Take It Away: The Complete Paul McCartney Archive Podcast
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Yankeefan2 wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
thrillington wrote:
I listened to Ryan and Chris' episode on MAF. As usual, I learned some new things (about the loudness of the CD) and I enjoyed the episode.
I see MAF as a very good Paul album. I seem to like it a little more than Ryan and Chris.
Whereas Chaos is polished and perfect, it lacks Paul's quirky side (which to some is a good thing, Godrich certainly promoted quality control but I like some "weird" McCartney mixed in with other more traditional songs). MAF sees Paul return to some of his quirkiness while also having some more traditional songs. I also really like the general theme of memory and the past. I bought the album (CD) in a Starbucks on release day (and I have never been in that Starbucks since --not a coffee drinker).
I like Dance Tonight as a stomp and found it a fun song and I loved the video and also the Apple commerical. Ever Present Past is a really good song (but my wife does not like it) with good lyrics (not sure that I liked the video for it with Paul dancing). Who lives more with their "ever present" past than Paul McCartney?
See Your Sunshine remains one of my favorites on the album. I love the middle bit ("She picks up daisies in the field, she likes to weave them through her hair....") Only Mama Knows is a great rocker and I love Paul's performance of it. I like the orchestral bit at the beginning. This in my top five-ten of McCartney rock songs since the Beatles.
You Tell Me is another highlight. Good lyrics and a somber mood with good lyrics ("what was that summer when it never rained.....").
Mr. Bellamy is an odd song that I really liked (and I had the cat in the tree interpretation on first listens also). I love the line, "I'm not coming down, I like it up her without you." Who else would write a song like this other than Paul McCartney?
Gratitude was never a favorite of mine but today when listening to it, I quite liked Paul's singing on it. Still, I would not miss it on the album.
Vintage Clothes is good and I like the 60s sound in the guitars and backwards guitars. I always quote the lyric, "dont live in the past, don't hang on to something that is changing fast" when I or someone else wants to live in the past. It would be easy for Paul to just want to live in the past but he pushes forward with new music.
That Was Me is a favorite as I can see myself looking at myself in a scrapbook and being amazed that "that was me." I can only imagine what is must be like for Paul McCartney to do so. Paul has the ability to write about specific events (in this case looking at his life in a scrap book) but make the song so that it could relate to our own lives. I also love his bass playing on the song. I really like the live version that he did in a concert in Paris, I belive at the Olympia. (see YouTube if you have not seen this performance).
Feet in the Clouds is quirky and the "very, very, very, very, very hard" line can be irritating as pointed out by Ryan and Chris but somehow the song works for me (who would use a vocal decoder in 2007 other than Paul McCartney?) and there are some clever lyrics that I believe Ryan pointed out ("I'm not a square as long as you are not around").
House of Wax is lyrically strong. The lyrics are good and I can see Paul sitting at a grand piano leading the band in this great rocker. We all live in a house of wax even when we are the greatest song writer of a generation (though Paul has said it is about the decline of the record business).
I like the End of the End. While I agree that it is not a great and majestic song like you might expect, I think that is the point. Paul dealt with his own death by writing a nice little ditty with great lryrics like "on the day that I die, I want jokes to be told. And stories of old to be rolled out like carpets. That children have played on and laid on. While listening to stories of old." That is just a great lyric and choked me up every time without being overly dramatic. I love his whistling as well.
I never warmed to Nod Your Head and would have replaced it with Why So Blue (or just dropped it and replaced Gratifude with Why So Blue).
Overall, the album is not quite in my Paul's greatest list (Ram, BOR, TOW, FP, Chaos) but is in a second tier of very good albums. For me it has aged well. It was also a nice transition into Electric Arguments where Paul's gets to further explore his quirkiness. I look forward to Ryan and Chris reviewing it next episode. It sounds like they are going to review Strawberries Ships, Oceans Forest, Rushes, and Electric Arguments. I liked some of the dance music on the first Fireman album but thought it was repetitive. I found Rushes both strange and fascinating and loved how Paul used it for the opening of his 2002 tour (I saw Paul twice that year). Just the bassline on Bison makes the album worth listening to. Then, Electric Argument is more accessible but also full of good McCartney weirdness. I think that Paul uses the Fireman to channel his strange side. But I will wait for the next Ryan and Chris episode to review the Fireman.
Thrillington, Great review of MAF. I haven't gotten around to hear Chris and Ryan's Podcast on MAF yet, but will do over the next couple of days.
I listened to MAF twice yesterday (while doing errands). Knowing that MAF was next on their schedule, I dug it out of my garage and started listening a week or so ago. Sort of like preparing for a test in college or high school.
