Flowers in the Dirt (1993)
-
Following the excitement about the re-release and the baffling incompleteness of the edition, I wondered what the fuss was all about and decided to get back to the music itself. After all, I hadn't listened to "Flowers in the Dirt" for a very long time, as it did not rank highly in my personal list. I remembered it as a mixed bag with the ingredients not adding up to a whole: too many cooks. The fact that it has been re-released made me revisit the album yesterday and see, whether I did it injustice. I pulled out my 1993 "Paul McCartney Collection" CD and had a go. I must say, the experience hasn't changed my mind. All things considered, there is just too much filler and not enough to look forward to here, which is probably why until yesterday the album had sat quietly on the shelf after the 1989 original excitement about a new McCartney release had faded some months later. I don't think the CD will be played often in the future, either. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those who are interested, here are my impressions, track by track: To me, there are two very good tracks here, "My Brave Face" and "Distractions". Both display an overall consistent quality that is notably absent from the rest of the material presented on the album. They are classic McCartney: composition and lyrics, arrangements, singing, musicianship, surprising but never pushy production detail - it's all there! The same is true for "Flying to my Home" from the bonus tracks (see below). Two of these three songs are produced by McCartney alone, by the way. Maybe he should have trusted himself more. What about the other tracks? In descending order: "That Day Is Done" is close: surprising chord structure, well-sung, the waltz-like 6/8 time comes across as almost menacing from time to time; it sounds a little too big to me, though. Still, the production team - the same as on the wonderful "My Brave Face" does a good job. "Put it There" and "This One": I do not want to skip them as they are pleasing and listenable, but they do not really touch me, either; both seem calculated, each in its own way. The sense of hidden danger conveyed in "Don't Be Careless, Love" seems to be a step in the right direction; I could never figure out, though, why the vocals have to be delivered in this whiny tone; to me this is extremely distracting; the lead vocal regularly made me skip this track, even though it is not unappealing in many other respects. "You Want Her Too" sounds over-produced, inflated to me; the lyrics are a dark version of "The Girl Is Mine", but without real bite. "Rough Ride" tries to be funky, but then ... it isn't. "Figure of Eight": I'm not a "lyrics first person", I can take a lot of half-baked stuff if the song carries it - but almost 30 years later I still don't know what to make of the questions presented here: "Is it better to love another than to go for a walk in the dark? / Is it better to love than to give in to hate?" Musically, the song tries so, so hard but it never really gets off the ground; McCartney himself did not seem to be convinced of the album version, either: when the song was released as a single, a different recording was used, this time a "live in the studio" version that should probably highlight the rock qualities of the song - didn't help, though. (I listened to that version, too) "We Got Married" starts off well with its quick flashes of autobiographical impressions; when the big philosophical questions of serious relationships are addressed later, the lyrics resemble needlepoint phrases; at that point the production too turns overly big and flashy as if it wanted to divert from the emptiness of the lyrics. "How Many People" makes me cringe and "Motor of Love" does not reach me in any respect; both seem oddly out of place on the album, which is probably why they are stuck to the end of it as mere fillers. The bonus tracks, luckily, are much more interesting than most of the album material. "Flying To My Home" is high-class McCartney: eclectic but original, nonsensical but touching. The production is of its time in a surprisingly good way. It is up there with "My Brave Face" and "Distractions"; why it wasn't chosen for the album is an absolute mystery to me. "Back On My Feet" has a very clever rhythm arrangement in the verses. The chorus comes across much more pedestrian but enough work has been invested to pepper it up (the harmonies in the long drawn-out fade are fantastic). Even though the recording had been completed earlier, it might not have been out of place on the album, either. "Ou est le soleil" mixes sequencers and electronic instruments with McCartney's trademark distorted guitars and even the sounds of wood-cutting; it patters along nicely enough. Its Trevor Horn produced album companions are all still-born but this recording is saved by its tongue-in-cheek character. Still, it is a novelty song after all and was wisely left off the original album, released as a stand-alone (maxi) single. It isn't related to the rest. "Loveliest Thing", a left-over from a mid-1980s session with Bill Joel's band, is not quite finished, has the feel of a live recording. It is a beautiful ballad, though, and is delivered with enough seriousness to carry it off.
