New - Track-by-track thoughts
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He was in "I'm just a scruff from Speke" mode while writing that line, while remembering seeing that naked picture
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FrankieJ:
On my way to work, I bought a magazine Inside a pretty girl liked to water ski She came from Chichester to study history She had removed her clothes for the likes of me Can someone tell me if Paul is trying to convey some kind of message here? I can't figure out if he's singing this in a positive way, negative way or just indifferent. Is he condoning the sexualisation of women in magazines or is he against it? Or maybe it's just an observation with no opinion attached. Thoughts?
Your concern about Paul maybe ''condoning sexualisation of women in magazines" is quite a strange and naive attitude. Pornography has always existed and never more than today. How can anyone deny the sexuality of men and women it is a basic and natural part of life. So what if Paul used to look at girlie magazines ? I certainly did and what was in Playboy, Penthouse, etc was certainly tame by today's standard of what is openly available on the net. Every man ,up until the age of the internet, probably saw their first naked woman in a magazine.
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Save Us - great opener. Has anyone rhymed "battle" with "that'll" before? Proves he's back and rocking, although unfortunately the rest of the world didn't get the memo. Alligator - great song. Something in that high keyboard riff reminds me of 1980-era Genesis, but otherwise, modern and commanding. That guitar line leading down into the chorus is so classic Paul. On My Way To Work - rapidly rising in my estimation. Really loving those dissonant, Eastern-flavored breaks now, and the whole idea of not knowing how you're going to connect with someone in this big world. Queenie Eye - befuddling at first, but now it's constantly in my head. I've really come to appreciate it as an incisive comment on fame in general. Early Days - Paul is always trying to set the record straight about the past, but he's never done it more eloquently than this. Shades of "Little Willow," too. New - one of his most beguiling melodies ever, and lyrics that are disarmingly positive. After the "Wings Over America" setup, not sure if it was the best choice for a single, but it's a classic anyway. Shut up. Appreciate - I was not prepared for how cool this song is. Doesn't sound labored, like some P2P tracks I could name. If he were a complete unknown, it could be a viral hit, but... Everybody Out There - instant classic, and initially my favorite song, though now I'm not so sure, with its insistence on audience participation. Should have been a single, but did they worry it was too preachy? Hosanna - works to shift the mood a bit in the context of the album, but hasn't totally won me over, though it feels honest. I Can Bet - verses and pre-chorus are killer, but the chorus itself feels a bit like an afterthought; otherwise it would be a great single. Looking At Her - reminds me that when they say Paul admires Kanye and Usher, maybe this was his response. Sinuous and sexy, but doesn't feel totally convincing, though it's growing on me. Road - blown away by the bass line, and I love those heavy piano hits in the breaks. Nice, moody way to end the main album. Turned Out - really fun, Harrison-like song. Could have been on the album, or on AN album by Paul anyway. Get Me Out Of Here - wondering if he really had to say "I'm a celebrity" - I get the joke, but I'm no fan of reality shows. Still, this style suits his current vocal abilities right down to the ground! Scared - a polarizing track, but I think it's the best melody on the whole album. The bare, raw instrumentation is a strength in highlighting the vulnerable aspect of the lyrics, but on the other hand it could have been sumptuous with strings and/or horns.
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^^ Nice review. Thanks for your thoughts on it.
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On My Way To Work---what does he mean by "picked the packets up?" The empty packets of cigs? Was he hoping to find one left in them or just being a good Samaritan?
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Martin Luther:
On My Way To Work---what does he mean by "picked the packets up?" The empty packets of cigs? Was he hoping to find one left in them or just being a good Samaritan?
I was puzzled by that line also. I assume he was probably looking for a leftover cigarette because he was too skint after buying the girlie mag.
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Apollo C. Vermouth:
Martin Luther:
On My Way To Work---what does he mean by "picked the packets up?" The empty packets of cigs? Was he hoping to find one left in them or just being a good Samaritan?
I was puzzled by that line also. I assume he was probably looking for a leftover cigarette because he was too skint after buying the girlie mag.
In one of his recent interviews he said they used to collect old cigarette packs like baseball cards. Must be a British thing. (or at least it was back then)
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British cigarette packs used to have coupons in them you could collect the coupons and buy things with them . Think this is what Paul is meaning in the lyric , I do remember the coupon shops been around as a kid in the 60's . Paul grow up in hard times, there wasn't much money around in post war Britain this kind of scavenging would have been common then . I remember my granddad used to follow coal trucks and pick up bits of coal that fell off the trucks , we forget how industrious that generation was they knew how to survive on very little .
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Bruce M.:
Apollo C. Vermouth:
Martin Luther:
On My Way To Work---what does he mean by "picked the packets up?" The empty packets of cigs? Was he hoping to find one left in them or just being a good Samaritan?