Yankeefan and I have been discussing and comparing Chaos and MAF after hearing Chris and Ryan's previous thoughts and analysis on Chaos. Surely it was a fruitful songwriting time for Paul. It was especially interesting to remember that MAF was on schedule first but then working with Nigel Godrich, the whole sequence was changed upon Nigel's insistence.
Like you, I really like MAF a lot. As you said, MAF brought Paul's quirkiness out compared to the perfection of Chaos. Both are in my top tier of Paul's Solo albums. I actually find MAF more enjoyable as a complete listen although Chaos isa great listen in the morning especially if you are more up for Paul's quite and easy listening side. Both are excellent albums and prove that Mr. McCartney has had a remarkable career even after the Beatles.
I'm glad that you really like "See Your Sunshine". I think it is the most underrated song on the album. I also like the bridge in the song and I love Paul's bass playing. Coming from Philadelphia, it has a Hall and Oates white soul sound to it that I really like.
I'll be interested to hear Chris and Ryan's take on the "production" on MAF. That is the only part of the album that seems to fall flat on a couple of the songs. I'm not expert on sound production on albums but on a song like "You Tell Me"(a good song) the horns at the end sound so "tinny" if that is the right word. It took a great song into average territory in my opinion. Other songs I like a lot are...Ever Present Past (and I did like the video where Paul was dancing....I found it funny where the girls were trying to mimic Paul's dance moves), Vintage Clothes, Mr. Bellamy (love it), That was Me, Only Mama Knows, HOuse of Wax and End of the End. And I totally agree that "Why So Blue" should have been included on the proper album. I will give my own review a little later too after I hear the Podcast.
Winter storm is supposed to hit Charlotte so thought it was good time to listen to podcast. First mention of the album on podcast they said they were mixed about it but as time went on they were mostly positive, especially Ryan. I disagreed with Chris on songs like "That Was Me", House Of Wax" and "Dance Tonight" which were some of my favorites and he did not really like them. Thought it was interesting they compared "Dance Tonight" to "Ram On". While I could see the point musically I disagreed in one aspect because to me "Ram On" was sort of a throw away song and "Dance Tonight" was a full fledged song and single. I agreed with both of the guys about "Feet In The Clouds" especially the lyrics (lol) and that this song should have been replaced by 'Why So Blue". I think the guys were right about "You Tell Me", this was more of a CHAOS type song and I thought their take on the songs lyrics was interesting. They spent the first few minutes on the difference of sound between tthe CD and vinyl record of MAF which I found interesting. I had always heard Nigel Godrich had rejected some of the songs McCartney had but it was cool to know which ones he did not like that made it on to MAF. Overall a good and fun podcast.
Yankeefan,
I finally got a chance to listen to Chris and Ryan's take on MAF. Like so many of their individual episodes, I have become a big fan of their Podcasts. From the first few episodes, I instantly took a liking to their style and all the information they would give out about Paul's Post Beatles career mainly by album and the extra songs surrounding those albums. Opinions vary (we see it here) but Ryan and Chris are almost always fair concerning Paul and his music abilities.
I was especially interested in their take on MAF. First of all, they gave Chaos such a high grade so I wondered how they would feel about MAF. Secondly, I have found that among even Macca fans, MAF is not always graded very high. Better in general than Driving Rain but not often Top Tier.
Personally I have always like MAF very much and do find it "Top Tier" in Paul's Post Wings (beginning with the 80's. and Tu My top tier Macca Solo list is...Tug of War, Flowers in the Dirt, Flaming Pie, Run Devil Run (albeit mostly covers), Chaos, MAF, New and now Egypt Station. From top to bottom, I actually consider MAF a little better and more consistent than Flaming Pie, Flowers in the Dirt, and New among McCartney original Post Wings albums. Just my opinion, I think his 4 best (in any order) are Tug, Chaos, MAF and ES.
Like you, I found that I like MAF better (especially side 2) better Chris. Ryan I think was more like you and me. That being said, I always like Chris's opinions even when I slightly differ. In this case, I like Side 2 as much or even a little better than Side 1. For whatever reason, Chris and even Ryan didn't see the Medley (in Side 2) as much as a bonified Medley as I do. I think the first 3 songs... Vintage Clothes, That Was Me and Feet on the Clouds fit so well together as a medley. The lyrics fit so well together and i love the fact that there is zero separation between tracks. While the end of the loose medley may not fit as well, it still works in my opinion. Like you, I also like That Was Me and House of Wax better than Chris.
Like Thrillington, I love MAF for its quirky side. Paul just seemed to be having fun and consequently let it all hang out vocally and in subject matter. To me, MAF was the perfect bookend and complement to Chaos. Both in many ways were totally opposite but both great at the same time. It got me thinking that besides BOTR and Venus and Mars, Chaos and MAF were easily the best "Back to Back" albums in Paul's entire Post Beatles' career.
