Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - 10 years ago today
-
An absolute masterpiece. His last consistent album. A spotlight for the flawless productions by Nigel Godrich, the person Paul McCartney needs so badly in his recent work. Easily top 3 solo for me, probably even second after 'Ram'. And woah, the B-sides. Nowadays we gotta settle for 7 remixes and maybe a live version of 'Drive My Car' if we are lucky as digital release. Then: beautifully packaged 7"'s and CD singles AND digital releases. And the juice on it! No less than 6 album-worthy B-sides. The promo for the album was so tastefully done as well: all concentrated on the actual music. Many radio performances with sometimes acoustic versions of the new songs, not cluttered up with stadium rock versions of Beatles songs. Or the Abbey Road performance, with the unforgettable (semi-)acoustic versions of these new songs. Paul McCartney as modern songwriter counted again. And it sounded like him: the closest he ever came to a follow-up to 'McCartney'. Looking back I only would regard 'Follow Me' as "by the numbers McCartney", 'Fine Line' a simple "McCartney does upbeat piano pop in default mode for the radio"-song and "This Never Happened Before" too pedestrian melody-wise, but even that one is saved by the instrumentation and classic McCartney-sound. (Of course two of these songs he decided to play live lol.) The other 12 (including the 'McCartney' album-like instrumental) are pure perfection and stand up with the best in his catalogue. Hopefully the decade of overproduction is over now.
-
It was a great album then and it's a great album now.
-
nobodytoldme:
His last consistent album.
Mr. netherlands is right. I was amazed by Chaos and dissapointed by all that followed it. Proves that Paul NEEDS a good producer to push him to give his best.
-
There is no solo Paul masterpiece album post Beatles.
-
moptops:
There is no solo Paul masterpiece album post Beatles.
For my money their's not many albums that are, even the Beatles classic albums have weak spots. I can't think of any album that I love that hasn't got one or two songs I don't care for!
-
BOYCIE:
moptops:
There is no solo Paul masterpiece album post Beatles.
For my money their's not many albums that are, even the Beatles classic albums have weak spots. I can't think of any album that I love that hasn't got one or two songs I don't care for!
There is no Beatles masterpiece album.
-
ewanme:
BOYCIE:
moptops:
There is no solo Paul masterpiece album post Beatles.
For my money their's not many albums that are, even the Beatles classic albums have weak spots. I can't think of any album that I love that hasn't got one or two songs I don't care for!
There is no Beatles masterpiece album.
Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road are on my list, but Revolver is actually my favorite.
-
Chaos vs. Memory Almost Full I believe that this 2005-2007 time frame was actually one of Paul's most fruitful song producing periods during his solo career. I think that both albums (plus a few of the B-sides) yielded many good to great songs. I think they are both very good so I don't think that one is necessarily significantly better than the other. If I had to compare the two, my opinion is that MAF is more diverse than Chaos and that the best songs on MAF are slightly better than the best songs on Chaos. On the other hand, Chaos has no bad songs. Chaos is one of the most consistent CD's in his whole catalog. I can listen from beginning to end and not have to skip at all. The lyrics are more personal and mature than many of Paul's other Post Beatle albums and he shows a darker and real honest side on a few of the tracks. That makes Chaos different and makes it stand out in my opinion. MAF has several great tracks and some of the best in Paul's Post Beatles' career. Those include: Only Mama Knows, You Tell Me, Mr. Bellamy, That Was Me, House of Wax and Ever Present Past. The rock tracks in particular make MAF more diverse than Chaos. Where MAF fails (only relatively speaking) is in a couple of tracks that should have been canned and not included in the final album. They are Gratitude and Nod Your Head. As I said, these two are just not up to Paul's normal high standard. I can hardly listen to Paul's vocal on Gratitude and Nod Your Head is just plain silly. If you had Why So Blue and maybe one of the other good B-Sides as replacements, MAF could have been arguably Macca's best solo Album. Another B-side I love is This Loving Game. Interesting thought...the best of Chaos and MAF could have been a fantastic "Double Album" release. Could have been Paul's Solo White Album when you think about it.
