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McCartney III

Started by Menu, October 17, 2020, 04:12:26 AM

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the science eel

Quote from: Menu on October 27, 2020, 11:29:16 PM
Haha! That must have been what I was thinking of. I still find it surprising how dismissive he is of Paul's solo work. Sad because I'd love to read a proper RITH-type book about it. Won't be from Iain though as he's dead now isn't he.

He killed himself, poor fucker.

Menu

Quote from: Cottonon on October 27, 2020, 05:18:45 PM
Thanks to whoever recommended the Take It Away podcast upthread, hit the Flaming Pie two parter first and knew immediately this is for me. Really well balanced.

And I should say that this podcast made me re-assess Press To Play. I had dismissed it as an aberration but I really like it now. They still have odd opinions on things but they are interesting and knowledgeable so it's a pleasure to listen to even if you disagree on an individual track.

Menu

Quote from: the science eel on October 27, 2020, 11:35:05 PM
He killed himself, poor fucker.

Yes that's right. Very sad. Hope he was around long enough to know he'd written the definitive book on The Beatles - AND THAT HE WAS COMPLETELY FUCKING WRONG ABOUT MCCARTNEY'S SOLO WORK.

the science eel

'Big Barn Bed' and 'London Town' (track not album) - two really lovely but less well-known McCartney songs that come to mind.

And Wild Life is as good as the first solo LP, as far as I'm concerned.

And 'Back Seat of My Car' is an absolute fucking masterpiece.

Menu

Quote from: the science eel on October 27, 2020, 11:43:48 PM
'Big Barn Bed' and 'London Town' (track not album) - two really lovely but less well-known McCartney songs that come to mind.

And Wild Life is as good as the first solo LP, as far as I'm concerned.

And 'Back Seat of My Car' is an absolute fucking masterpiece.

I was only thinking of Big Barn Bed yesterday! it's one of the best opening tracks to an album I've ever heard. It's relentless. And agree on London Town as well.

Cottonon

Re RITH, also read it multiple times and the 'babyish incantation' about Across The Universe stuck with me and I'm sure its been quoted on here before.

Loved the Press To Play episode, an album I knew nothing of bar the single (and the video) and was always put off by the cover, thinking it would be full of 1940s covers or pastiches. The stereo drawings are interesting too.

Press to Play is loads of fun, with several brilliant ballads on it (something he often gets slated for - "Oh another beautifully melodic ballad", as if that was something anyone can do). It also has Angry on it, which is a great entrant in the category of Paul Pretending To Be Cross About Things And It All Being Incredibly Unconvincing. See also Give Ireland Back To The Irish, I've Had Enough, that unintentionally hilarious one about people making monkeys smoke fags off of Off The Ground.

lazyhour

There are a handful of fantastic tracks on London Town.

Also, Back To The Egg may not be top tier Macca, but Arrow Through Me on that album is absolutely fucking magic. Shoulda been a single.

Hand Solo

Quote from: lazyhour on October 28, 2020, 11:04:32 AM
There are a handful of fantastic tracks on London Town.

Also, Back To The Egg may not be top tier Macca, but Arrow Through Me Old Siam Sir on that album is absolutely fucking magic. Shoulda been a single.

Weren't both of those singles? One in the US, one the UK?

And Winter Rose/Love Awake is the best on that album.

Hand Solo

Quote from: Wacky Homemade Badges on October 28, 2020, 11:23:57 AM
Weren't both of those singles? One in the US, one the UK?

Ah yeah it was the B-side to Arrow Through Me in the US. All the same should've been a single over there and a track nobody's heard and when I play to people they're surprised it wasn't bigger, it's one of his best rock vocals. Also get good reactions from Arrow Through Me though it is totally copying Songs In The Key Of Life era Wonder..

I like the way that it is one of the only two instances of the word Walthamstow in pop history. The other being this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walthamstow_(album)


Oh nice! Wasn't Macca's brother in that band?

Hand Solo

Quote from: Wacky Homemade Badges on October 28, 2020, 12:10:24 PM
Oh nice! Wasn't Macca's brother in that band?

Yeah, it's essentially The Scaffold with Neil Innes helping out.

Talking of The Scaffold, Thank You Very Much "for the Aintree iron," does anybody know what that's referring to? It's obviously a Liverpool reference but Mike McGear/McCartney has kept tight-lipped about it and I've heard about 50 different theories. I think I know what it must be, but the most prevalent theories are obviously wrong.

Pauline Walnuts

Quote from: Wacky Homemade Badges on October 28, 2020, 11:47:52 AM
I like the way that it is one of the only two instances of the word Walthamstow in pop history. The other being this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walthamstow_(album)


Crikey. Is it a ballad worthy of The Kinks, or an awful dirge?

shagatha crustie

The problem with basically every McCartney album, especially in the 70s, is that he kicks off with some sort of concept or unifying theme but then gets bored or stoned or cant resist indulging his songwriting whims. So Back to the Egg is conceived and marketed as this punk/new wave return to rock and roll authenticity but then has Baby's Request on it. Or Wings are just this down-home bunch of longhairs playing hard rock at any old venue up and down the UK but then put out a live film where they have to pretend to talk to an animated mouse that lives under the stage. Everything just ends up kind of schizoid.

