Already a couple of years old but I've only just found this article on the making of the 'Flowers in The Dirt' album. Read the views of four producers who worked on the album ,Mitchell Froom, Trevor Horn, Chris Hughes & Stephen Lipson. They reveal great insight into how Paul works in the studio.
For anyone who likes 'Flowers In The Dirt'.
This is a great read! And I haven't even finished.Thanks for this.
SDE have produced a limited run print version of the interviews which fits in to the Flowers in the Dirt deluxe box. "The printed version features the whole of the 9,000 word interview feature, along with 1200 extra words from Messrs Horn, Lipson and Hughes that are exclusive to this printed edition."
Does anybody know what Paul says at the beginning of Rough Ride? Any idea?
johnnyv wrote:
Does anybody know what Paul says at the beginning of Rough Ride? Any idea?
3 words and the first word is definitely "break" and the second is probably "to."
Flowers in the Dirt is one of my very favorite Paul solo albums, so much variety, unusually so even for him (smiley face). I'll enjoy reading this, thank you.
I'm about half way through these interviews which are very revealing. Flowers in the dirt is a superb album, in my opinion one of the five or six really great albums he's done since the Beatles. He's in the fortunate position of being able to do pretty much what he likes, and to work with whoever he wants. It's interesting to see if someone can stand up to him, like Steve Lipson did over a middle eight. Elvis Costello brought the best out of Paul on that record - it had a freshness and energy that had been lacking for a few years. Rough Ride never sounded like a single to me - My brave face was a cracker, and deserved much more success than it had.
Did "My Brave Face" sound more like an Elvis Costello song than a Paul song, though, did the Costello style dominate it? Sometimes that's how I hear it. Similar to, when Paul co-wrote with Steve Miller it came out sounding like Steve Miller songs, I thought.
dirkmcquickly wrote:
I'm about half way through these interviews which are very revealing. Flowers in the dirt is a superb album, in my opinion one of the five or six really great albums he's done since the Beatles. He's in the fortunate position of being able to do pretty much what he likes, and to work with whoever he wants. It's interesting to see if someone can stand up to him, like Steve Lipson did over a middle eight. Elvis Costello brought the best out of Paul on that record - it had a freshness and energy that had been lacking for a few years. Rough Ride never sounded like a single to me - My brave face was a cracker, and deserved much more success than it had.
McCartney albums are much better when somebody stands up to him and tells him the truth, that is why CHAOS turned out so well with Nigel Godrich as producer. I like "Rough Ride" but I don't see it as a single either. I loved "My Brave Face" and was a bit surprised it did not do better commmercially, sounded very Beatlesque to me.
I agree with Yankeefan that Paul does better when he works with 1 main producer who is not afraid to disagree with Paul. I still think that "Flowers in the Dirt" is in the top third of Paul's Post Beatles' albums but the slight downfall of FITD was that Paul just had too many "cooks in the Kitchen". Despite that problem, the 1st eight songs on the finished album actually jell and gave the album a great start. I really like My Brave Face, Rough Ride, You Want Her Too, Distractions, We Got Married, Put It There, figure of 8 and This One. It's the final 5 songs on the CD where the album/CD takes a less favorable route in my opinion and all the various producers and Paul screwed up the album as a whole. Again this is my opinion only.
As usual with most of Paul's final released albums, he had many better song alternatives. The last 2 songs on the FITD final CD were the worst. Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Sole didn't deserved to be on the album compared to the terrific songs that could have taken their place. Motor of Love has some decent parts but it is far too long (6:18) and gets too repetitive and I don't know where to begin with the very last track. The producers involved say that they don't like "Rock and Roll" and that is where the problem begins and ends. Conversely, Paul had so many good songs he could have put on FITD. They incude but not limited to:
Back on My Feet
Flying to My Home
Loveliest Thing
The Lovers That Never Were (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
Tommy's Coming Home (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
Twenty Five Fingers (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
So Like Candy (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
My theory to what happened is that Paul felt that after spending so much time on these last 2 songs with those producers that he felt "obligated" to put them on the album. Any one of those 7 songs above would have been far better than Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Sole. The simple demo version of "Lovers That Never Were" in my opinion should have been a "stone cold lock" of being on FITD. Paul's vocal is just so good in my opinion and the song itself is miles better than Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Sole. The final tracklisting on a Paul McCartney album should "never "be based on "obligation". It should be based on releasing the best possible full album. Paul didn't have that problem with Chaos and Creation and with Nigel Godrich. Paul and Nigel had already sorted those decisions out long before the album was released. It's always a problem and very confusing I think to Paul when you have a bunch of people giving their imput.
