Wild Life - A New Perspective
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RMartinez:
yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
Folks, this is all about preferences. I don't think the article I originally posted claims Wild Life is McCartney's crowning achievement. Nor do I think it is. But I do think there is much about it to appreciate. Some folks don't like Off The Ground. I do. Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life.
"Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. "Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life." Yep, to each their own. I think CHAOS is definitely in Mr. McCartney's top 5 records and "New" is incredibly better than "Wild Life".
That's cool. The world at large, like me, can't remember or name one tune off of Chaos or New. So in that respect, they are no better than Wild Life!
Really, you don't remember the title song of the album CD (New) is "New" - lol.
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And even I can remember that Fine Line was on Chaos!
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Nancy R:
And even I can remember that Fine Line was on Chaos!
Me too Nancy. After all, he played it on his tour, Ellen's TV show and the Grammy award ceremony. Other than that it got no exposure - lol.
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RMartinez:
yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
Folks, this is all about preferences. I don't think the article I originally posted claims Wild Life is McCartney's crowning achievement. Nor do I think it is. But I do think there is much about it to appreciate. Some folks don't like Off The Ground. I do. Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life.
"Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. "Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life." Yep, to each their own. I think CHAOS is definitely in Mr. McCartney's top 5 records and "New" is incredibly better than "Wild Life".
That's cool. The world at large, like me, can't remember or name one tune off of Chaos or New. So in that respect, they are no better than Wild Life!
That's shocking, "RMartinez." I almost never play the Chaos album (too melancholy), but I can name nearly every track on the album.
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yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
Folks, this is all about preferences. I don't think the article I originally posted claims Wild Life is McCartney's crowning achievement. Nor do I think it is. But I do think there is much about it to appreciate. Some folks don't like Off The Ground. I do. Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life.
"Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. "Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life." Yep, to each their own. I think CHAOS is definitely in Mr. McCartney's top 5 records and "New" is incredibly better than "Wild Life".
That's cool. The world at large, like me, can't remember or name one tune off of Chaos or New. So in that respect, they are no better than Wild Life!
Really, you don't remember the title song of the album CD (New) is "New" - lol.
Yeah. It's called "Old!"
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audi:
RMartinez:
yankeefan7:
RMartinez:
Folks, this is all about preferences. I don't think the article I originally posted claims Wild Life is McCartney's crowning achievement. Nor do I think it is. But I do think there is much about it to appreciate. Some folks don't like Off The Ground. I do. Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life.
"Clearly many think Chaos is one of his best. I don't. "Given a choice to listen to NEW or Wild Life, I choose Wild Life." Yep, to each their own. I think CHAOS is definitely in Mr. McCartney's top 5 records and "New" is incredibly better than "Wild Life".
That's cool. The world at large, like me, can't remember or name one tune off of Chaos or New. So in that respect, they are no better than Wild Life!
That's shocking, "RMartinez." I almost never play the Chaos album (too melancholy), but I can name nearly every track on the album.
Not one I gave much of a listen to. I also don't sit around listening to Wild Life. But I did listen to it a lot more in the 70s and 80s. Since 2002, I really don't listen much to the new stuff, especially if it doesn't grab me. MAF did, I think the songs were a lot better, but even then, just four or five songs held me for more than one listening session. I listened to NEW a few times. Didn't do much for me. I like the song "New" but felt "Save Us" was forced and not anywhere near as good as "Only Mama Knows" or "Junior's Farm."
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RMartinez:
toris:
RMartinez:
TommyC909:
Wild Life has 2 riffs, a cover of a mediocre song, an embarrassing Linda vocal, and 4 proper songs. No question it's Paul's low point. By the way, Chaos is his masterpiece.
Yeah. Sure it is. :
Well... I think it would be hard to argue that Chaos is not the more artistic, polished, complete, critically received album of the two.... that being said, if I'm fumbling around for something different to listen to, and one album is at my right hand, the other at my left, more often than not I'd take Wild Life ahead of Chaos. Foibles, Linda's vocals, half-finished songs and all.
I suppose, based on what I have read about it (Chaos, I mean). My listening to it, and others I know who are real fans, just shrugged their shoulders and said "Meh." But it is more polished in the modern sense of the word. It's also probably more polished than Band On The Run. But it isn't better.