-
matiguri:
Following the excitement about the re-release and the baffling incompleteness of the edition, I wondered what the fuss was all about and decided to get back to the music itself. After all, I hadn't listened to "Flowers in the Dirt" for a very long time, as it did not rank highly in my personal list. I remembered it as a mixed bag with the ingredients not adding up to a whole: too many cooks. The fact that it has been re-released made me revisit the album yesterday and see, whether I did it injustice. I pulled out my 1993 "Paul McCartney Collection" CD and had a go. I must say, the experience hasn't changed my mind. All things considered, there is just too much filler and not enough to look forward to here, which is probably why until yesterday the album had sat quietly on the shelf after the 1989 original excitement about a new McCartney release had faded some months later. I don't think the CD will be played often in the future, either. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those who are interested, here are my impressions, track by track: To me, there are two very good tracks here, "My Brave Face" and "Distractions". Both display an overall consistent quality that is notably absent from the rest of the material presented on the album. They are classic McCartney: composition and lyrics, arrangements, singing, musicianship, surprising but never pushy production detail - it's all there! The same is true for "Flying to my Home" from the bonus tracks (see below). Two of these three songs are produced by McCartney alone, by the way. Maybe he should have trusted himself more. What about the other tracks? In descending order: "That Day Is Done" is close: surprising chord structure, well-sung, the waltz-like 6/8 time comes across as almost menacing from time to time; it sounds a little too big to me, though. Still, the production team - the same as on the wonderful "My Brave Face" does a good job. "Put it There" and "This One": I do not want to skip them as they are pleasing and listenable, but they do not really touch me, either; both seem calculated, each in its own way. The sense of hidden danger conveyed in "Don't Be Careless, Love" seems to be a step in the right direction; I could never figure out, though, why the vocals have to be delivered in this whiny tone; to me this is extremely distracting; the lead vocal regularly made me skip this track, even though it is not unappealing in many other respects. "You Want Her Too" sounds over-produced, inflated to me; the lyrics are a dark version of "The Girl Is Mine", but without real bite. "Rough Ride" tries to be funky, but then ... it isn't. "Figure of Eight": I'm not a "lyrics first person", I can take a lot of half-baked stuff if the song carries it - but almost 30 years later I still don't know what to make of the questions presented here: "Is it better to love another than to go for a walk in the dark? / Is it better to love than to give in to hate?" Musically, the song tries so, so hard but it never really gets off the ground; McCartney himself did not seem to be convinced of the album version, either: when the song was released as a single, a different recording was used, this time a "live in the studio" version that should probably highlight the rock qualities of the song - didn't help, though. (I listened to that version, too) "We Got Married" starts off well with its quick flashes of autobiographical impressions; when the big philosophical questions of serious relationships are addressed later, the lyrics resemble needlepoint phrases; at that point the production too turns overly big and flashy as if it wanted to divert from the emptiness of the lyrics. "How Many People" makes me cringe and "Motor of Love" does not reach me in any respect; both seem oddly out of place on the album, which is probably why they are stuck to the end of it as mere fillers. The bonus tracks, luckily, are much more interesting than most of the album material. "Flying To My Home" is high-class McCartney: eclectic but original, nonsensical but touching. The production is of its time in a surprisingly good way. It is up there with "My Brave Face" and "Distractions"; why it wasn't chosen for the album is an absolute mystery to me. "Back On My Feet" has a very clever rhythm arrangement in the verses. The chorus comes across much more pedestrian but enough work has been invested to pepper it up (the harmonies in the long drawn-out fade are fantastic). Even though the recording had been completed earlier, it might not have been out of place on the album, either. "Ou est le soleil" mixes sequencers and electronic instruments with McCartney's trademark distorted guitars and even the sounds of wood-cutting; it patters along nicely enough. Its Trevor Horn produced album companions are all still-born but this recording is saved by its tongue-in-cheek character. Still, it is a novelty song after all and was wisely left off the original album, released as a stand-alone (maxi) single. It isn't related to the rest. "Loveliest Thing", a left-over from a mid-1980s session with Bill Joel's band, is not quite finished, has the feel of a live recording. It is a beautiful ballad, though, and is delivered with enough seriousness to carry it off.
