Tug of War 2015 Remix / Track by Track review
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BOYCIE:
B J Conlee:
Boycie, Thanks for posting the Pitchfork review. I have another review that I think is worth posting. It is RS's new review on the 2015 Tug of War and Pipes of Peace Remaster versions. Interesting the author, Rob Sheffield ends his review by saying "The goodies are there if you do some digging". Again, he totally ignores the total greatness of Tug in his review. He praises Here Today and Wanderlust and talks about the Stevie Wonder collaborations but doesn't even mention the title cut, Take It Away, Somebody Who Cares, The Pound is Sinking, Ballroom Dancing etc. He gives Tug of War 3.5 stars which I personally thinks underestimates its greatness. I sent a reply to Mr. Sheffield saying that "perhaps he should reread the original 5 star RS review on Tug of War. If you could also post this Review, I would appreciate it. I think it deserves discussion on this forum. Thanks
Here we go B J Conlee, the original '82 review and the 2015 review from RS. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/tug-of-war-19820527 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/paul-mccartney-tug-of-war-deluxe-edition-20151005
_____________________________________________________ Boycie, thanks again for posting the above reviews. After spending almost a week listening to the Fabulous Tug of War, it was nice to reread Stephen Holden's original 5 star Tug of War review from Rollingstone in 1982. Now this is a blueprint for music critics on how they should do their job. Not only did Mr. Holden listen to the whole album (probably several times) but he tells the reader just why he believes that Tug was one of Paul finest hours in terms of his Post Beatles' recording career. Nothing lazy here as he pinpoints all the great songs on Tug of War. Then you go to the other review...Rob Sheffied's lazy effort depicting Tug of War. His last sentence in describing Tug of War (and Pipes of Peace) tells it all... "The goodies are there if you do some digging". If he has to do some digging to find the goodies in Tug of War, then he must be tone deaf. He gives Tug 3.5 stars I guess because he had to work to find a couple of good songs. My advice to Mr . Sheffield is to just start at track 1 and listen for the next 40 plus minutes.
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B J Conlee:
Just got the Remixed 2015 Tug of War album and thought it would be a perfect time for Track by Track Review and how you think it compares with other Paul Post Beatles' albums. First the track by track review (based on 1-10 ratings on each song) Tug of War - 10 Right up there with Paul's greatest Beatle songs; love everything- lyrics, melody and vocal Take It Away - 10 One of Paul's greatest Post Beatle pop songs; love the lyrics, vocals and Paul's bass Somebody Who Cares - 9 One of Paul's most underrated songs; love the vocals and spanish guitar What's That Your Doing - 7 My least favorite track but still ok; gives the album more diversity with Wonder's R&B and Funk vibe and Paul easily holds his own trading vocal lines with Stevie Here Today - 10 Paul's Post Beatles Yesterday complete with George Martin's gorgeous string production; one of Paul's best lyrics with great vocals Ballroom Dancing - 9 Paul lightens the mood with this Fun ode to the old days of Ballroom Dancing. As usual, Paul is the best at generic clever lyrics that match the bouncy melody The Pound is Sinking - 10 Again the Remix really brings out the best on this track. It has so much diversity within the same song...rock, pop, soul etc. Love the electric guitars. Macca/Martin production here kind of reminds me of Michael Jackson working with Quincy Jones Wanderlust - 10 Paul's Post Beatle Let It Be with the hymn like gorgeous melody; Paul's vocal is out of this world and I love the Counter melody lines at the end Get It - 9 Unlike the 1st Wonder collaboration earlier, you can tell that this is Paul's song with Carl Perkins guesting. A fun rockabilly song that is definitely a Macca strength and he brings out the best in Carl Perkins. Mr. Perkins is having a blast working with one of the greats! Be What You See/Dress Me Up as a Robber - 8.5 Another track where the new remix improves the song dramatically in my opinion. Again, gives the album more diversity with its R&B vibe against the rock styled electric guitars Ebony and Ivory - 9 This song became hated because it was too successful at the time where FM radio played it to death. Fact is when you hear it now it is a very good pop song with clever lyrics about race relations and problems. The subject is still as valid as ever. Paul getting Stevie to collaborate was genius with the two taking vocal turns. ______________________________________________________ Rollingstone was definitely right...this is one of Paul's Post Beatle Masterpieces. It certainly is right up there with Band on the Run, Flaming Pie, Chaos, Memory Almost Full and maybe Ram. After hearing Tug of War in this fabulous Remix and with no less than 5 perfect #10 tracks (again my opinion on the individual tracks) Tug of War is arguably Paul's greatest Post Beatle Album.
