Navigation

    Paul McCartney
    • Register
    • Login
    • Search
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Groups

    Flowers In The Dirt a real masterpiece

    NOT SUCH A BAD BOY
    27
    94
    17833
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • A
      Ammar last edited by

      What a great album.... great melodies, lyrics, production, and a very strong band I can not single any of the songs...they are all marvelous ..and equal (if not better) than some Beatles tracks as for live act ..most of them can work very well... Paul should include 3 or 4 tracks of this album in his concerts..

      Love is all you need

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
      • J
        jlw44 last edited by

        Ammar:

        What a great album.... great melodies, lyrics, production, and a very strong band I can not single any of the songs...they are all marvelous ..and equal (if not better) than some Beatles tracks as for live act ..most of them can work very well... Paul should include 3 or 4 tracks of this album in his concerts..

        I agree with it being one of his finest albums, but he didn't really have a cohesive band on that one, and I think they fell very short when they did Off the Ground. Paul is always better when he plays by himself or with a few guests, imo.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
        • Dustbin Lid
          Dustbin Lid last edited by

          Completely disagree with your comments about Paul's band. Wix was a staple back then, Robbie McIntosh was an excellent guitarist & Hamish Stuart's harmonies were superb. It was only the drum stool which changed occupant a couple of times. I think the "Unplugged" performance with that band is one of Paul's career highlights and the 89/90 World Tour a triumph. As for "Flowers", it's a brilliant album, but I think it falls slightly short of being a masterpiece, badly let down by "Motor Of Love" and "Ou Est Le Soleil". The McCartney/McManus compositions are particularly great and I really wish he still wrote with Elvis.

          Sleep little willow,
          Peace gonna follow,
          Time will heal your wounds...

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
          • A
            admin last edited by

            i actually like 'motor of love'. we used to get stoned to it often..very trippy harmonies. FLOWERS IN THE DIRT will always be a favourite of mine although the low point for me was the absolute carve up of 'dont be careless love'.mccartney/mcmanus classic ruined by over production and out of place vocals. great album all the same which included mccartneys strongest pop singles to date....my brave face/this one

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
            • P
              Plastic Soul Man last edited by

              lazydynamite88:

              i actually like 'motor of love'. we used to get stoned to it often..very trippy harmonies. FLOWERS IN THE DIRT will always be a favourite of mine although the low point for me was the absolute carve up of 'dont be careless love'.mccartney/mcmanus classic ruined by over production and out of place vocals. great album all the same which included mccartneys strongest pop singles to date....my brave face/this one

              LazyD have you heard the demo of Don't be careless love - a true lost opportunity for a real classic. Think between the best bits FITD and the bests bits of OTG and the bsides of the time (Flying to my home and Back on my feet to name two) there could have been possibly his best ever album.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
              • Dustbin Lid
                Dustbin Lid last edited by

                I think you'd have to be stoned to enjoy all six minutes (or however long it is) of "Motor Of Love"! If it would have been a three minute song, I'd probably like it, but the refrain drags on and on and on... As for the vocals on "Don't Be Careless Love", I think it's a very intricate and cleverly arranged song, typical Costello, bucking traditional timings. I really like it.

                Sleep little willow,
                Peace gonna follow,
                Time will heal your wounds...

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                • J
                  jlw44 last edited by

                  The guys were good musicians, but they left me cold. I saw no performance where they stood out at all except as being competent. And I saw many shows back then and Paul was croaking heavily during the shows I saw him in. Fortunately he improved by the time the 93 shows came around. FLowers is a great album though, but not because of the band. And I like all of the songs except don't be careless love, which is kind of embarrassing. I also like ou est. But that is more a matter of taste. I actually like the songs that Elvis did with Paul more than the ones Paul did of their collaborations back then. But I still prefer Paul on his own. Felt that way when he was in that first band also.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                  • A
                    admin last edited by

                    paul was a bit rusty on that tour at times,but at other times his vocals were very good .it was still miles better than the 67 rold vocal we get today. 'plastic' i do have the brilliant demo of 'dont be careless' alright. and i love it..i even did a cover myself on youtube 'demo' style not the one that ended up on the album!

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                    • Kestrel
                      Kestrel last edited by

                      Dustbin Lid:

                      As for "Flowers", it's a brilliant album, but I think it falls slightly short of being a masterpiece, badly let down by "Motor Of Love" and "Ou Est Le Soleil".

                      My thoughts exactly. If only Flying To My Home had been on the album. Even the crap title doesn't ruin this return to form album for Paul.

                      Wembley Empire Pool, London  (Wings) 21st October 1976.

                      'Take It Away' video shoot Elstree studios, London 23rd June 1982.