________________________________________________________ Matiguri Thanks for your review...sounds like you have a serious passion or hobby as a music writer or critic. I too have been listening to this week's Flowers in the Dirt Remaster at home and in my car. Like you, I had not listened to the 1993 or 1989 releases in full in a long time. While I agree with some of your assessment, I have to respectfully disagree with others. That's what makes a horse race...we all have our own opinions and I respect yours. I will be making my own track by track review in a couple of days. I see Flowers as one of Paul's "great 8" as far as Post Beatles' studio albums along with BOTR, Ram, Venus and Mars, Tug of War, Flaming Pie, Chaos and Creation and Memory Almost Full. I'm not including live albums, mostly cover albums, classical etc. This being said, I believe FITD has quite a few more than 2 great tracks. Let me just add that I see Paul as one of the great singer songwriters since the 50's, so my opinion is based on someone who really likes his music as a whole. That may bias my opinion on what constitutes a great track. Conversely, for people who don't like McCartney as much, it may be quite harder to define one of his songs as "great. Just want to point this out before I go further into my own opinion. Great tracks...as well as My Brave Face and Distractions, I would definitely add We Got Married and Put It There as great tracks. All of those are quite Beatle worthy songs. After that I would add Figure of 8, This One and That Day is Done as "very good" tracks. There is a fine line between great and very good but to me all of these are really good songs. Put these songs on a Beatle album, and they would be so much more known and appreciated by the masses. Next I would add good tracks...not top of the line McCartney but still good. They would include Rough Ride, You Want Her Too, and How Many People. I don't skip them as I listen to FITD. I do agree with you that FITD is not perfect and has it faults. Two needed in my opinion to be replaced with better alternatives. To put Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Soleil on the studio track list and not include Flying to My Home (which I love) and Back on my Feet (another Paul/Elvis collaboration) was crazy in my opinion. Not the first time that Paul has made this error on some other great albums of his. I also agree with you on "Don't Be Careless Love". Like you, I like this Paul/Elvis collaboration but in this case, Paul's vocal doesn't do the song justice. As you mentioned, Paul's lead vocal is too whiny. I would call it grating to the ear. Listening to Paul and Elvis's demo's (which I love as a whole), maybe Paul should have started "Careless Love" in a lower key. I actually liked the way Paul speeded the song up on the album but the lead vocal ruins it for me. Maybe Paul needed a Nigel Goodrich producer not afraid of telling Paul he could do better. But with these 3 song criticisms, in my opinion, FITD has many great to near great tracks (both songs and execution). For that reason, I list it higher than you do and I will listen to it on a regular basis. Just my opinion, Put It There and We Got Married are fabulous Paul songs. I would put both songs in my top 20 Paul Post Beatles' Songs. The words and music are great in my opinion. When you think about it... is is very tough to put great but simple/meaningful words to a 2-3 minutes melody. Every now and then, Paul gets it just right and in those 2 cases (plus Distractions and My Brave Face with Mr. Costello's help) he does it perfect in my opinion. He probably has 30 Post Beatle songs where he gets it perfect and FITD has 4 of them in my opinion.
-
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
-
matiguri:
Following the excitement about the re-release and the baffling incompleteness of the edition, I wondered what the fuss was all about and decided to get back to the music itself. After all, I hadn't listened to "Flowers in the Dirt" for a very long time, as it did not rank highly in my personal list. I remembered it as a mixed bag with the ingredients not adding up to a whole: too many cooks. The fact that it has been re-released made me revisit the album yesterday and see, whether I did it injustice. I pulled out my 1993 "Paul McCartney Collection" CD and had a go. I must say, the experience hasn't changed my mind. All things considered, there is just too much filler and not enough to look forward to here, which is probably why until yesterday the album had sat quietly on the shelf after the 1989 original excitement about a new McCartney release had faded some months later. I don't think the CD will be played often in the future, either. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those who are interested, here are my impressions, track by track: To me, there are two very good tracks here, "My Brave Face" and "Distractions". Both display an overall consistent quality that is notably absent from the rest of the material presented on the album. They are classic McCartney: composition and lyrics, arrangements, singing, musicianship, surprising but never pushy production detail - it's all there! The same is true for "Flying to my Home" from the bonus tracks (see below). Two of these three songs are produced by McCartney alone, by the way. Maybe he should have trusted himself more. What about the other tracks? In descending order: "That Day Is Done" is close: surprising chord structure, well-sung, the waltz-like 6/8 time comes across as almost menacing from time to time; it sounds a little too big to me, though. Still, the production team - the same as on the wonderful "My Brave Face" does a good job. "Put it There" and "This One": I do not want to skip them as they are pleasing and listenable, but they do not really touch me, either; both seem calculated, each in its own way. The sense of hidden danger conveyed in "Don't Be Careless, Love" seems to be a step in the right direction; I could never figure out, though, why the vocals have to be delivered in this whiny tone; to me this is extremely distracting; the lead vocal regularly made me skip this track, even though it is not unappealing in many other respects. "You Want Her Too" sounds over-produced, inflated to me; the lyrics are a dark version of "The Girl Is Mine", but without real bite. "Rough Ride" tries to be funky, but then ... it isn't. "Figure of Eight": I'm not a "lyrics first person", I can take a lot of half-baked stuff if the song carries it - but almost 30 years later I still don't know what to make of the questions presented here: "Is it better to love another than to go for a walk in the dark? / Is it better to love than to give in to hate?" Musically, the song tries so, so hard but it never really gets off the ground; McCartney himself did not seem to be convinced of the album version, either: when the song was released as a single, a different recording was used, this time a "live in the studio" version that should probably highlight the rock qualities of the song - didn't help, though. (I listened to that version, too) "We Got Married" starts off well with its quick flashes of autobiographical impressions; when the big philosophical questions of serious relationships are addressed later, the lyrics resemble needlepoint phrases; at that point the production too turns overly big and flashy as if it wanted to divert from the emptiness of the lyrics. "How Many People" makes me cringe and "Motor of Love" does not reach me in any respect; both seem oddly out of place on the album, which is probably why they are stuck to the end of it as mere fillers. The bonus tracks, luckily, are much more interesting than most of the album material. "Flying To My Home" is high-class McCartney: eclectic but original, nonsensical but touching. The production is of its time in a surprisingly good way. It is up there with "My Brave Face" and "Distractions"; why it wasn't chosen for the album is an absolute mystery to me. "Back On My Feet" has a very clever rhythm arrangement in the verses. The chorus comes across much more pedestrian but enough work has been invested to pepper it up (the harmonies in the long drawn-out fade are fantastic). Even though the recording had been completed earlier, it might not have been out of place on the album, either. "Ou est le soleil" mixes sequencers and electronic instruments with McCartney's trademark distorted guitars and even the sounds of wood-cutting; it patters along nicely enough. Its Trevor Horn produced album companions are all still-born but this recording is saved by its tongue-in-cheek character. Still, it is a novelty song after all and was wisely left off the original album, released as a stand-alone (maxi) single. It isn't related to the rest. "Loveliest Thing", a left-over from a mid-1980s session with Bill Joel's band, is not quite finished, has the feel of a live recording. It is a beautiful ballad, though, and is delivered with enough seriousness to carry it off.
""Rough Ride" tries to be funky, but then ... it isn't. " I think it sounded much funkier live.
-
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
"Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor." That is why I love CHAOS. Nigel Godrich stood up to Mr. McCartney and you don't have any of those "clunker" type songs on it.
-
yankeefan7:
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
"Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor." That is why I love CHAOS. Nigel Godrich stood up to Mr. McCartney and you don't have any of those "clunker" type songs on it.