Agree totally, loved this album when it was released. It always disappointed me that Mr. McCartney did not perform more song from it live. Heck, we know the only reason he does "Here Today" is because it is a tribute to Mr. Lennon.
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B J Conlee:
Just got the Remixed 2015 Tug of War album and thought it would be a perfect time for Track by Track Review and how you think it compares with other Paul Post Beatles' albums. First the track by track review (based on 1-10 ratings on each song) Tug of War - 10 Right up there with Paul's greatest Beatle songs; love everything- lyrics, melody and vocal Take It Away - 10 One of Paul's greatest Post Beatle pop songs; love the lyrics, vocals and Paul's bass Somebody Who Cares - 9 One of Paul's most underrated songs; love the vocals and spanish guitar What's That Your Doing - 7 My least favorite track but still ok; gives the album more diversity with Wonder's R&B and Funk vibe and Paul easily holds his own trading vocal lines with Stevie Here Today - 10 Paul's Post Beatles Yesterday complete with George Martin's gorgeous string production; one of Paul's best lyrics with great vocals Ballroom Dancing - 9 Paul lightens the mood with this Fun ode to the old days of Ballroom Dancing. As usual, Paul is the best at generic clever lyrics that match the bouncy melody The Pound is Sinking - 10 Again the Remix really brings out the best on this track. It has so much diversity within the same song...rock, pop, soul etc. Love the electric guitars. Macca/Martin production here kind of reminds me of Michael Jackson working with Quincy Jones Wanderlust - 10 Paul's Post Beatle Let It Be with the hymn like gorgeous melody; Paul's vocal is out of this world and I love the Counter melody lines at the end Get It - 9 Unlike the 1st Wonder collaboration earlier, you can tell that this is Paul's song with Carl Perkins guesting. A fun rockabilly song that is definitely a Macca strength and he brings out the best in Carl Perkins. Mr. Perkins is having a blast working with one of the greats! Be What You See/Dress Me Up as a Robber - 8.5 Another track where the new remix improves the song dramatically in my opinion. Again, gives the album more diversity with its R&B vibe against the rock styled electric guitars Ebony and Ivory - 9 This song became hated because it was too successful at the time where FM radio played it to death. Fact is when you hear it now it is a very good pop song with clever lyrics about race relations and problems. The subject is still as valid as ever. Paul getting Stevie to collaborate was genius with the two taking vocal turns. ______________________________________________________ Rollingstone was definitely right...this is one of Paul's Post Beatle Masterpieces. It certainly is right up there with Band on the Run, Flaming Pie, Chaos, Memory Almost Full and maybe Ram. After hearing Tug of War in this fabulous Remix and with no less than 5 perfect #10 tracks (again my opinion on the individual tracks) Tug of War is arguably Paul's greatest Post Beatle Album.
"This song became hated because it was too successful at the time where FM radio played it to death. Fact is when you hear it now it is a very good pop song with clever lyrics about race relations and problems. The subject is still as valid as ever. Paul getting Stevie to collaborate was genius with the two taking vocal turns. " I wonder if the video being played to "death" on MTV also hurt this song.
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Whilst the review is well considered, I'd have liked an opinion regarding the sonics and whether it improves upon the 82 mix, which us pretty damn good anyway. The songs we already know.
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B J Conlee:
Martin Luther:
Good review, my only personal quibble is What's That You're Doing? I love that song!! But I also love Used to be Bad from Flaming, another song a lot of people dislike that I happen to love.
________________________________________________________ Martin, You're so right and it's the great thing about being a Macca fan. His music is so diverse. I am liking "What's That You're Dong" the more I am listening to Tug of War. It is a good song although it runs a little too long for me. I love the whole album and as I said, not a bad song on it. The great songs from Tug (including the title track) are on the same level as Paul's best Beatle songs in my opinion. Another song that is really growing on me is "Dress Me Up as a Robber". Paul does have some good R&B style songs on Tug. By the way, I always liked "Used to Be Bad" also. Love Macca's collaborations with Steve Miller on Flaming Pie. Pie is another great Macca solo album that is definitely Beatle worthy in every sense. I get mad with critics that turn their noses at Macca's Post Beatles' career. The fact is that they just don't like Paul and don't even give his music anything close to a fair listen. The #1 thing a critic should be is objective.
