REVIEWS:
Post your comments about Paul McCartney
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
As soon as the last recorded Beatles album Abbey Road was released, Paul went in the studio to start recording for his first solo album, simply to be called McCartney. Compared to the high-production and creative Abbey Road, Paul's first outing is a very homely and low-key effort. That's easy to understand considering that he plays all the instruments on here himself, along with a few background vocals by Linda (who wouldn't get credits on his recordings till the next album). The low production values don't really hurt the album at all, instead giving it a special folky charm, which along with some decent melodies, draw the listener in to its' home-made grandeur.
The forty-five second opener "The Lovely Linda" is a good introduction to what the record sounds like, with its simple acoustic melody and messy, laughable ending. Paul shows that he hasn't lost his melodic sense when it comes to the ditty "Every Night", which makes good use of his vocal range, alternating between a deeper folk-styled vocal on the verses and 'believe me momma' part, and sweeter (more sentimental) vocals during the other parts. In a similar vein, "That Would Be Something" with it's deep, woodsy McCartney vocals and rough instrumentation, the pretty "Man We Was Lonely" with it's sweet melody, and the poppy acoustic-flavored "Teddy Boy" are pleasurable tracks which showcase Paul's undeniable gift as a tunes-smith.
"Junk" is another gem, as it is a soothing and peaceful ballad with a wonderful minor-key melody. Elsewhere, there is the plain scuffle of "Oo You" and several instrumentals, the strongest being "Momma Miss America", which starts off as a fine groove with piano, organ, and drums (being high in the mix), before going into a jam section where Pauls gives us a tasty, mid-tempo guitar solo. "Singalong Junk" might be just as good, as it's a perfect companion to "Junk", while "Kreen -Akrore" is simply the oddest instrumental (and song) of the whole album, with the various tempos of the thumping drums leading up to a climaxing electric guitar and then organ part. The two other instrumentals "Valentine Day" and "Hot As Sun Glasses" are less interesting but still enjoyable filler.
That's the jist of the album, but one can't forget the biggest highlight of all with the lone rocker "Maybe I'm Amazed", which sounds like it could have come off of Let It Be. It's such a spirited performance with a great lead guitar solo in the middle and screaming vocals during the chorus. McCartney is a respectable and enjoyable first release from Sir Paul, who would in turn be the most prolific composer of all four Beatles throughout the 70's and into the new millenium.
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(Casey Brennan's review)
Ram is the album which showed Linda taking a more active role in Paul McCartney's music (her main role was her distinctive background vocals). Also, it shows what was to follow with the rest of his releases, as his gift for clever, ambitious, and melodic pop (Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey), and his weakness for writing overly sappy and corny numbers (Heart Of The Country) are both portrayed on here. Fortunately, the cornier tunes on this release at least have a decent melody or charming nature about them, unlike future releases where they sound mostly bland, even laughable at times.
Although there is hell of a lot more production on here compared to McCartney, the style is still rather clumsy, unprofessional, and loose. This is not a negative thing at all since this works well against some of Paul's more melodically ambitious material displayed here, such as "Long Haired Lady", which in it's various melodies, contains orchestration for drama, dreamy guitar, and horns pumping along during the ending part 'love is long'. It sounds almost silly, but its mixture of bouncy pop and more elaborately arranged section is distinctively Paul, and comes across as a good example of his genius.
It's "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" which is the ultimate winning track though. This song starts off with a soothing and fantastic melody that is heightened in drama by the cellos and orchestration lurking in the background, before all of a sudden the tune picks up tempo halfway through, and turns into a fun novelty melody, with jaunty piano and neat trumpet playing along. The two mini-bridges in that section are a treat too, with the 'little little gypsy get around' part being a nice sing-a-long section. "The Back Seat Of My Car" is another highly melodic tune, with ultra-sweet vocals and a chugging beat, along with a great fade-out (the vocals and guitar jumble together).
There are a ton of charming, lightweight numbers in the form of "Too Many People", which has the hilarious line 'too many people reaching for some cake', "Ram On" (a sentimental tune which makes two appearances on the album), "Dear Boy" (a haunting piano melody characterizes this one), "Monkberry Moon Delight" (a rough piano-led rocker with straining vocals by Paul), and "Heart Of A Country" (a pretty lil' tune). There are also a few bluesy and more straightforward ditties like "3 Legs", the not-too-tough "Smile Away", and "Eat At Home". Virtually all these tunes contain those background vocals by Linda and a fairly sentimental touch; even the toughest rockers are given a cheerful and sappy edge. Ram works as an enjoyable album, which is perhaps a little stronger than the low-key McCartney. Both albums have that not-too-important feel, but have plenty of little gems on them, which pull you in.