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Sorry for my typos and grammar on the above post. I was rushing out the door to finish and didn't have time to edit.
Suffice to say that like Thrillington and Yankeefan, I like MAF a little better than the guys (especially Chris on Side 2). But on the whole, they like MAF a lot too. Personally and despite some production and/or instrumentation flaws on a few tracks, I think that MAF is one of Paul's top tier Solo albums (from Tug of War on). He's having fun and really letting loose here.
I will do a track by track analysis shortly to further explain why I like MAF so much.
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Let me continue my personal take on Memory Almost Full (MAF). As I said, I think MAF is Paul's most underrated Solo Album. Not too many people/fans consider it GREAT but I do. I put it right up there with Chaos, ES, and Tug of War. It was also the perfect follow-up to Chaos. It was quite the opposite of Chaos and as Thrillington said...not as perfect as Chaos but it was Paul having fun again in the studio.
What is also liked about MAF was that it was (like Chaos) very personal with Paul drawing from memories of being a kid in Liverpool and Summers gone by. The songs from top to bottom really tie well together with generally great lyrics. When I menton about not being perfect, I can now (after a revisit from 10 years or so) see better the production flaws. Chris and Ryan do a great job of analysizing the "loudness" of the production on the CD compared to the vinyl. Hopefully, this can be corrected on a future remaster.
Here is my track by track review (1 to 10 with 10 being perfect)
Dance Tonight (8.5) - I get what Chris says about the opener being too simple and lyrics that don't say anything but I like Dance Tonight a lot. I love it as MAF's opener. Very catchy with Paul playing the mandolin. For fans who had overplayed Chaos with all of its dark, serious and slow moving songs (but still great!) MAF starts off with a happy, fun song. Ryan mentions the live version that he loved and I agree. Love the Paris version where Paul starts off solo on the mandolin and then the curtain opens with the Band.
Ever Present Past (10) - the first of several 10's in this review. Love the lyrics about "time going too fast" and the overall catchiness of the track. Baffles me that Paul puts "Temporary Secretary" on his setlist for about 3 years and never did "Ever Present Past" live. As Chris says, "a great little pop song". If the song would have come out a better time in Paul's younger career, it would have been a #1. Loved the video by the way of dancers mimicing Paul's moves.
See Your Sunshine (10) - the most underrated track on MAF in my opinion. I'm a sucker for Paul's good "blue eye soul" type songs and this has a "Hall and Oates" feel to it in the harmonies (I come from Philadelphia where Hall and Oates started out). I also love the bridge (the "she picks up daisies from the field part) and did I mention it has one of Paul's greatest bass grooves in his total career.
Only Mama Knows (10) - In my opinion, one of Paul's very best Solo rock songs. Paul's vocal here is fantastic (similar to his Run Devil Run vocals) where he goes into his higher range flawlessly. I also like the intro and closing slower parts with the strings. Great that Paul included this one on his live tours for a few years. Upon reviewing MAF after many years (CD version) I did notice the extra loud and harsh sounds in the synthesizers or electric guitars parts. This is one of several parts of MAF that has production flaws in my opinion. Despite it, Only Mama Knows is a great rocker (something missing in Chaos).
You Tell Me (8.5) - Another full Band song and this is where I noticed even more "production" flaws in my revisit. Not sure what instrument it is but either the synthesizers or electric guitars sound not only too loud but too tinny or even a little out of tune. Listen to the very end! Frustrating because it is a great song with even better lyrics. Another song that I just wished Paul had played live when he had a better voice. Speacking of vocals, Paul sounds a little rough on it in parts. With better vocals and production, I would have easily given "You Tell Me" a 10 too. Ryan and Chris both really like the aggressive lyrics of the title and refrain and I totally agree.
Mr. Bellamy (10) - another track i love for its quirkiness and the fact that the lyrics can have different interpretations. Love the great piano riff and Paul's singing hitting the higher registers is top notch. I also like the 2 way conversations going on and the way the song slows down at the end with the strings.