But on the whole critics aren't dissing Paul's post Beatles career. If these remasters series are anything to go by, they're practically reappraising it all: McCartney 1&2...RAM...these were largely dismissed upon release. Hell - even slickly produced dreck like Pipes Of Peace is garnering generous reviews.
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Been enjoying the Bonus Audio in the car the last couple of days. I do consider it a real bonus after getting the remixed album for only $15.99 at Best Buy. The Tug of War Bonus Audio CD is well worth it too especially for the real Macca fans like we are. I really love getting the B-sides like I'll Give You a Ring and Rainclouds. I wished Paul would have added the "one hand clapping" version of I'll Give You a Ring on this CD. You might remember he did this with Country Dreamer on the Band on the Run Bonus Audio where he included both the actual B-side and the One Hand Clapping version. Sometimes it's nice to hear both the full treatment B-side and a good live sparse version. On the Bonus Film/DVD from Band on the Run/One Hand Clapping they show Paul doing I'll Give You a Ring on just the piano and it was terrific. I also liked the demos of Tug of War songs. It was very interesting hearing Paul do "Something that Didn't Happen" snippet and then he and George Martin decided to put it in the middle of The Pound Is Sinking finished version. As others have said, similar to what he did with Band on the Run (the song). Singer/Songwriter purists sometimes knock this technique because they are looking for pure cohesive lyrics that tell a complete story. I think Paul is one of the best generic lyric writers ever and if the critics call that pure Pop, that is alright with me. I personally don't get hung up with the lyrics as much as enjoying the song as a whole. A couple of people have mentioned that they would never give The Pound is Sinking a perfect 10 because of the lyrics and comparing it to Wanderlust, Here Today and Tug of War (the song). I can understand that perfectly. Maybe I was being a little generous with a 10, but I just love The Pound Is Sinking for pure enjoyment...the rock element, the vocal etc. The fact that the lyrics aren't truly cohesive doesn't bother me as much. I also like the short version piano demo of Ebony and Ivory (without the We All Know part). Just so beautiful and shows how Macca created the song initially. The other demos on the Bonus Audio also do a similar thing for the listener
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i actually like Ebony and Ivory especially the opening agree that "Take it Away" very much a forgotten classic and masterpiece
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SusyLuvsPaul:
Maybe Linda took the cover photo of "Tug of War." I always thought Paul looks a bit feminine or girlish in that picture .
interesting. never thought about it before deeply, but you were absolutely right, he looks a bit feminine...which is part of the album image The album is my favorite solo album. one of few which made McCartney my idol, but we are at the end Paul's loyal fans.... do not see what might new audience see at the cover, it is important also and might not indicate exactly Paul's or the album personality.
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I must say that after having Tug of War for about 5 weeks now, I'm still not getting tired of it. In fact, I still think it is fantastic. For my tastes, Tug of War is certainly in Paul's Top 5. One thing that is great about Tug is that the 2nd half is just as great as the 1st half. You don't always get that on Paul albums where sometimes the 2nd half falls off dramatically in quality. I can think of albums like Pipes of Peace, At the Speed of Sound, and Red Rose Speedway where the 1st half was significantly stronger. The 1st 3 songs on Tug are heavenly (Tug of War, Take It Away and Somebody Who Cares) but then you get the same quality later on with tracks like Here Today, Ballroom Dancing, The Pound is Sinking and Wanderlust. I mentioned earlier that maybe Paul should work again with Giles Martin. Giles seems so much like his Dad and George certainly brought the most out of Paul on Tug of War. A couple of weeks ago I just decided to get a break from Tug of War and listened to the Remasters of Venus and Mars and Ram for a couple of days. Sure enough, I enjoyed both CD's a lot but it was also nice to return to Tug. There is just something magical about many of the Tug of War songs.