__________________________________________________________ Yankee fan, couldn't agree with you more about Mr. Goodrich and Chaos being the most "consistent" Post Wings album with Tug of War being the 2nd most consistent where George Martin was Paul's main producer. The only song that I didn't like on Tug was the 2nd Stevie Wonder collaboration which was mainly a Wonder song. It just didn't seem to fit on the album. An alternate would have been better but I guess it is pretty hard to tell Stevie that they were not going to include it. Not a bad song but it didn't fit and was too long in my opinion. That being said, I think that Flaming Pie, MAF and Flowers are all very good albums because they all have a bunch of great tracks on them. As I listed above, in my opinion, Flowers has 7 great tracks and that makes for a pretty darn good album. They include My Brave Face, Distractions, We Got Married, Put It There, Figure of 8, This One and That Day Is Done. I think Rough Ride, You Want Her Too, How Many People, and Don't Be Careless Love are decent to good tracks. My tremendous frustration with Paul on Flowers are the final 2 tracks. Just like on Flaming Pie and MAF, he throws in a couple of clunkers when he has so much better alternatives right at his finger tips. How does he relegate Flying to My Home (a terrific and needed rocker on the album) and Back on My Feet as B-sides. Put those 2 on Flowers and take off the last 2 tracks on the album (and make them B-sides) and then you have much better and tremendous overall album. Sounds like both of us continue to scratch our heads with Paul's decisions. Let's hope that Paul's Producer for the new album Greg Kurstin is like Mr. Goodrich and we will get another very consistent album like Chaos. Mr. Kurstin has an even more difficult task than Nigel. Paul's voice in 2005 (if I'm right with the year) was much better than today. Will the new Producer tell Paul that his voice doesn't cut it on a particular track and go back to the drawing board. That is the million dollar question. PS I actually think that Rough Ride is a pretty good album track. Hadn't heard it in a long time and I think on this latest remaster it sounds pretty funky. The horns give it a good R&B vibe and Paul's vocal is very good. As I said, a decent to good track in my opinion. Like you I thought the "Live" version was quite good as well. Same thing on You Want Her Too. Not hearing it for a long time and listening to this remaster, it sounds quite good to me. Like the yin and yang thing with Paul and Elvis and like the intro and ending as well. These are not great tracks like the other 7 but certainly don't ruin the album for me. It is the last 2 tracks that drive me nuts about Paul.
-
B J Conlee:
yankeefan7:
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
"Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor." That is why I love CHAOS. Nigel Godrich stood up to Mr. McCartney and you don't have any of those "clunker" type songs on it.
__________________________________________________________ Yankee fan, couldn't agree with you more about Mr. Goodrich and Chaos being the most "consistent" Post Wings album with Tug of War being the 2nd most consistent where George Martin was Paul's main producer. The only song that I didn't like on Tug was the 2nd Stevie Wonder collaboration which was mainly a Wonder song. It just didn't seem to fit on the album. An alternate would have been better but I guess it is pretty hard to tell Stevie that they were not going to include it. Not a bad song but it didn't fit and was too long in my opinion. That being said, I think that Flaming Pie, MAF and Flowers are all very good albums because they all have a bunch of great tracks on them. As I listed above, in my opinion, Flowers has 7 great tracks and that makes for a pretty darn good album. They include My Brave Face, Distractions, We Got Married, Put It There, Figure of 8, This One and That Day Is Done. I think Rough Ride, You Want Her Too, How Many People, and Don't Be Careless Love are decent to good tracks. My tremendous frustration with Paul on Flowers are the final 2 tracks. Just like on Flaming Pie and MAF, he throws in a couple of clunkers when he has so much better alternatives right at his finger tips. How does he relegate Flying to My Home (a terrific and needed rocker on the album) and Back on My Feet as B-sides. Put those 2 on Flowers and take off the last 2 tracks on the album (and make them B-sides) and then you have much better and tremendous overall album. Sounds like both of us continue to scratch our heads with Paul's decisions. Let's hope that Paul's Producer for the new album Greg Kurstin is like Mr. Goodrich and we will get another very consistent album like Chaos. Mr. Kurstin has an even more difficult task than Nigel. Paul's voice in 2005 (if I'm right with the year) was much better than today. Will the new Producer tell Paul that his voice doesn't cut it on a particular track and go back to the drawing board. That is the million dollar question. PS I actually think that Rough Ride is a pretty good album track. Hadn't heard it in a long time and I think on this latest remaster it sounds pretty funky. The horns give it a good R&B vibe and Paul's vocal is very good. As I said, a decent to good track in my opinion. Like you I thought the "Live" version was quite good as well. Same thing on You Want Her Too. Not hearing it for a long time and listening to this remaster, it sounds quite good to me. Like the yin and yang thing with Paul and Elvis and like the intro and ending as well. These are not great tracks like the other 7 but certainly don't ruin the album for me. It is the last 2 tracks that drive me nuts about Paul.
"My tremendous frustration with Paul on Flowers are the final 2 tracks. Just like on Flaming Pie and MAF, he throws in a couple of clunkers when he has so much better alternatives right at his finger tips. How does he relegate Flying to My Home (a terrific and needed rocker on the album) and Back on My Feet as B-sides. Put those 2 on Flowers and take off the last 2 tracks on the album (and make them B-sides) and then you have much better and tremendous overall album. Sounds like both of us continue to scratch our heads with Paul's decisions. " I agree 100% and I have always scratched my head with his selection of singles. We both have said some of his selections and omissions on "Pure McCartney left us wondering what the heck he was thinking.