                      'Give My Regards To Broad Street' film premier, London 29th November 1984.

                      Docklands Arena rehearsal concert, London 5th February 1993.

                      Run Devil Run launch party, Equinox Club, London 30th September 1999.

                      O2 Arena, London 22nd December 2009.

                      O2 Arena, London 5th December 2011.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                      • J
                        jlw44 last edited by

                        lazydynamite88:

                        paul was a bit rusty on that tour at times,but at other times his vocals were very good .it was still miles better than the 67 rold vocal we get today. 'plastic' i do have the brilliant demo of 'dont be careless' alright. and i love it..i even did a cover myself on youtube 'demo' style not the one that ended up on the album!

                        I've seen the 66 and 67 year old vocals up close 5 times this year and they are stellar. Nothing like the way he was in 89 which was painful at best. Maybe Paul had a rough night a few days ago, but I"ve been seeing him since Beatles days and he was by far spectacular this past year.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                        • A
                          admin last edited by

                          not a chance for me. your not the first person to say that but i completely dissagree. i saw him 4 times on the 1989/90 tour and he was vocally perfect every time..i saw him in 93 and he was souding a bit older.in 2003 which i saw him 3 times his voice was competant and loud although it had lost some of its purity during the softer songs. in the 2005 dvd he is starting to really struggle in some parts,and on recent 'electric proms/2007 x factor 2009 he has reached the end of the road in my opinion!

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                          • J
                            jlw44 last edited by

                            lazydynamite88:

                            not a chance for me. your not the first person to say that but i completely dissagree. i saw him 4 times on the 1989/90 tour and he was vocally perfect every time..i saw him in 93 and he was souding a bit older.in 2003 which i saw him 3 times his voice was competant and loud although it had lost some of its purity during the softer songs. in the 2005 dvd he is starting to really struggle in some parts,and on recent 'electric proms/2007 x factor 2009 he has reached the end of the road in my opinion!

                            Where did you see him this year? I do agree he wasn't best on those shows you posted, but he was vocally, and musically (never saw him play harder, especially electric guitar) than I've ever seen him, and I was at his feet 3 of those times. What a pleasure to watch his hands from such a close distance. And I've been up close for every tour at least once and this beats all of them by far. Well maybe one exception and that would have been Wings at MSG. But granted Paul needs a few days warm up to get going. Maybe he didn't need that early on, so I was lucky and had the best of him this year. Also got a chance to see a soundcheck and that was possibly even better than the show as they are more relaxed.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                            • BOYCIE
                              BOYCIE last edited by

                              lazydynamite88:

                              not a chance for me. your not the first person to say that but i completely dissagree. i saw him 4 times on the 1989/90 tour and he was vocally perfect every time..i saw him in 93 and he was souding a bit older.in 2003 which i saw him 3 times his voice was competant and loud although it had lost some of its purity during the softer songs. in the 2005 dvd he is starting to really struggle in some parts,and on recent 'electric proms/2007 x factor 2009 he has reached the end of the road in my opinion!

                              Apart from the 1979 Wings tour the strongest i've heard Paul vocally was in 2003 and 2004.The '89/'90 tour was great in parts but Jet and Maybe I'm Amazed were a struggle for him.The '89/'90 and '93 tour had Paul struggling with the high notes quite a bit and finding it tough on the screamer songs.I agree the Electric Proms and X Factor show Paul was finding it tough vocally.I think at 67 he probably has more poor days vocally than he used too.

                              1979 UK TOUR
                              1989/'90 WORLD TOUR
                              1993 NEW WORLD TOUR X 2
                              2003 BACK IN THE WORLD
                              2004 SUMMER TOUR
                              2010 UP AND COMING
                              2010 HAMMERSMITH
                              2011 ON THE RUN
                              2012 ALBERT HALL
                              2013 OUT THERE
                              2015 OUT THERE X 2

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                              • J
                                jlw44 last edited by

                                I saw him in Vegas, Halifax, Citifield, DC and twice in Boston (guess that's 6 times) plus a soundcheck and he's never been stronger vocally. And I'm hard pressed to say that. But I do think he needs a show or two warm up which makes one off shows a bit of a strain.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                • A
                                  admin last edited by

                                  ive been debating this subject too much on here and i aint gonna bore anyone anymore. my opinion. mccartneys vocals get worse by the year and judging by what ive heard lately its time for him to be told the truth. its one thing still sounding alright for your age,its another thing kidding yourself that you sound as good as ever.!foolishly backed up by those too wrapped up in him to realize!

