The Beatles Bible - Topic: Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

I Me Mine on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:16:52 +0000

vonbontee said

I Me Mine said

a modern drum sound and things like the autotuned vocal harmonies on "Feet in the Clouds".

Thanks for saving me some time, I Me Mine...now I know that's one McCartney song I never need to hear!

(Autotune and modern drum sounds must DIE!!)

When I say modern drum sound I don't mean computer-generated drum-machine-like drum sound, but that distorted sound the real drums played by Paul have in some songs of the album (Feet in the Clouds is not one of them). As for autotune, I really dislike its use for what it's actually made: correcting pitch ...

vonbontee on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:25:43 +0000

I Me Mine said

a modern drum sound and things like the autotuned vocal harmonies on "Feet in the Clouds".

Thanks for saving me some time, I Me Mine...now I know that's one McCartney song I never need to hear!

(Autotune and modern drum sounds must DIE!!)

I Me Mine on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:25:37 +0000

I totally agree with any previous statement that Paul never needed a comeback album.

Still, I have to say that "Flaming Pie" was many quality steps beyond a lot of his 80s and 90s work, although I like "Off The Ground". It just wasn't ground-braking. Also, FP led to a really good 2000s for Paul. I like Chaos and Creation, but my favourite of the decade is Memory Almost Full. Great compositions, nice classic Beatles and Wings style and unusual but well-working production. The sound of the album is classic Paul but still unique, with classical and vintage instruments blending really ...

Zig on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:04:39 +0000

Gerell said
I don't intend to be stubborn but Paul never needed a comeback album.

That is exactly the point I was trying to make upthread.

The Walrus said

I'd go with Chaos and Creation myself, it's my favourite Paul solo album (though I haven't heard all of them).

I really need to listen to that album again. The first time I listened to it, I was not impressed at all but I keep seeing it mentioned in favorable terms here in our Forum.

The Walrus on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:44:14 +0000

Funny Paper said
I hate to be a stick in the mud (what's the Britishism for that one I wonder?), but as far as I'm concerned, Paul never came back.

I think "stick in the mud" is a very British phrase.

I'd go with Chaos and Creation myself, it's my favourite Paul solo album (though I haven't heard all of them).

Funny Paper on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:48:29 +0000

Gerell said
I don't intend to be stubborn but Paul never needed a comeback album. Though he had "weaker" albums these aren't enough to hold him around or turn him around, there aren't "rules" to music anyway. Paul is experimenting to get better sometimes these experiments fail.

Paul has a great attitude about the whole thing; he cocks his head in that cheery Jay Leno way and says "well why not keep on trying!? No sense in not doing anything, even if it's not perfect, Auntie Gin would say....! eh wot...?!" That's wonderful for Paul the human being; but ...

GeorgeTSimpson on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:45:54 +0000

I think mccartney and ram are awsome, wild life and red rose speedway are ordinary, band on the run is awesome, venus and mars and wings at the band on the run are good, wings over america is awesome, london town is good, back to the egg is awesome, mccartney 2 is terrible, tug of war is awesome, pipes of peace is ordinary, press to play (or so) is bad, back in the ussr is terrible, flowers in the dirt and off the ground are gordinary, flaming pie is awesome, run devil run is bad, and everything since driving rain ...

Gerell on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:54:18 +0000

I don't intend to be stubborn but Paul never needed a comeback album. Though he had "weaker" albums these aren't enough to hold him around or turn him around, there aren't "rules" to music anyway. Paul is experimenting to get better sometimes these experiments fail.

unknown on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:53:16 +0000

I don't think he ever went out. There really isn't an album of his which I don't like. I love all his albums up until Press To Play (yeah, I even like GMRTBS), which can be a little draggy. Then there's Off The Ground, which is good, but some of the songs just blend together. I guess I'm not so keen on Liverpool Ontario, Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest, Standing Stone, Working Classical, and Ocean's Kingdom, but I'm not into that type of music. It just makes me really anxious, and I don't really consider those Paul McCartney albums anyways.

Inner Light on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:41:48 +0000

Funny Paper said
I hate to be a stick in the mud (what's the Britishism for that one I wonder?), but as far as I'm concerned, Paul never came back.

Wings at the Speed of Sound was his "exit album". After that, I think he became too rich, too comfortable, too set in his ways, too bourgeois (and good God, if he was already getting that way in the 80s and 90s, he's even more so in this new century). In the early years spanning the first McCartney solo album up through Wings at the Speed of Sound, Paul was ...

Funny Paper on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 22:23:10 +0000

I hate to be a stick in the mud (what's the Britishism for that one I wonder?), but as far as I'm concerned, Paul never came back.

Wings at the Speed of Sound was his "exit album". After that, I think he became too rich, too comfortable, too set in his ways, too bourgeois (and good God, if he was already getting that way in the 80s and 90s, he's even more so in this new century). In the early years spanning the first McCartney solo album up through Wings at the Speed of Sound, Paul was HUNGRY, and therefore more ...

Into the Sky with Diamonds on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:06:15 +0000

To a McCartney fan, there was never a comeback. Even his weaker albums had good material, and there never was a long period of time without something of substance.

Having said that, to the outside world there were a number of comebacks:

- Band on the Run and the "Wings Over America" tour McCartney was universally panned by the critics in his early solo years (record sales notwithstanding). Then suddenly, the Rolling Stone album of the year and the cover of Time magazine ("McCartney Comes Back")!

- Tug of War. A period of critical decline followed Band on the ...

meanmistermustard on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:39:47 +0000

Flowers in the Dirt also brought Paul back into touring after nearly 9 years out. The collaborations between Elvis Costello and Paul are up there with the best material of Pauls solo career.

SatanHimself on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:12:44 +0000

I'd vote for 'Flowers In The Dirt'. His 1980s output was sliding into mediocrity and 'Press To Play' was a complete *thud*. Getting a proper band together and writing with Elvis Costello gave him a shot in the arm, and the success of the album alerted a newer generation of his legacy. Leading into it was with the Russian album, and it was followed by the very first (!) MTV Unplugged album, 'Tripping The Live Fantastic' and 'Liverpool Oratorio'.

So while it can be strongly argued that he never really required a "comeback" per se, 'Flowers In The Dirt' is ...

Von Bontee on Which is Paul's true "comeback" album?

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:07:13 +0000

Meanmm, TOW was perceived as a "comeback" by the critical establishment because it had some high-profile work - Paul collaborating with Ringo and George Martin! - and because it followed a few years of albums that weren't well-received, even though quite a few hit singles resulted in the interim. Another way of defining a comeback is an album that does what Cloud Nine did: become a huge hit, the first in a long while. A definition that George apparently didn't agree with!

Me, I thought McCartney II was really good. (And STILL haven't heard all of Tug of War! And ...