Defense Case 2- Off the Ground
-
always Sounds like a Wings album to me....the B-sides should been on the album,,
-
crisstti:
Nancy R:
There was no "deal" about Maybe I'm Amazed not being released as a single. The thing was, the other Beatles (John) wanted Paul to delay McCartney's (the album) release until after Let It Be. Paul refused and put it out in April 1970.
He put it out but released no single. Sure seems like a concession of sorts. Since it was an Apple album, couldn't the other Beatles have outright stopped its release until after Let it Be?.
Probably not if Paul had already been given a release date.
-
Yes, I agree here that "Golden Earth Girl" and the more sublte songs sounds good with this kind of production sheen, or what to call it, I have about three English words to choose from in my vocabulary. ops: It's the rockers that sounds a little flat, or could have needed more 'rawness' or less polish. at least to my ears.
-
Hendrix Ibsen:
Yes, I agree here that "Golden Earth Girl" and the more sublte songs sounds good with this kind of production sheen, or what to call it, I have about three English words to choose from in my vocabulary. ops: It's the rockers that sounds a little flat, or could have needed more 'rawness' or less polish. at least to my ears.
You're exactly correct regarding the rockers. They sound too slick. This is what John Lennon went out of his way to avoid on his solo album's rockers.
-
80's prudction influence I guess.
-
I don't know, don't think I would placed it in the 80s, it is not 'synthetic', with the typical bombastic synth drums of the 80s. I think "New" sounds more 80s than "Off the Ground" do, it's pretty much a band album, only with lots of polish in the production. I remember when it came out, in 1993, in the middle of the grunge era, with Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and this kind of new found basic approach to recording, after lots of overproduction in the 80s, with Steve Albini, who was not credited with producing, but recording, and "Off the Ground" was critized for being kind of out of tune with it. I think it's a good album, always enjoyed it, but I don't think it belongs to any particular era, sonically. :
-
jgm0228:
Another clear case of disappointment. Like Press to Play, people weren't expecting this type of music from Paul. They expected another FITD. What they got was a much more light-hearted, less artsy but more catchy, album that has a lot to offer. The songwriting is great, Hope of Deliverance, Cmon People should go into his list of masterpieces. Yes the faster tempo songs were more simple but that's how faster music tends to be. FITD had much more slow songs, hence the more diverse writing. And it's good to have more faster songs. That was my one complaint with FITD. Every song on that album is perfect by itself, but added together they are too sad, not enough straight forward rockers. Off The Ground combines all tempos, and we should respect that. Any thoughts?
It was OK album, thought FITD was much better. "Hope Of Deliverance" and title track were the only ones I really liked a bunch.
-
yankeefan7:
jgm0228:
Another clear case of disappointment. Like Press to Play, people weren't expecting this type of music from Paul. They expected another FITD. What they got was a much more light-hearted, less artsy but more catchy, album that has a lot to offer. The songwriting is great, Hope of Deliverance, Cmon People should go into his list of masterpieces. Yes the faster tempo songs were more simple but that's how faster music tends to be. FITD had much more slow songs, hence the more diverse writing. And it's good to have more faster songs. That was my one complaint with FITD. Every song on that album is perfect by itself, but added together they are too sad, not enough straight forward rockers. Off The Ground combines all tempos, and we should respect that. Any thoughts?
It was OK album, thought FITD was much better. "Hope Of Deliverance" and title track were the only ones I really liked a bunch.
I tend to view OTG as a much inferior version of FITD, similar to Pipes of Peace as inferior to Tug of War.
-
Yes, I also see the similarities, and I think I will have to agree, both are from the Elvis Costello period, I don't know if "Off the Ground" contain 'leftovers' from "Flowers in the Dirt", which is often talked about in terms of "Tug of War" vs. "Pipes of Peace".
-
Nancy R:
crisstti:
Nancy R:
There was no "deal" about Maybe I'm Amazed not being released as a single. The thing was, the other Beatles (John) wanted Paul to delay McCartney's (the album) release until after Let It Be. Paul refused and put it out in April 1970.
He put it out but released no single. Sure seems like a concession of sorts. Since it was an Apple album, couldn't the other Beatles have outright stopped its release until after Let it Be?.
Probably not if Paul had already been given a release date.
I think they could have. Seems they had for a moment, per Wikipedia at least this was what Ringo went to inform Paul to his house when Paul "threw" him out. BTW, the WIkipedia article about the McCartney album seems rather biased against Paul. For example: "McCartney has said that he "boycotted" Apple's offices after Klein's arrival in 1969,[21][51] and biographers observe that his continued isolation in 1970 led to Lennon, Harrison and Starr making business decisions without McCartney's input." Wasn't the hiring of Klein in the first place a pretty huge business secision which they made without Paul, and which if anything led to Paul "boycotting" Apple's offices?.