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Ammar:
SusyLuvsPaul:
Maybe Linda took the cover photo of "Tug of War." I always thought Paul looks a bit feminine or girlish in that picture .
interesting. never thought about it before deeply, but you were absolutely right, he looks a bit feminine...which is part of the album image The album is my favorite solo album. one of few which made McCartney my idol, but we are at the end Paul's loyal fans.... do not see what might new audience see at the cover, it is important also and might not indicate exactly Paul's or the album personality.
Yes, someone totally ignorant might mistake "Tug" for a bubble gum pop lightweight album, possibly, judging by the cover photo. The album title augers otherwise, though.)Pity the music fan who is such a know nothing.
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This may not be breaking news, but the '50s flashback segments of the "Take It Away" music-video had to have been inspired by the song's unmistakable, Buddy Holly-inspired chorus.
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Sadly, the remix of the album does not do anything for me; it is much too close to the original and just does not "feel" new. (The remixes of the Lennon or Genesis oeuvre, on the other hand, are great - while being true to the spirit of the originals, they present new detail and emphasis to make listening to them an exciting experience. How I wish the same had happened here ...) What is worse, the new mix actually sounds bad in many places. Don't know how it could happen in a high quality product like this, but something went wrong with the "s" sounds in the vocals, for example ("It'SH a tSug of waaar ...", "The pound iSH SHinking ..." etc). But it's not just the vocals, the remix overall sounds a little mushy and at the same time strangely harsh to me. No matter the equipment, speakers or, worst of all, the headphones, the effect is always the same: it makes me want to get back to the original mix. Moreover, it's not a good idea to have the remix represent the album on the regular 2-disc release and hide the original mix on the expensive deluxe edition. Shouldn't there rather be TWO lower-price versions, one with the remastered original and another with the remix, so people could choose which one they'd rather spend their hard earned money on? To me, this release, which I had been looking forward to a lot, is a missed opportunity in several respects - extremely disappointing.
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B J Conlee:
Ebony and Ivory - 9 This song became hated because it was too successful at the time where FM radio played it to death. Fact is when you hear it now it is a very good pop song with clever lyrics about race relations and problems. The subject is still as valid as ever. Paul getting Stevie to collaborate was genius with the two taking vocal turns.
I agree that at the time, the song was played so often and that caused it to wear thin on people...however, that doesn't explain why a (seemingly) large amount of (younger) people who discovered the album after the fact don't care for the song...but in saying that, I like the song a lot and would give it the same rating you did
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The new remix of "Say Say Say" is positively wooden. Mediocre drum-programming. And I don't know what Macca is talking about when he claims that his and MJ's vocals are now indistinguishable. The original is great as-is.
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I haven't got the new 'remix' version yet so can't comment directly about how effective it is (either for or against) but technology being what it is, I do wonder if a lot depends on what device your listening with? Does it sound great on (for example) an iPod and rubbish on a cd via hi-fi speakers? Or vice versa?
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Kestrel:
I haven't got the new 'remix' version yet so can't comment directly about how effective it is (either for or against) but technology being what it is, I do wonder if a lot depends on what device your listening with? Does it sound great on (for example) an iPod and rubbish on a cd via hi-fi speakers? Or vice versa?
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audi:
Kestrel:
I haven't got the new 'remix' version yet so can't comment directly about how effective it is (either for or against) but technology being what it is, I do wonder if a lot depends on what device your listening with? Does it sound great on (for example) an iPod and rubbish on a cd via hi-fi speakers? Or vice versa?
..........and then of course you have my little Dell speakers connected to my desktop PC.
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rich n:
B J Conlee:
Ebony and Ivory - 9 This song became hated because it was too successful at the time where FM radio played it to death. Fact is when you hear it now it is a very good pop song with clever lyrics about race relations and problems. The subject is still as valid as ever. Paul getting Stevie to collaborate was genius with the two taking vocal turns.
