgt Pepper", and Paul incessantly chomps on his chewing gum as he refers to "George's friend", who just happens to be Eric Clapton.

Episode 2, "The Notes That Like Each Other", has Paul discussing how Bach influenced his songwriting, and we get insight into "Eleanor Rigby" (and the Octet), "Penny Lane" (with Dave Mason's piccolo trumpet), "Band on the Run", "Blackbird", and the trip to Lagos. It's in this segment where Paul first acknowledges the importance of George Martin as producer, performer, and arranger. Episode 3, "The People We Loved Were Loving Us", opens with "Back in the USSR", and the Beatles first number one hit in the U. S.: "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". Paul then reiterates the importance of seeing Roy Orbison, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan perform, and how every musician is influenced by others. He re-tells the too-familiar "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" story, and recalls the band's trip to India.

Episode 4, "Like Professors in a Laboratory", is a bit of a hodgepodge, but may include the most new details of any. Rubin and McCartney discuss the process for pushing the treble on George's guitar for "Nowhere Man", the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night", and the band's fascination with having Robert Moog and his new invention at Abbey Road. We also hear "the Ringo moment", and Paul talks about penning his James Bond theme, "Live and Let Die", and the segment ends with "You Know My Name". Episode 5, "Couldn't You Play it Straighter?", and Episode 6, "The Long and Winding Road" find Paul and Rubin digging deep into creating some of the unique sounds within the songs - the bass line in "Something"; George telling Paul, "you play it" in regards to the guitar solo on "Tax Man"; John's impact and the famous bass line on "Come Together"; and George Martin's string quartet for "Yesterday". Episode 5 closes with "Helter Skelter", while Episode 6 ends, of course, with "The End".

Director Heinzerling has the camera track set up as if to film Rubin and McCartney performing in the round - with a couple of exceptions when Paul picks up a guitar or plops down at the piano to make his point musically. Rubin plays the roles of fan boy, music professional, and interviewer, and he does a nice job getting Paul to go a bit deeper than he typically would. As the two isolate fragments of songs, it's fun to see the joy on Paul's face as he recalls the "luck" (his word) involved with some of the band's quick work in the studio. McCartney does manage to give John, George, and Ringo brief moments of tribute, but make no mistake, this is Paul's show. For music lovers, this is an enjoyable 3 hours, and whether by design or not, it certainly ups the already high anticipation for Peter Jackson's upcoming, THE BEATLES: GET BACK for Disney+ later this year.

Premieres on Hulu on July 16, 2021.

Disappointin...

[ebermudezarquitecto · 5/10 · 25 July 2021]

I'm sort of a fan but was expecting much more. Most of the anecdotes are very well known (at least if you'd read about the Beatles) and when McCartney tells them he's not adding much to them. It all feels like a monologue with Rubin been sort of a prop, repeating (quite annoyingly) "yeah"... "fantastic"... "beautiful"... etc. Nodding all the time after every McCartney comment. Rubin is not really an interviewer, which is a shame, and his remarks do not contribute to lift the conversation beyond the obvious.

If you're a newbie to the Beatles history, there might be some revelations, but for the initiated there is nothing quite new included. Sometimes it's a lot better when artists don't speak about their art. To understand the creative process of any artist is always interesting, but if not told in an interesting way, it harms the value of the work. I realize that so much has been already said and written about the Beatles that it could be difficult to come up with more information, but we're talking about one of the two remaining main sources here, and it disappoints.

A Fascinating insight.

[shenzencowboy · 9/10 · 20 August 2021]

I loved this show. Lennon and McCartney were both geniuses. McCartney pays great homage to the influence of George Martin and the impact he had on the Beatles. It's interesting to hear isolated parts of some of their most famous songs played. It shows how musically gifted they were. There are lots of lovely little anecdotes and the interviewer has a great rapport with McCartney. I saw him perform in Sydney a couple of years ago, 44 songs. He still has it, the voice is a lot thinner but he surrounds himself with the best musicians in the business.

The only annoying thing about this documentary is that Paul chews gum virtually all the way through it. It gets a bit tedious after a while. It's beautifully shot in glorious black and white. Highly recommended.

Paul is great!

[tbarfield23 · 9/10 · 23 July 2021]

Very interesting look at McCartney's career from the Beatles to Wings to his solo career. Great stories, but Rick Rubin is terrible. There are times I felt that a great question was coming only to hear him gush about everything Paul said or playes.

More please.

[user-35583 · 9/10 · 11 February 2023]

This was simply fascinating for a lifelong Beatles fan. Bit would be great for any fan of music, musicians or composers.

While it hopscotches around the rich Beatles catalog, they cover a lot of ground and Paul shares some great stories not heard before. I was able to binge it one morning before breakfast. Rubin is both a fan and a brilliant producer as they work the board together and essentially deconstruct many of the songs in the Beatles catalog, along with some of Paul's own solo work. It all comes together beautifully.

This will be a great companion the Beatles Get Back brilliant documentary for any fan.

If you're interested in The Beatles' music, this is the best documentary you'll ever see

[jgallanis · 10/10 · 10 February 2022]

This is about the music, and if you're interested in the music more than the clothes and gossip and drugs and other aspects of the group, you can't do better than this. Having the brilliant Rick Rubin, whose own credits are as long as your arm, as the host and questioner, is a brilliant approach. As good as anything I've ever seen on rock music...no, better!

