Many people on the various Beatle and McCartney lists I’m on and many of the reviewers and commentators on Memory Almost Full mention their surprise (or admiration or whatever) that Paul could produce an album like this when he’s almost 65/retirement age/drawing his pension. Obviously to these people, 65 is the end of everything useful, interesting or creative in live. Actually after 60 or so there are a number of factors that affect what an individual can or can’t do and none of these factors are their age.
First and most important is what the individual thinks they can do. Keep in mind that most women become grandmothers between 35 and 45 (not 70 as the illustrations and advertisements would have it) and it’s pretty easy to be a great grandmother-father before 65. Even the person who is 65 can limit their activities by believing, as I suppose the majority of younger people do, that they can’t do anything worthwhile after 65. Obviously, if you KNOW you are too old to do it you aren’t going to try.
Those who haven’t fallen victim to that supposition are limited by mobility, health, energy levels and opportunity. These factors basically govern what they are likely to do or will attempt to do in their 60s or their 90s. It isn’t as if every one hadn’t seen a multitude of examples of this running from the late George Burns to somebody’s great grandfather down the block. Being over 60 changes you and changes what you are interested in doing and usually changes the methods you choose to use in order to do it, but it certainly doesn’t end your productive life. There is no cosmic switch that turns you off when the magic number comes up!
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Miss Marple Meets the BeaTles 
June 10, 2007 at 12:43 am
We have witnessed first hand the elders of Rock still creating. In the 70’s who was older and still creating? Elvis??
The trick, to my mind, was the fact that the ex-Beatles were creatives. All the elder statesmen, were/are creatives. Those that sang songs that someone else wrote/created, are very few and far between. And, that has to do with the fact that the Beatles were originally, one of the few rock bands that wrote their own songs.
It is possible, obviously, to be creative up until the day you die. Someone 65 years old still has something to say, and the fact that they have a musical palette the size of Arizona, doesn’t hurt their chances for success!
Then again, it’s considered ‘sport’ to put Macca down, put his music down, put his take on the Beatles down, and put his private life down. But, he knows that he has an audience, and that he has ability. And as long as he supplies something for me to purchase and enjoy, I will.
Just my humble opinion.
June 13, 2007 at 5:47 pm
death is the end of recording, not age….look at chuck berry 80 years old and still doing concerts…little richard in his early 70’s still doing concerts. one of my very favorite artists outside of the beatles is ” dion dimucci”…..of the wanderer fame. dion has been recording since 1957….. he has at least 1 great album every decade….in january 2006, dion recorded a blues/ rock album, it even was nominated for a grammy…..dion will be 68 on july 18th……ringo will be 67 on july 7th, paul will be 65 on june 18th…….. dave gilmour of pink floyd turned 60 last year and had a #1 hit album all over the world { his first album in 12 years }…. bob dylan was 65 when his album last year hit #1…..the older artists are like fine wine…better with age…..