I agree that at the time, the song was played so often and that caused it to wear thin on people...however, that doesn't explain why a (seemingly) large amount of (younger) people who discovered the album after the fact don't care for the song...but in saying that, I like the song a lot and would give it the same rating you did
__________________________________________________ Rich n, You raise a very good point about Ebony and Ivory (E&I) and Tug of War in general. As a huge Paul fan of his music, I have been relatively disappointed in the 2015 response to Tug of War especially from the music press. While I have always thought Tug was a great album (and my opinion certainly didn't change with the re-release in 2015) I haven't seen the love for Tug almost 34 years later. This has surprise me. While I did see a couple of quite positive reviews on Tug over the last 3 months or so, most of them were mediocre at best. Certainly not anything close to the glowing terms following the original release from Rollingstone's Stephen Holden (5 stars) where he deemed Tug of War as Paul's masterpiece. At the same time the NY times also gave it a stunning review. In 2015 even Rollingstone's review (different critic) was lackluster. And other reviews I read weren't really praising it either. They would bring up a couple of good tracks but at the same time bring up the negatives. Where did the love go I ask? I have one theory (I'm interested in yours) and it solely relates to the question below: Does the hate for E&I alone keeps Tug of War from being considered one of Macca's Great Solo/Post Beatles' albums? Now that enough time has gone by (from the re-release) to see the general feeling about Tug of War, I have to almost believe that the answer to my question above is YES. And I say that despite the fact that E&I was fortunately placed as the last track. The reason I say this is true is twofold. First, you have to be objective. Even though I may think E&I is an OK to good song, that is certainly not the belief of the huge majority many of whom are also Paul fans. Many of the latter group also despise it. Secondly, after re-listening to Tug of War (after many years of not having it) I get some of the hate for E&I. At first I thought it was just because it was overplayed so much at the time it was originally released. That is partially true but after many years of not hearing it, I believe the main reason for the hate is honestly in the "production". I'm not a music expert in any way except for what I hear but to me the sound is very grating to the ears. Almost to the point you just want to skip the track. I love George Martin and normally he and Paul work very well together (e.g. just listen to Wanderlust or the song Tug of War) but here I believe he falters. Every one has a blind spot and this was clearly one of George's. Maybe it was just a case of too much Paul and Stevie and their Synthesizers. Maybe you needed a full orchestra like George used in the title track and Wanderlust. Both tracks sound so wonderful quite the opposite result from E&I. Again, I'm not a music expert but one thing for sure is that E&I has not held up well and unfortunatly has probably damaged the entire album. I don't believe the hate for E&I is mainly the lyrics or the melody. I think the melody is good and the words are still relevant but if the instrumentation is grating, everything about the song will be picked on. It is a shame because the rest of Tug of War to me is still wonderful. I'm not a big fan of the other Paul and Stevie duet (What's That You're Doing) but other critics do like it. Not a bad song but to me it runs a little long (over 6 minutes) and sounds more than a Stevie song on a Paul Album. But I do love all the other tracks and this "other" Paul/Stevie track has grown on me (I don't skip it). I saw a ranking of Paul's Post Beatles' albums on the internet the other day (from a classic rock site). They had Tug of War ranked 12. I understand that music is subjective but for an album that has Wanderlust, Here Today, Tug of War, Take It Away, Ballroom Dancing, The Pound is Sinking, and Somebody Who Cares on it...I can't see where there are 11 Paul albums that are better. I think the fact that E&I is on it is a main reason. I have had a few discussions about Tug of War with some of my non-Paul fans. They are not haters but certainly not Paul fans like we are. I sing the praises of Tug of War and the typical response is...Is that the album with E&I on it. Right away they are negative and maybe that is the answer for why Tug of War is not Paul's Masterpiece. In my opinion, Tug of War is generally in my Top 5 depending on the day/mood but unfortunately is has not resonated with the non-fan. That is a shame that some of the songs on Tug of War are not better known. What do you think?
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ToW vs. Image album. If Paul had written ToW 10 years earlier (a-la- Imagine) & recorded using early 70's production, it would be deemed Paul's masterpiece. The songs as they sound, although melodic, have no bite & suffers from the sterile, soft, synthesizer-heavy production of this period. Even E&I, recorded with a simple piano or guitar instrumentation, would have come off better. The album is a victim of its times.
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B J Conlee:
rich n:
B J Conlee:
Ebony and Ivory - 9 This song became hated because it was too successful at the time where FM radio played it to death. Fact is when you hear it now it is a very good pop song with clever lyrics about race relations and problems. The subject is still as valid as ever. Paul getting Stevie to collaborate was genius with the two taking vocal turns.