Do you ever just have WEIRD mental associations between certain people and certain songs or albums??? My mind works overtime to come up with such mental associations, and Ram is no exception. For whatever reason, every time I listen to anything off of it, it makes me think of this 7th grader at my school named Emma. I still haven't figured that one out yet. At any rate, Emma lucked out with her mental music association----you can hardly do better in terms of music! I seem to have a knack for ruining surprises in my reviews when it comes to revealing ratings, but this is probably worked its way from "nice happy pop" album to being one of my absolute favorites. I literally cannot think of an album more suited to singing along than this one. It's as if Paul sat down and said "gee, I'm gonna make a whole album that some bloke named Kevin Baker's going to spend the rest of his natural life singing along to!"
Sadistic prick. He succeeded, and on top of that, the catchiness of it all usually results in getting a song from here stuck in my head at least once a week! You'd be amazed at the looks you get for breaking out into a stunningly loud rendition of Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey while walking through the crowded hall on your way to English class. You'd also be amazed at the looks you get when you consent to letting someone color your nipples blue with a permanent marker and then parade around topless in a newspaper miniskirt with "CENSORED" written across it. My nipples were blue for a week after that!
Fortunately, the rest of this review will have nothing to do with any of my body parts, though there is a song on here that deals with the subject of odiferous body parts. That song would be Smile Away, and it happens to be a great little rocker in the same vein as Oo You from Paul's first solo album. Lightweight, but catchy and fun. It's also probably the most rockinest song on here. The only other real rocker is Eat At Home, and it's a good one, too. Now, we're not talking Led Zeppelin levels of rocking out here---"rocking out" by Ram standards means the involvement of actual plugged in and slightly distorted electric instruments. Elsewhere, it's a mostly acoustic instrument show. But what else do you expect for a humble, heart of the country type album?
Speaking of Heart Of The Country, that's another one of the songs on here. I really didn't think much of it the first time I heard it, but it grows on you. The playing is pretty tight on it, and so long as you don't mind the idea of Paul pretending to be a simple little farmer from the English countryside, it's pretty easy to take. Elsewhere, you have the psychedelic leftover known as Monkberry Moon Delight, the kitschy-yet-insanely-hummable and pleasant Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, the two ukulele-filled Ram Ons, a fine little piano popster called Dear Boy, the 20s-styled 3 Legs, and the just plain ole neat Too Many People as an opener. However, Paul saved the best for last.
That's right, I mean Long Haired Lady and The Back Seat Of My Car. The former is a pop symphony. It's multi-part, complexely arranged, and catchier than (insert random politician here)'s (insert random object here). It works so perfectly that I cannot but love the song. The Back Seat Of My Car is a great little doo-wop and Beach Boys influenced piece of nostalgia all about "night moves" as Bob Seger would put it. Fortunately, Paul does not include lines about the "points" of the two people. Ya know, that gets my vote as being the absolute dopiest set of lines in any song I've heard.....I mean, I like Night Moves and all, but for crying out loud, there must've been a better way to phrase "tight pants, points hardly renowned/she was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes/points of her own sittin' way up high/way out front and high." At any rate, Back Seat Of My Car manages to capture the whole thinking-back-to-my-horny-makeout-king-youth without being dopey or weird seeming unlike some people (coughBobSeegercough).
In case you didn't pick up on it, I don't think there's a single duffer on Ram. Nope. They're all catchy, intelligent (by Paul standards), and excellently arranged. Of course, this is a pop album----if you breathe for Metallica alone, this'll be sissy music for you. But if you live for Metallica alone, you're a loser! Now, excuse me while I go put on some Steely Dan while waiting for the Metallica fans down the street to come and kill me.
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released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Paul McCartney decided to put together a band shortly after Ram was recorded, so he found two lads by the name of Denny Seiwell (on drums) and Denny Laine (guitar), and formed the 70's group Wings. Wild Life turned out to be a very loose and laidback album, and more reliant on grooves than on melody like Ram was based on. Unfortunately, the bands first effort turns out to be a fairly wasted effort, since many of the decent songs run out of gas quickly, or are just plain corny. Many of the songs on the first side, which actually have something going for them in the beginning (like a nice groove or melody), get boring quickly as they become extremely repetitive.