I was puzzled by that line also. I assume he was probably looking for a leftover cigarette because he was too skint after buying the girlie mag.
In one of his recent interviews he said they used to collect old cigarette packs like baseball cards. Must be a British thing. (or at least it was back then)
Yeah, those Brits are weirdos. They sent all their good ones to Australia.... Just joking, folks.
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Love the whole CD with the exception of Appreciate cant stop playing it and I keep discovering new things and new fave song the MAN still has it
kapoo:
just listened and knocked out my thoughts to contribute here! Save Us ? Awesome riff, great rocker, great song, great album opener. Great great great. Alligator - Flow Macca, work it, and jam out that loud ass guitar. Great music and cool lyrics, all I can say. One of my favs. On My Way to Work - decent , not a humungous fan. Queenie Eye ? this song rocks and has that McCartney jam bounce. I dig, nice rock singing on it. Dogs and bitched hunt for fame. Early Days ? very pretty and meaningful. I tend to skip it though honestly. New ? song of the year IMO, love it. Appreciate ? Yeah man, love the beat and the downlow melody, very sinister and dare I say.. shnazzy. Appreciate. Great lyrics for such a jammy jam. Everybody Out There ? fun party song, well done, some good guitar bits Hosanna ? this is a deep spiritual song IMO, I kind of like it. It requires smoking herb to really get it IMO. I had to. I Can Bet ? love this song, very what I?m hoping for with Paul. Great instrumentation and tight rhythm, jammy. Cool lyrics Looking At Her ? take a look at the beauty, love this song. Another great low down vocal, and then that badass techno blast. Great stuff. Road ? I like how the song builds, but not a fav. Not sure why. Love the album.
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The beeb:
Of all Pauls vast output as a solo artist , only two of his songs have ever suceeded in bringing me to the edge of tears," too much rain" and now, " scared" . Raw emotion as we , the listener, are privy to an intimate moment as paul, hesitant and uncertain as to how the declaration of the depth of his feelings for Nancy will be received by her, sings this beautiful ballad as if running it past us as one would a close friend before presenting it to Nancy ." What do think,...will she like it ? Is it too......,.. ? What if...........? paul I for one just love it. I,ll never get to tell you face to face , but, thank you so much for sharing your god given talent with us .
Macca solo songs that made me tear up... Little Willow does it for me, especially watching the video
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Bruce M.:
Apollo C. Vermouth:
Martin Luther:
On My Way To Work---what does he mean by "picked the packets up?" The empty packets of cigs? Was he hoping to find one left in them or just being a good Samaritan?
I was puzzled by that line also. I assume he was probably looking for a leftover cigarette because he was too skint after buying the girlie mag.
In one of his recent interviews he said they used to collect old cigarette packs like baseball cards. Must be a British thing. (or at least it was back then)
I have a sister that collected matchstick boxes from different restaurants.
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Maybe hoping to find a left-over ciggie in those packs, but cigarette packs in the US used to have things like coupons, baseball and other type trading cards, etc., so maybe England did, also? (Or maybe he was just being ecologically-minded and picking up the litter?)
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Now that I have generally digested "NEW", I love this CD. Here are my track by track thoughts: Save Us (9 out of 10) - great opener that rocks; nice lyrics too. Alligator (10 out of 10) - the kind of mid-tempo Macca track that I love; the melody is so infectious and I love the "could you be that person to me"middle. On My Way To Work (9 out of 10) - Another great mid-tempo melodic track and love the lyrics. Queenie Eye (10 out of 10) - Such a creative and addictive track with great lyrics. So Beatlesque and Mr. Epworth's drumming sounds like a young Richard Starkey. Early Days (10 out of 10) - Destined to be a Macca classic. Love everything...the vocal, the music and the lyrics New (10 out of 10) Another instant Macca Solo classic. Great bouncy melody that sounds like Macca from his Revolver/Magical Mystery Tour era. Appreciate (9 out of 10) - Paul really stretches his musical styles here and makes the album so diverse. My first thought is that Appreciate has a little Michael Jackson/Quincy Jones feel. Combines R&B, Hip-Hop and Electronica in a neat way that is still Paul. Love the fast "reciprocate your love" Bridge and the ending guitar solo. Everybody Out There (9 out of 10) - at first I thought this track could come across as cheesy but with the REM like guitar solos coupled with Paul's awesome vocals, this rocker just grabs you. A good feeling song with a nice bridge "but for the Grace of God" line. Hosanna (9 out of 10) - Another track that gives "NEW" diversity. The atypical "dark" guitar based ballad takes you by surprise. This was a grower for me that I started to like more and more. I think the vocal could have been better in parts but it doesn't take away from the beauty of the melody and lyrics. Love the production with the early morning/ocean sound effects. I Can Bet (9 out of 10) - 3rd great rocker from New and perfectly placed after Hosanna. Sounds like the "cousin" of "If You Wanna" track from Flaming Pie but better. Even the guitar solo has that Steve Miller sound. Paul should play this one live along with about 6 other songs from NEW. Looking At Her (8 out of 10) - Like the haunting guitar intro and this track instantly grabs you. Another great Macca vocal and I like the sweet and sour nature of the music and lyrics. I sort of got the feeling that Paul could have done more with this song (like it was unfinished) but it is a good album track. Nice guitar solo also. Road (8.5 out of 10) - Another track that doesn't sound like Paul immediately. It has a little Early Genesis/ Peter Gabriel or even Moody Blues type of feel, but the big epic sound makes it a catchy ending to the proper album. It is still growing with me and at the least is a good album cut. Scared (8 out of 10) - Unlike all the other songs, this "hidden" ballad has stark production with just Paul on the piano. It didn't knock me out at first but has continued to grow. Like Paul's vocals and the honesty of the lyrics. Like Early Days, it is more introspective than we normally get from Paul. Melody is still growing with me. In my opinion, NEW will go down as one of Paul's best Solo albums. My Birthday was in October so Thank you Paul for a great present.