I agree that at the time, the song was played so often and that caused it to wear thin on people...however, that doesn't explain why a (seemingly) large amount of (younger) people who discovered the album after the fact don't care for the song...but in saying that, I like the song a lot and would give it the same rating you did
__________________________________________________ Rich n, You raise a very good point about Ebony and Ivory (E&I) and Tug of War in general. As a huge Paul fan of his music, I have been relatively disappointed in the 2015 response to Tug of War especially from the music press. While I have always thought Tug was a great album (and my opinion certainly didn't change with the re-release in 2015) I haven't seen the love for Tug almost 34 years later. This has surprise me. While I did see a couple of quite positive reviews on Tug over the last 3 months or so, most of them were mediocre at best. Certainly not anything close to the glowing terms following the original release from Rollingstone's Stephen Holden (5 stars) where he deemed Tug of War as Paul's masterpiece. At the same time the NY times also gave it a stunning review. In 2015 even Rollingstone's review (different critic) was lackluster. And other reviews I read weren't really praising it either. They would bring up a couple of good tracks but at the same time bring up the negatives. Where did the love go I ask? I have one theory (I'm interested in yours) and it solely relates to the question below: Does the hate for E&I alone keeps Tug of War from being considered one of Macca's Great Solo/Post Beatles' albums? Now that enough time has gone by (from the re-release) to see the general feeling about Tug of War, I have to almost believe that the answer to my question above is YES. And I say that despite the fact that E&I was fortunately placed as the last track. The reason I say this is true is twofold. First, you have to be objective. Even though I may think E&I is an OK to good song, that is certainly not the belief of the huge majority many of whom are also Paul fans. Many of the latter group also despise it. Secondly, after re-listening to Tug of War (after many years of not having it) I get some of the hate for E&I. At first I thought it was just because it was overplayed so much at the time it was originally released. That is partially true but after many years of not hearing it, I believe the main reason for the hate is honestly in the "production". I'm not a music expert in any way except for what I hear but to me the sound is very grating to the ears. Almost to the point you just want to skip the track. I love George Martin and normally he and Paul work very well together (e.g. just listen to Wanderlust or the song Tug of War) but here I believe he falters. Every one has a blind spot and this was clearly one of George's. Maybe it was just a case of too much Paul and Stevie and their Synthesizers. Maybe you needed a full orchestra like George used in the title track and Wanderlust. Both tracks sound so wonderful quite the opposite result from E&I. Again, I'm not a music expert but one thing for sure is that E&I has not held up well and unfortunatly has probably damaged the entire album. I don't believe the hate for E&I is mainly the lyrics or the melody. I think the melody is good and the words are still relevant but if the instrumentation is grating, everything about the song will be picked on. It is a shame because the rest of Tug of War to me is still wonderful. I'm not a big fan of the other Paul and Stevie duet (What's That You're Doing) but other critics do like it. Not a bad song but to me it runs a little long (over 6 minutes) and sounds more than a Stevie song on a Paul Album. But I do love all the other tracks and this "other" Paul/Stevie track has grown on me (I don't skip it). I saw a ranking of Paul's Post Beatles' albums on the internet the other day (from a classic rock site). They had Tug of War ranked 12. I understand that music is subjective but for an album that has Wanderlust, Here Today, Tug of War, Take It Away, Ballroom Dancing, The Pound is Sinking, and Somebody Who Cares on it...I can't see where there are 11 Paul albums that are better. I think the fact that E&I is on it is a main reason. I have had a few discussions about Tug of War with some of my non-Paul fans. They are not haters but certainly not Paul fans like we are. I sing the praises of Tug of War and the typical response is...Is that the album with E&I on it. Right away they are negative and maybe that is the answer for why Tug of War is not Paul's Masterpiece. In my opinion, Tug of War is generally in my Top 5 depending on the day/mood but unfortunately is has not resonated with the non-fan. That is a shame that some of the songs on Tug of War are not better known. What do you think?
"First, you have to be objective. Even though I may think E&I is an OK to good song, that is certainly not the belief of the huge majority many of whom are also Paul fans. Many of the latter group also despise it. " With all of those who despise it, guess what it was a #1 single for weeks. In other words, somebody was liking it and spending money to buy it. This song did what is was supposed to do, be a #1 hit single and be radio friendly. The video also played constantly on VH1 and I am sure this helped TOW be a #1 album also. It also got several Grammy nominations so it is not like it was critically bashed. Maybe TOW has not aged well for some but I don't believe the song "Ebony And Ivory" is the main reason.