Take It Away: The Complete Paul McCartney Archive Podcast
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Yankeefan2 wrote:
thrillington wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
Just finished listening to the latest Podcast...Off the Ground. I know I sound like a broken record but I love the job that Ryan and Chris are doing. And It's not that they agree with me on all the songs from a specific album or period. In fact, I disagree with one or both of them on a good number of songs. It is far more because they bring out all the extra songs from the album's sessions or general period. Similar to other albums (e.g. Red Rose Speedway) Off the Ground again shows Paul selecting (in my opinion) inferior songs in favor of the B-sides or extra songs that are in some cases significantly better. For whatever reason, Paul is just not good at rating his own material. Just like Red Rose Speedway, Paul had better songs available during the Off the Ground sessions and didn't include them.
I found it very interesting how much more enthusiastic Ryan and Chris were during this podcast when discussing the extra songs (later they became part of the Off the Ground Complete Works package that were offered as an import I believe). They loved 5 or 6 of them passionately. Personally, I never bought the Complete Works 2 CD package and I am a big Paul fan as you all know. I guess the reason is that I never found it offered at any retailer. On top of that, I had bought the original 1 CD album. Since I wasn't personally in love with Off the Ground I didn't feel compelled to buy the package on line when I already owned half of it. I also bought the live version of the Off the Ground tour CD that followed the original studio album.
More than anything, this podcast again shows me how much a "Lost and Forgotten" type of Compilation Paul really needs for both his "real fans" and more importantly his own "Post Beatles" reputation. As I have repeately said, Paul is far more than his 70's hits.
I really respect Ryan and Chris's music opinions and I found it very interesting that they had made up a "fantasy and better Off the Ground album" for this particular Podcast (at the very end). Of the 12 tracks on their respective fantasy albums, more than half were made up of the extra tracks instead of a good number of songs that made the original album's cut.
Initially when thinking of this "Lost and Forgotten" compilation BY DECADE type of package, I thought the 90's might be a little lacking in material for a 2 Cd 90's set. Upon going through this Podcast and seeing all the material from the Off the Ground Sessions alone, I will have pleny of 90's "lost and forgotten" songs from all the B-sides, CD Singles, Rare and Live recordings etc.
I enjoyed this episode as well. I was lucky enough to find Off the Ground: The Complete Works in a music store in Idaho. It is a CD and I played that thing over and over. As for the main album. I agree with the positive assessments of OTG, Peace in the Neighborhood, Hope of Deliverance, Get Out of My Way, and the two Costello collaborations. I like Looking for Changes a lot more than Ryan and Chris. Biker Like an Icon should had been a B-side. I like Golden Earth Girl more now than in 1993. Unlike Ryan and Chris, I like I Owe it all to You and really like Winedark Open Sea. C'mon people is also very good.
I do agree, however, that many of the songs on the Complete Works should had been on the proper album. I think Paul was still not confident of his work at this point. Big Boys Bickering, Man in the Long Leather Coat, Style, Style, Style, Kick Around No More, Keep Coming Back to Love are all among his best songs of the 1990s. It is a shame that most people don't know them. The song writing is strong and his voice is great. These songs could have been the basis of an entirely new album in between OTG and FP.
The next episode sounds like it will be about songs that Paul gave away (the Wings of a Nightengale was the tease) then I cannot wait for Flaming Pie.
This was a mixed bag album, I really liked some songs like "Hope and Deliverance" , "Get Out of My Way" and "OTG". "Biker Like An Icon" is my guilty pleasure song, most people don't like it but I enjoy it. On the other hand, I differ with you BJ on "Cmon People", it just drags on for too long and was a bathroom break song when I saw him do it live. The only song I know really off the "Complete Works" is "Big Boys Bickering" and I agree that should have been included on the album in the beginning.
If my memory is correct, McCartney played a bunch (5-6) of song from OTG on his 1993 tour which is different than now. I was at the Charlotte concert in 1993 that was televised by FOX. I also believe that this is the last concert in the US that Linda McCartney every played.
Looking forward to hearing what the two guys will say about songs like "On The Wings Of A Nightengale"
Yes, I agree about the album OTG...are real mixed bag. Actually it wasn't me that really likes C'mon People. It is one of my least favorites on the album. I was somewhat surprised that Chris and Ryan both liked C'Mon People quite a bit. Like you, I think the song drags way too long. I was at the Philadelphia show that same year (1993) and my memory is that I liked the "live" version quite a bit better than the studio version however. The crowd seemed to really get into it.
