Entertainment For Lively Minds
Sir Paul McCartney - An Apology
In common with many fellow members of the Word Massive, I may have given the impression in a recent thread that Sir Paul McCartney was a spent force musically and that his contribution to the musical canon was more miss than hit since approximately 1970.
Phrases like 'history-rewriting, self-justifying and largely talent-free berk who keeps popping up to trade off his HJH legacy to promote a never ending tidal wave of dreck' may have led fellow contributors to draw the conclusion that I shared the uncharitable view that The Beatles were dying in the wrong order.
In fact, having gorged on recent McCartney in recent days, I now see that Sir Paul is still a God-like Genius and whatever it is he ever had, he still has in spades - when it suits: Last week, whilst Christmas shopping, I treated myself with McCartney's latest live opus and, emboldened by the festive spirit, also picked up Back in the World.
I'm blown away. I have not stopped playing both albums since. It goes without saying that the HJH material is excellent (although the segue from Day in the Life into Give Peace a Chance spoils both, the tension in the triple guitar solo part of The End is lost if nobody wants to play Lennon-style anti-chops and someone really should burn his ukelele).
But the recent McCartney stuff is a revelation. I've avoided the guy for years, so hadn't heard Calico Skies, Driving Rain, Lonely Road etc and they're really REALLY good. I've now bought his latest solo album and quite liked it too (Dance Tonight apart). Do I now really have to re-appraise 20+ odd albums I've steered clear of for 20+ years? Are things like Back to the Egg, Flaming Pie, Chaos & Creation etc not as dire as I always told myself they must be? Scary stuff...
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Flaming Macca
At the Roundhouse gig in '07 'Flaming Pie' was the unexpected highlight of the night for me. Absolutely storming.
'Calico Skies' proves the muse to be intact when it wants to be. :-)
It was a great gig
I hadn't seen him live since 'Wings across america' era at Wembley. He was on fine form that night.
Agreed
Did I imagine (no-one seems to mention it!)the pre-show assortment of screens around the stage on which Macca appeared feeding back his guitar: the arty balanced against the 'cheese' of the more cliched items on the setlist he is obliged to include. Also remember filing out of the venue in a blissed-out haze whilst a drunken bunch of blokes sang "nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, Paul M-cCart-ney" to the tune of Bananarama. Great great night. :-)
Complete Agreement on the Live album
I was given the live album and DVD couple of weeks ago as a present - I was completely blown away. A great band playing the HJH stuff with new energy - and the new stuff was intesting too.
67 years old - amazing!
Is He
Becoming more adicted to adoration the older he gets?
I have said it before and
I have said it before and I'll say it again: Back To The Egg is a great, great record.
As is Flaming Pie, but about three tracks too long. And Wings Wild Life is the most misrepresented record of all time.
I assume you've got McCartney & Ram?
Give
"Electric Arguments" a go - I think it's genuinely his best record in about 20-odd years. Unsurprisingly, there were some frantic attempts to re-cast it as a solo rather than Fireman album.
Mr. Bellamy
is a gorgeous lil gem from Memory Almost Full. I like it so much and I am so pathetic as to actually have it as my ringtone..
'Back To The Egg'
is the finest Wings/solo album. Only the Denny Laine track lets it down slightly. It is as gloriously insane as was 'Ram' at the beginning of the decade.
Thanks
I have Band on the Run, Wings Over America, Wingspan, Ram and Memory Almost Full. From Amazon reviews and the live versions I've heard, I'm tempted by Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation, Flaming Pie and the 2nd Fireman album.
I'm familiar with McCartney, but have most of what I need from it on Wingspan and the Anthology version of Junk.
I'm also drawn to Back to the Egg and one or two other early albums, but very aware that his quality control meter is a bit dodgy and my experience with Ram was that I already had almost everything I liked.
Back to the Egg!
Back to the Egg! Get Back to the Egg! I'll buy it for you!!!
I mean, look at the title of it: it's called Back to the Egg! That's the bestest name of anything ever!
Back to the Egg!
Flaming Pie etc
I too have gone many years with without buying new Macca but was intrigued by a Paul DeNoyer article about his solo
work. Interestingly, his albums from Flaming Pie onwards are usually reviewed quite positively. I only have Flaming Pie and half of Memory. I think FP is very good and if listened to in the right spirit even the lesser songs seem fine in a "Why Don't We Do It In the Road' kinda way. I think in lots of ways he is unchanged ( i hate Maxwell's Silver Hammer') though his voice is sometimes a little unhinged. I certainly think that if you compiled the best work from 1997 onwards you would have one cracking album. Contributors might like to compile it here.
As a boy I loved Back to the Egg but I downloaded Getting Closer and was really disappointed with what seemed only half a song. I remember liking Arrow Through Me very much.
Chaos It Is
From someone who has everything McCartney has ever done, Chaos is the best McCartney album of recent times and of his solo/Wings years. It carried on from the best parts of Flaming Pie with songs where he appears to be trying, some fabulous melodies and thought out lyrics with mainly acoustic instruments a la the White Album make it a must.
To there ears, Memory Almost Full and Driving Rain are overblown. His touring band appear to be accommodated in the same way some Wings members were in the 70s to the detriment of the album.
From the 70s, Back To The Egg is a good record - especially Side 2(!) as is McCartney, Ram and Band On The Run. The other 70s albums have their highlights but also some bits that haven't aged well too.
The 80s were a mixed bag. Tug of War is the best. Again, there are highlights on every album plus some other stuff which should have been left as a cold cut.
Electric Arguments is a cracking album harking back to the White Album here and there.
Quick update
I have followed your advice DrJ, Dave, KDH et al and bought Back to the Egg, Electric Arguments and Flaming Pie.
Back to the Egg is great in parts - I'm looking forward to spending more time with it. Flaming Pie is also very good, although I have a particular aversion for the acoustic guitar/hi hat rhythmic device that Jeff Lynne smothers every track he touches in (thankfully he's MIA on some of the better tracks).
The find for me is Electric Arguments - what a great album. Shame really that he feels the need to put this music out under a different brand. Just great songs, well recorded and brilliantly produced. More of the same please.