Since they have elementary melodies to begin with, it gets dull fast when most of them end up extending anywhere from four to nearly seven minutes. The retarded "Bip Bop" (just look at the name of the track) starts off as a neat little ditty, and would be good if it was a one or two minute song, but they let the bugger last for over four minutes. Similarly, the sparse groove of "Love Is Strange" which has a minor contribution by Linda on keyboards, and the somewhat dark "Wildlife" (a tune that starts off with a promising acoustic intro) both last way too long, with the latter lasting about six and a half minutes!
While those three tunes have something going for them part of the time, the same can't be said for the hook-less "Some People Never Know", which is the low-point of the whole set with it's lack of melody and extended length. At least the stupidly-named "Mumbo" (which opens up the album before these four tracks) is pretty good, as it is a nice little basement-rocker with indecipherable lyrics and tight playing. The rest of Wild Life is a tad better, with the cute pop song "I Am Your Singer" (a neat flute line carries the tune) and the melancholy piano-tune "Dear Friend" being little gems. "Tomorrow" is a kinda enjoyable pop tune too, if not too substantial.
Rounding out the album is "Bip Bop Link (instrumental)" - it's beyond me why "Bip Bop" needs to make a second appearance on here (but at least it's short) - and "Mumbo Link (Instrumental)", both of which are unnecessary. The Wings first album turns out to be a major disappointment, as Wild Life is a fairly banal assortment of tunes, which mostly just end up sounding plain dumb. By no means an unlistenable album, as some moments will make you laugh and a few of the tunes are nice, but definitely a very weak start for Paul and his band (especially being that they would become one of the most popular groups of the decade).
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COMMENTS
Wild Life is a lot stronger than most people (including Casey) give it credit for and of the eight tracks present only "Bip Bop" upsets me here. The remainder are all pretty solid, nothing too soppy or childish which for me brings down a lot of Paul's later work. "Tomorrow" is one of my favourite McCartney pieces and the two lengthy closing tracks on either side of the album "Dear Friend" and "Wild Life" are seriously underrated. There's nothing about these tracks stretching over six minutes that offends me and both are well worthy of their playing time. It's a shame that McCartney didn't do this more often, too many of Paul's songs are cut short favouring the classic three minute format. It's not his strongest album I would agree but it's a quaint little album with a character all of it's own. It's different from anything else in the McCartney catalogue but remains varied and still contains the kind of melodies that you come to expect from one half of the most famous partnership in popular music. Lennon's albums of this period are surely not that far removed from this kind of stripped down underproduced format yet are viewed in a totally different light, but then that was John and this is Paul.
released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
The Wings then released this, a more together and professional set which actually contains a hit single this time around. The single is the sappy ballad "My Love", a tune with lovey-dovey vocals by Paul, simple lyrics, and a pretty damn great melody. It's also the best song on the album, as you won't hear a melody this good anywhere else. Only the short n' sweet piano melody "Little Pigeon" and the stark "When The Night" (interesting little guitar solo in there) come kinda close, as they are pretty good songs. I also have to give credit to the opener "Big Barn Red" too, because its highly repetitive melody actually grows on you after awhile.
The rest of the record falls flat on it's face, as this mediocre set has a lack of any real creative ideas or thought put behind the tunes. This is most apparent in the first half of the mostly dull and dopey eleven minute medley at the end of the album; the 'hold me tight' and 'lazy dynamites' parts of this medley are simply mindless tunes which repeat their titles over and over against an underdeveloped and stupid melody. Luckily, the novelty parts 'hands on love' and 'power cut' save this medley from being a total disaster, as they contain some enjoyable sing-a-longy sections against a trivial piano tune.
If this lethargic track has no reason to exist, then neither does the pointless "Loup (1rst Indian On The Moon)", which is a forgettable 'space-rock' experiment (or whatever ya wanna call it). "Get On The Right Thing" and "One More Kiss" work as dull tunes without any kind of spark, as they leave no lasting impression with their unmemorable melodies. "Little Lamb Dragonfly" has its moments (notably the opening acoustic and orchestrated part), but with dull instrumentation and a lagging melody, it isn't so great either. The Wings second set turns out to be slightly worse than Wild Life in the end, as only a little more than a third of Red Rose Speedway is actually worthwhile. With only a few good moments popping through the 'corny' material, it must of made one wonder what Paul had become by this point, and if it actually was the same man who wrote all those Beatles classics a few years earlier.
