What albums do you listen to most?
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Leaving aside the Beatles, what Paul albums do you listen to most? I ask this because, at least for me, "listen to most" doesn't necessarily equal "best." There are albums I admire tremendously but am only in the mood to listen to every once in a while. A non-Paul example is the original cast recording of "Sweeney Todd." It's absolutely stunning, but it's intense and does not work at all as background music, so I pull it out every few years and am blown away.
Among Paul albums, I objectively think Band on the Run is better than Venus and Mars, yet I've always listened to Venus and Mars more. So, the approximate ranking of Paul/Wings albums I've listened to most over the years looks something like:
Top tier (have listened to a gazillion times and really have never stopped): Tug of War, Venus and Mars
2nd tier (listen a lot, but not quite as much as the above and occasionally with long gaps for the older albums): Chaos, Egypt Station (likely to make top tier in a couple years), Flaming Pie, Memory Almost Full, Run Devil Run.
After that there's a whole bunch I listen to occasionally but not all that frequently. And finally...
Bottom tier (almost never listen and wouldn't be too upset if they'd never existed, especially if 1 or 2 favorite tracks could somehow be preserved): McCartney II, Pipes of Peace, Press to Play, Wild Life, McCartney III
What's your list?
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Top Tier - CHAOS, Flowers in The Dirt & Memory Almost Full
2nd Tier - Ram, Egypt Station, McCartney III & Run Devil Run
Bottom Tier - McCartney II, Wild Life, Pipes Of Peace (don't even own these albums)
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@yankeefan2 What about Flaming Pie?! That is my favorite!
P.S. I’m a completist - even have every one of Ringo’s, George’s and John’s! (Yep, Two Virgins, Electronic Sound and Old Wave!)
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It is an excellent album and has some great songs (Little Willow, Calico Skies, Beautiful Night etc.) but I have not listened to it in probably a year. The other albums for me are more suited to repeated listens. To each their own - lol. I have very few of the other Beatles solo albums. I have a couple of John's (Mind Games, Double Fantasy) and George's albums (All Things Must Pass, Cloud Nine). I do have the first "Traveling Wilburys" album if that counts -lol. The only Ringo solo album I have is the one called "Ringo".
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@yankeefan2 said in What albums do you listen to most?:
It is an excellent album and has some great songs (Little Willow, Calico Skies, Beautiful Night etc.) but I have not listened to it in probably a year. The other albums for me are more suited to repeated listens. To each their own - lol. I have very few of the other Beatles solo albums. I have a couple of John's (Mind Games, Double Fantasy) and George's albums (All Things Must Pass, Cloud Nine). I do have the first "Traveling Wilburys" album if that counts -lol. The only Ringo solo album I have is the one called "Ringo".
100 “Beatles Solo” demerits for you, young man!
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Re: What albums do you listen to most?
In recent times, Egypt Station and McCartney III.
Timeless favorites include Band on the Run, Tug of War, Flaming Pie, Chaos. Nice how one is from each decade starting with BOTR for the 70s, Tug of War 80s, etc.
I would rate EgyptStation his best since Chaos.
Any rumors of when the next studio album will emerge?
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Well, without doubt, the two albums I have listened to most through the decades are Press to Play and Pipes of Peace. But, that is because those albums were released 'live' as I was vigorously still getting on board the Paul, John and Beatles' train. Still building my collections, as a young fella, I was.
Yankee, I must admit I don't have any Ringo albums. And I love Cloud Nine! And the Wilburies!
These days... I think I've been listening more to the anthologies and new collections. From Paul and John and George and the Beatles. Always love to listen to Wings Over America. Had a listen to Memory Almost Full the other day, and really enjoyed it.
Back in the old days, we had to get off our butts and put a record on the turntable. It was easier to listen to the same album repeatedly. These days, I flip around on the I-Phone, and one minute I am listening to Egypt Station, flipping through songs, and then moving on (or back) to another album, from another era. I'm just navigating through whatever I feel like listening to. A sign of the times, but I don't often listen to just one album all the way though.... I must say, I miss that experience! Nothing better than saving up money from a newspaper round, buying an album and listening to it ad nauseum for months on end!