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Now we begin side 2 of MAF. This is primarily where I like/love MAF better than Chris. But this is one of the reasons why I like the "Take It Away" Podcasts so much. As a big time Macca Solo fan, I like hearing different takes on Paul songs and albums so I enjoy various opinions. Ironically, the first track on Side 2 is my least favorite on the 2nd half. Let me continue:
Gratitude (6.5) - As I mentioned, I normally love Paul's good Blue eye soul style songs (e.g. See Your Sunshine) this song falters for me in that Paul goes "too over the top" with his vocals. I tend to favor Paul's understated vocal style on a soul type song. Another way of putting it, I tend to like Dusty Springfield over Janus Joplin. Now initially when I wrote a MAF review (way back like 10-12 years ago) I probably gave "Gratitiude" a "4" but upon revisit many years later, I see more redeeming qualities in the song. I really like his bass as usual and I like the harmony vocal parts with the Band. And I think he does get better with his solo vocals as the track progresses. I love the "I wish, I hope and pray" part towards the end where he does pull it off. Paul no doubt goes all out with his effort to do a Otis Redding like vocal,but in my opinion, but he tries too hard especially on the solo vocal parts in the beginning. The guys mention O'Darling and Call Me Back Again as comparisons but at this point in Paul's career he just didn't have quite the voice chops to carry it off. Gratitude also just doesn't have enough melody to give it a higher grade. Still, not a bonified clunker like "Really Love You" on Flaming Pie.
Vintage Clothes (10) - now this begins the "loose" medley part of the album. I realize that this isn't a "true" medley like hs does on the last track of Red Rose Speedway. In that medley, Paul finishes up the last third of the medley going back to the melody parts from the beginning portions. But I love this loose medley (with no time separation between songs) for the songs in general. These songs are "worlds" better than the Red Rose Medley. As far as the first track, I love "Vintage Clothes" for the happiness of the melody, Paul's singing and the lyrics with Paul looking back and using "clothes" as its metaphor. I always feel happy when this one is on. Love the line..."Who cares if we're a boy or girl".
That Was Me (10) Paul seemlessly goes right into a rocking tune with his great bass as Paul talks about school days and growing up. Love Paul's rocking vocals including the "scat" like singing towards the end that reminds me of Van Morrison. Sadly only Paul did it live at a couple of shows (including the Paris show). Why Paul didn't ever sing Vingage Clothes and That was Me together back to back at one of his shows just baffles me. As I mentioned before, where is Paul's "musical director" for his tours.
Feet in the Clouds (9) - I like this one better than many fans and I really like "Feet in the Clouds" as a finisher in this loose Medley. Like the melody and the lyrics continues in the looking back mode. I know that many fans don't like the over the top repetitiveness of the very, very, very hard parts but I don't mind them. I guess I just get into the whole medley sequence starting with the 2 previous songs. I admit that the "very, very hard" ala Beach Boy harmony parts with the band goes on a tad longer than maybe it should, but Paul hits the crescendo with the final stanza very well in my opinion.
House of Wax (10) - Paul changes the mood with this great more "heavy-tone" piano ballad. The lyrics use the "House of Wax" metaphor where Paul is talking about his life as a celebrity. Love the couple of guitar solos in the song that go just the right amount of time for my liking. Again, just baffles me that Paul only played it live at a couple of shows (check the Paris show on youtube)
End of the End (10) - Another piano ballad to finish off the loose medley. While the title and lyrics in general speak of Paul's inevitable death, he ironically looks at the good side of it all. I even love the whistling part that continues to lift up the mood.
Nod Your Head (8) - I understand the general dislike of this "jam" type number among many fans, but I now appreciate this short album closer much more in retrospect. I owe most of this to our fellow Boardmember Bruce. When you see it as the immediate follow-up little ditty and "mood changer"to the "End of the End" (as Bruce has pointed out) you see it in a totally different way. It's short which is good and Paul is just having fun.
I have to say that upon reflection of revisiting both Chaos and MAF over the last couple of weeks (and after 10 like years) the two mostly opposite albums are Paul's best back to back albums since BOTR and Venus and Mars. Now I have difficulty comparing the two twosomes (totally different eras) but these 2005 to 2007 Solo albums substantiate Paul's GREAT SOLO CAREER in my opinion.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Let me continue my personal take on Memory Almost Full (MAF). As I said, I think MAF is Paul's most underrated Solo Album. Not too many people/fans consider it GREAT but I do. I put it right up there with Chaos, ES, and Tug of War. It was also the perfect follow-up to Chaos. It was quite the opposite of Chaos and as Thrillington said...not as perfect as Chaos but it was Paul having fun again in the studio.
What is also liked about MAF was that it was (like Chaos) very personal with Paul drawing from memories of being a kid in Liverpool and Summers gone by. The songs from top to bottom really tie well together with generally great lyrics. When I menton about not being perfect, I can now (after a revisit from 10 years or so) see better the production flaws. Chris and Ryan do a great job of analysizing the "loudness" of the production on the CD compared to the vinyl. Hopefully, this can be corrected on a future remaster.