Agreed. I still, even after all these years, haven't totally made up my mind on Chaos. Probably for another thread, but it leaves me a little dry. A bit forced at times. I fully appreciate the 'artistic integrity' of it all, and there are some quality tracks, but I kinda wanted to walk away from it feeling better/happier. Lacked a killer track. No great rockers. The choice of single was poor. I kinda have a better time with Wild Life. Nothing wrong with 'rawness' over 'polish', I figure!
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toris:
RMartinez:
toris:
RMartinez:
TommyC909:
Wild Life has 2 riffs, a cover of a mediocre song, an embarrassing Linda vocal, and 4 proper songs. No question it's Paul's low point. By the way, Chaos is his masterpiece.
Yeah. Sure it is. :
Well... I think it would be hard to argue that Chaos is not the more artistic, polished, complete, critically received album of the two.... that being said, if I'm fumbling around for something different to listen to, and one album is at my right hand, the other at my left, more often than not I'd take Wild Life ahead of Chaos. Foibles, Linda's vocals, half-finished songs and all.
I suppose, based on what I have read about it (Chaos, I mean). My listening to it, and others I know who are real fans, just shrugged their shoulders and said "Meh." But it is more polished in the modern sense of the word. It's also probably more polished than Band On The Run. But it isn't better.
Agreed. I still, even after all these years, haven't totally made up my mind on Chaos. Probably for another thread, but it leaves me a little dry. A bit forced at times. I fully appreciate the 'artistic integrity' of it all, and there are some quality tracks, but I kinda wanted to walk away from it feeling better/happier. Lacked a killer track. No great rockers. The choice of single was poor. I kinda have a better time with Wild Life. Nothing wrong with 'rawness' over 'polish', I figure!
I agree! I enjoyed McCartney II, even though it was rough around the edges. I was thinking about this thread and all the comments. In the Beatles, there were two great songwriters, and add an up and coming great songwriter. That means on their albums we got the BEST from all of them, which made for excellent albums. After the break up, they made albums as solo artists, but now had to fill two sides of an LP. That means their not so great stuff ended up on the record. That's not just Paul, but John too, and George. So, I always like about four or five of the songs on their solo records. To me, Paul's crowning achievement as a solo artist was Band On The Run. He really nailed that whole album. And John's was probably the Imagine LP. For George, it would be hard to surpass All Things Must Pass LP. IMO.
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When it comes to Wildlife, it's about feel. The songwriting is secondary in this instance. The album has a great feel to it.
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And as for the much maligned Mumbo and Bip Bop, they are two of the most memorable opening tracks on any McCartney record. Mumbo is haltingly unhinged and wild, and Bip Bop in insistently hooky and infectious. Very strange and initially unexpected, I'll grant you, but terrific and foolishly brave, in their way. I do not mean to diminish other great one-two punches, like Big Barn Bed/My Love, BOTR/Jet (incredible), V&M/Rockshow, or even Dance Tonight/Ever Present Past.
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Shawn:
When it comes to Wildlife, it's about feel. The songwriting is secondary in this instance. The album has a great feel to it.
The sound is very organic and the performances,while a bit sloppy in places, are absolutely charming, which is the main appeal of the album for me. I could easily lose those first three tracks though and replace them with,for example, 'Little Lamb Dragonfly' & '1882' . Btw, in case anyone is interested, the cover photo for Wildlife was taken in Osterley Park, Isleworth, a location Wings returned to two years later, to create the cover for 'Band On The Run'.
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Kestrel:
Shawn:
When it comes to Wildlife, it's about feel. The songwriting is secondary in this instance. The album has a great feel to it.
The sound is very organic and the performances,while a bit sloppy in places, are absolutely charming, which is the main appeal of the album for me. I could easily lose those first three tracks though and replace them with,for example, 'Little Lamb Dragonfly' & '1882' . Btw, in case anyone is interested, the cover photo for Wildlife was taken in Osterley Park, Isleworth, a location Wings returned to two years later, to create the cover for 'Band On The Run'.
Even better, just add Little Lamb Dragonfly and 1882. The album could have used a few more tracks anyway. Now that would be one heck of an album.
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RMartinez:
toris:
RMartinez:
toris:
RMartinez:
TommyC909:
Wild Life has 2 riffs, a cover of a mediocre song, an embarrassing Linda vocal, and 4 proper songs. No question it's Paul's low point. By the way, Chaos is his masterpiece.
