Worst McCartney album?
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Squid:
I do well remember the derision heaped on him at the time for choosing PLH as the second single. As a youngish teenager, it was one of my first memorable experiences of bafflement and complete and total cringing.
Pretty Little Head WAS a very odd choice for single (this period started the odd singles choices, including the baffling From a Lover to a Friend off of Driving Rain). But the music video version of PLH is way better (look for it on Youtube if you haven't heard it). You can actually here what he is singing.
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LP_Quagmire:
McCARTNEY: B- RAM: A WILD LIFE: D RED ROSE SPEEDWAY: C- BAND ON THE RUN: A VENUS AND MARS: B WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND: C- WINGS OVER AMERICA: B- LONDON TOWN: B- WINGS GREATEST: A BACK TO THE EGG: B MCCARTNEY II: D- TUG OF WAR: B+ PIPES OF PEACE: D GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROAD STREET: A PRESS TO PLAY: A+ CHOBA B CCCP: B ALL THE BEST!: B FLOWERS IN THE DIRT: A TRIPPING THE LIVE FANTASTIC: A UNPLUGGED: A LIVERPOOL ORATORIO: C OFF THE GROUND: B PAUL IS LIVE: C STRAWBERRIES OCEAN SHIPS FOREST: C FLAMING PIE: B+ RUN DEVIL RUN: B+ WORKING CLASSICAL: A DRIVING RAIN: B STANDING STONE: B BACK IN THE U.S.: B- CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD A+ MEMORY ALMOST FULL: B- AMOEBA'S SECRET: B GOOD EVENING NEW YORK CITY: C ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS: B
We agree waaaaay more than we disagree. We'll never see eye-to-eye on McCartney II, but this is a very respectable report-card.
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My least favorite five (in no particular order). Wings at the Speed of Sound Wildlife Press to Play Driving Rain McCartney II As stated earlier, I won't include GMRTBS and Run Devil Run since they are not original albums.
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Maccafan82:
Squid:
I do well remember the derision heaped on him at the time for choosing PLH as the second single. As a youngish teenager, it was one of my first memorable experiences of bafflement and complete and total cringing.
Pretty Little Head WAS a very odd choice for single (this period started the odd singles choices, including the baffling From a Lover to a Friend off of Driving Rain). But the music video version of PLH is way better (look for it on Youtube if you haven't heard it). You can actually here what he is singing.
I can't say enough about how brilliant the single version/music video for "Pretty Little Head" is. If that mix had been the first single/video, Press To Play would've been commercially successful in addition to the favorable critical reaction it received then.
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audi:
Maccafan82:
Squid:
I do well remember the derision heaped on him at the time for choosing PLH as the second single. As a youngish teenager, it was one of my first memorable experiences of bafflement and complete and total cringing.
Pretty Little Head WAS a very odd choice for single (this period started the odd singles choices, including the baffling From a Lover to a Friend off of Driving Rain). But the music video version of PLH is way better (look for it on Youtube if you haven't heard it). You can actually here what he is singing.
I can't say enough about how brilliant the single version/music video for "Pretty Little Head" is. If that mix had been the first single/video, Press To Play would've been commercially successful in addition to the favorable critical reaction it received then.
It definitely would have helped. Album version was way too overproduced. Why have the world's most recognizable singing voice sound if he's putting his head in a garbage can?
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Maccafan82:
My least favorite five (in no particular order). Wings at the Speed of Sound Wildlife Press to Play Driving Rain McCartney II As stated earlier, I won't include GMRTBS and Run Devil Run since they are not original albums.
How so? Nearly half of BROAD STREET's material was new at the time, and RUN DEVIL RUN boasts three McCartney originals.
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audi:
LP_Quagmire:
McCARTNEY: B- RAM: A WILD LIFE: D RED ROSE SPEEDWAY: C- BAND ON THE RUN: A VENUS AND MARS: B WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND: C- WINGS OVER AMERICA: B- LONDON TOWN: B- WINGS GREATEST: A BACK TO THE EGG: B MCCARTNEY II: D- TUG OF WAR: B+ PIPES OF PEACE: D GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROAD STREET: A PRESS TO PLAY: A+ CHOBA B CCCP: B ALL THE BEST!: B FLOWERS IN THE DIRT: A TRIPPING THE LIVE FANTASTIC: A UNPLUGGED: A LIVERPOOL ORATORIO: C OFF THE GROUND: B PAUL IS LIVE: C STRAWBERRIES OCEAN SHIPS FOREST: C FLAMING PIE: B+ RUN DEVIL RUN: B+ WORKING CLASSICAL: A DRIVING RAIN: B STANDING STONE: B BACK IN THE U.S.: B- CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD A+ MEMORY ALMOST FULL: B- AMOEBA'S SECRET: B GOOD EVENING NEW YORK CITY: C ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS: B
We agree waaaaay more than we disagree. We'll never see eye-to-eye on McCartney II, but this is a very respectable report-card.
So does that mean we're friends now?