I guess the Charlotte show you attended had to be the last show of the tour...Never thought about that. That being said, it would have been Linda's last live tour show.
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More notes about the Offices to Go album (OTG)
I agree with Yankeefan that OTG was a mixed bag. While Paul deliberately tried to create a live Band sound in the studio, in my opinion, many of the tracks didn't seem too "lively". I agree with Chris and Ryan that OTG had many good songs and the music was often very good, it just seem to me that the "execution"wasn't always there. The final versions in some cases just didn't seem "loose". Some of the songs on the final album sounded mechanical and almost too polished and slick. A few sounded too "adult contemporary" and ran too long. In other cases, Paul's vocals weren't always the best (relative to how well we know Paul vocally can "nail" many songs). I found that to be the case in one of my favorite songs on OTG - Golden Earth Girl, one of Paul's most beautiful ballads in my opinion.
The other thing that stands out to me (and Chris and Ryan really nailed it) is that Paul had so many good songs that didn't make the cut on the original OTG album. It reminds me of what happened on Red Rose Speedway. These OTG session songs and B-sides later came out on an Import Package (OTG the Complete Works) but all the "momentum" of this overall very fruitful writing period for Paul was lost. Even big time fans never bought this "extra" CD package or could find them in stores. In this 2nd CD, Paul and Band ironically sounds far more loose and Paul vocals as the guys point out generally sounds 10 years younger.
For whatever reasons the original album didn't sell well (by Macca standards) and this is just another reason why Paul in the future (e.g. 2020 would be perfect) a really good and deep "Lost and Forgotten" Compilation BY DECADE. The OTG session is a really good way to start a 90's 2 disc set. Besides many of the really "forgotten" tracks from the 2nd disc of "the Complete Works", you also have (in my opinion) a whole host of alternative (in many cases better) versions from the original OTG album. I have seen Youtube videos of "live" versions like Looking for Changes, Hope of Deliverance, I Owe it All to You, Get Out of My Way etc. that bring more energy and looseness than the studio version. Paul and the Band did live versions of many of the songs at the Ed Sullivan Theater to promote the album plus I have seen rehearsal videos which also sound better. In addition, you also have live versions of some of the songs on the subsequent World Tour.
For a fan like me, I would love a 2 Disc Set from all the decades of unreleased, rare and live versions etc. in one convenient package. It would also allow people who like Paul McCartney in general to revisit songs they have never heard before or songs they have forgotten with different versions than they remember. As I said, in many cases, the live and rehearsal versions can be better.
Here are some of my favorite "lost" songs from the 2nd disc of "the Complete Works".
*Keep Coming Back to Love - a cowritten track with Hamish Stuart that has an excellent R&B flavor to it. Hamish harmonizes great with Paul.
*Kicked Around No More - another blue eyed soul type song from Paul. It has a Hall and Oates type feel to me.
*Big Boys Bickering - One of Paul's best protest song in my opinion with great and creative guitar work.
*Sweet Sweet Memories - great little and catchy Beatleque like song
*I Can't Imagine - another good Beatlesque style song
*Style Style - great rock song; Paul sounds so loose and 10 years younger
*Long Leather Coat - both Chris and Ryan think this is rocker is better and harder than Looking for Changes
*Down By the River - while I agree this is a song that should have been more developed, it has a good sound for a "lost and forgottn" type of compilation
Think about all the people who like Paul McCartney and just don't know these songs. Paul never plays them, radio never plays them but yet almost all are good to great songs. That is why Paul needs an ultimate "lost and forgotten" Anthology.
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Just want to make a correction to my previous post on the very first line.
Before I retired 5 years ago I used to sell office furniture. We had one line of chairs and desks called "Offices to Go" and we used to refer to it as OTG.