Here is my track by track review (1 to 10 with 10 being perfect)
Dance Tonight (8.5) - I get what Chris says about the opener being too simple and lyrics that don't say anything but I like Dance Tonight a lot. I love it as MAF's opener. Very catchy with Paul playing the mandolin. For fans who had overplayed Chaos with all of its dark, serious and slow moving songs (but still great!) MAF starts off with a happy, fun song. Ryan mentions the live version that he loved and I agree. Love the Paris version where Paul starts off solo on the mandolin and then the curtain opens with the Band.
Ever Present Past (10) - the first of several 10's in this review. Love the lyrics about "time going too fast" and the overall catchiness of the track. Baffles me that Paul puts "Temporary Secretary" on his setlist for about 3 years and never did "Ever Present Past" live. As Chris says, "a great little pop song". If the song would have come out a better time in Paul's younger career, it would have been a #1. Loved the video by the way of dancers mimicing Paul's moves.
See Your Sunshine (10) - the most underrated track on MAF in my opinion. I'm a sucker for Paul's good "blue eye soul" type songs and this has a "Hall and Oates" feel to it in the harmonies (I come from Philadelphia where Hall and Oates started out). I also love the bridge (the "she picks up daisies from the field part) and did I mention it has one of Paul's greatest bass grooves in his total career.
Only Mama Knows (10) - In my opinion, one of Paul's very best Solo rock songs. Paul's vocal here is fantastic (similar to his Run Devil Run vocals) where he goes into his higher range flawlessly. I also like the intro and closing slower parts with the strings. Great that Paul included this one on his live tours for a few years. Upon reviewing MAF after many years (CD version) I did notice the extra loud and harsh sounds in the synthesizers or electric guitars parts. This is one of several parts of MAF that has production flaws in my opinion. Despite it, Only Mama Knows is a great rocker (something missing in Chaos).
You Tell Me (8.5) - Another full Band song and this is where I noticed even more "production" flaws in my revisit. Not sure what instrument it is but either the synthesizers or electric guitars sound not only too loud but too tinny or even a little out of tune. Listen to the very end! Frustrating because it is a great song with even better lyrics. Another song that I just wished Paul had played live when he had a better voice. Speacking of vocals, Paul sounds a little rough on it in parts. With better vocals and production, I would have easily given "You Tell Me" a 10 too. Ryan and Chris both really like the aggressive lyrics of the title and refrain and I totally agree.
Mr. Bellamy (10) - another track i love for its quirkiness and the fact that the lyrics can have different interpretations. Love the great piano riff and Paul's singing hitting the higher registers is top notch. I also like the 2 way conversations going on and the way the song slows down at the end with the strings.
I am in almost 100% agreement with you on these songs although I might have given "Dance Tonight" a 9. Sometimes upbeat songs are just supposed to be fun and you can dance to it - lol. I don't expect every song on an album to have deep meaning lyrics, sometimes it can be very simple and that is ok by me. I might have graded "Mr Bellamy" a little lower, like its quirkiness but it is not one of those slam dunk 10 rating songs to me. Always loved "Only Mama Knows" , just a great rock song and loved that he actually played it live for awhile. I know you and I have said this before but it is mind boggling he never did "Ever Present Past" live, what a shame because it is just a catchy song and would have been so good live.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Now we begin side 2 of MAF. This is primarily where I like/love MAF better than Chris. But this is one of the reasons why I like the "Take It Away" Podcasts so much. As a big time Macca Solo fan, I like hearing different takes on Paul songs and albums so I enjoy various opinions. Ironically, the first track on Side 2 is my least favorite on the 2nd half. Let me continue:
Gratitude (6.5) - As I mentioned, I normally love Paul's good Blue eye soul style songs (e.g. See Your Sunshine) this song falters for me in that Paul goes "too over the top" with his vocals. I tend to favor Paul's understated vocal style on a soul type song. Another way of putting it, I tend to like Dusty Springfield over Janus Joplin. Now initially when I wrote a MAF review (way back like 10-12 years ago) I probably gave "Gratitiude" a "4" but upon revisit many years later, I see more redeeming qualities in the song. I really like his bass as usual and I like the harmony vocal parts with the Band. And I think he does get better with his solo vocals as the track progresses. I love the "I wish, I hope and pray" part towards the end where he does pull it off. Paul no doubt goes all out with his effort to do a Otis Redding like vocal,but in my opinion, but he tries too hard especially on the solo vocal parts in the beginning. The guys mention O'Darling and Call Me Back Again as comparisons but at this point in Paul's career he just didn't have quite the voice chops to carry it off. Gratitude also just doesn't have enough melody to give it a higher grade. Still, not a bonified clunker like "Really Love You" on Flaming Pie.