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                  • mercyjames
                                    mercyjames last edited by

                                    I agree that his vocals on the last US tour were great. Sounded better than ever. The 89/90 tour was great because it marked Paul's return to live performance. But... the vocals were pretty rough often. He actually sounded older then than he does now. The band itself was stacked with pros... but the stuff often sounded pretty flat (I actually have a similar complaint with the latest band... but only on the last couple tours). The album is interesting. Lots of good songs underneath 20 tons of production muck. In fact... I can't stand the recording of "Motor of Love..." but as I've said previously... I saw Greg Hawkes (from the Cars who is on the recording) play that song with just a ukulele and it really revealed what a beautiful tune it is. Sadly I think much of the rest of the album suffers similarly. Definite high points... but generally it sort of stinks of desperation. Like he was trying everything possible to regain his position after a number of disappointing years. The Elvis songs are great. "My Brave Face" was a great single too. "This One" is a great song that maybe could have used a less busy arrangement.

                                    hey

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                    • BOYCIE
                                      BOYCIE last edited by

                                      mercyjames:

                                      I agree that his vocals on the last US tour were great. Sounded better than ever. The 89/90 tour was great because it marked Paul's return to live performance. But... the vocals were pretty rough often. He actually sounded older then than he does now. The band itself was stacked with pros... but the stuff often sounded pretty flat (I actually have a similar complaint with the latest band... but only on the last couple tours). The album is interesting. Lots of good songs underneath 20 tons of production muck. In fact... I can't stand the recording of "Motor of Love..." but as I've said previously... I saw Greg Hawkes (from the Cars who is on the recording) play that song with just a ukulele and it really revealed what a beautiful tune it is. Sadly I think much of the rest of the album suffers similarly. Definite high points... but generally it sort of stinks of desperation. Like he was trying everything possible to regain his position after a number of disappointing years. The Elvis songs are great. "My Brave Face" was a great single too. "This One" is a great song that maybe could have used a less busy arrangement.

                                      I think Paul producing himself on Flowers might have improved the overall sound.I think Paul producing himself is an underrated thing to be honest.The production on his '70's albums is generally good so maybe he should go back to it.

                                      1979 UK TOUR
                                      1989/'90 WORLD TOUR
                                      1993 NEW WORLD TOUR X 2
                                      2003 BACK IN THE WORLD
                                      2004 SUMMER TOUR
                                      2010 UP AND COMING
                                      2010 HAMMERSMITH
                                      2011 ON THE RUN
                                      2012 ALBERT HALL
                                      2013 OUT THERE
                                      2015 OUT THERE X 2

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                      • J
                                        jlw44 last edited by

                                        lazydynamite88:

                                        ive been debating this subject too much on here and i aint gonna bore anyone anymore. my opinion. mccartneys vocals get worse by the year and judging by what ive heard lately its time for him to be told the truth. its one thing still sounding alright for your age,its another thing kidding yourself that you sound as good as ever.!foolishly backed up by those too wrapped up in him to realize!

                                        I've been sensitive to his vocals always and I'm guessing you don't want to acknowledge the fact that he is vocally doing better now than he has in years, but then you are basing your opinion on a few tv shows? Go back and you'll see anytime Paul goes into something cold it isn't as good as when he warms up. You just insist on being negative it seems. Sounds pretty foolish to me.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                        • A
                                          admin last edited by

                                          jlw44:

                                          lazydynamite88:

                                          ive been debating this subject too much on here and i aint gonna bore anyone anymore. my opinion. mccartneys vocals get worse by the year and judging by what ive heard lately its time for him to be told the truth. its one thing still sounding alright for your age,its another thing kidding yourself that you sound as good as ever.!foolishly backed up by those too wrapped up in him to realize!

                                          I've been sensitive to his vocals always and I'm guessing you don't want to acknowledge the fact that he is vocally doing better now than he has in years, but then you are basing your opinion on a few tv shows? Go back and you'll see anytime Paul goes into something cold it isn't as good as when he warms up. You just insist on being negative it seems. Sounds pretty foolish to me.

                                          im only being negative because you and many others on here believe it so. believe me ive had it all said back to me.now you say i appear 'foolish'. im simply being HONEST,its the way i hear it or see it. i dont agree in any way with your statement that i refuse to acknowledge that paul is doing better vocally now than he has in years. if he is,then i aint hearing ,sorry for that! flowers in the dirt is still a great album mind

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                          • calicoskych2001
                                            calicoskych2001 last edited by

                                            Can we go back to the topic of "Flowers In The Dirt", please?

                                            Every single second of our lives We can use to chase the clouds away

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                                            • 1
                                            • 2
                                            • 3
                                            • 4
                                            • 5
                                            • 1 / 5
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            • TERMS & CONDITIONS
                                            • PRIVACY