When I and others here began to refer to the Off The Ground album as OTG it immediately brought my mind back to my working career. The Offices to Go line in the beginning of my previous post is a mistake and I meant to say Off the Ground. As much as I'm trying to be in full retirement mode mentally, I guess I still can't get my working years totally out of my system.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Yankeefan2 wrote:
thrillington wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
Just finished listening to the latest Podcast...Off the Ground. I know I sound like a broken record but I love the job that Ryan and Chris are doing. And It's not that they agree with me on all the songs from a specific album or period. In fact, I disagree with one or both of them on a good number of songs. It is far more because they bring out all the extra songs from the album's sessions or general period. Similar to other albums (e.g. Red Rose Speedway) Off the Ground again shows Paul selecting (in my opinion) inferior songs in favor of the B-sides or extra songs that are in some cases significantly better. For whatever reason, Paul is just not good at rating his own material. Just like Red Rose Speedway, Paul had better songs available during the Off the Ground sessions and didn't include them.
I found it very interesting how much more enthusiastic Ryan and Chris were during this podcast when discussing the extra songs (later they became part of the Off the Ground Complete Works package that were offered as an import I believe). They loved 5 or 6 of them passionately. Personally, I never bought the Complete Works 2 CD package and I am a big Paul fan as you all know. I guess the reason is that I never found it offered at any retailer. On top of that, I had bought the original 1 CD album. Since I wasn't personally in love with Off the Ground I didn't feel compelled to buy the package on line when I already owned half of it. I also bought the live version of the Off the Ground tour CD that followed the original studio album.
More than anything, this podcast again shows me how much a "Lost and Forgotten" type of Compilation Paul really needs for both his "real fans" and more importantly his own "Post Beatles" reputation. As I have repeately said, Paul is far more than his 70's hits.
I really respect Ryan and Chris's music opinions and I found it very interesting that they had made up a "fantasy and better Off the Ground album" for this particular Podcast (at the very end). Of the 12 tracks on their respective fantasy albums, more than half were made up of the extra tracks instead of a good number of songs that made the original album's cut.
Initially when thinking of this "Lost and Forgotten" compilation BY DECADE type of package, I thought the 90's might be a little lacking in material for a 2 Cd 90's set. Upon going through this Podcast and seeing all the material from the Off the Ground Sessions alone, I will have pleny of 90's "lost and forgotten" songs from all the B-sides, CD Singles, Rare and Live recordings etc.
I enjoyed this episode as well. I was lucky enough to find Off the Ground: The Complete Works in a music store in Idaho. It is a CD and I played that thing over and over. As for the main album. I agree with the positive assessments of OTG, Peace in the Neighborhood, Hope of Deliverance, Get Out of My Way, and the two Costello collaborations. I like Looking for Changes a lot more than Ryan and Chris. Biker Like an Icon should had been a B-side. I like Golden Earth Girl more now than in 1993. Unlike Ryan and Chris, I like I Owe it all to You and really like Winedark Open Sea. C'mon people is also very good.
I do agree, however, that many of the songs on the Complete Works should had been on the proper album. I think Paul was still not confident of his work at this point. Big Boys Bickering, Man in the Long Leather Coat, Style, Style, Style, Kick Around No More, Keep Coming Back to Love are all among his best songs of the 1990s. It is a shame that most people don't know them. The song writing is strong and his voice is great. These songs could have been the basis of an entirely new album in between OTG and FP.
The next episode sounds like it will be about songs that Paul gave away (the Wings of a Nightengale was the tease) then I cannot wait for Flaming Pie.
This was a mixed bag album, I really liked some songs like "Hope and Deliverance" , "Get Out of My Way" and "OTG". "Biker Like An Icon" is my guilty pleasure song, most people don't like it but I enjoy it. On the other hand, I differ with you BJ on "Cmon People", it just drags on for too long and was a bathroom break song when I saw him do it live. The only song I know really off the "Complete Works" is "Big Boys Bickering" and I agree that should have been included on the album in the beginning.
If my memory is correct, McCartney played a bunch (5-6) of song from OTG on his 1993 tour which is different than now. I was at the Charlotte concert in 1993 that was televised by FOX. I also believe that this is the last concert in the US that Linda McCartney every played.
Looking forward to hearing what the two guys will say about songs like "On The Wings Of A Nightengale"
Yes, I agree about the album OTG...are real mixed bag. Actually it wasn't me that really likes C'mon People. It is one of my least favorites on the album. I was somewhat surprised that Chris and Ryan both liked C'Mon People quite a bit. Like you, I think the song drags way too long. I was at the Philadelphia show that same year (1993) and my memory is that I liked the "live" version quite a bit better than the studio version however. The crowd seemed to really get into it.