Thinking about it this stretches back as far as Pepper or Let it Be but at least then it was tempered by the others, whereas poor Denny Laine won't have been able to do a bloody thing to stop him.

Custard

McCartney II could legit be my favourite solo record by him. Such an inspired, weird set of tunes. That said, Check My Machine and Secret Friend should've been on there!

People slag it off, but I love Bogey Music. Poor joy on vinyl. I also like the fact that Macca only added it to the album as his daughters thought it was so great and would dance around every time they heard it

Goldentony

Quote from: Hand Solo on October 28, 2020, 12:17:08 PM
Yeah, it's essentially The Scaffold with Neil Innes helping out.

Talking of The Scaffold, Thank You Very Much "for the Aintree iron," does anybody know what that's referring to? It's obviously a Liverpool reference but Mike McGear/McCartney has kept tight-lipped about it and I've heard about 50 different theories. I think I know what it must be, but the most prevalent theories are obviously wrong.

Aintree is full of bellends so it's probably some bellend thing, it'l be either the race course, the railway or the Maplin

Menu

Quote from: Cottonon on October 28, 2020, 10:55:13 AM
Re RITH, also read it multiple times and the 'babyish incantation' about Across The Universe stuck with me and I'm sure its been quoted on here before.

Loved the Press To Play episode, an album I knew nothing of bar the single (and the video) and was always put off by the cover, thinking it would be full of 1940s covers or pastiches. The stereo drawings are interesting too.

Yes that's a truly terrible cover. I'm sure it must have subconsciously put me off.

Quote from: shagatha crustie on October 28, 2020, 01:14:11 PM
The problem with basically every McCartney album, especially in the 70s, is that he kicks off with some sort of concept or unifying theme but then gets bored or stoned or cant resist indulging his songwriting whims. So Back to the Egg is conceived and marketed as this punk/new wave return to rock and roll authenticity but then has Baby's Request on it. Or Wings are just this down-home bunch of longhairs playing hard rock at any old venue up and down the UK but then put out a live film where they have to pretend to talk to an animated mouse that lives under the stage. Everything just ends up kind of schizoid.

Yeah, but I think that's great though. He's doing whatever he wants, because he's already done what everyone else wanted and when he did it, he did it better than anyone had ever done it before.

Menu

Quote from: shagatha crustie on October 28, 2020, 01:14:11 PM
The problem with basically every McCartney album, especially in the 70s, is that he kicks off with some sort of concept or unifying theme but then gets bored or stoned or cant resist indulging his songwriting whims. So Back to the Egg is conceived and marketed as this punk/new wave return to rock and roll authenticity but then has Baby's Request on it. Or Wings are just this down-home bunch of longhairs playing hard rock at any old venue up and down the UK but then put out a live film where they have to pretend to talk to an animated mouse that lives under the stage. Everything just ends up kind of schizoid.

Thinking about it this stretches back as far as Pepper or Let it Be but at least then it was tempered by the others, whereas poor Denny Laine won't have been able to do a bloody thing to stop him.

That was him in the Beatles as well. The Sgt Pepper concept lasts two songs and a short reprise. Although tbh I'm glad. It would have been shit otherwise.

EDIT: ugh you mentioned the Beatles yourself. I'm a moron, sorry.

I mean the alternative was probably a series of well-crafted sensible records that would now sound a bit dated (like Band On The Run does now). Instead there was a load of mad stuff that people are still getting their heads round and realising are actually excellent a whole fifty years later.

Menu

Quote from: Shameless Custard on October 28, 2020, 03:38:42 PM
McCartney II could legit be my favourite solo record by him. Such an inspired, weird set of tunes. That said, Check My Machine and Secret Friend should've been on there!

People slag it off, but I love Bogey Music. Poor joy on vinyl. I also like the fact that Macca only added it to the album as his daughters thought it was so great and would dance around every time they heard it

Ah that's a lovely story. I wish I was Paul McCartney's daughter.

Menu

Quote from: Wacky Homemade Badges on October 28, 2020, 11:02:56 AM
Press to Play is loads of fun, with several brilliant ballads on it (something he often gets slated for - "Oh another beautifully melodic ballad", as if that was something anyone can do). It also has Angry on it, which is a great entrant in the category of Paul Pretending To Be Cross About Things And It All Being Incredibly Unconvincing. See also Give Ireland Back To The Irish, I've Had Enough, that unintentionally hilarious one about people making monkeys smoke fags off of Off The Ground.

Haha! "I'd like to see that man take out that machine and stick it in his own brain!!!" - and SEND.

Yes! And he then follows it with "You know what I mean". I don't think you've left much room for ambiguity, Paul.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Wacky Homemade Badges on October 28, 2020, 05:26:16 PM
Yes! And he then follows it with "You know what I mean". I don't think you've left much room for ambiguity, Paul.

That really made me laugh.

I like the Take It Away podcast, but they have some very strange hang ups about lyrics. They get really annoyed about him counting on Driving Rain and saying this is "lazy". Which it isn't, any more than it was on You Never Give Me Your Money.

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on October 28, 2020, 05:28:36 PM
That really made me laugh.

Even when he's not being very good, Paul can't help to spread joy!