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COMMENTS
[email protected] (George Starostin)
Hey, I managed to sit quiet through Casey's review of Ram (which, to me, is Paul's absolute peak as a solo songwriter), but I really couldn't sit still as he so brutally trashed this album. You know, sometimes I'm beginning to wonder if the name "Beatles" really has that uncontrollable charm in it and everything after 1969 is therefore looked on with a different eye and a tower-sized bias. Frankly speaking, I don't see a single bad song on RRS - except for possibly 'My Love' which has an effective melody but is too oversaccharine. I don't see what constitutes "underdeveloped and stupid melody" in the eleven-minute track. Is it any less developed than, say, 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window' or 'Golden Slumbers'? There are very subtle twists in the vocal harmonies as Paul repeats the choruses. And how can one call the track 'lethargic' if only the 'Lazy Dynamite' part of it is really SLOW?
Likewise, I don't see what's so unmemorable about 'Get On The Right Thing'. Is it less memorable than 'Getting Better' or any other standard Beatle Paul pop-rocker? I find the crescendo from the subtle verses to the all-out fury of the chorus a very interesting and captivating trick, and the song certainly has a lot of energy. What do you call 'dull instrumentation' on 'Little Lamb Dragonfly'? It's completely adequate as an acoustic suite with emphasis on vocal harmonies - as is usual for Paul. Not to mention that the opening and closing parts are not just 'moments' - they are as cathartic and emotionally devastating as anything Paul had ever written (and he wasn't always the most emotional of guys).
I do understand why Wild Life got a five - it IS an underdeveloped album, although Paul's blistering melodies still come through (yes, including 'Some People Never Know, which gotta be the best song on that album - accusing it of lack of melody is just as senseless as accusing any selected Beatles song of the same). But I was totally unprepared for this one; for many people it's better than Band On The Run, and while it is probably a bit of an "anti-hype" exaggeration, Red Rose Speedway is still an extremely important album for Paul as solo artist. Why is it so underrated on this site is way beyond me - I mean, it would be one thing if Casey complained about the 'lightweightness' or 'silliness' of the atmosphere and the 'stupidity' of the lyrics, etc., etc., which are the standard accusations against Paul by people who forget that he was just as lightweight, silly, and stupid while being in the Beatles (but this formed an essential part of the band's charm, too). However, he keeps complaining about lack of melody, and it beats me - we probably have different definitions of melody. To me, Phil Collins usually lacks melodies. Paul only started "lacking melodies" in the grim Eighties period, when everybody was starting to do likewise. And Red Rose Speedway? Not his best, but a great album still. Eight out of ten, easily. Maybe low nine. I love reading Casey's reviews, but man, you really need to change your attitude towards poor Macca...
[email protected] (Brad Langoulant)
I dont underdstand how this album gets a 5 yet please please me gets an 8. There both made up of catchy melodys, good hooks and silly lyrics.
Red Rose Speedway is one of his great albums from his best sounding period the early to mid 70's and it's one of my favorites along with Venus and Mars. I first heard this album in 1990 when Paul was touring, on a local classic rock station that used to play 6 classic albums from all different artists every Sunday night. The DJ said we have a great great album here tonight and then he played Red Rose Speedway. I loved this whole album right from the time I heard it and I bought it soon after.
I have read many other very good reviews of this album on other music review sites and quite a few people summed up wel what is so good about this album,Paul's beautiful melodies,harmonies,great production and great musicianship and I would add great singing as usual too. Even though Ram and Band on The Run have very good songs on them I don't love every song on those albums but I love this album from the start to the the end and I play it much more often then Ram or Band on The Run. I think Paul's melodies are more beautiful here especially in the great beautiful Little Lamb Dragon Fly and Single Pigon,My Life etc.
I was pleased to see that the All Music Guide gave this album a 4 star rating but they gave Wild Life and Wings at The Speed of Sound a 2 star rating.Also Wilson and Alroy's Record Reviews gave it a 4 and a 3 1/2.Many customer reviews have said that this is a forgotten classic,others said it's underappraciated and underrated and I totally agree.