-
My personal thought about OTG is that Paul made this record in a completely state of happiness and relax about himself and his life. FITD is the prove that he still was an excellent musician, and it came in the perfect time. OTG is Paul being Paul, and the result is a sweet and a wonderfully melodic LP. I sense happiness in every single song. I can't find the exact words... but I feel that Paul had finally solve all his existential problems that came after John's death.
-
Yes, Paul seemed so happy around that time, not just when it came to this album. Such a shame then Linda's illness would come
-
crisstti:
Yes, Paul seemed so happy around that time, not just when it came to this album. Such a shame then Linda's illness would come
Exactly. The period 1989-1996 were amazingly happy for him.
-
Simply put, a fine album and I'm unsure why it receives the criticism it does. I would go as far to say it has a better feel overall as a body of work that Flowers In The Dirt.
-
audi:
Ironically, it's the rockers on Off The Ground where the production lacks something; you'd think that less would be expected.
Doubly ironic - he almost left the title track off the album because it was initially 'wimpy' (his words)...I think he credits Wix for helping getting that song 'off the ground'(ok, pun intended )...I wonder what that album would have been called if the title track was dropped as initially planned
-
rich n:
audi:
Ironically, it's the rockers on Off The Ground where the production lacks something; you'd think that less would be expected.
Doubly ironic - he almost left the title track off the album because it was initially 'wimpy' (his words)...I think he credits Wix for helping getting that song 'off the ground'(ok, pun intended )...I wonder what that album would have been called if the title track was dropped as initially planned
Good question!.... especially given the album cover was predicated on that same song. "I can't imagine." That would've been an interesting title.
-
crisstti:
Nancy R:
crisstti:
Nancy R:
There was no "deal" about Maybe I'm Amazed not being released as a single. The thing was, the other Beatles (John) wanted Paul to delay McCartney's (the album) release until after Let It Be. Paul refused and put it out in April 1970.
He put it out but released no single. Sure seems like a concession of sorts. Since it was an Apple album, couldn't the other Beatles have outright stopped its release until after Let it Be?.
Probably not if Paul had already been given a release date.
I think they could have. Seems they had for a moment, per Wikipedia at least this was what Ringo went to inform Paul to his house when Paul "threw" him out. BTW, the WIkipedia article about the McCartney album seems rather biased against Paul. For example: "McCartney has said that he "boycotted" Apple's offices after Klein's arrival in 1969,[21][51] and biographers observe that his continued isolation in 1970 led to Lennon, Harrison and Starr making business decisions without McCartney's input." Wasn't the hiring of Klein in the first place a pretty huge business secision which they made without Paul, and which if anything led to Paul "boycotting" Apple's offices?.
About Klein: Yes. I think, regarding McCartney album, that John and the others just gave up and let Paul release it.
-
JoeySmith:
Paul tries too hard on most of this album & it comes off as feeling "forced". Looking for Changes, Cmon People, and Biker Like an Icon are "message" songs that simply doesnt work. Get out of my Way, Winedark Open Sea, Hope of Deliverance are examples of Paul trying to write to a certain style & it feels like songwriting by numbers - too sterile, no soul. The only songs that are in any way innovative or above average are the 2 Elvis collaborations and Golden Earth Girl.
These two sentences tells it all! the album is not bad, it is just a moderate album. take out Paul vocals (which were not his best here) and the album could be in anyone else names. nothing McCartney except what was left from the Elvis collaborations . which is the only thing I hear from the album in the last years.
-
Am I the only person who likes Biker Like an Icon? Why does this song bother so many people? Is it the hokey rhymes? The unhappy ending? The precious water?
-
JoeySmith:
Paul tries too hard on most of this album & it comes off as feeling "forced". Looking for Changes, Cmon People, and Biker Like an Icon are "message" songs that simply doesnt work. Get out of my Way, Winedark Open Sea, Hope of Deliverance are examples of Paul trying to write to a certain style & it feels like songwriting by numbers - too sterile, no soul. The only songs that are in any way innovative or above average are the 2 Elvis collaborations and Golden Earth Girl.
Same could be said about Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation, and New. None of these have better songs than OTG. And that is not saying OTG has amazing songs, they just are better McCartney songs. When Paul dabbles in other genres (as he is currently doing) he is obviously talented enough to pull it off. But it is not his best work. It will naturally be "forced" since it isn't his comfort zone. Paul is best when he is being Paul.