C/D Paul McCartney Solo

Hope I didn't sound too cavalier in my earlier post, Darin. I just meant that song hits such a perfectly warm note – I can only imagine listening to it thinking back to one's own relationship to their father after he's passed.

I continue to be really blown away by these Costello demos on this record. WaPo interview suggests that McCartney himself now believes these were the best things to come out of these sessions by some distance. I am inclined to agree.

That said, the whole Human League thing is both hilarious and instructive. For one, Paul was absolutely right to admire them as he did (as did Horn, which may explain the former's desire to work with the latter). Even if HL were about five years past their sell date while Paul was pimping them in 1988, Costello's purist reaction to the mere suggestion is exactly why he's kind of insufferable – and, I suspect, why Paul ultimately didn't want to keep working with him. Say what you will about Paul and whimsy, but "I didn't want to make an Elvis Costello record" cuts about as deeply as anything Lennon ever said.

LOL, just noticed that Spotify is missing the last three tracks of Press to Play. They're not unavailable or greyed out – they're not there at all.

Pretty sure I'm the only person in the known universe who has noticed this.

If you're referring to 'Write Away', 'It's Not True' and 'Tough on a Tightrope', then they never really were part of the album proper anyway.

Talking about Press to Play, I heard 'Move Over Busker' for the first time in ages the other day and actually found myself thinking it was pretty decent.

I think 'Move Over Busker' is the track on the album where the song and the production are least suited to one another, I can imagine it being recorded more like Smile Away from Ram or something. I like the production on Press for the most part though

this alternate mix of Angry is much better than the one on the album imo:

https://youtu.be/DX6rz64xNNY

I like the way "Rough Ride" sits in the album. McCartney goes to Propaganda-land. It definitely sounds like it was written in an afernoon but still pretty cool due to its Horn/Lipson glossiness. YMMV of course depending on how much you dig Horn/Lipson.

I love Propaganda, Horn and Lipson and feel confident in saying that song eats it.

Shifting gears, I'm digging into Pipes of Peace on Spotify. Notwithstanding its rep as "leftovers from Tug of War," this is a more interesting and experimental record than it is given credit for – certainly more interesting than its predecessor's somewhat unremarkable exercise in formalism and LA Express smooth jazz. Paul's melodic touch is in good form throughout – I've always been a fan of "So Bad" (which received pretty heavy airplay on MTV IIRC) and "The Other Me" is a minor hidden gem. "Average Person" could be straight off London Town were it it for the more modern production. Also both MJ collabs, "The Man" in particular, are high quality. All told, there's less filler on this than any other post-1975 Paul record I can think of.

Also, given that his slide into 80s survivor mode would otherwise feel almost too easy, I appreciate the left turns on this record: the Linndrum sound, the sawing Martin orchestrations on things like "Keep Under Cover," and the weird mashup that is "Tug of Peace."

Demos on the expanded version, particularly on oddball stuff like "It's Not On," show he was very much on his game – and point to some of the studio experiments he'd be exploring in the years ahead.

A pleasant if extremely belated discovery.

Hmm. I completely disagree, to be honest, especially about the comment about it having less filler than any of his post-1975 albums... I think Pipes of Peace is one of McCartney's weaker albums, although it has a fair amount of highlights on it. It's certainly down there near the bottom of the pile for me. What he really should have done was release the best of the stuff as an EP, and perhaps bundled it with Tug of War as the Pipes of Peace EP.

I'd say 'Pipes of Peace', 'Say Say Say', 'So Bad' and 'The Man' were the keepers. Destroy the rest without hesitation.

Yeah that's what I thought ... and then I re-listened to it. Far more holds up than I remembered.

I don't listen to Driving Rain as often as some of McCartney's other LP's, so it's been quite pleasant to revisit how fucking awesome 'Rinse the Raindrops' is.

'rinse the raindrops' is incredible, but you have to stop the album before 'freedom' starts playing

it's like following a banquet with shitty vanilla ice cream

I couldn't agree more. 'Freedom' is def. bottom of the pile McCartney for me. Something like 'Rinse the Raindrops' though, shit! ... when McCartney leaves us and the obituaries are being written and people finally dig deep into his post-Beatles discography, they're gonna hear things like 'Rinse the Raindrops' and go "fuck! I never knew McCartney was doing stuff like that!" and I'll be like "told ya!"