[later on:]
I have to add this,people always complain about Paul's simple lyrics,but I have to point out that he can write very good lyrics and he has but he doesn't have to and even when he does that's not what is so great about his songs it's always been mostly his music,his beautiful melodies,harmonies great bass playing great singing and the tunes in general not his lyrics! Beethoven didn't write lyrics at all so this is something to keep in mind! You don't listen to Paul McCartney for his lyrics most of the time, you listen for his great music!
[yet more comments:]
I also forgot to mention that John Paul Jones,John Bonham,Pete Townsend and David Gilmore played on two songs on Wings last album Back To The Egg that came out in June 1979. They also played in concert with Paul and Wings in December 1979 for Wings last concert to raise money for the people of Kamuchea and there is an interesting picture of Pete Townsend on stage with Paul and Wings on an excellent Paul MCartney fan site called,Paul is Live.Let all of the Led Leppelin fans who bash Paul and Wings know this!
Carolyn
released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Ahhh. Now this is good (surprise, surprise). Late in the year Paul McCartney and the Wings rebound with this album, which is not only a huge improvement on Red Rose Speedway but also much more successful, spawning two major hit singles called "Jet" and the title track. Most of the material turns out to be top-notch musically, with plenty of creative and interesting ideas used on each tune, whether it be a few overdubbed background vocals, or a simple synthesizer line (like the one used on the "Jet" solo). Starting off this set is the excellent title track, a three-part tune which starts off as a romantic ballad with engaging harmonies, a playful synthesizer in the background, and slowly thumping bass, before going into a melodic mid-tempo rocking section (with a great synth line in the beginning, and an overall punchy guitar sound), and ending as a tuneful acoustic pop-rocker with a delightful 'sailing' atmosphere. The heavy and brassy "Jet" (the other hit single) follows as another entertaining highlight, with its big production sound and famous 'ooo oo ooh's' in the background.
"Bluebird" comes next, as a pretty good acoustic tune with a nice percussive sound and calm sax solo in the middle, while the pleasing "Mr. Vandebilt" is a thumping pop-rocker with a good acoustic guitar/bass sound during the repeating 'ho hey ho' parts, and a marvelous electric guitar solo during the break. Paul does well with the slow hard-rock of "Let Me Roll It" (the choruses are drenched in sustained organ) and the lightweight ballad "Mamunia" isn't too shabby either with its good melodic verses. "No Words" is better then those two, and probably a little too short (the only tune under three minutes) since the tasty guitar solo at the end makes me want to hear more. Anyway, it's a beautiful and orchestrated tune with a Beatlish guitar sound, and really high vocals by Paul during one part (one of my favorite moments on the album).
The tuneful rocker "Helen Wheels" follows as a very satisfying song with a nice rollicking beat and harsh synthesizer breaks after each chorus. This consistently satisfying release is rounded out by "Picasso's Last Words To Me (Drink To Me)", an interesting novelty pop tune with a peaceful tempo (the themes of "Jet" and "Mr. Vandebilt" reappear on this one in a more lighter mood), and the spiffy piano-jivin' "Nineteen- Hundred and Eighty Five", which is a suitable closer. It is not hard to see why an album like Band On The Run is respected both by fans and critics alike, with its melodic radio-friendly, but also creative singles, and consistently worthwhile album tracks. Gotta love it all.
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released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
The fourth Wings album has a certain mood to it, which is uniquely captivating and spirited. The melodies, which are as clear and good as ever, help in giving each song an engaging, entertaining, or distant mood which encompasses the whole record (except for maybe the lighthearted love tune "Listen To What The Man Said"). Not only that, but I think that this is the album where Paul succeeds at almost every angle with his musical ideas, without an overly trite or sappy track on the whole set. Paul's tunes (along with one from two of the other band-members) are certainly given a good edge with the production job too, which has a much wider atmosphere than before and also a rockin', sometimes live-feel in parts.
This ambience is immediately felt in the attractive title track which opens the album. It's a very short tune with a bright, acoustic guitar melody and a few (but neat) lyrics, which in its last few seconds turns into an incredibly imaginitive section with a cold and spacey atmosphere, before segueing into "Rock Show". "Rock Show" definitely lives up to its name, as it is a great melodic rocker with a memorable and hardhitting chorus, 'If there's a ROCK SHOW, at the concertgebow, They've got long hair, at the madison square...', along with a wonderful enlivening feel that makes it seem like it's a concert played on Mars.