I also thought that the "demo version" of "Don't Be Careless Love" was far better than the released album version. I never cared for Paul's vocal on that track. And while "How Many People" on the album is ok, I thought the "live" version of "How Many People" with Hamish taking a stronger vocal position singing with Paul was so much better. These are reasons that I thought FITD could have been an almost perfert album instead of what you got. The last third of FITD was a letdown to me as a whole.
Nancy R wrote:
johnnyv wrote:Does anybody know what Paul says at the beginning of Rough Ride? Any idea?
3 words and the first word is definitely "break" and the second is probably "to."
And couldn't it be something like 'break to run'?
johnnyv wrote:
Nancy R wrote:johnnyv wrote:Does anybody know what Paul says at the beginning of Rough Ride? Any idea?
3 words and the first word is definitely "break" and the second is probably "to."
And couldn't it be something like 'break to run'?
Listened again and it sounds like "break the board."
B J Conlee wrote:
I agree with Yankeefan that Paul does better when he works with 1 main producer who is not afraid to disagree with Paul. I still think that "Flowers in the Dirt" is in the top third of Paul's Post Beatles' albums but the slight downfall of FITD was that Paul just had too many "cooks in the Kitchen". Despite that problem, the 1st eight songs on the finished album actually jell and gave the album a great start. I really like My Brave Face, Rough Ride, You Want Her Too, Distractions, We Got Married, Put It There, figure of 8 and This One. It's the final 5 songs on the CD where the album/CD takes a less favorable route in my opinion and all the various producers and Paul screwed up the album as a whole. Again this is my opinion only.
As usual with most of Paul's final released albums, he had many better song alternatives. The last 2 songs on the FITD final CD were the worst. Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Sole didn't deserved to be on the album compared to the terrific songs that could have taken their place. Motor of Love has some decent parts but it is far too long (6:18) and gets too repetitive and I don't know where to begin with the very last track. The producers involved say that they don't like "Rock and Roll" and that is where the problem begins and ends. Conversely, Paul had so many good songs he could have put on FITD. They incude but not limited to:
Back on My Feet
Flying to My Home
Loveliest Thing
The Lovers That Never Were (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
Tommy's Coming Home (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
Twenty Five Fingers (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
So Like Candy (Paul and Elvis's original demo)
My theory to what happened is that Paul felt that after spending so much time on these last 2 songs with those producers that he felt "obligated" to put them on the album. Any one of those 7 songs above would have been far better than Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Sole. The simple demo version of "Lovers That Never Were" in my opinion should have been a "stone cold lock" of being on FITD. Paul's vocal is just so good in my opinion and the song itself is miles better than Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Sole. The final tracklisting on a Paul McCartney album should "never "be based on "obligation". It should be based on releasing the best possible full album. Paul didn't have that problem with Chaos and Creation and with Nigel Godrich. Paul and Nigel had already sorted those decisions out long before the album was released. It's always a problem and very confusing I think to Paul when you have a bunch of people giving their imput.
I also thought that the "demo version" of "Don't Be Careless Love" was far better than the released album version. I never cared for Paul's vocal on that track. And while "How Many People" on the album is ok, I thought the "live" version of "How Many People" with Hamish taking a stronger vocal position singing with Paul was so much better. These are reasons that I thought FITD could have been an almost perfert album instead of what you got. The last third of FITD was a letdown to me as a whole.
If there is one constant thing about most McCartney albums it is the song selection is not always the best and there will be some really good songs left off the initial realease of an album. Like you said BJ, this usually happens when there is multiple producers. Egypt Station is another classic example with two really good songs like "In A Hurry" and "Home Tonight" not included on the album. I agree with you totally on the first eight songs on FITD and I believe he played six of them live on the 1989-90 tour. The end of FITD is the reason why it is not an excellent top three McCartney solo album.
Agree 100% Yankeefan.
I always take up for his song "Motor of Love," it sparkles and puts me in the Milky Way. It transports me. Then the "French sun" song that follows lands me back to earth with a thud, it's very dramatic but so loud and jarring, parts a bit frightening and shivery. Quite a contrast to what came before.
"In a Hurry" and "Home Tonight" strike me a little bit as almost afterthoughts or throwaways, but it's probably just that I haven't listened to these enough. They haven't grown on me. I really like parts of each.