Capitals are the new italics.
― the pinefox, Sunday, 16 February 2003 16:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
If that's not a special offer I'll EAT MY HAT. Note controversial opinion expressed herein: the best solo Paul McCartney work did not appear until FLOWERS IN THE DIRT. Before anyone rushes to order it, please note that it appears to be two-dimensional.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Sunday, 16 February 2003 17:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
I used to listen to my mum's copy of "All The Best" all the time. On vinyl, too.
― robin carmody (robin carmody), Monday, 17 February 2003 02:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
amazing.
Love Coming Up and C Moon too.
― Charlie (Charlie), Monday, 17 February 2003 02:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 17 February 2003 02:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 17 February 2003 09:52 (twenty-one years ago) link
And then I wake up.
I had "All the best" on CD for many years, never listened to it, but I'll agree that "Venus and Mars" is a neglected classic, as is the first McCartney LP, very primitive but rather homely.
― Rob M (Rob M), Monday, 17 February 2003 10:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
I had dreams about WINGSPAN last night. or it featured in my last night's dreams. I think it was really big and cost one hundred and twenty-five pounds or twenty-five pounds and was sealed in plastic and didn't tell me the tracklisting.
record shopping w/ allyC, yesterday, we saw many mccartney/wings albums. WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND looked OK but was on cassette and three pounds fifty.
― RJG (RJG), Monday, 17 February 2003 14:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― mike a (mike a), Monday, 17 February 2003 15:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Monday, 17 February 2003 15:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― matt riedl (veal), Monday, 17 February 2003 16:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 17 February 2003 18:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 17 February 2003 18:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 17 February 2003 19:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 17 February 2003 19:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 17 February 2003 19:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
Does anyone else like 'Hope of Deliverance'? I think it has a haunting melody.
― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 17 February 2003 19:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 17 February 2003 20:10 (twenty-one years ago) link
p.s. 'for your love'+'bus stop'=gouldman.
― RJG (RJG), Monday, 17 February 2003 20:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 17 February 2003 21:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dleone (dleone), Monday, 17 February 2003 21:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― robin carmody (robin carmody), Monday, 17 February 2003 23:12 (twenty-one years ago) link
Dud: 'Wings at the Speed of Sound', 'Flaming Pie', 'Driving Rain' (a little better than 'FP'), 'Press to Play' (interesting yet not successful experimentation from Macca in 1986...) & 'Back to the Egg' (consistently average, only 'Old Siam Sir' makes any real impression).
Many albums of his i'm mixed about... yet, overall 'Classic', I maybe go towards this strongly as the general consensus is so unfairly a 'dud' opinion. You have to look deep into his work, and will find much that is good...
― Tom May (Tom May), Thursday, 20 February 2003 22:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― mike a (mike a), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 22 February 2003 01:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ally C (Ally C), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 21:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
Too late, it was in the issue with Santana on the cover.
― dleone (dleone), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 21:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
If one's scratching one's head about how badly Paul's solo cheese wears on the nerves, try the following experiment: program disc one of the white album to only play Paul's tracks. Starts off okay but the unrelenting 'Ob-la-di' to 'Martha My Dear' to 'Blackbird', by the time it gets to 'Rocky Racoon' you'll be clawing your face off.
― Jon Leidecker, Thursday, 27 February 2003 18:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave q, Friday, 28 February 2003 11:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
It should be mentioned that it's the MCCARTNEY II version that should be considered "classic." The live version, which Columbia released as a single in the US, pales in comparison (though there's a very strange meteor-shower synth break toward the end).
Am I the only person who thinks BACK TO THE EGG is almost the equal of BAND ON THE RUN/VENUS & MARS? Probably.
― mike a (mike a), Friday, 28 February 2003 16:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Sunday, 9 March 2003 02:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
Most obvious cases of search:"Tug Of War", "Flowers In The Dirt", "Band On The Run", "Venus And Mars"
Destroy:"Wild Life", "McCartney II", "Press To Play", "Wings At The Speed Of Sound", "Pipes Of Peace".
Other than the disastrous "Wild Life", even the worst albums contain at least one or two great tracks each though.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
The production on that album is definitely classy, but the songs are just too weak for it to avoid the dustbin. "Tug Of War" has the same marvellous production, and contains almost exclusively great songs. (Yes, even "Ebony & Ivory" isn't that bad, really)
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
"Waterfalls" is the only really good song on that album. "Coming Up" is a dud IMO. Just because John Lennon liked it doesn't automatically mean it was good (in fact, most of Lennon's solo work sucked anyway)
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
'Flowers in the Dirt' has a far worse production than 'Pipes of Peace'; it really lacks focus and sympathy for the songs. There is some fine material on there, but much of it is middling.