Yeah. Sure it is. :
Well... I think it would be hard to argue that Chaos is not the more artistic, polished, complete, critically received album of the two.... that being said, if I'm fumbling around for something different to listen to, and one album is at my right hand, the other at my left, more often than not I'd take Wild Life ahead of Chaos. Foibles, Linda's vocals, half-finished songs and all.
I suppose, based on what I have read about it (Chaos, I mean). My listening to it, and others I know who are real fans, just shrugged their shoulders and said "Meh." But it is more polished in the modern sense of the word. It's also probably more polished than Band On The Run. But it isn't better.
Agreed. I still, even after all these years, haven't totally made up my mind on Chaos. Probably for another thread, but it leaves me a little dry. A bit forced at times. I fully appreciate the 'artistic integrity' of it all, and there are some quality tracks, but I kinda wanted to walk away from it feeling better/happier. Lacked a killer track. No great rockers. The choice of single was poor. I kinda have a better time with Wild Life. Nothing wrong with 'rawness' over 'polish', I figure!
I agree! I enjoyed McCartney II, even though it was rough around the edges. I was thinking about this thread and all the comments. In the Beatles, there were two great songwriters, and add an up and coming great songwriter. That means on their albums we got the BEST from all of them, which made for excellent albums. After the break up, they made albums as solo artists, but now had to fill two sides of an LP. That means their not so great stuff ended up on the record. That's not just Paul, but John too, and George. So, I always like about four or five of the songs on their solo records. To me, Paul's crowning achievement as a solo artist was Band On The Run. He really nailed that whole album. And John's was probably the Imagine LP. For George, it would be hard to surpass All Things Must Pass LP. IMO.
Very, very good point.
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toris:
RMartinez:
toris:
RMartinez:
TommyC909:
Wild Life has 2 riffs, a cover of a mediocre song, an embarrassing Linda vocal, and 4 proper songs. No question it's Paul's low point. By the way, Chaos is his masterpiece.
Yeah. Sure it is. :
Well... I think it would be hard to argue that Chaos is not the more artistic, polished, complete, critically received album of the two.... that being said, if I'm fumbling around for something different to listen to, and one album is at my right hand, the other at my left, more often than not I'd take Wild Life ahead of Chaos. Foibles, Linda's vocals, half-finished songs and all.
I suppose, based on what I have read about it (Chaos, I mean). My listening to it, and others I know who are real fans, just shrugged their shoulders and said "Meh." But it is more polished in the modern sense of the word. It's also probably more polished than Band On The Run. But it isn't better.
Agreed. I still, even after all these years, haven't totally made up my mind on Chaos. Probably for another thread, but it leaves me a little dry. A bit forced at times. I fully appreciate the 'artistic integrity' of it all, and there are some quality tracks, but I kinda wanted to walk away from it feeling better/happier. Lacked a killer track. No great rockers. The choice of single was poor. I kinda have a better time with Wild Life. Nothing wrong with 'rawness' over 'polish', I figure!
CHAOS was a somber record for the most part, it was not supposed to be one that made you happy IMO.
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Shawn:
And as for the much maligned Mumbo and Bip Bop, they are two of the most memorable opening tracks on any McCartney record. Mumbo is haltingly unhinged and wild, and Bip Bop in insistently hooky and infectious. Very strange and initially unexpected, I'll grant you, but terrific and foolishly brave, in their way. I do not mean to diminish other great one-two punches, like Big Barn Bed/My Love, BOTR/Jet (incredible), V&M/Rockshow, or even Dance Tonight/Ever Present Past.
I think we have disagreed on this years before but I will once again state that those two songs are among the worst ones ever on a McCartney record IMO. To each their own - lol.
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I wouldn't mind a rollicking soundcheck performance of "Mumbo."
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RMartinez:
http://www.trunkworthy.com/wild-life-one-mccartney-albums-40-year-journey-from-appalling-to-amazing/
I find it kind of funny how some people like critics when they revisit a McCartney record they trashed when it was released (RAM, Wild Life) and then say maybe it is not so bad many years later. Yet, these same people think records like CHAOS that get real good critical acclaim are just "meh". lol.
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audi:
I wouldn't mind a rollicking soundcheck performance of "Mumbo."
Glad you do, I would rather hear "Soily"
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That needs to be in the show!
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audi:
That needs to be in the show!
I agree, IMO it should end the first encore.