I guess the Charlotte show you attended had to be the last show of the tour...Never thought about that. That being said, it would have been Linda's last live tour show.
Yes, the Charlotte show was the last one of the tour, McCartney mentioned it that night. The concert was a bit shorter due to it being showed on TV which was a bit of a bummer. The "song" "Robbie's Bit" from "Paul Is Live" is from the Charlotte show, it was done to entertain the audience during a commercial break.
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B J Conlee wrote:
More notes about the Offices to Go album (OTG)
I agree with Yankeefan that OTG was a mixed bag. While Paul deliberately tried to create a live Band sound in the studio, in my opinion, many of the tracks didn't seem too "lively". I agree with Chris and Ryan that OTG had many good songs and the music was often very good, it just seem to me that the "execution"wasn't always there. The final versions in some cases just didn't seem "loose". Some of the songs on the final album sounded mechanical and almost too polished and slick. A few sounded too "adult contemporary" and ran too long. In other cases, Paul's vocals weren't always the best (relative to how well we know Paul vocally can "nail" many songs). I found that to be the case in one of my favorite songs on OTG - Golden Earth Girl, one of Paul's most beautiful ballads in my opinion.
The other thing that stands out to me (and Chris and Ryan really nailed it) is that Paul had so many good songs that didn't make the cut on the original OTG album. It reminds me of what happened on Red Rose Speedway. These OTG session songs and B-sides later came out on an Import Package (OTG the Complete Works) but all the "momentum" of this overall very fruitful writing period for Paul was lost. Even big time fans never bought this "extra" CD package or could find them in stores. In this 2nd CD, Paul and Band ironically sounds far more loose and Paul vocals as the guys point out generally sounds 10 years younger.
For whatever reasons the original album didn't sell well (by Macca standards) and this is just another reason why Paul in the future (e.g. 2020 would be perfect) a really good and deep "Lost and Forgotten" Compilation BY DECADE. The OTG session is a really good way to start a 90's 2 disc set. Besides many of the really "forgotten" tracks from the 2nd disc of "the Complete Works", you also have (in my opinion) a whole host of alternative (in many cases better) versions from the original OTG album. I have seen Youtube videos of "live" versions like Looking for Changes, Hope of Deliverance, I Owe it All to You, Get Out of My Way etc. that bring more energy and looseness than the studio version. Paul and the Band did live versions of many of the songs at the Ed Sullivan Theater to promote the album plus I have seen rehearsal videos which also sound better. In addition, you also have live versions of some of the songs on the subsequent World Tour.
For a fan like me, I would love a 2 Disc Set from all the decades of unreleased, rare and live versions etc. in one convenient package. It would also allow people who like Paul McCartney in general to revisit songs they have never heard before or songs they have forgotten with different versions than they remember. As I said, in many cases, the live and rehearsal versions can be better.
Here are some of my favorite "lost" songs from the 2nd disc of "the Complete Works".
*Keep Coming Back to Love - a cowritten track with Hamish Stuart that has an excellent R&B flavor to it. Hamish harmonizes great with Paul.
*Kicked Around No More - another blue eyed soul type song from Paul. It has a Hall and Oates type feel to me.
*Big Boys Bickering - One of Paul's best protest song in my opinion with great and creative guitar work.
*Sweet Sweet Memories - great little and catchy Beatleque like song
*I Can't Imagine - another good Beatlesque style song
*Style Style - great rock song; Paul sounds so loose and 10 years younger
*Long Leather Coat - both Chris and Ryan think this is rocker is better and harder than Looking for Changes
*Down By the River - while I agree this is a song that should have been more developed, it has a good sound for a "lost and forgottn" type of compilation
Think about all the people who like Paul McCartney and just don't know these songs. Paul never plays them, radio never plays them but yet almost all are good to great songs. That is why Paul needs an ultimate "lost and forgotten" Anthology.
With the 8 songs you mentioned that got cut, heck McCartney almost had enough material for a double album. Due to wanting album for a tour he may not have had the time for additional songs but surprised he never went back and tried to maybe make another album with these songs. In later years, he had songs for what was to become MAF but came back to those songs after completing CHAOS.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Just want to make a correction to my previous post on the very first line.
