Wings/70s Paul poll

[sloopjohnc]

You Gave Me The Answer!!

His worst song of the 70s? The period pastiche stuff was vaguely amusing with When I’m 64. But then he did it again with Your Mother Should Know, and then Honey Pie, and then You Gave Me The Answer. Give it a rest Paul!

Nah. He’s great at it. More!

I gotta give it to NMB, the pastiches are a little tired.

[Quaco]

Worse than "Mary Had a Little Lamb"?

[Sneelock]

the thing that never fails to surprise me about McCartney threads is how highly some rate tracks that others file under Turkey Shit.
I know I've chosen some and if you, dear reader, are honest with yourself, I'll bet you did too.

that list is full of some tunes I can hear again & again. that list is full of tunes I hope I never hear again. there seems very little consensus on what the real STINK BUGS are.

[Goat Boy]

The whole thread is a bit whiffy to me.

BCBs soft underbelly

[BARON CORNY DOG]

The whole thread is a bit whiffy to me.

BCBs soft underbelly

You’ll get there, young man!

[Sneelock]

everybody knows the soft underbelly is where the good eatin' is!

[Quaco]

the thing that never fails to surprise me about McCartney threads is how highly some rate tracks that others file under Turkey Shit.
I know I've chosen some and if you, dear reader, are honest with yourself, I'll bet you did too.

that list is full of some tunes I can hear again & again. that list is full of tunes I hope I never hear again. there seems very little consensus on what the real STINK BUGS are.

I totally agree with this. It seems that love of McCartney music is less objective than love of a lot of other artists' music. Whether because of his cultural position, or something inherent in the music, he hits us deeply and we don't really know why we love one song and not another that may be similar. Some people love "Bip Bop". I don't. But I actually don't hate it, as dumb as it is, because I like the sound. I don't much like "Tomorrow" for some reason, the song or the sound, and that's objectively one of the better-written songs on Wild Life. It's easier to find consensus on George Harrison or Mott the Hoople or Bauhaus albums. But McCartney albums are sort of like your first love -- it's not rational and doesn't really conform to a logical pattern ("I like so-and-so because she has blonde hair/looks like my mother/was nice to me"). You love and hate them irrationally, and other people love and hate them irrationally, and no one quite agrees on why.

[naughty boy]

- unless we're talking about 'Jet'!

[Sneelock]

I think the pleasure centers in the brain and the "annoying the fuck out of me" centers must be very close.
take "obladi-oblada" - I always liked it but I know it drives people out of their minds. I can't STAND "my love" but it is much loved by others.

then there's this -- "monkberry moon delight" I would personally have trouble defending it - I think it's objectively pretty bad. it doesn't mean anything and his vocal is patently ridiculous BUT I love it.

what's up with that?

[Bent Fabric]

*(opens window)*

One of many problems/self-inflicted wounds that felled Paul McCartney in the 1980s was a sort of misguided acquiescence to the use of highly competent/high gloss players (you start seeing these "We're on EVERYONE'S record!" names creep in as early as the "still has a quantifiable number of good ideas" Tug of War, and even the final lineup of Wings lacks a certain "fire" in the main). By the time he starts trying to claw his way back towards...something (outsourcing less of his own instrumental heavy lifting, co-writing with the angry young librarian)...it's already too late.

I guess the only reason I mention any of this is that...whatever sense I might have of his being hyper "present" during the best moments of his 1970s (and of that being a measurable virtue), clearly he didn't see it that way. From a distance of nearly half a century, it's quite easy to say "Well, you can't make a track like 'Junior's Farm' or 'BOTR' with Stanley Clarke or Steve Gadd (HIS Tony Levin, Nicky Hopkins, Andy Newmark, Gary Wright, Willie Weeks, Jim Keltner, et. al.)", but...who knows what he was chasing with this sort of belated concession to faceless accompaniment (whatever you think of Wings 71-77, I think there was some generally scrappy personality in those ensemble performances).

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Somebody asked me yesterday what records I listen to most often. I had to think for a moment, as I own a lot of records and rotate around pretty frequently. But there are albums I pull out reflexively more than others. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the clear answer is “solo Beatles albums.”

I seldom listen to The Beatles proper albums anymore. They are pulled out a lot more intentionally. Like the good china. But I get a lot of comfort from those guys...those voices. So if I’m running out of the house and need something to listen to, but don’t really want to work hard...I’ll grab Ram or Walls and Bridges or whichever solo album seems freshest at the moment.

So sure. I’m fine with McCartney being dumb the way I’m fine with a family member being dumb. Love will mask a lot of faults.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Worse than "Mary Had a Little Lamb"?

I actually love that one.

[Diamond Dog]

Worse than "Mary Had a Little Lamb"?

I actually love that one.

And you dare to criticise.................... oh what's the point!

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Worse than "Mary Had a Little Lamb"?

I actually love that one.

And you dare to criticise.................... oh what's the point!

I sometimes prefer Paul in children’s mode and/or music hall mode (both of which he does very well) than to stupid rocker mode.

So yeah...I dare criticize.

[NMB]

Worse than "Mary Had a Little Lamb"?

I actually love that one.

I don’t think I’ve heard it in 30 years so I’ll have to dig out to check. But I remember it as being cutesy but OK.

[Darkness_Fish]

- unless we're talking about 'Jet'!

I fucking hate that song.

Then again, I don't like anything on this list, either.

[Carl's Son]

Only two other people have voted for "Venus & Mars/Rock Show?"

Hmm.....

I nearly went for it but so much to choose from, even without Smile Away, Monkberry Moon Delight, Dear Friend or Oh Woman Oh Why!
I prefer the live version though.
I listen to Paul MCartney or Wings records all the time. Two things I like in music are strong catchy melodies and interesting arrangements/productions. Macca's recorded output has both in spades. You could level a lot of accusations at McCartney's various albums but you'd be hard pressed to call them samey.
The Beatles had a prodigious output and yes they were better than together than apart but Paul's post Beatles work remained inventive and invigorating in a way that belies the old, Wings:The Band the Beatles could have been" jibe.

[clive gash]

I couldn’t recall Monkberry Moon Delight (or 75% of the list) so I YouTubed it.

Oh.

I think McCartney’s raunchy voice is his least effective - Hey, I may be your grannies favourite but check this out.

Back Seat..though, perfection.

[Mike Boom]

- unless we're talking about 'Jet'!

I fucking hate that song.

Then again, I don't like anything on this list, either.

... he's no Matthew Wilder, thats for sure.

[nathan]

I find Paul's music thrilling. There is just something pure and joyous about it, even at its worst. He still gives me goosebumps. These are the ones that give me the most goosebumps.

Every Night
Too Many People
Ram On
Long Haired Lady
Hi Hi Hi
Get on the Right Thing
Let Me Roll It
Getting Closer
Arrow Through Me
Coming Up

The only two omissions that I am pouting about are Oh Woman, Oh Why and Big Barn Bed.