Vintage Clothes (10) - now this begins the "loose" medley part of the album. I realize that this isn't a "true" medley like hs does on the last track of Red Rose Speedway. In that medley, Paul finishes up the last third of the medley going back to the melody parts from the beginning portions. But I love this loose medley (with no time separation between songs) for the songs in general. These songs are "worlds" better than the Red Rose Medley. As far as the first track, I love "Vintage Clothes" for the happiness of the melody, Paul's singing and the lyrics with Paul looking back and using "clothes" as its metaphor. I always feel happy when this one is on. Love the line..."Who cares if we're a boy or girl".
That Was Me (10) Paul seemlessly goes right into a rocking tune with his great bass as Paul talks about school days and growing up. Love Paul's rocking vocals including the "scat" like singing towards the end that reminds me of Van Morrison. Sadly only Paul did it live at a couple of shows (including the Paris show). Why Paul didn't ever sing Vingage Clothes and That was Me together back to back at one of his shows just baffles me. As I mentioned before, where is Paul's "musical director" for his tours.
Feet in the Clouds (9) - I like this one better than many fans and I really like "Feet in the Clouds" as a finisher in this loose Medley. Like the melody and the lyrics continues in the looking back mode. I know that many fans don't like the over the top repetitiveness of the very, very, very hard parts but I don't mind them. I guess I just get into the whole medley sequence starting with the 2 previous songs. I admit that the "very, very hard" ala Beach Boy harmony parts with the band goes on a tad longer than maybe it should, but Paul hits the crescendo with the final stanza very well in my opinion.
House of Wax (10) - Paul changes the mood with this great more "heavy-tone" piano ballad. The lyrics use the "House of Wax" metaphor where Paul is talking about his life as a celebrity. Love the couple of guitar solos in the song that go just the right amount of time for my liking. Again, just baffles me that Paul only played it live at a couple of shows (check the Paris show on youtube)
End of the End (10) - Another piano ballad to finish off the loose medley. While the title and lyrics in general speak of Paul's inevitable death, he ironically looks at the good side of it all. I even love the whistling part that continues to lift up the mood.
Nod Your Head (8) - I understand the general dislike of this "jam" type number among many fans, but I now appreciate this short album closer much more in retrospect. I owe most of this to our fellow Boardmember Bruce. When you see it as the immediate follow-up little ditty and "mood changer"to the "End of the End" (as Bruce has pointed out) you see it in a totally different way. It's short which is good and Paul is just having fun.
I have to say that upon reflection of revisiting both Chaos and MAF over the last couple of weeks (and after 10 like years) the two mostly opposite albums are Paul's best back to back albums since BOTR and Venus and Mars. Now I have difficulty comparing the two twosomes (totally different eras) but these 2005 to 2007 Solo albums substantiate Paul's GREAT SOLO CAREER in my opinion.
Sadly, this is where the album goes a bit downhill and does not live up to the CHAOS quality to me. "Gratitude" is just bloody awful to me and it is a style I don't think McCartney handles well vocally. I would have rated this around a 4 at best. It is one of the very few songs that I have actually skipped on a album that he has made this century - lol. "Feet In The Clouds" does nothing for me, it is ok and the repetitive lyric does get to me. Once again, this is something Nigel Godrich would not allowed to happen on CHAOS. I get that "Nod Your Head" was intended to be a mood changer after "The End Of The End" but he should have made a better song. "Nod Your Head" should have been a B side to some single not an album closer, might be fun to hear live and let the band have at it - lol.
On the positive side, I love "That Was Me" and House of Wax". I have stated often I wished they were both done live more often. "That Was Me" is a wonderful rocking song about MCartney reflecting on a great life. Think about this being done live with screens showing McCartney through the years. "House of Wax is awesome IMO, haunting song with killer guitar solos. McCartney does nice vocal on this also, IMO this song is a classic. I really like "Vintage Clothes" but it is a slight notch below the two songs mentioned below. "End Of The End" is beautiful and I love that he looks at his death more of a celebration than sadness.
Overall, this is a top tier McCartney album that could have been just as good as CHAOS with some editing. Sadly it has the one or two clunkers IMO that sometimes ruins McCartney albums. This album was definitely more commercial than CHAOS and had more songs that would be great live. It is shame he never really got into this album very much live.
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Great comments on my review of MAF. I think many McCartney fans would consider Gratitude and Nod Your Head as MAF's weak tracks. And I agree with you that Chaos was more of a "perfect" album than MAF. But I also agree with you that MAF is one of Paul's top tier Solo albums. I had forgotten until I did this revisit and listened to Chris and Ryan's Podcast that MAF did receive 4 Grammy nominations including Best Pop Vocal for the album. As I said, the Chaos and MAF sessions in totality was a great songwriting era for Paul and the 2 best "Back to Back" albums in Paul's SOLO Career to this point.