Before I retired 5 years ago I used to sell office furniture. We had one line of chairs and desks called "Offices to Go" and we used to refer to it as OTG.
When I and others here began to refer to the Off The Ground album as OTG it immediately brought my mind back to my working career. The Offices to Go line in the beginning of my previous post is a mistake and I meant to say Off the Ground. As much as I'm trying to be in full retirement mode mentally, I guess I still can't get my working years totally out of my system.
I noticed that and thought it was some kind of inside joke between you and yankeefan!
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The Off the Ground Podcast was so good that it forced me to relisten to the original album. I found a copy of the CD in my garage and that is exactly what I did. Ryan and Chris actually liked the album "on the whole" better than I remember it, so I really wanted to hear it on my car CD again. It had been probably like 25 years since I listened to OTG in full, so I was curious how I would feel about it now.
The fact that I'm now in my upper 60's did change my feelings considerably. Maybe because I listened to the negative reviews at the time and maybe because I played it too much (I really wanted to know OTG since I was going to the subsequent tour show in Philadelphia) it fell out of favor with me. The Rolling Stone review had stated that Paul doesn't "rock with authority" anymore and it was undercooked and filled with too much sugar glaze. Other reviews were even harsher. I could see some of that in OTG so I pretty much considered it a lower tier Macca album. Being so much younger, I probably wanted more rocking songs.
Listening to it when I am considerably older, I like it so much better. The album as a whole does have common mature themes, a lot of intelligent lyrics and the songs do flow well from track to track. It has of course flaws but I now consider it way higher on my ranking of Paul albums. I know I like it better than McCartney 1 and 2, Wildlife, Red Rose Speedway, At the Speed of Sound, Back to the Egg, Press to Play (although I like Egg and PTP a lot) and probably Driving Rain. That is quite a change from my memory's of OTG in the early 90's.
In retrospect and one reason I like these Podcasts so much is that Ryan and Chris has really change my feelings about OTG from lukewarm at the very best to something much better. Like most Paul albums, it could have been quite a bit better but I now see it as a "good to very good" album. Still I have individual difference with the guys on some tracks. Here they are:
* Off the Ground (the song) - like the guys say, I really like the song...very good title and opening track. I like the rocking sounds with all the hooks. I would even stay with this exact performance for a "Lost and Forgotten" compilation because it is so good.
* Looking for Changes - I like this track better than the guys. I don't generally get as worked up on lyrics as they do. For me, I think the lyrics for an "Animal Rights" protest song are fine. I would use an alternative version (a live one like the Ed Sullivan Theater perfomance) that is even more spontaneous for a true "rock" song and take advantage of Robbie McIntosh's really good live performances.
*Hope of Deliverance - My favorite song on OTG and the guys love this Latin tingue arrangement as do I. There are some very good live alternives I've seen on You Tube. I would definitely use one of those on a "Lost and Forgotten" compilation. A very interesting thing that Ryan I think points out. Out of all the songs on OTG, Paul chooses only 1 song to put on his last Compilation...the Pure McCartney Deluxe Compilation. It is very surprisingly Winedark Open Sea. While I like "Winddark" how do you not put "Hope of Deliverance" on this recent Compilation!! The other thing is how Paul only plays "Hope of Deliverance" in non US countries (e.g. Mexico) and only played this great song once in the US. I think it was Miami. I guess it didn't get a good audience reaction and Paul just never played it in the US afterward. Like Mull of Kintyre, this drives me nuts. I went to like 10 shows from 2002 and never heard either of these great songs. And then you hear "Let Me Roll It" at every show. That was always disappointing to me.
*Mistress and Maid - Unlike the guys I love this particular arrangement. I think Chris points out that Paul's vocal performance is too loose and relaxed for the intensity of the song. I get that but I just love the arrangement on the CD and I think Paul's vocal is pretty good. But on a "lost and forgotten" compilation that I hope we eventually got, I agree with Chris that I would prefer a demo version instead. On the Podcast, they played a "live" version with Paul and Elvis that sounded beautiful. It was more bare bones and sang at a lower key. Would love to have this someday.