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LP_Quagmire:
audi:
LP_Quagmire:
McCARTNEY: B- RAM: A WILD LIFE: D RED ROSE SPEEDWAY: C- BAND ON THE RUN: A VENUS AND MARS: B WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND: C- WINGS OVER AMERICA: B- LONDON TOWN: B- WINGS GREATEST: A BACK TO THE EGG: B MCCARTNEY II: D- TUG OF WAR: B+ PIPES OF PEACE: D GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROAD STREET: A PRESS TO PLAY: A+ CHOBA B CCCP: B ALL THE BEST!: B FLOWERS IN THE DIRT: A TRIPPING THE LIVE FANTASTIC: A UNPLUGGED: A LIVERPOOL ORATORIO: C OFF THE GROUND: B PAUL IS LIVE: C STRAWBERRIES OCEAN SHIPS FOREST: C FLAMING PIE: B+ RUN DEVIL RUN: B+ WORKING CLASSICAL: A DRIVING RAIN: B STANDING STONE: B BACK IN THE U.S.: B- CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD A+ MEMORY ALMOST FULL: B- AMOEBA'S SECRET: B GOOD EVENING NEW YORK CITY: C ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS: B
We agree waaaaay more than we disagree. We'll never see eye-to-eye on McCartney II, but this is a very respectable report-card.
So does that mean we're friends now?
-
audi:
Maccafan82:
Squid:
I do well remember the derision heaped on him at the time for choosing PLH as the second single. As a youngish teenager, it was one of my first memorable experiences of bafflement and complete and total cringing.
Pretty Little Head WAS a very odd choice for single (this period started the odd singles choices, including the baffling From a Lover to a Friend off of Driving Rain). But the music video version of PLH is way better (look for it on Youtube if you haven't heard it). You can actually here what he is singing.
I can't say enough about how brilliant the single version/music video for "Pretty Little Head" is. If that mix had been the first single/video, Press To Play would've been commercially successful in addition to the favorable critical reaction it received then.
As much as I've come to like "Pretty Little Head" in all its forms, it doesn't sound like a single to me. "Stranglehold" should have been a hit, but the catchy number was not well-served by its meandering video (Paul starts singing and they cut away?!) And yes, contrary to the revisionist musical historians at Rolling Stone, PRESS TO PLAY was critically well-received at the time of its release. Unfortunately, Paul himself tends to side with its detractors, for no other reason it seems than it didn't sell. The elaborate sound maps he created for the gatefold, however, suggest he thought quite highly of it upon release.
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LP_Quagmire:
audi:
Maccafan82:
Squid:
I do well remember the derision heaped on him at the time for choosing PLH as the second single. As a youngish teenager, it was one of my first memorable experiences of bafflement and complete and total cringing.
Pretty Little Head WAS a very odd choice for single (this period started the odd singles choices, including the baffling From a Lover to a Friend off of Driving Rain). But the music video version of PLH is way better (look for it on Youtube if you haven't heard it). You can actually here what he is singing.
I can't say enough about how brilliant the single version/music video for "Pretty Little Head" is. If that mix had been the first single/video, Press To Play would've been commercially successful in addition to the favorable critical reaction it received then.
As much as I've come to like "Pretty Little Head" in all its forms, it doesn't sound like a single to me. "Stranglehold" should have been a hit, but the catchy number was not well-served by its meandering video (Paul starts singing and they cut away?!) And yes, contrary to the revisionist musical historians at Rolling Stone, PRESS TO PLAY was critically well-received at the time of its release. Unfortunately, Paul himself tends to side with its detractors, for no other reason it seems than it didn't sell. The elaborate sound maps he created for the gatefold, however, suggest he thought quite highly of it upon release.
It's in the same vein as Genesis' "Tonight Tonight Tonight." The video and the song are a great package -- MTV exposure would've ensured its success. I like the album version quite a bit, as well -- as an album track only, though.
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audi:
LP_Quagmire:
audi:
Maccafan82:
Squid:
I do well remember the derision heaped on him at the time for choosing PLH as the second single. As a youngish teenager, it was one of my first memorable experiences of bafflement and complete and total cringing.
Pretty Little Head WAS a very odd choice for single (this period started the odd singles choices, including the baffling From a Lover to a Friend off of Driving Rain). But the music video version of PLH is way better (look for it on Youtube if you haven't heard it). You can actually here what he is singing.
I can't say enough about how brilliant the single version/music video for "Pretty Little Head" is. If that mix had been the first single/video, Press To Play would've been commercially successful in addition to the favorable critical reaction it received then.
As much as I've come to like "Pretty Little Head" in all its forms, it doesn't sound like a single to me. "Stranglehold" should have been a hit, but the catchy number was not well-served by its meandering video (Paul starts singing and they cut away?!) And yes, contrary to the revisionist musical historians at Rolling Stone, PRESS TO PLAY was critically well-received at the time of its release. Unfortunately, Paul himself tends to side with its detractors, for no other reason it seems than it didn't sell. The elaborate sound maps he created for the gatefold, however, suggest he thought quite highly of it upon release.