I have always thought Paul wasn't the best for picking the final tracklist on many of his albums. In this case, I think that "Why So Blue" (Bonus track in Japan and one of the bonus tracks on a subsequent Deluxe MAF edition) is a great Macca song and far better than Gratitude. Making that swap would have made MAF a more "perfect" album. I also love the 5 song "loose medley" (as I call it). I even like Feet on the Ground quite a bit and I "love" the other 4. It makes the 2nd half of MAF so much fun and creates an even better full McCartney album.
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My wife was working tonight so I decided to listen to the new podcast titled "The Fireman". The first 30 minutes is about the first two albums and experimental type songs McCartney did during that period. The guys love him teaming up with "Youth" and experimental nature of both albums but to them it all sounded like one very long song and background music.
I was curious how they would like "EA" and was not surprised by their reaction. They liked songs I expected them to really enjoy like "Two Magpies", "Sing The Changes" and "Highway" for example. The funniest part of the podcast to me was when they recalled seeing McCartney doing "Sing The Changes" live and saying they were the only ones digging the song -lol. I really love "Dance Til We're High" and was a bit disappointed they were not as excited about this song as me. Their overall reaction to the album was they loved the first half and then they last 3-4 songs caused them to lose interest. They both seemed to enjoyed the album lyrically and thought maybe it was due to McCartney just kind of "winging" it with the lyrics. Both of them thought it would be cool if there was another "Fireman" album and what it may be like if there was another one. Listening to this podcast, I thought I should listen to this album again. I totally forgot about song like "Traveling Light" which sounded cool on the brief clip.
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In regard to the review of the Fireman, I will post something later.
For now, when Chris and Ryan are discussing Paul's bird songs (Blackbird, Bluebird, Jenny Wren, Two Magpies), they forget "On the Wings of a NIghtengale).
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thrillington wrote:
In regard to the review of the Fireman, I will post something later.
For now, when Chris and Ryan are discussing Paul's bird songs (Blackbird, Bluebird, Jenny Wren, Two Magpies), they forget "On the Wings of a NIghtengale).
Good catch, maybe they did not mention it because he never actually recorded it on his album. There is youtube of him doing demo of that great song. Wish he would have included that song on his set list - lol
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I listened again to the Take It Away Podcasts "Cold Cuts" and "The Songs He Gave Away," accessing them on Spotify. I plan to revist more of these sparkling, informative aural jewels. As a tribute to Ryan Brady, who did these with his Macca fan buddy Chris Mercer; and just because they're so much fun. (Brady died along with his friend Max in a terrible auto accident this Thanksgiving.) These guys brim over with joy discussing every Paul song there is. On the latter, I could imagine "Woman" as a Beatle song, but not "World Without Love" (both given to Peter and Gordon). I could imagine "Goodbye" he gave to Mary Hopkin, as a Beatles number in Paul's "granny music" style. "Step Inside Love" to Cilla Black, not so much. Maybe it was a tad TOO light and bossa nova to be Beatles. It's charming, though. I didn't know Billy J. Kramer could sing so well (he was handsome, too). Paul gifted him with several. This podcast is a provocative tour of music history, this particular one, especially. Ryan and Chris go hog wild over "Cold Cuts." Over all of them, really (smiley face). I plan to fill some of these long cold winter nights with the scintillating sound of Ryan and Chris's voices deconstructing Paul's ouevre.
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Was gutted to find out about Ryan's passing from your post. I had messaged him a few times to point out minor errors and to make suggestions about up coming shows. He was always quick to reply back to me with great humour.
If anyone here has not listened to these podcasts, you really need to they are great. Very informative interesting insightful funny and a lot of fun.
Very sad that we will not get to hear Ryan's thoughts on Paul's new Album.
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I know how you feel, Russell. I've felt upset ever since I found out. Ryan's memorial service celebration of his life can be seen live streamed starting at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 12, from a funeral home in his native Chicago. You can find out more details about that at his "Take It Away" facebook group, in a new post there.
I'm going to pour over this thread, had forgot it's here. Looks like it's long and juicy. I'm jazzed. I heard their "McCartney" (cherries album) podcast last night. I thought Ryan and Chris would love "That Would Be Something" more than they did. They wished it were longer, a proper song. What there is of it is glorious...They pointed out several classics on the LP especially "Maybe I'm Amazed." Loved "Junk" and "Every Night" and "Mama Miss America" especially, saying the first two sounded like they'd been around forever, instant classics. Like "Maybe I'm Amazed."
