Wednesday, August 16, 2000  Stop Messing With Perfection  There
comes a point when a legend should be left alone. When attempts
to add to it, modify it, or update it serve more of a
counterproductive purpose. Two such attempts in recent days have
caught my eye. In each case, I wish they would just knock it
off.  One is Paul McCartney’s announcement that he has produced
a “new” Beatles song, using outtakes from original Fab Four
sessions in the sixties. It even reportedly contains John
Lennon’s voice and some spare-parts guitar work. The song is
called “Free Now,” a collaboration with a Welsh band called
Super Furry Animals. I thought Paul was against animal cruelty
-- doesn’t this qualify?  The problem is the same as when Paul,
Ringo, and George released “Free As A Bird,” the song that
electronically reunited them with John a few years ago. Face it,
the song sucked. So did the follow-up, “Real Love.” Even diehard
Beatles fans (count me among them) were disappointed, seeing
through the charade as a cheap attem