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lol. Paul was my favorite Beatle the moment I saw him on the Ed Sullivan show. Loved his voice and thought it was cool he played guitar left-handed. I remember my mother remarking when she was watching that Paul was a "handsome young man" -lol. When they broke up, I gravitated to Paul's solo career much more than the others. John had Yoko too much in the mix for me in the early solo days. I bought "Mind Games" basically because I liked the title song. I just had to get "Double Fantasy" for obvious reasons. George's first two alums were not anything that interested me and then he did the excellent "All Things Must Pass" which I bought. The quality of his albums dropped off IMO until "Cloud Nine" which I loved. I never took Ringo's solo work seriously but got the album "Ringo" because he actually had a couple of good commercial songs, and the other Beatles wrote a few songs for him.
Maybe I can get some of my demerits back -lol. I was at Madison Square Garden the night John Lennon showed up to play two songs with Elton John. I was literally shocked although I later learned it was pretty well known by industry people it would happen. It was incredible to see a "Beatle" live for the first time, and it was a moment I will never forget. The funny side story is how lucky I was to go to this concert. I met a girl in a bar one night and we had hit it off, she had recently been dumped by her boyfriend. After quite a few drinks for both of us, she out of the blue says she has extra ticket to Elton John concert and would I like to go. Obviously, I said yes, and we had a great time. BTW - Elton John was freaking awesome that night. We wound up actually dating for a couple of years before deciding to go our separate ways. We saw each other thru the years and remained friendly. Sadly, she passed away a couple of years ago due to a brain tumor.
Only a month later I believe, I saw George during his ill-fated "Dark Horse" tour at Madison Square Garden in NY. Very disappointing concert, too much Ravi Shankar and George's voice was a mess. In addition, George changed the arrangement/lyrics on a couple of his hit songs. In retrospect, it was pretty cool seeing Billy Preston play that night.
Up next for me was seeing Paul during the WOA tour (1976) at once again Madison Square Garden. Incredible show with Paul at his peak vocally and so many great Wings songs. That was the first of several times I have seen Paul, the next one was during the 1989 tour. First time I saw Paul outside of NY was the 1993 tour when he played outdoor venue in Charlotte NC.
To this day I have never seen Ringo, he has never played near where I lived that I can recall. I was going to be in NYC for a trip one time when he was playing Radio City Music Hall. I tried to get tickets to the show but was too late. That was the show when Paul showed up for his 70th birthday. That would have been so freaking cool!!!
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@toris If you get any Ringo album, get “Ringo” because all 4 Beatles are on it (although never all 4 together)
I’m guilty of not listening to my large collection of solo albums at all since they were released (except some of Paul’s like Band on the Run, Wings Over America, Venus & Mars, Flaming Pie and others when the Remasters came out)
Unfortunately I spend too much time on the internet or watching TV (I guess I like to see new things - I’ve always been more of a “visual” person) I have a good friend who is the opposite - she listens to The Beatles channel on Sirius XM and Joe Johnson’s Beatle Brunch constantly and hardly any TV unless it’s Beatle/Paul related! -
@yankeefan2 Okay, I’ll credit you 5 demerits after that post!
What a lucky deal to get to see John with Elton! I saw Elton too, but with Billy Joel!
Were you in Charlotte in 1992? You missed Ringo there!
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ringo-starr-and-his-all-starr-band/1992/blockbuster-pavilion-charlotte-nc-53c7479d.htmlI only saw him once in 1997 in Atlanta at Chastain Park (outdoors - thankfully it didn’t rain!) My friend has seen him probably over 20 times! She’s even seen in one of his All Starrs videos. She saw him recently at The Ryman in Nashville where she lives (from the 2nd row center!) She’s also met him twice (long story!) This is the same friend I spoke to toris about in my previous post.
P.S. When I saw George in Atlanta in 1974 he wasn’t hoarse. He sounded great. I didn’t like that he changed the words to “In My Life” also. What was the other one he changed? -
@njr
"P.S. When I saw George in Atlanta in 1974 he wasn’t hoarse. He sounded great. I didn’t like that he changed the words to “In My Life” also. What was the other one he changed?"I believe he changed a line in "Something". It was after he sang "your asking me if my love will grow". I think he sang "I hope so" instead of "I don't know". It was really noticeable how hoarse he was but especially when he sang the song "Dark Horse". I saw him in December 1974, not sure when the Atlanta show was.
"Were you in Charlotte in 1992? You missed Ringo there!"