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Fly Paul Fly to Australia:
The beeb:
Of all Pauls vast output as a solo artist , only two of his songs have ever suceeded in bringing me to the edge of tears," too much rain" and now, " scared" . Raw emotion as we , the listener, are privy to an intimate moment as paul, hesitant and uncertain as to how the declaration of the depth of his feelings for Nancy will be received by her, sings this beautiful ballad as if running it past us as one would a close friend before presenting it to Nancy ." What do think,...will she like it ? Is it too......,.. ? What if...........? paul I for one just love it. I,ll never get to tell you face to face , but, thank you so much for sharing your god given talent with us .
Macca solo songs that made me tear up... Little Willow does it for me, especially watching the video
For me it's Here Today, The End of the End and Early Days.
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Bruce M.:
Fly Paul Fly to Australia:
The beeb:
Of all Pauls vast output as a solo artist , only two of his songs have ever suceeded in bringing me to the edge of tears," too much rain" and now, " scared" . Raw emotion as we , the listener, are privy to an intimate moment as paul, hesitant and uncertain as to how the declaration of the depth of his feelings for Nancy will be received by her, sings this beautiful ballad as if running it past us as one would a close friend before presenting it to Nancy ." What do think,...will she like it ? Is it too......,.. ? What if...........? paul I for one just love it. I,ll never get to tell you face to face , but, thank you so much for sharing your god given talent with us .
Macca solo songs that made me tear up... Little Willow does it for me, especially watching the video
For me it's Here Today, The End of the End and Early Days.
I lost much of the ability to cry to songs some time ago. But I live on the emotion of a song, the way it can put something into the guts that refluxes and jumps back into the heart and the throat. I love the way music can make you feel so bad that it eventually makes you feel better. Or it makes you feel so good for no reason at all. And I love the way it shoots something into the adrenalin system that resonates. To me, that original song was ?A Day in the Life?, back many years ago when I first heard it. Just ?lifts? me every time. It?s a ?tingler?. And I love ?tinglers?. Of Pauls songs, I do relate to the emotion of ?Here Today? and ?Little Willow? because of the significance of those songs to him and his mates. And to us. I sort of cried when I heard ?Scared??. I cried out ?So, that?s it, huh, that?s the hidden track!?? Where?s the melody? Where did you hide that?? (no offence to lovers of that song... sorry. couldn't help myself) If I was to use non-Beatles parallels, I would mention ?Goodnight Saigon? by Billy Joel. There are parts of that which simply send a rip up by guts. Probably the last time I cried was listening to Jeff Buckley. And before that John?s ?Beautiful Boy?. That still gets me.
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I'm really loving this album, but not ready to give each song a rating, so I'll just rank them in order of my current level of enjoyment. Don't really think there's a bad song in the bunch though. Queenie Eye Appreciate On My Way to Work Alligator Looking At Her Early Days I Can Bet Everybody Out There New Save Us Hosanna Scared Road
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Bump....did I somehow kill this thread?
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prudence1964:
I'm really loving this album, but not ready to give each song a rating, so I'll just rank them in order of my current level of enjoyment. Don't really think there's a bad song in the bunch though. Queenie Eye Appreciate On My Way to Work Alligator Looking At Her Early Days I Can Bet Everybody Out There New Save Us Hosanna Scared Road
Hi Prudence. It keeps changing for me, too
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Now that the honeymoon period is over, I look at NEW in portions or chunks rather than song order: Excluding the bonus tracks (which should?ve been on the album ? and in no particular order on each separate line): 1. Appreciate/Queenie Eye/I Can Bet/Save Us 2. New/Everybody Out there/Early Days/On My Way to Work/Alligator 3. Road/Looking at Her 4. 5. Hosanna 6. 7. 8. Scared