It's in the same vein as Genesis' "Tonight Tonight Tonight." The video and the song are a great package -- MTV exposure would've ensured its success. I like the album version quite a bit, as well -- as an album track only, though.
PRESS TO PLAY has lots of memories tied to it; it's an album I've never really stopped listening to on a regular basis (yes, I'm the one! ).
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LP_Quagmire:
Maccafan82:
My least favorite five (in no particular order). Wings at the Speed of Sound Wildlife Press to Play Driving Rain McCartney II As stated earlier, I won't include GMRTBS and Run Devil Run since they are not original albums.
How so? Nearly half of BROAD STREET's material was new at the time, and RUN DEVIL RUN boasts three McCartney originals.
Because it's not an album of complete originals. You are free to include them in your lists but I won't. I own them both but don't consider them as original studio albums, which they aren't.
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LP_Quagmire:
PRESS TO PLAY has lots of memories tied to it; it's an album I've never really stopped listening to on a regular basis (yes, I'm the one! ).
I thought I was the one ! PTP is a great album, always in my top 3 & will always defend it, even if it's creator doesn't ! First release of his I rushed out & bought on day of release at the tender age of 16 ( how old do I feel now !! ) Always thought it was a strong effort after POP & Broad St. Shame the record buying public didn't Mind you the single Press came out mid July & the album came out early September, that was quite a gap in those days, as the single & album were usually released 2 or 3 weeks apart, how Press stalled at 25 I don't know ??
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Maccafan82:
LP_Quagmire:
Maccafan82:
My least favorite five (in no particular order). Wings at the Speed of Sound Wildlife Press to Play Driving Rain McCartney II As stated earlier, I won't include GMRTBS and Run Devil Run since they are not original albums.
How so? Nearly half of BROAD STREET's material was new at the time, and RUN DEVIL RUN boasts three McCartney originals.
Because it's not an album of complete originals. You are free to include them in your lists but I won't. I own them both but don't consider them as original studio albums, which they aren't.
But neither is WILD LIFE...
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Pipes of Peace for me. It comes off as corny and uncreative to my ears, though it has 3 good tracks in there. I like the title track, So Bad, and Keep Under Cover. McCartney II wowed me a bit. I don't know why it gets hated Okay, so he embraces the whole experimental thing but it has surprises, and I like that about it.
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Press To Play... but I usually focus on the good ones anyhow.
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LP_Quagmire:
Maccafan82:
LP_Quagmire:
Maccafan82:
My least favorite five (in no particular order). Wings at the Speed of Sound Wildlife Press to Play Driving Rain McCartney II As stated earlier, I won't include GMRTBS and Run Devil Run since they are not original albums.
How so? Nearly half of BROAD STREET's material was new at the time, and RUN DEVIL RUN boasts three McCartney originals.
Because it's not an album of complete originals. You are free to include them in your lists but I won't. I own them both but don't consider them as original studio albums, which they aren't.
But neither is WILD LIFE...
I see your point, but Wid Life only has one song that wasn't an original. Run Devil Run has more than 10 and GMRTBS has only four(?) originals if you don't count the extended versions. I might be petty, but I don't count them. If you insist I do, my list would be: Give My Regards to Broad Street Wildlife Press to Play Run Devil Run McCartney II BTW, save a spot for the oldies album.
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Maccafan82:
LP_Quagmire:
Maccafan82:
LP_Quagmire:
Maccafan82:
My least favorite five (in no particular order). Wings at the Speed of Sound Wildlife Press to Play Driving Rain McCartney II As stated earlier, I won't include GMRTBS and Run Devil Run since they are not original albums.
How so? Nearly half of BROAD STREET's material was new at the time, and RUN DEVIL RUN boasts three McCartney originals.
Because it's not an album of complete originals. You are free to include them in your lists but I won't. I own them both but don't consider them as original studio albums, which they aren't.
But neither is WILD LIFE...
I see your point, but Wid Life only has one song that wasn't an original. Run Devil Run has more than 10 and GMRTBS has only four(?) originals if you don't count the extended versions. I might be petty, but I don't count them.
Perhaps you have only heard the vinyl version of the soundtrack? The BROAD STREET cd introduced the following originals: No More Lonely Nights Corridor Music Not Such a Bad Boy No Values Eleanor's Dream Goodnight Lonely Princess Combined, they comprise about a half-hour of completely new material, and that's not even including the playout version of No More Lonely Nights. All told, the new material on the BROAD STREET soundtrack makes for a longer running time than PIPES OF PEACE in its entirety!
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I would have to go with Pipes of Peace. While there are some enjoyable songs (Say Say Say, Through Our Love,Tug of Peace), the rest feels like filler. This one os definitely the weakest in what I like to call the George Martin trillogy. Tug of War just has more passion and GMRTBS (which I do count since there is actually new material on it) seems to flow better as an album. A close second would be Wild Life. Again, while it also has some good tracks, the bad outweighs the good. I can always find something good in any of Paul's releases but in these 2 cases, there's very little.
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For me it's a tie between Off The Ground & Driving Rain