The tune also has two interesting and entertaining bridges, with the first one containing chiming bells and a great melody, and the second one being a frigid, mid-tempo part with exaggerated English and sargent-like vocals by Paul. Fading out with its' chorus, this top highlight picks up again with a great little piano melody before ending as a condensed rocker with a synthesizer trailing in the background. This is followed by a very good ballad called "Love In Song", a longing song with a light acoustic sound, the swingin' music hall of "You Gave Me The Answer", which is as good as any of the Beatles ones he did (ex: When I'm 64, Honey Pie), and the bouncy fun rocker "Magneto And Titanium Man" (an organ pumps this song along, which has a slight retro-feel).
On a more serious note, next is the mid-tempo rocker "Letting Go", which has a dark atmosphere with some saxes adding effectively to the overall remoteness of the sound. Side one then ends with a less cozy reprise of the title track, which then goes right into "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt", a tune that keeps on with the 'spirit' of the album with it's strange synthesized chorus. The rest of side two is on a slightly weaker scale, but not enough to take away from its consistency as "Medicine Jar" is still an effective rocker (written by guitarist McCulloch) thats enjoyable.
"Call Me Back Again" is a pretty inspired tune that is worthwhile for McCartney's vocals and performance, while "Listen To What The Man Said" is the lone hit on this album (an album which is just as good as 'Band On The Run' in every respect'), a song that has a light poppy melody, with a little sax-work (a pretty good song, but can get sickening after awhile). This segues right into the smooth piano ballad "Treat Her Gently- Lonely Old People", which is an effective closer to this fantastic album. This one gets a high 8 for me, as I find it to be even slightly more enjoyable than the excellent Band On The Run album.
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released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
This album, which has the same lineup as last, was recorded right before the Wings U.S. tour of 1976. This album is highlighted by the two hit singles, "Let Em' In" (a strong opener with a toned-down piano melody and danceable beat) and "Silly Love Songs" (fairly similar in style as the last one, with its' upfront bass and piano sound, and a great melody to boot). The former would have to be my pick as the top highlight of this set, as it is a superbly well-crafted song, with a wonderful climaxing chorus that is made lively by the horns playing along, and a great marching rhythm coming towards the end and fading out the tune. The latter, on the other hand, is one of Paul's best sappy love songs, with its' lighthearted and pumping beat, and excellent sing-a-longy melody.
The rest of Speed Of Sound isn't too different than these two fun tracks, but for the most part they aren't as cheery or danceable as them. The songs are all fairly slow (usually never more than mid-tempo) and smoothly played, with Paul's excellent bass-playing being more upfront than usual, which is a good thing of course. This gives tunes like the sparse and groovin' "She's My Baby" and the mid-tempo rocker "Time To Hide" plenty of spark. Overall, though the record isn't much more than a pleasent affair, since there is lots of filler (most of it on the second side), whether it's enjoyable filler like "Warm And Beautiful" and "Must Do Something About It", or horrible filler like "Cook Of The House" (a little generic 50's styled rock n' roller that Linda sings, which is an absolute low-point on here).
On a better note though, the dark rocker "Beware My Love" (starts off with a beautiful acoustic opening) and the catchy and mysterious "Wino Junko" (the part 'till you go down again' is great with it's creeping bass and chiming organ) are two minor gems on here. "The Note You Never Wrote" is pleasant, as is the acoustic ditty "San Ferry Anne", which has a flute and some horns on it. Strangely enough, the other Wing members sing on a lot of these tracks (I think Paul wrote basically all of them, but hey I might be wrong!). This may mar a few of the songs a tad, but not really as it is interesting to hear the others sing too sometimes ("Medicine Jar" from the album before was sung by a Wings member too, so why not do it more on here). Not a great album by any means, but some of the songs grow on one and give out minor pleasures.
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released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
This is a very poppy effort by the band. Once again it is composed of probably a little too much filler, but fortunately London Town is a slight improvement on the last album. There are a few noticeable stand-outs on this release, which is composed of mostly just nice tunes that are all around the same quality. I find the lead-off tune "London Town", with its' great 'toot toot toot' line and fine melody, and the tasty acoustic thumper "Deliver Your Children" to be minor gems. The hit single "With A Little Luck" sticks out like a sore thumb production-wise, and is a good, catchy pop song built on synths and a nice beat, but doesn't particularly strike me as anything that great.
