I Miss Linda

It's easy to say Linda had no business playing in a band. But the truth is, those early albums like Ram, Red Rose Speedway and Band on the Run are great. And her vocals are just fine. Yeah, it's not Lennon or Harrision, but those who say she was off-key just don't get it. They're probably the same bunch who think Dylan and Neil Young are lousy singers.

Linda's harmonies, more than any other piece of the puzzle, give Wings their distinct "sound". And give Paul some credit. If he thought her singing was bad, he wouldn't have used her.

And she also provided some great photos. The cover of McCartney alone is proof that she had talent.

But besides her collaborations with Paul, I miss her presence. Is it just me, or did Paul seem more "real" with her? I suspect that she was a major force to keep him in check. And while it seems crude when Paul maintains "I was the avant-garde one! John lived in the suburbs!", it would've been different coming from her. She could defend his legacy while he sat back and said "Aw, shucks."

Paul repeats the same old stories and keeps trying to convince us why he's important and underrated. It became his mantra after Linda died. I'm guessing she was the only one who could tell him, "Quit telling that same story about when you wrote Hey Jude and John said 'the movement you need is on your shoulder' is the best line!"

And what about the fight he had with Yoko when he wanted to change the song credits on his Beatles songs to "McCartney-Lennon"? After Ringo said to the press the it was "wrong", Paul backed off. If Linda had been around, he probably would've never suggested it in the first place.

Yeah. I miss Linda. And I'm sure our Paul does, too.