Rick Rubin takes a stand: For him, Paul McCartney is quite simply the best bass player of all time. In addition, the music producer is surprised at the “simple” approach the 80-year-old takes when it comes to songwriting.
“I’ve been thinking that everything I’ve seen about the Beatles is either about the songwriting or about Beatlemania,” Rubin said in an interview with Mojo. “Paul McCartney the bass player, or Paul McCartney the musician — because he plays everything — that’s a little story that’s being told.” He said you only think of McCartney as Paul of the Beatles. In his opinion, however, McCartney was “the best of all bass players” and “number one”.
Rubin, who has worked with Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was impressed by McCartney’s songwriting style: “What blew my mind was when he sat down at the piano and showed me how to play a song writes. He said ‘See you can do it like this’ and what he showed me was the easiest thing but then he started moving his fingers slightly and suddenly it became ‘Hey Jude’ or ‘Let It Be’ . He uses this technique that any kid can do and then it turns into one of the greatest songs of all time!”
Rick Rubin (allegedly) knows nothing about music
Rubin and McCartney collaborated on the 2021 mini-documentary McCartney 3, 2, 1. There the musicians talked about the Beatles, McCartney’s solo career and songwriting.
Rubin recently made headlines because he claimed in an interview: “I know nothing about music”. He also said he “hardly” plays an instrument and doesn’t have the skills to operate a soundboard in a recording studio.
“I have no technical ability. And I know nothing about music.”
Music producer Rick Rubin says he can barely play any instruments, but says artists come to him because of “the confidence I have in my taste and my ability to express what I feel.” https://t.co/zLrPYRUjvs pic.twitter.com/KRZWLCpSB2
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 16, 2023
However, he knows what he likes and dislikes and is “determined” about it. He is paid for “trusting my taste and my ability to express my feelings.” In an interview with “60 Minutes” he also described himself as a “reducer” and not a producer. “I like the idea of getting the point across with the least amount of information possible,” he explained.