Plenty of enchanting tunes abound though, such as the neat story of "Famous Groupies", the harmless Denny Laine-sung "Children Children", the lovely ballad "I'm Carrying", "Cafe On The Left Bank", and the overly-sappy but good "Girlfriend" (Michael Jackson did his own version of this tune on his Off The Wall album). The neat "Backwards Traveller" and "Cuff Link" (an instrumental which is Paul's earliest stab at an electronic-synth type tune) are fairly odd, as is "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose", a six-and-a-half-minute experimental track which is noisy and annoying at times, but fairly good during the steady verses. The remaining tracks "I've Had Enough", "Name And Address", and "Don't Let It Bring You Down" are just OK. Overall, London Town is an enjoyable release with an undeniable charm, yet it is a far cry from the band's peak in 1975.
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released by Wings
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
This collection is a good first purchase for fans who don't know if they want to delve into the Wings catalog yet. Although it doesn't collect anything from the remarkable Venus And Mars album, it does collect various hit singles that were recorded during that time which were not included on any of the Wings albums. One of them being the highly entertaining and creative "Live And Let Die", which works well with its bombastic orchestra section and quirky, poppy bridge, going against its' softer verses. Definitely a classic. The spirited and inspired rockers "Hi Hi Hi" and "Junior's Farm" are really good too, with both of them having an energetic atmosphere, and the latter containing a great guitar solo.
"Mull Of Kintyre" is an interesting Irish sing-a-long tune, that makes a worthy appearance on here, while the down-to-earth and infectious "Another Day" isn't even the Wings at all. This melodic and winning track was recorded during or around the same time as Ram, and with the same home-made charm as that album, could very easily fit on it as a top highlight. The other six tunes are the usual big hits, which you can find on four of the Wings albums.
The lame-sounding and shmaltzy, but really good ballad "My Love" is here, along with the two monster hits from Band On The Run (the title track and "Jet"), which altogether make four songs from 1973 on this. A big year for the good ol' mates eh. "Let Em' In" and "Silly Love Songs" from Speed Of Sound, and the highly commercialized "With A Little Luck" from London Town also make their fine appearance on here too.The title really is appropriate. The 1987 All The Best collection replaces it effectively though, by adding seven different tracks (including some of Paul's early 80's hits), even if it deletes "Hi Hi Hi" and "Mull Of Kintyre". Hell, it was still a good purchase for me, as a young child at age 10. hehe
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(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
After the disapointing Back To The Egg album, Paul McCartney decided to break up the Wings and continue on with his solo career, picking up where he left off nine years ago when he made Ram. Since it was a decade after his first solo album, he decided to call this McCartney II, and make it a homemade effort like last time. I guess Paul also wanted to show how technology has changed in music since then too, so this record is full of electronic sounds and drum machines. Unfortunately, the electronics mar this outing greatly, as they are horribly dated and lifeless sounding, with Paul hardly ever putting them to good use. Before I go into that though, the two best tracks are devoid of this electronic crap; the lead-off track "Coming Up" is a good funky pop tune and "Waterfalls" is a very slow and airy piano ballad, with a nice melody.
Two other tracks really stand out from the murk, if only because they are so odd and experimental. I may be alone on this but "Temporary Secretary" and "Dark Room" are very interesting (definitely the most dated stuff on here by far too!), even kinda good if laughable tunes, as the former is an electronic pop tune, with a very fast atonal synth line repeated over and over, and the latter is memorable for its' ultra-stupid and just plain weird vocals. Most people should stay away from those two tracks though. The only reason they leave any impression towards me is because they stick out like crazy on here, as the rest of the album is so incredibly lifeless and dull.
The two worst tracks just might be the two electronic instrumentals "Front Parlour" and "Frozen Jap", which are simply pointless, uneventful, and uninteresting, with the dreadfully boring "Summer's Day Song" being sandwhiched in-between. Also here, is the weak and dry blues of "On The Way", "One Of These Days", and the very stiff-sounding "Nobody Knows" and "Bogey Music". The guitar line of "Bogey Music" is alright, but the song itself is pretty horrible, with the most annoying vocals on the whole album and a stupid processed rockabilly beat. Luckily, Paul would return to form on the following George Martin-produced Tug Of War album.
