Paul McCartney’s recollection of watching his grandchildren sing and dance at one of his concerts gives the conversation an unexpectedly personal starting point. His realization that he never knew his own grandfathers adds a brief reflective note, while Jimmy Kimmel keeps the exchange light by volunteering himself for the role. That balance between genuine memories and easy jokes establishes the relaxed tone that carries most of the interview.
Kimmel’s obvious admiration occasionally threatens to turn the conversation into pure fan service, particularly during the extended story about being invited into McCartney’s private bathroom after a Los Angeles concert. Yet McCartney is an excellent participant in this kind of loose storytelling. His deadpan responses, willingness to tease Kimmel and reference to “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window” make an otherwise trivial anecdote entertaining rather than merely self-indulgent.
The discussion becomes more substantial when it turns to Wings and the challenge of following the Beatles. McCartney says he deliberately avoided performing Beatles material and tried not to write songs resembling his earlier work, acknowledging that this effectively made his task harder while Wings was already operating in the Beatles’ shadow. Kimmel’s perspective as someone who first connected with McCartney through Wings gives the subject a useful generational angle, although the conversation moves on before examining that creative period in much depth.
McCartney also offers an appealing glimpse of his post-Beatles life through his reaction to footage of himself and Linda living in Scotland. His description of wanting to do ordinary things for himself after becoming accustomed to having tasks handled for him provides more insight than the celebrity anecdotes surrounding it. There is something revealing in his amusement at now seeing how rough the place looked while remembering that, at the time, the family simply enjoyed living there.
The Ringo Starr story is the interview’s best mixture of friendship, music and comedy. McCartney explains that a drawing Ringo made while visiting producer Andrew Watt eventually inspired them to create the track Ringo had apparently hoped the producer would make from it. McCartney’s affection for Ringo comes through naturally, and the revelation that they had not previously done a duet gives the collaboration additional significance without requiring an elaborate buildup.
Celebrity stories dominate the final stretch, from McCartney recalling being rejected from a Grammy party with Woody Harrelson to discussing singing at Taylor Swift’s wedding. He says Swift asked him to perform “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and he encouraged her to sing it to her husband. These are irresistible anecdotes because of the people involved, but the interview largely accepts them as entertaining stories rather than probing for much additional detail.
At its best, the segment succeeds because McCartney does not behave as though his enormous cultural stature requires solemn treatment. He is funny about his own past, affectionate toward family and collaborators, and comfortable letting mundane details sit beside major career memories. Kimmel’s enthusiasm helps create that warmth, even if his lengthy personal stories sometimes consume time that could have been spent exploring McCartney’s music and new release more deeply.
Pros
- McCartney is relaxed, funny and unusually personable throughout the conversation.
- The Wings discussion provides meaningful insight into the difficulty of establishing a new musical identity after the Beatles.
- McCartney’s memories of Scotland and family life add substance beyond the celebrity anecdotes.
- The story behind his collaboration with Ringo Starr captures their enduring friendship while explaining how the track developed.
- Stories about the Grammy rejection and Taylor Swift wedding provide memorable late-night entertainment without overwhelming the entire interview.
Cons
- Kimmel spends a substantial amount of time recounting his own experiences with McCartney rather than questioning his guest.
- Several potentially interesting subjects, especially Wings and McCartney’s post-Beatles creative decisions, are introduced but only briefly explored.
- The latest release receives surprisingly little substantive discussion despite providing the promotional reason for the appearance.
- The final celebrity anecdotes depend more on the famous names involved than on detailed storytelling or deeper insight.
McCartney’s warmth and comic timing make a relatively lightweight interview consistently enjoyable, while the Wings, Scotland and Ringo stories provide just enough substance beneath the celebrity banter. Kimmel’s enthusiasm sometimes crowds out deeper questioning, but the easy chemistry produces an engaging portrait of a musical icon who remains remarkably comfortable laughing at both fame and himself.
