Before I was born, four young Liverpudlians took both sides of the Atlantic by storm, ticking off the “British Invasion” that helped changed the face of popular music. In my early teens, another band, this one from Seattle, similarly shook the airwaves with a new, revolutionary sound that set the standard for rock music of the 90s. But that was a long time ago; both bands have since broken up and seen their members die before their time, have
fruitful solo careers, or in some cases a combination of both. I’m of course talking about the Beatles and Nirvana.
Despite the similarities listed above, the sound and attitude of the Beatles and Nirvana couldn’t possibly be more different. And the solo projects of their respective former members are pretty different as well; the albums “The Colour And The Shape” and “All Things Must Pass” don’t have an awful lot in common with each other.
When Nirvana alumnus Dave Grohl teased a “mystery collaborator” singing backup for his band the Foo Fighters’ new album, “Concrete and Gold”, people were curious who this was. When he first announced the news, he remained tight-lipped as to their identity, and didn’t expect anybody to figure out, merely saying that they’d “been around a long time”. While the hints are certainly there, and the surprise “mystery collaborator’s” identity has yet to be confirmed, it looks like Sir Paul McCartney will be playing drums on one track for the upcoming album.
Paul McCartney isn’t the only high-profile name attached to this album: Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman, Inara George of the Bird And The Bee, and Allison Mosshart of the Kills have all been confirmed to be in the upcoming album. Yet the identity of this mystery backup singer remains to be seen, even if Paul McCartney could be a possibility. If I had to guess, it would be somebody who started out in the 60s, whose a type of music is highly different from Foo Fighters. While Paul McCartney does fit the bill, we won’t know for sure until the new album is released on September 15th.