We moved there in 1990. Since my daughters were 4 and 2, we probably had issue getting babysitter -lol. Saw Paul a year later but my sister-in law planned a visit to see us then and she was thrilled to watch her nieces for an evening.
"I saw Elton too, but with Billy Joel!"
We did also, the "Face To Face" concert was great!! I loved how they opened together, and each took their turn singing the other one's songs.
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This thread has ignited me to listen to some more Paul.... Chaos and Creation in the Backyard... haven't listened to it for awhile.... A sort of dark album... But quite brilliant.,,, the real McCartney 3.... It is quite magnificent.
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@john-mackintosh said in What albums do you listen to most?:
Re: What albums do you listen to most?
In recent times, Egypt Station and McCartney III.
Timeless favorites include Band on the Run, Tug of War, Flaming Pie, Chaos. Nice how one is from each decade starting with BOTR for the 70s, Tug of War 80s, etc.
I would rate EgyptStation his best since Chaos.
Any rumors of when the next studio album will emerge?
We know Paul's been recording with Andrew Watt, who produced the new Rolling Stones album. But how close it is to being done, much less released, seems unclear from what I've seen.
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@njr said in What albums do you listen to most?:
@toris If you get any Ringo album, get “Ringo” because all 4 Beatles are on it (although never all 4 together)
I’m guilty of not listening to my large collection of solo albums at all since they were released (except some of Paul’s like Band on the Run, Wings Over America, Venus & Mars, Flaming Pie and others when the Remasters came out)
Unfortunately I spend too much time on the internet or watching TV (I guess I like to see new things - I’ve always been more of a “visual” person) I have a good friend who is the opposite - she listens to The Beatles channel on Sirius XM and Joe Johnson’s Beatle Brunch constantly and hardly any TV unless it’s Beatle/Paul related!I'm finding myself these days watching all the stuff on You Tube....God, I wish it was around all those years ago!... I could spend a month of Sundays over the next four hundred years and still not get through it all. One of the best things of technology.... So much stuff out there.... back in the old days, I'd have to buy a VHS/DVD special that cost thirty bucks and only went for an hour. VHS dead (BETA died first)... I just hope DVD's don't get usurped.
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@yankeefan2 George came to Atlanta in late Nov. 1974. I still have my ticket stub! Note price: $8.50! 🤯
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@toris I still have THREE working VHS players!
I have a boatload of stuff I recorded off the TV about the Beatles! (since 1983 until about 2018 I stopped) Some I’ve replaced over the years with professional VHS tapes, then DVDs when they came out (like The Anthology) My friend Jennifer makes DVDs for me of stuff she gets from a friend. Every Christmas I get a nice surprise. She says I don’t have to get her anything, but I’m getting her the new Rolling Stones album that Paul is on. (You think I’M a completist? She is the ultimate completist!) Her mom is getting her the Dolly Parton album that Paul & Ringo are on!
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@njr said in What albums do you listen to most?:
@toris I still have THREE working VHS players!
I have a boatload of stuff I recorded off the TV about the Beatles! (since 1983 until about 2018 I stopped) Some I’ve replaced over the years with professional VHS tapes, then DVDs when they came out (like The Anthology) My friend Jennifer makes DVDs for me of stuff she gets from a friend. Every Christmas I get a nice surprise. She says I don’t have to get her anything, but I’m getting her the new Rolling Stones album that Paul is on. (You think I’M a completist? She is the ultimate completist!) Her mom is getting her the Dolly Parton album that Paul & Ringo are on!
Was I dreaming, or did I just last night listen to Let it Be, by Dolly, with Paul and Ringo on there?... I fluked it, on my You Tube journey.... I love You Tube!.... I've got my Anthology... cost me heaps on VHS. No longer viable. Of course, I replaced it on DVD. I just hope DVDs don't get made obsolete any time soon!... ps. Dolly was good.
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Very cool, don't have my ticket stub from that or any other "Beatle" concert. I do have my ticket stubs from seeing Led Zepplin and The Who from that time period. I also have some ticket stubs for a few concerts (1980's) I saw when I lived in Colorado (Red Rocks, McNichols arena). Some of the groups/artists were America, Fleetwood Mac, John Denver and Billy Joel. I paid $8.50 to see Led Zepplin and The Who (1970's) so that must have been the going price back then. The concerts in Colorado were in the 80's and the price was up to $12.50 - lol.