An absolute joy

[dssmithb · 10/10 · 24 July 2021]

I have ways been a Beatles fan but a few of the recent biopics left me thinking I would pass on this one. Thank goodness I couldn't find anything else I was interested in so I decided to give this a try.

Listening to a musical genius describe the process of writing songs that survive the test of time was a pure joy. Rubins clearly worships the man but Paul seems to think a lot of it just came down to accident and the freedom to experiment. I now have a better understanding of how influential George Martin was as far as the musical content. Paul clearly adored all his band mates - no idea how one reviewer took his comment re John's compliment so out of context. He was simply stating a fact. Who would know better how often Lennon doled out compliments than people he spent over a decade with? It wasn't personal, it was just a fact.

I was completely mesmerized through the entire 6 episodes which I binged in one evening and plan to rewatch with a friend.

We are all so fortunate those 4 spirits found each other.

Soundboard breakdown musical genius

[rraffan01 · 10/10 · 2 August 2021]

Fantastic, being a Bassist musician myself, aside from a fan since I was a child, this was incredible, it sounded amazing, so clear coming from the Master recording, and going through the tracks picking out specific parts, and hidden sounds, was great. I felt closer to the music than ever, listening to the story behind each song, and how it was written, truly excellent, good to see Paul and Rick working together as well.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

An Interesting Look Into Backstory

[helenahandbasket-93734 · 8/10 · 17 July 2021]

What a fascinating and introspective look into the work of the Beatles, Wings and other things, as well as other artists he's worked with.

I'm not old enough to have experienced the invasion of The Beatles, but was well aware of their existence in the background of my life- born in '66, it seems as though Mr McCartney has had a part of my life by way of soundtrack, and it's fascinating to hear how things came about, became part of the ethos, and went on into the stratosphere.

I wish the industry- both music and film, were smart enough to do more of this before it's too late- and I wish Rick would have asked more on the method to the madness. Such as the stories behind the songs, where they came from, how they came to be. There was a bit of exposition offered, but there's room for much more, rather than just moving the channels on the board. I understand Rubin is most famous for his expertise in this sense, but his opportunity for expansion on this was a missed opportunity. Some of the interactions between Rick and Paul seem very odd and uncomfortable- I realize it's likely meant to be as if we're seeing a private discussion, but it doesn't feel anything like something other than a forced 'hey, ask this/do this/make this face and see where it goes!' Obviously the barefoot thing is quite Rubinesque, but come on.

I realize we aren't going to hear quite as much on the interactions/relationships between the players, but Paul has such a wealth of information to yet be mined and it feels as if there's a bigger story that's just outside the realm of the pieces of work. Perhaps there's still time to explore this aspect, and include Ringo in the discussion.

A fairly insightful and informative series that offers much promise to new generations that may be unaware of the vast catalog of music and McCartney's impact on to the industry.

Here's hoping this is an opportunity for other filmmakers to delve into the history of music and tap those with so much to offer, and leave a lasting legacy that lives on long after they've left this world.

This could have offered more, but even the same one note discussions are still intriguing and interesting enough to hold you throughout. It's a little forced to drag it on for so many episodes, but (for now, at least) we're subjected to stretching out a piece into a series so as to draw more.

A solid 8 for nothing more than the pure and unadulterated view into Paul McCartney.

Paul McCartney, one of the all time greats.

[Bubba32618 · 10/10 · 20 July 2021]

This was a great miniseries about The Beatles and Paul McCartney's career. I like that this miniseries is in black and white because some of The Beatles' movies were in black and white. I like that they just asked Paul McCartney a question and then it just went from there, unscripted. The stories that Paul told in this were great. I really enjoyed this. I highly recommend this if you are a fan of The Beatles or Paul McCartney.

Missing The Lyrics

[lloydster-36622 · 7/10 · 21 July 2021]

There's no debate that the music of Paul McCartney and The Beatles was great. And that his genius shines through. However, the documentary series leaves out something equally important as the melodies and that is the lyrics. Beautiful tune, Eleanor Rigby. How did the lyrics come about? Was Paul feeling lonely? Rick Rubin misses out on all those questions and concentrates on base guitar riffs while fawning over every word Paul utters. Shooting it in black and white like an underground art film was for a me a cliche. Maybe, it was done to camouflage how old they both are. I wasn't disappointed in watching the series for the incredible music but it could have been much more. Perhaps a Season Two.

Why Rick Rubin?

[hpcpq2001 · 3/10 · 25 July 2021]

He adds NOTHING to the show and, in fact, takes away from what makes Paul interesting. He makes stupid comments that are of no relevance. What a horrible waste of an opportunity to learn more details about Paul McCartney and the Beatles by having Rick Rubin be a part of this show.

I am not sure who thought this disgusting-looking person, dressed horribly and barefoot would bring class or ANYTHING to a show about Sir Paul.

Needs a second season!

[sjaool · 9/10 · 20 July 2021]

This series was way too short, it really needs a second season because there is much more to listen to and to teller about. Also the influence of George Martin, the fifth Beatle, is underrated. If it wasn't for him The Beatles would have never been the legendary band they have become...

Wow

[mikeiskorn · 10/10 · 4 August 2021]

This was absolutely perfect. Everything you wanted to know about the Beatles/Paul and the stories behind the songs, told by the man who wrote them. His enthusiasm for the songs was infectious and now it's just put me right back into 'I'm only listening to the Beatles' again haha. Please watch. You won't be disappointed! You'll be left surprised, interested and warmed.