In the year 2012, rock and roll is in danger of being perceived to be obsolete. The most influential musical genre of the past hundred years has lately taken a backseat to other musical forms. The essence of rock has been boiled down into a sad, wimpy collection of cliches and shopworn ideas. It has been gutted and commercialized, monetized, and finally relegated to the nostalgia void of our collective unconscious. This is why we need rock’s greatest heroes to band together, Justice League-style, to defend and stand up for the power of rock. This song does just that.
Premiered at the 12-12-12 charity concert, and performed again a week later on SNL, “Cut Me Some Slack” is more than just a one-off superstar jam. It’s a landmark moment in the history of rock and roll. This song is the product of musical titans coming together across generations and sub-genres. It’s a resurrection of the idea of rock, reuniting the greatest band of the last twenty years under the command of one of our last true musical wizards. It’s a kick in the balls for anyone who says that rock is dead or irrelevant. “Cut Me Some Slack” originated with Dave Grohl’s “Sound City” movie, which is itself also about defending great art against the relentless forward march of time and technology. It’s about the beautiful, sloppy, ragged, intense, powerful noise created by human hands and hearts, and it implores us to honour these things before it’s too late.
This song is a defiant, powerful howl. Anyone who doesn’t understand why this tune is awesome is either deaf or just ignorant about rock and roll in general. Paul and the boys kick up some dust, roll in broken glass, throw bricks into the audience, and scream until their lungs bleed. McCartney sounds exactly like himself circa “The White Album”, yowling out bluesy lines like he’s half his age, like a demonic Little Richard. And Nirvana, even without Kurt, is still one of the most awesomely savage bands in all of human history.
Rock and roll will never die.
Grohl for President! McCartney for Secretary General of the UN! Pat Smear for King of England! Krist Novoselic for Santa Claus!
Whoever had the idea to have Paul play cigar-box slide guitar on this track deserves a Grammy.
Crank it.
Audio Reckoning 