-
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
It's funny because I actually like Motor of Love, although I have to acknowledge that the majority of comments I see regarding this song are negative...but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)
-
rich n:
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
It's funny because I actually like Motor of Love, although I have to acknowledge that the majority of comments I see regarding this song are negative...but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)
"but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)" It is not the greatest McCartney song ever but was done quickly for a good cause. It is simplistic but I think it was supposed to be an anthem type song to be done in concert (9/11 benefit) and the 2002 tour.
-
rich n:
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
It's funny because I actually like Motor of Love, although I have to acknowledge that the majority of comments I see regarding this song are negative...but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)
It's not a question of liking it or even whether it's a good track. People's tastes are always going to be different - after all, my favourite McCartney albums are Wild Life, Pipes of Peace and Driving Rain (I despise the song Freedom). But it is a question of whether it's a consistent and appropriate choice for the album; and in that regard both How Many People and Motor of Love seem to me to be wildly inappropriate, and just slung on there to round out the LP with fluff. And this is where the charges of a lack of substance gain ground. The attitude seems to be, well, we've done the heavy lifting, so let's wing it now. Which undermines the album at the last gasp.
-
yankeefan7:
rich n:
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
It's funny because I actually like Motor of Love, although I have to acknowledge that the majority of comments I see regarding this song are negative...but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)
"but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)" It is not the greatest McCartney song ever but was done quickly for a good cause. It is simplistic but I think it was supposed to be an anthem type song to be done in concert (9/11 benefit) and the 2002 tour.
__________________________________________________________ Rich n, I think I was more negative about Motor of Love because of my frustration over the fact that Paul left Flying to My Home off the proper album. Motor of Love isn't really a bad song per say. I do like the beginning melody but where I feel it suffers is in the over lush production and it goes on too long. I look at 2 ballads that Paul did in the 80's...Only Love Remains (from Press to Play) and Through Our Love (from Pipes of Peace) and I think the simpler production on both are superior. But most of all, Paul needed another up-tempo song at that point on FITD and he had Flying to My Home right there. Just don't understand his choices sometimes. Then again, the lobbying and politics involved (with so many producers) that Squid brings up could be a bigger factor than strictly song choices. And yes, I liked hearing Freedom live on the Driving tour. It was a good "live" song and as Yankeefan said...it was written quickly and strictly for a good cause after 9/11. No intention of being compared to one of Paul's great songs but I was quite surprised how good of a reaction Freedom got at both shows. Admittedly, it was out of place on the Driving Rain album in my opinion. PS Have you been down to Tampa...weather is great right now.
-
B J Conlee:
yankeefan7:
rich n:
Squid:
At the end of the day, no album that contains How Many People or Motor of Love is going to be taken seriously or enter the front rank for posterity. Their inclusion seems like the usual self-sabotage. However, I wonder sometimes about the lobbying process that surrounds the inclusion or exclusion of a song from an album. Obviously the various producers and the contributing musicians will lobby hard for the inclusion of their work; none of them appear to be honest enough to say - I was thrilled to work with Paul; it's just a pity the material was so poor. Because that would go towards cutting themselves off from an income stream. All in all, I trust Costello to be honest, and I think Paul really should have mounted a truly collaborative effort with him. As it stands, Flowers is just a might-have-been album.
It's funny because I actually like Motor of Love, although I have to acknowledge that the majority of comments I see regarding this song are negative...but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)
"but then again, I also like Freedom from Driving Rain (a song that is equally maligned by many)" It is not the greatest McCartney song ever but was done quickly for a good cause. It is simplistic but I think it was supposed to be an anthem type song to be done in concert (9/11 benefit) and the 2002 tour.
