Flowers in the Dirt (1993)
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It's an ambitious album, but Tom Petty did his the same time and it's straight down the line and works better. This one is a bit too many cooks... Distractions wanders a bit and has the LALD flute which makes it seem eerie and sinister. Butterflies don't really buzz do they, as PSB's Neil Tennant pointed out. Bad vocal on Figure of 8 and it's almost a song but something is missing. Flying to my Home is a great rocker but the strained vocals knock it down so maybe not include it on the album. Strained vocals on Don't be Careless Love too, and Motor of Love is a Mariah Carey song, it's overproduced for Macca. Good things on it, and a nice texture to the production, but it's trying too hard. My Brave Face is great, I like Put it There and We Got Married and This One but the X factor is missing somewhere. Rough Ride... I mean, I like Linda but listening to those two on a song like this is like hearing your parents get it on. Get Carly Simon in to do the 'I'm not after any special treatment...' bit and the orgasmic moans. But I suppose Linda would've nailed herself to the studio door with a face like thunder had that happened.
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Inspector Sands:
It's an ambitious album, but Tom Petty did his the same time and it's straight down the line and works better. This one is a bit too many cooks... Distractions wanders a bit and has the LALD flute which makes it seem eerie and sinister. Butterflies don't really buzz do they, as PSB's Neil Tennant pointed out. Bad vocal on Figure of 8 and it's almost a song but something is missing. Flying to my Home is a great rocker but the strained vocals knock it down so maybe not include it on the album. Strained vocals on Don't be Careless Love too, and Motor of Love is a Mariah Carey song, it's overproduced for Macca. Good things on it, and a nice texture to the production, but it's trying too hard. My Brave Face is great, I like Put it There and We Got Married and This One but the X factor is missing somewhere. Rough Ride... I mean, I like Linda but listening to those two on a song like this is like hearing your parents get it on. Get Carly Simon in to do the 'I'm not after any special treatment...' bit and the orgasmic moans. But I suppose Linda would've nailed herself to the studio door with a face like thunder had that happened.
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In listening to the available "downloads" from the Deluxe FITD 2017 Reissue, there are 3 songs in particular that I think should have been on the final track listing. They are: Back on My Feet - just love this song...would have preferred this track to any one of the last 3 on the final CD. Good lyrics with Paul's typical great melody. Like the vocals overall. Another Paul and Elvis Costello collaboration with Elvis adding lyrics to the final version. Flying to My Home - would have added another needed rocker to FITD. My only criticism is with Paul's lead vocal which tends to be grating in parts. This is where Paul needs a producer who is honest with him. I think it could have done better. Still a better choice than Motor of Love. And I love the guitars and overall music on this track. On certain parts of the vocal, Paul sounds like David Bowie. Loveliest Thing - also love this song. In my opinion, it also has a really nice "closing album track" feel to it. Would have preferred it by far and away over "Ou Est Le Soleil". Paul's producer here was Phil Ramone, the famous Billy Joel producer. Loveliest Thing has a real Billy Joel feel to it and the guitar solo, apparently by one of Mr. Joel's guitarists is excellent. Like Paul's vocal a lot. FITD is just another instance where I think Paul had a real "masterpiece" in his grasp. He had the available songs but it gets back to song selection. Still, I think FITD as a whole is a terrific album.
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Inspector Sands:
It's an ambitious album, but Tom Petty did his the same time and it's straight down the line and works better. This one is a bit too many cooks... Distractions wanders a bit and has the LALD flute which makes it seem eerie and sinister. Butterflies don't really buzz do they, as PSB's Neil Tennant pointed out. Bad vocal on Figure of 8 and it's almost a song but something is missing. Flying to my Home is a great rocker but the strained vocals knock it down so maybe not include it on the album. Strained vocals on Don't be Careless Love too, and Motor of Love is a Mariah Carey song, it's overproduced for Macca. Good things on it, and a nice texture to the production, but it's trying too hard. My Brave Face is great, I like Put it There and We Got Married and This One but the X factor is missing somewhere. Rough Ride... I mean, I like Linda but listening to those two on a song like this is like hearing your parents get it on. Get Carly Simon in to do the 'I'm not after any special treatment...' bit and the orgasmic moans. But I suppose Linda would've nailed herself to the studio door with a face like thunder had that happened.
________________________________________________________ Inspector Sands, Read your "interesting" summary on Flowers in the Dirt (2017 Reissue). I respect your opinion and we will just have to agree to disagree. Relative to some of your opinions, here are mine: Distractions...I love this song. Love Paul's vocals (and Hamish's harmonies) and the overall jazzy orchestration. The whole question about butterflies "buzzing". Who cares and why get so "literal" as you say Neil Tennant mentions. Maybe some strains of buttlerflies do buzz but it doesn't matter. We know the meaning as it relates to the overall theme. And buttlerflies just sounds better than bumble bees. Figure of Eight - I love Paul's raspy vocal on the studio track. I also like the "single" version for Robbie's electric guitar solo and I like the ending on the single where you get Paul and the Band harmonizing at the end. But I still think the studio version is terrific. Rough Ride - I know there is debate on this track but I also like it a lot. It's different and I like the R&B flavor to it as well as Paul's vocal and the Drum overdubs. I also have no problems with Linda's vocal ad libs. I actually find her vocals on some songs to be quite sexy. One of my favorites is Linda's vocals at the end of Cafe on the Left Bank (London Town). As I have said, I love the flow of the 1st 10 songs (till That Day is Done). If I am having a longer drive and I put FITD on, I never skip them. I do agree with your opinion on Motor of Love, particularly the "over production" and for me the length of the song. In my opinion, the last 2 tracks keep FITD from being a true masterpiece. Replacing Motor of Love and Ou Est Le Soleil with Lovers That Never Were and Back on My Feet and you would have had a true "masterpiece". Still, I love the album and in my opinion, one of Paul's best Solo Cd's. I haven't said this before, but I also really like Chris Whitten's drumming on many of the tracks.