New Swede Mason is relevant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4EcRPlaXoQ

fantastic

it has been a long time since i've seen something as funny

That is hilarious. A friend just sent me the Swedemason clip and I came here to post it and ... that's the most recent post, from almost a year ago.

New single:

Paul McCartney’s latest single is produced by Ryan Tedder and has a chorus that goes “I just wanna/Fuh You” https://t.co/UGy3MNKCM7

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine (@sterlewine) August 15, 2018

I don't know what to say other than I find it ... very catchy.

just another in a v long line of embarassing Macca sexual innuendos

"fuh" doesn't even rise to the level of innuendo

Ha! I like the fact that McCartney is still doing shit like that at the age of 76.

this is the age of the horny septuagenarian

I'm sure our British fans will hate this, but I thought it was pretty fun, and even kinda moving:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjvzCTqkBDQ

fans members

The new song sounds like something Ed Sheeran would toss off and discard for being too sappy. It's not like it's Paul's first ever misstep, of course, but even at his worst he's always sounded like he's following his own ideas, this isn't even that.

That’s about the least charitable reading of this possible but it may not be far off. Throughout McCartney’s solo career he has followed his various muses – one of which is to do “his” version of artists he admires. It’s led to some of his best stuff (“Arrow Thru Me” = Aja-era Steely Dan, “Summer Day’s Song” = BaAS-era Eno) and plenty of pablum. Perhaps this is his Sheeran nick. Or maybe it’s just his Viagra-era update of “Press.” Regardless, I love that he’s still doing it.

“I just wanna fuh ... YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!”

FUH! All Night!

it really sucks

Maybe he's calling back to this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S80fSH0V9c

His voice is near enough Fuh'd at this point.

right there
that's it
YES

what is this shit
https://open.spotify.com/album/7piDt78gLATzAQv5JtQ4I7?si=pIvG0pnuTCmYQAqmixrXug

Love how the solo in "Maybe I'm Amazed" is the best George Harrison approximation he could do. Also the muted guitar in the second verse (I think -- about 2:15). Never paid attention to this song, but really digging it (this week).

Man, I've taken "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" for for my entire life. There's so much to love in it -- the chirping, the harmonies ("allllbehhhrt...ahhhhl daaaay"), his voice in the Admiral Halsey part, "leetle leetle gypsy get around"...What a song.

If pushed, that or "Another Day" would be my POO Macca solo song.

I'm finally going out and listening to all of the Beatle's solo records. "Monkberry Moon Delight" was a nice find off of RAM. I kinda think that Paul is trying to get a Leon Russell thing going in the verses, but it's a bit more over the top. Kinda gets almost a Tom Waits kinda sounding growl at points.

https://www.paulmccartney.com/news-blogs/news/paul-to-write-first-musical

I was thinking more Beefheart - his "Monkberry moooon deliiiiight" phrasing isn't too far from "Mooonlight on vermooooooont"

That's a good call ... certainly contemporaneous and in keeping with a lot of his solo efforts nicking other artists' styles for his own purposes.

monkberry moon delight is a bit of a favourite in my household.

listened to Ram on sunday afternoon for the first time in ages. actively enjoyed it, especially uncle albert/admiral halsey, despite that being so excruciatingly paul at his whimsical worst

"Hope of Deliverance" is a charming little tune.

i finally picked up a vinyl copy of Flowers in the Dirt recently - first time i've owned it since unloading the Paul McCartney Collection expanded CD circa, idk, 2004? and i'm having a fantastic sunday night right now because this album is sounding amazing, every single track, whole way through. okay i'm not super stoked that "motor of love" just started but i'm feeling confident that its spacey sugary 80s production will sound a lot better in 2020 than even a few years ago. man, those "ah, ah ah ah" backing things are VERY "i'm not in love," aren't there?

oh WEIRD the vinyl edition did not include "Ou Est Le Soleil?"

maybe I'll buy that then, because that song is easily the worst thing on the album

haha i've always been weirdly fond of it. tho it is kinda stupid. i'm just too used to it as a refreshing palate-cleansing closer after "motor of love." but then in turn, thanks to that deluxe CD, i've also imagined the ideal conclusion as "back on my feet" followed by "loveliest thing."

I adore "Figure of Eight," "We Got Married" (a "No More Lonely Nights" redux that works), and "This One."

and the self-produced "Distraction," with its Clare Fischer arrangement, is pleasantly barmy