__________________________________________________________ Rich n, I think I was more negative about Motor of Love because of my frustration over the fact that Paul left Flying to My Home off the proper album. Motor of Love isn't really a bad song per say. I do like the beginning melody but where I feel it suffers is in the over lush production and it goes on too long. I look at 2 ballads that Paul did in the 80's...Only Love Remains (from Press to Play) and Through Our Love (from Pipes of Peace) and I think the simpler production on both are superior. But most of all, Paul needed another up-tempo song at that point on FITD and he had Flying to My Home right there. Just don't understand his choices sometimes. Then again, the lobbying and politics involved (with so many producers) that Squid brings up could be a bigger factor than strictly song choices. And yes, I liked hearing Freedom live on the Driving tour. It was a good "live" song and as Yankeefan said...it was written quickly and strictly for a good cause after 9/11. No intention of being compared to one of Paul's great songs but I was quite surprised how good of a reaction Freedom got at both shows. Admittedly, it was out of place on the Driving Rain album in my opinion. PS Have you been down to Tampa...weather is great right now.
"PS Have you been down to Tampa...weather is great right now." Do you live in Tampa? My in-laws have lived there for about 10 years and usually visit 1-2 times a year.
-
I'll be down in Sarasota visiting my mom the first week of May...can't wait (winter's too long here in New England and we're getting more snow Fri/Sat)
-
rich n:
I'll be down in Sarasota visiting my mom the first week of May...can't wait (winter's too long here in New England and we're getting more snow Fri/Sat)
________________________________________________________ My Daughter who lives in Winchester MA will be coming down at the end of April or early May to my area North of Tampa. She can only stay for a long weekend but I'm sure she can't wait either.
-
I've always been kinda so-so about FITD. I like 4 tracks a lot: My Brave Face, That Day Is Done, Put It There, This One -- but none are absolute top tier, more like half a notch below. Most of the rest of the album is so-so and I share the widespread dislike of How Many People. Don't Be Careless Love is an honorable near-miss, but doesn't quite work. A comeback after his mid-'80s period, for sure, but not close to Paul's best. I don't listen to my copy very often.
-
Bruce M.:
I've always been kinda so-so about FITD. I like 4 tracks a lot: My Brave Face, That Day Is Done, Put It There, This One -- but none are absolute top tier, more like half a notch below. Most of the rest of the album is so-so and I share the widespread dislike of How Many People. Don't Be Careless Love is an honorable near-miss, but doesn't quite work. A comeback after his mid-'80s period, for sure, but not close to Paul's best. I don't listen to my copy very often.
_________________________________________________________ Hey Bruce...I know you like E. Costello a lot. Have you picked up the new 2 Disc Flowers Remaster yet. Target has it for $13.99 and the 2nd disc with the PM and EC demos are worth it alone. Some of the tracks have a real Everly Brothers and early to middle period John and Paul harmony feel. I totally agree with the 4 tracks you list above but hearing this remaster, I also really like Distractions. Maybe because I'm now a lot older and hadn't heard it in a long time, but I love the jazzy feel of the orchestration, the lyrics and Paul's vocal. A real underrated gem in my opinion.
-
Motor Of Love Phil Keaggy -
HaileyMcComet:
Motor Of Love Phil Keaggy_________________________________________ Hailey, Thanks for the video. I always like covers of Paul's songs. Right now I am in a noisy McDonald's so I will wait till I get home to hear it a lot better. As I said earlier, it's not the song per say, I just don't like the production on the album. It's funny when you don't hear songs for a long time or you are just older but on the new Remaster, I am loving Distractions and both You Want Her Too and Rough Ride seem better (with more punch) than I remember. I'm liking getting back into FITD again. If he only chose better songs (the B-sides) instead of the last 2 tracks. Have you heard Disc 2. I'm more of a "music" person than collector so to get the remastered album and Disc 2 for under $15. in the US (at Target or Best Buy) is a real steal in my opinion. I'll get back to you on the cover. Thanks again.
-
You're welcome. I haven't heard the reissue at all. I play the original every once in a while. It's definitely one of my top 24 favorite McCartney albums.
-
HaileyMcComet:
You're welcome. I haven't heard the reissue at all. I play the original every once in a while. It's definitely one of my top 24 favorite McCartney albums.
__________________________________________________ Hailey, Don't know if you have Best Buy or Target in Hong Kong but if you do and they are priced as low as the 2 Disc Set here, I highly recommend it. The 2nd disc is rough, spontaneous and sparse, but as demo's they are wonderful. As I said earlier, they remind me of Everly Brothers and early John and Paul with their 2 part harmonies. Some of them I had never heard before so it is like new music for me.