-
B J Conlee:
Chaos vs. Memory Almost Full I believe that this 2005-2007 time frame was actually one of Paul's most fruitful song producing periods during his solo career. I think that both albums (plus a few of the B-sides) yielded many good to great songs. I think they are both very good so I don't think that one is necessarily significantly better than the other. If I had to compare the two, my opinion is that MAF is more diverse than Chaos and that the best songs on MAF are slightly better than the best songs on Chaos. On the other hand, Chaos has no bad songs. Chaos is one of the most consistent CD's in his whole catalog. I can listen from beginning to end and not have to skip at all. The lyrics are more personal and mature than many of Paul's other Post Beatle albums and he shows a darker and real honest side on a few of the tracks. That makes Chaos different and makes it stand out in my opinion. MAF has several great tracks and some of the best in Paul's Post Beatles' career. Those include: Only Mama Knows, You Tell Me, Mr. Bellamy, That Was Me, House of Wax and Ever Present Past. The rock tracks in particular make MAF more diverse than Chaos. Where MAF fails (only relatively speaking) is in a couple of tracks that should have been canned and not included in the final album. They are Gratitude and Nod Your Head. As I said, these two are just not up to Paul's normal high standard. I can hardly listen to Paul's vocal on Gratitude and Nod Your Head is just plain silly. If you had Why So Blue and maybe one of the other good B-Sides as replacements, MAF could have been arguably Macca's best solo Album. Another B-side I love is This Loving Game. Interesting thought...the best of Chaos and MAF could have been a fantastic "Double Album" release. Could have been Paul's Solo White Album when you think about it.
The interesting this is that he started MAF first and then went back to it after doing CHAOS with Nigel, both very good but I think CHAOS is a bit better. That being said, "House Of Wax" is one of my all time favorite McCartney songs.
-
RMartinez:
I can't remember one song off this CD.
Although it's too melancholy for me, and I never play it, that doesn't change the fact that "Jenny Wren" is a modern McCartney classic.
-
Squid:
It was a great album then and it's a great album now.
Very much agree!
-
audi:
RMartinez:
I can't remember one song off this CD.
Although it's too melancholy for me, and I never play it, that doesn't change the fact that "Jenny Wren" is a modern McCartney classic.
I already expressed that thought earlier! What's going on?
-
RMartinez:
I can't remember one song off this CD.
But but but but.....!!! Not trying to be confrontational here, but i just don't get how anyone claiming to be a Paul fan and posting regularly on a Paul forum just wont even bother with an album. I mean really? Anyway, other than me saying that...! I LOVE this album, tbh it's probably my most played Paul album over the last 10 years. If you take off Follow Me it's classic!
-
I can't believe it's been 10 years. I suppose it has to be. I bought it at a record store and played it on a CD player while looking at the cover and reading the lyrics. I don't remember the last time I did that.
-
HaileyMcComet:
I can't believe it's been 10 years. I suppose it has to be.
I think the older you become the quicker time goes. It is hard to believe that its been 10 ten years, which is basically the same period of time that elapsed between the Beatles releasing Love Me Do and Wings releasing Hi Hi Hi.
-
I remember buying it in early 2006. I think it is an excellent album. The cover, by Brother Michael, is nice too.
-
Eeee Cor Blimey:
RMartinez:
I can't remember one song off this CD.
But but but but.....!!! Not trying to be confrontational here, but i just don't get how anyone claiming to be a Paul fan and posting regularly on a Paul forum just wont even bother with an album. I mean really? Anyway, other than me saying that...! I LOVE this album, tbh it's probably my most played Paul album over the last 10 years. If you take off Follow Me it's classic!
That's ok. I think a person with a fifty year music career is going to have fans that com and go and are more interested in certain periods of his work, like Picasso's blue period, for example. I know Paul McCartney will put out a CD and it will be good, he is Paul McCartney. But he really writes in a different style since 2002 than he did in, say, 1989 or 1975. That is ok, he should, and can challenge himself. I am not engaged in his music like I was when I was younger. The exception was MAF, which I really liked and listened to a good amount. But I don't now. I listened to Chaos a couple of times and it really did not grab me. Jenny Wren is a good song, I suppose. But is it better than Warm and Beautiful? Or Love In Song? Or Come On People? Those songs are much better, to my tastes. Honestly, if I am honest with myself, the only song on NEW that I REALLY like is New. I know a lot of people who feel about the same as I do, and they have been intense Paul fans in the past. That's ok! I honestly do not expect Paul to top his earlier work. That is not a slam. I just have no expectations that will happen.
-
...I knew this thread was going to reflect polarising views...
-
audi:
RMartinez:
I can't remember one song off this CD.
Although it's too melancholy for me, and I never play it, that doesn't change the fact that "Jenny Wren" is a modern McCartney classic.
I think that is one of the reasons I liked it, more somber and different from most McCartney albums. I play it fairly often, more than "New".
-
yankeefan7:
audi:
RMartinez:
I can't remember one song off this CD.
Although it's too melancholy for me, and I never play it, that doesn't change the fact that "Jenny Wren" is a modern McCartney classic.
I think that is one of the reasons I liked it, more somber and different from most McCartney albums. I play it fairly often, more than "New".
I switch on the news if I want sombre. I wanna rock baby!