Do *not* destroy 'McCartney II'... it's a revelation frankly! Such a massive step up from 'Back to the Egg' and more cohesive and compelling I believe than 'McCartney' (though 'Junk' & 'Every Night' are sublime). It is McCartney very interestingly going down the route of electronic music; which sadly he didn't continue so much on his next two (nevertheless good) albums. 'Summer's Day Song' is among McCartney's most beautiful, as is 'Waterfalls'... 'Frozen Jap' and 'Front Parlour' see a Kraftwerk-type influence beautifully used to make jaunty, expressively melancholic electronic pieces. 'Dark Room' is oddball in a great manner... 'One of these Days' is a masterful close to the album.
'Press To Play' possibly does... but it is mis-produced and really inadequate in its music and songwriting (will have to give it another chance, mind).I fully agree on 'Wings at the Speed of Sound'; apart from 'Silly Love Songs' (a badly produced and sounding recording of it) and the towering pop of 'Le 'Em In', it is a seriously mediocre record and the one with the most detrimental influence of the other Wings members.'Ram', 'Band on the Run', 'Red Rose Speedway' and 'Venus and Mars' are unreservedly recommended as an fine early quartet of albums.
― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
Wouldn't call any of them awful. Although they are clearly tracks that seem like partly failed attempts to copy his duet partner's musical styles.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
I love the production on that one too. But, then again, I enjoy most of what Mitchell Froom and Trevor Horn/Stephen Lipson have ever done sonically.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
The hits are mainly produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Suzanne Vega, early 90s Elvis Costello). But Trevor Horn produced "How Many People" and "Figure Of Eight"
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
i have heard neither, and know very little about mccartney solo. what are these songs like?
― gareth (gareth), Monday, 24 March 2003 14:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dleone (dleone), Monday, 24 March 2003 15:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 24 March 2003 15:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― russ t, Monday, 24 March 2003 16:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― j fail (cenotaph), Monday, 24 March 2003 19:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 24 March 2003 20:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
Linda harmonies are usually A+
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 23 March 2024 17:25 (three weeks ago) link
Red Rose Speedway might be underrated? I need to listen some more but it all sounds good to me.
― brimstead, Sunday, 24 March 2024 15:22 (three weeks ago) link
Love Big Barn Bed and Single Pigeon.
― bookmarkflaglink (Darin), Sunday, 24 March 2024 19:06 (three weeks ago) link
Red Rose Speedway is an all-time favorite of mine. Side B is just about perfect. And personally I'll take Paul/Linda/Denny harmonies over those by Paul/John/George anytime.
― TheNuNuNu, Sunday, 24 March 2024 20:26 (three weeks ago) link
https://www.stereogum.com/2257275/vinyl-artwork-rejected-by-paul-mccartney-for-being-too-unflattering-is-being-auctioned-for-charity/news/
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 28 March 2024 11:13 (three weeks ago) link
hahaha that is horrific
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 28 March 2024 13:07 (three weeks ago) link
Yikes
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 29 March 2024 03:57 (two weeks ago) link
lmao
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 29 March 2024 04:06 (two weeks ago) link
Watching Wingspan (on YT) which I haven’t seen since it aired in 2001 – it’s absolutely a love letter to Linda. He’s interviewed warmly by Stella, and it’s full of warm (at times treacly) remembrances of their relationship. The opening 45 minutes that covers Paul and Linda’s unorthodox musical romance, the formation of Wings and rather brave tour of English universities is fascinating. Notwithstanding his own massive celebrity, Paul’s partnership with Linda (replete with open air tour buses with baby cribs on the roof and seafaring recording studios in the Virgin Islands) even now scans as a somewhat unlikely path to superstardom. Have to imagine that it wasn’t a coincidence that he married Heather Mills a year later either.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 12 April 2024 22:26 (six days ago) link
Mary, not Stella, I think.
― Alba, Friday, 12 April 2024 23:13 (six days ago) link
To his immense credit the world's biggest star tried to be as 'umble as possible.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 13 April 2024 00:04 (five days ago) link
Yep, Mary
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 13 April 2024 02:33 (five days ago) link