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B J Conlee:
In listening to the available "downloads" from the Deluxe FITD 2017 Reissue, there are 3 songs in particular that I think should have been on the final track listing. They are: Back on My Feet - just love this song...would have preferred this track to any one of the last 3 on the final CD. Good lyrics with Paul's typical great melody. Like the vocals overall. Another Paul and Elvis Costello collaboration with Elvis adding lyrics to the final version. Flying to My Home - would have added another needed rocker to FITD. My only criticism is with Paul's lead vocal which tends to be grating in parts. This is where Paul needs a producer who is honest with him. I think it could have done better. Still a better choice than Motor of Love. And I love the guitars and overall music on this track. On certain parts of the vocal, Paul sounds like David Bowie. Loveliest Thing - also love this song. In my opinion, it also has a really nice "closing album track" feel to it. Would have preferred it by far and away over "Ou Est Le Soleil". Paul's producer here was Phil Ramone, the famous Billy Joel producer. Loveliest Thing has a real Billy Joel feel to it and the guitar solo, apparently by one of Mr. Joel's guitarists is excellent. Like Paul's vocal a lot. FITD is just another instance where I think Paul had a real "masterpiece" in his grasp. He had the available songs but it gets back to song selection. Still, I think FITD as a whole is a terrific album.
________________________________________________________ In cleaning out one of my desks, I found my original remastered 1993 FITD "Booklet". I had lost the 1993 CD. It was nice to the booklet as it gave both lyrics and musicians to the 3 bonus tracks of the '93 edition. Because the 2017 remaster didn't include these 3 tracks on the FITD disc, the 2017 booklet was the original one without these tracks. As far as my little review of the songs above, I wanted to add a couple of notes now that I have more information from the booklet. Back on My Feet - The booklet points out that this song was the "1st taster" of the Paul/Elvis songwriting relationship. I had read that Paul had the song's melody and initial lyrics done but Elvis provided additional lyrics. It was issued on November 1987 and was the B-side of Once Upon A Long Ago. Besides Paul and Linda (harmonies) the musicians listed are: Tim Renrick - guitar Nick Glennie Smith - keyboards Charlie Morgan - drums Produced by Phil Ramone Engineered by Jon Jacobs and Steve Lyon I'm not familiar with the musicians above (maybe someone else it). _________________________________ Flying to My Home - A McCartney only song from the sessions that produced Flowers in the Dirt. The B-side of the single My Brave Face in May 1989. Musicians are: Paul - Lead vocals and guitars Hamish Stuart - Rhythm Guitar, slide guitar, Backing vocals Chris Whitten - drums, backing vocal Linda - backing vocal Produced by Paul McCartney Engineered by Geoff Emerick ______________________________ Loveliest Thing - Issued with the single Figure of Eight in November 1989 although recorded in New York in 1986 Musicians are: Paul - Lead vocal, piano Neil Jason - Bass David Brown - Guitar Liberty DeVitto - Drums Produced by Phil Ramone
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B J Conlee:
Tim Renrick - guitar Nick Glennie Smith - keyboards Charlie Morgan - drums Produced by Phil Ramone Engineered by Jon Jacobs and Steve Lyon I'm not familiar with the musicians above (maybe someone else it).
Tim Renwick has worked with Elton John, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and pretty much every British band. Nick Glennie-Smith played keyboards on Press To Play and works with a lot of the same British musicians. Charlie Morgan is a big Elton John collaborator.
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HaileyMcComet:
B J Conlee:
Tim Renrick - guitar Nick Glennie Smith - keyboards Charlie Morgan - drums Produced by Phil Ramone Engineered by Jon Jacobs and Steve Lyon I'm not familiar with the musicians above (maybe someone else it).
Tim Renwick has worked with Elton John, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and pretty much every British band. Nick Glennie-Smith played keyboards on Press To Play and works with a lot of the same British musicians. Charlie Morgan is a big Elton John collaborator.
_______________________________________________________ Thanks Hailey...You really know your music. I really like Back on my Feet. I would have preferred this song much better than either one of the last 2 tracks on FITD. I have said this before, but in my opinion, Flowers in the Dirt is a very good Paul Solo CD but should have been a masterpiece except for the last couple of tracks. Loveliest Thing and/or Lovers That Never Were should also have been on the album.
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You're welcome. Any number of people could have answered your question. I just got here first. I agree about Back On My Feet. It's one of my favorite songs on this album.
