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4.21pm
18 April 2013
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Hello, all. I’m kind of daunted by the amount of material out there, and I’ve read that in the late 70’s and 80’s there was a creative slump in McCartney’s work (sorry to offend any hardcore fans unintentionally). I used to dislike McCartney because he seemed silly to me with songs like Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da . I’m probably not alone, I read that John Lennon felt the same way.
Anyway, I’ve found myself getting into McCartney and really liking him now. I have “McCartney,” as well as “Ram ” and “Band On The Run .” I like all three, especially Ram . I’m not interested in anything like “Wonderful Christmas Time” or “Say, Say, Say.”
I don’t want to buy everything. Can anyone help me out to know which albums are essential and which albums (or years) to avoid?
I’ve heard that McCartney II is good, as well as Flaming Pie , Venus And Mars , Chaos and Creation, and Red Rose Speedway .
I might add that I WILL buy everything by McCartney if my suspicions are wrong, but please, if you choose to answer, don’t answer “Buy everything.”
Thanks!
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
4.41pm
8 November 2012
Offline I’m in a similar boat, as I was a Beatles fan, and took a hiatus after slogging through Paul’s 80s offerings as long as I could. I’d heard that his music from the 2000s was much better, so I started listening to the albums on YouTube. A friend went through his catalog and recommended specific songs to me, so I made a YouTube playlist you might want to check out.
I’m also borrowing CDs from the library, so you might consider that option.
To your list of recommended albums, I would add Memory Almost Full .
parlance
4.53pm
10 February 2013
Offline I would also recommend “Back To The Egg .” As I’ve written before on another thread, I think it’s one of his more underrated albums. Enjoy exploring his music, Expert Texpert!
6.09pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline McCartney II would be a good one to check out, it has quite a few different sides to Paul and is a little on the experimental Paul side. Personally i love Wings At The Speed Of Sound and Wild LIfe but there are many who criticise both.
Chaos And Creation In The Backyard has got an excellent reputation but i havent heard it as i was mentally tortured and scarred by its predecessor Memory Almost Full .
As for what to avoid, Give My Regards To Broad Street would be first on my list: dreadful originals (excluding No More Lonely Nights) and awful pointless covers of Macca originals (Beatles and solo); followed by Press To Play and Memory Almost Full . Pipes Of Peace is very hit and miss.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.50pm
18 April 2013
Offline Thanks to everyone who is posting. I’m taking notes! And thanks, parlance, for the playlist. I’ll check it out soon.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
6.55pm
14 December 2009
Offline
It’s too bad there aren’t really any first-rate compilations of his material. Wingspan’s about the best of them as far as I can tell, but it’s got its flaws. It’d be really nice if there were some greatest-hits collection that covered the ’90s and beyond; unfortunately there really aren’t many actual hits there!
Ram is a must (particularly the 2-disc version) but I see you’ve already got that one. I second the McCartney II recommendation (again, particularly the expanded edition) but that’s a pretty atypical McCartney album, which has as many detractors as fans (just read the dedicated thread here for proof!)
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
6.55pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline
I’d throw Tug Of War into the mix. It’s his first post-Lennon assassination album, and – apart from the obvious Here Today – there are references peppering the album about his lost friend and The Beatles. I find much in it to love and admire. Though it does have Ebony And Ivory going against it.
"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty
To @ Ron Nasty it's @ mja6758
The Beatles Bible 2020 non-Canon Poll Part One: 1958-1963 and Part Two: 1964-August 1966
8.02pm
10 August 2011
Offline Dear Expert Texpert,
Sit you down….
At the end of the day it’s a strictly personal choice. If I give you my favorites, you’ll find that they include albums that others will tell you to avoid, while others that I see on this list are the ones that I would avoid.
The beauty of iTunes is that you can click around and decide for yourself. [The downside of iTunes is that some songs take a while to develop some songs represent a collage of songs, so clicking for a few seconds doesn’t always work.]
Only Give My Regards To Broad Street has achieved some kind of consensus. Avoid it at all costs.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
8.02pm
1 November 2012
Offline Everyone has different opinions, so it’s difficult if not impossible to acquire a “science” fit especially for your taste. The best one can do is what I do with movie reviews: they’re nearly worthless unless I know the reviewer, or at least know what he likes.
Anyway, my 2 cents is that after Band On The Run , there is no good McCartney album as a whole album, even though there are many good songs to cherrypick among them.
For example, someone mentioned Memory Almost Full (2007)– an album that has only two good songs on it (of course, in my opinion):
Dance Tonight
That Was Me.
(There is on the CD a bonus track called “222” that is very interesting because it’s strange and in 7/4 time, but it doesn’t quite rise to the level of a “good song”.)
Faded flowers, wait in a jar, till the evening is complete... complete... complete... complete...
8.04pm
8 November 2012
Offline You’re welcome. As you can see, no two people agree, and by the time you’re done, you’ll pretty much end up with “Buy Everything!” ;->
parlance
10.14pm
14 December 2009
Offline parlance said
You’re welcome. As you can see, no two people agree, and by the time you’re done, you’ll pretty much end up with “Buy Everything!” ;->
parlance
…everything except “Broad Street”!
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
10.23pm
Members
18 March 2013
Offline Von Bontee said
parlance said
You’re welcome. As you can see, no two people agree, and by the time you’re done, you’ll pretty much end up with “Buy Everything!” ;->
parlance
…everything except “Broad Street”!
Oh God don’t buy Broad Street
INTROVERTS UNITE! Separately....in your own homes!
***
Make Love, Not Wardrobes!
***
"Stop throwing jelly beans at me"- George Harrison
11.06pm
8 November 2012
Offline AppleScruffJunior said
Von Bontee said
parlance said
You’re welcome. As you can see, no two people agree, and by the time you’re done, you’ll pretty much end up with “Buy Everything!” ;->
parlance
…everything except “Broad Street”!
Oh God don’t buy Broad Street
LOL, agreed.
[Cue someone making the case for Broad Street in 3… 2…]
parlance
11.11pm
6 December 2012
Offline
What?! Don’t buy Broad Street?! How could you say such a thing?!
…I don’t actually know what it is. 
Also known as Egg-Rock, Egg-Roll, E-George, Eggy, Ravioli, Eggroll Eggrolli...
~witty quote~
11.16pm
Members
18 March 2013
Offline11.38pm
8 November 2012
Offline LOL, years ago, before the current fandom resurgence, I had a conversation with a friend who declared that everything Paul McCartney did was perfect. No mediocre songs or projects, he can do no wrong. I took one look at her and said, “Give My Regards To Broad Street .” And she said, “Dammit! I was hoping you wouldn’t remember that one!”
parlance
11.42pm
Members
18 March 2013
Offline Haha 
Somebody needed to tell Paul “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”
INTROVERTS UNITE! Separately....in your own homes!
***
Make Love, Not Wardrobes!
***
"Stop throwing jelly beans at me"- George Harrison
11.51pm
14 December 2009
Offline Exactly!
Or “…Don’t BREAK it!”, even!
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
12.19am
6 December 2012
Offline 12.25am
Members
18 March 2013
Offline Your worst nightmare!
feature=youtube_gdata_player
INTROVERTS UNITE! Separately....in your own homes!
***
Make Love, Not Wardrobes!
***
"Stop throwing jelly beans at me"- George Harrison