I plan to hear their "Off the Ground" podcast next. I feel that album is kind of sumptuous, and it's underrated. I love all Paul and Elvis Costello's collaborations, except for "Don't Be Careless, Love" (that one's on Flowers in the Dirt, I think). The title track is a good little pop song, methinks. "Off the Ground" song
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I had interacted with Ryan at his Take It Away facebook group
just a week before his fatal accident He was a friendly person. He was married to Monkee Davy Jones' daughter Annabelle, and handled all social media for Davy. We won't get to hear his indepth take on "McCartney lll." 
I wish his podcast partner Chris Mercer would still cover it; I think Ryan would like that. Annabel wrote on her f.b. page that Ryan learned all he could as fast as he could, about his beloved chosen field of music. He accrued so many accomplishments and achievements in his profession. It's all detailed in his obit at the Take It Away F.B. and at Takeitawaypodcast.com -
SusyLuvsPaul wrote:
I had interacted with Ryan at his Take It Away facebook group
just a week before his fatal accident He was a friendly person. He was married to Monkee Davy Jones' daughter Annabelle, and handled all social media for Davy. We won't get to hear his indepth take on "McCartney lll." I wish his podcast partner Chris Mercer would still cover it; I think Ryan would like that. Annabel wrote on her f.b. page that Ryan learned all he could as fast as he could, about his beloved chosen field of music. He accrued so many accomplishments and achievements in his profession. It's all detailed in his obit at the Take It Away F.B. and at Takeitawaypodcast.comVery sad and heartbreaking when somebody that young passes away. I hope Chris does continue on with the podcast with another partner. Might be nice if they have a tribute podcast about Ryan.
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Yankeefan2 wrote:
SusyLuvsPaul wrote:
I had interacted with Ryan at his Take It Away facebook group
just a week before his fatal accident He was a friendly person. He was married to Monkee Davy Jones' daughter Annabelle, and handled all social media for Davy. We won't get to hear his indepth take on "McCartney lll." I wish his podcast partner Chris Mercer would still cover it; I think Ryan would like that. Annabel wrote on her f.b. page that Ryan learned all he could as fast as he could, about his beloved chosen field of music. He accrued so many accomplishments and achievements in his profession. It's all detailed in his obit at the Take It Away F.B. and at Takeitawaypodcast.comVery sad and heartbreaking when somebody that young passes away. I hope Chris does continue on with the podcast with another partner. Might be nice if they have a tribute podcast about Ryan.
How do you feel about the tribute episodes?
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Have heard quite a few of these podcasts. They are among my favorites. So sad to hear about Ryans sad passing. Thanks for posting, will have to check them out!
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DearMartha wrote:
Yankeefan2 wrote:
SusyLuvsPaul wrote:
I had interacted with Ryan at his Take It Away facebook group
just a week before his fatal accident He was a friendly person. He was married to Monkee Davy Jones' daughter Annabelle, and handled all social media for Davy. We won't get to hear his indepth take on "McCartney lll." I wish his podcast partner Chris Mercer would still cover it; I think Ryan would like that. Annabel wrote on her f.b. page that Ryan learned all he could as fast as he could, about his beloved chosen field of music. He accrued so many accomplishments and achievements in his profession. It's all detailed in his obit at the Take It Away F.B. and at Takeitawaypodcast.comVery sad and heartbreaking when somebody that young passes away. I hope Chris does continue on with the podcast with another partner. Might be nice if they have a tribute podcast about Ryan.
How do you feel about the tribute episodes?
I posted my thoughts on the "Take It Away Tribute" thread several days ago, see below.
"I have only listened to Part 1 so far, the next part is almost two hours so it may take me a few days to listen to it. I loved Part 1 and enjoyed learning how Chris and Ryan met and did their "McCartney bonding". I enjoyed Chris telling how they put their shows about McCartney albums together and how research was different between a Wings album and a more current album like "Egypt Station". It was heartbreaking hearing person saying the last text he got from Ryan was "I will see you on the other side". I was thrilled to hear how nice Ryan was to everyone from the person who delivered his mail to the biggest celebrity in music. Got a laugh that one of the movies he loved was "Ghostbusters". Excellent tribute episode and looking forward to Part 2. I am so glad Ryan was so nice in his response to your emails, I hope you saved some of them. "
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There will be a "Take It Away" Podcast for the "McCartney III" album. The recording has been completed and Chris Mercer said he is doing the final editiong, stay tuned for date and time of it being released. I also found out the Ryan Brady did get to hear "McCartney III" before he passed away, he heard a pre-release version of the album. This information was provided by Ryan's widow Annabel Jones. I am not sure when the podcast was actually done and if Ryan will be on it, hope to find out more information soon. I am very excited to hear what they think of "McCartney III".
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Quick update. Per Chris Mercer, the "McCartney III" podcast was done after Ryan passed away. No further info on date yet.