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(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
With the Wings being a long gone memory by this point, and George Martin in the producer's chair this time around, this album was going to be something special, right? Yes, that's right. George may make each track magical production-wise, but it is mainly for the simple fact that Paul has come up with a load-full of great melodies on here, that makes this album a return to form and his best since Venus And Mars. It may all be heavily commercialized, but this is a very fun record with plenty of memorable (and usually catchy) tunes by a rejuvinated, fresh-sounding Paul, which are very inviting and typical from 'the King of melody'.
A splash of diversity runs through Tug Of War too, with the all the production touches, and collaborations with Stevie Wonder on a funk track (What's That You're Doing) and piano duet (Ebony And Ivory), and Carl Perkins on the fun rockabilly ditty "Get It" (he contributes some vocals and guitar). Onto the individual tracks. The title track is surely strong, with a delicate and masterful melody set against a lush, orchestrated atmosphere, and anthem-like lyrics. The melodic ballad "Somebody Who Cares" is surely one of the best ballads I've heard from good old Macca, and even better is the John Lennon tribute "Here Today", which is a very sad and moving ballad with a beautiful acoustic melody set against violins and cellos. This emotional two-minute ballad can bring one to tears (not quite, but almost. hey, I'm not a wuss for admitting this!), and is arguably the top highlight on here.
On a catchy note, "Ballroom Dancer" is a great pop-rocker with a tough, bouncy sound, and a fantastic instrumental break, while "Take It Away" is a well-crafted pop tune that is very catchy. "The Pound Is Sinking" is a good, humorous pop with a fun melody, while "Wanderlust" is a vibrant ballad, and "Get It" is simply a fine little rock n' roll ditty, that is funny. "Dress Me Up As a Robber" has Paul singing some high falsetto in the style of Michael Jackson, and is dressed up as a poppy new-wave styled tune with a dance beat, along with some synthesized sax opening up the song. I can't forget about "Ebony And Ivory" either, which as an inspired piano duet between Stevie and Paul is a suitable closer. That leaves the fine interlude "Be What You See (Link)" (it's kinda funny how Paul names every really short song a link) and the just OK "What's That You're Doing?", an overlong funk workout which is kinda cool, but definitely the lowest point on Tug Of War. This album is a sigh of relief after the kinda obscure-sounding and weird McCartney II album.
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(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Paul was in the midst of working on the Beatles 'Anthology' project with Ringo and George, when he decided to record a new album that would look back on the spirit of the Beatles. The title of this album is none other than a humorous line that John said back in the early 60's when he was referring to how The Beatles got their name. In keeping with the Beatlish fun, Paul had Ringo make a few appearances on the songs, and had his son play electric guitar on the laidback tune "Heaven On A Sunday". Coming clear off of the highly anticipated 'Anthology' series, this album couldn't have been released at a more perfect time. Becoming an obvious hit, Flaming Pie is an extremely easygoing offering, with the usual sentimentality and typical Paul-sounding tunes. Typical yes, but very fresh and welcoming.
The easygoing nature of the tunes is what makes Flaming Pie an enjoyable, if unspectacular release, which contains a fair amount of very simplified, catchy tunes, along with a couple tunes developed during a jam session (including the alright duet with Steve Miller on "Used To Be So Bad"). The main highlights include the sweet ballad "Somedays", which I think could compare with a lot of his earlier ballads (in his solo career), the peaceful 'looking back' opener "The Song We Were Singing", the fatherly "Young Boy", and the pop-rocker "The World Tonight".
The rest of the album is almost of the same quality, which ranges from the simple acoustic pleasures of "Calico Skys", to forgettable filler like the Ringo jam "Really Love You". The unassuming but nice "Little Willow", "If You Wanna", "Souvenir", and the title track are other minor pleasures on here. As filler, "Heaven On A Sunday", "Beautiful Night" and "Great Day" are a little worse, but not unlistenable. With it's simple as hell, and sometimes slight melodies, Flaming Pie isn't a great album, but the rejuvinated and heart-warming atmosphere, along with the catchy and immediately satisfying sound of each lighthearted tune, makes for a fine listen. Pretty much middle-ground Paul here.
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