*I Owe It All To You - I like this a little better than the guys but I agree with them that it runs too long...like almost 5 minutes. Paul has done this before taking a slighter lyric type love song and nice melody into a "long" musical type thing. A prime example of this was Motor of Love on Flowers in the Dirt which also didn't have to be nearly that long. Thinking about the Beatles Rubber Soul/Revolve eras, the typical length of songs were between 2 and 3 minutes. I Owe it all to You would have been much better in my opinion at the 3 minute mark. The longer length makes it more of a smaltzy, Adult contemporary style song. On a negative of OTG, Paul does this again on later OTG tracks.
*Biker Like an Icon - Like Yankeefan says in one of the previous posts about OTG, I also consider "Biker" a "guilty pleasure". The guys kills this song as do many people. I just see it differently especially with the lyrics. I will do a separate piece on "Biker" to explain myself. I also think that this is one of Paul's best vocal performances on OTG. I will however concede that "Biker" isn't one of Paul's best melodies. It is void of the typical hooks and changes that Paul is known for. I do understand that many don't like the song. In retrospect, Paul did have many better choices among the B Sides, and "Biker" have have been relagated to a B side.
(2nd half of OTG - to be considered)
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B J Conlee wrote:
The Off the Ground Podcast was so good that it forced me to relisten to the original album. I found a copy of the CD in my garage and that is exactly what I did. Ryan and Chris actually liked the album "on the whole" better than I remember it, so I really wanted to hear it on my car CD again. It had been probably like 25 years since I listened to OTG in full, so I was curious how I would feel about it now.
The fact that I'm now in my upper 60's did change my feelings considerably. Maybe because I listened to the negative reviews at the time and maybe because I played it too much (I really wanted to know OTG since I was going to the subsequent tour show in Philadelphia) it fell out of favor with me. The Rolling Stone review had stated that Paul doesn't "rock with authority" anymore and it was undercooked and filled with too much sugar glaze. Other reviews were even harsher. I could see some of that in OTG so I pretty much considered it a lower tier Macca album. Being so much younger, I probably wanted more rocking songs.
Listening to it when I am considerably older, I like it so much better. The album as a whole does have common mature themes, a lot of intelligent lyrics and the songs do flow well from track to track. It has of course flaws but I now consider it way higher on my ranking of Paul albums. I know I like it better than McCartney 1 and 2, Wildlife, Red Rose Speedway, At the Speed of Sound, Back to the Egg, Press to Play (although I like Egg and PTP a lot) and probably Driving Rain. That is quite a change from my memory's of OTG in the early 90's.
In retrospect and one reason I like these Podcasts so much is that Ryan and Chris has really change my feelings about OTG from lukewarm at the very best to something much better. Like most Paul albums, it could have been quite a bit better but I now see it as a "good to very good" album. Still I have individual difference with the guys on some tracks. Here they are:
* Off the Ground (the song) - like the guys say, I really like the song...very good title and opening track. I like the rocking sounds with all the hooks. I would even stay with this exact performance for a "Lost and Forgotten" compilation because it is so good.
* Looking for Changes - I like this track better than the guys. I don't generally get as worked up on lyrics as they do. For me, I think the lyrics for an "Animal Rights" protest song are fine. I would use an alternative version (a live one like the Ed Sullivan Theater perfomance) that is even more spontaneous for a true "rock" song and take advantage of Robbie McIntosh's really good live performances.
*Hope of Deliverance - My favorite song on OTG and the guys love this Latin tingue arrangement as do I. There are some very good live alternives I've seen on You Tube. I would definitely use one of those on a "Lost and Forgotten" compilation. A very interesting thing that Ryan I think points out. Out of all the songs on OTG, Paul chooses only 1 song to put on his last Compilation...the Pure McCartney Deluxe Compilation. It is very surprisingly Winedark Open Sea. While I like "Winddark" how do you not put "Hope of Deliverance" on this recent Compilation!! The other thing is how Paul only plays "Hope of Deliverance" in non US countries (e.g. Mexico) and only played this great song once in the US. I think it was Miami. I guess it didn't get a good audience reaction and Paul just never played it in the US afterward. Like Mull of Kintyre, this drives me nuts. I went to like 10 shows from 2002 and never heard either of these great songs. And then you hear "Let Me Roll It" at every show. That was always disappointing to me.
*Mistress and Maid - Unlike the guys I love this particular arrangement. I think Chris points out that Paul's vocal performance is too loose and relaxed for the intensity of the song. I get that but I just love the arrangement on the CD and I think Paul's vocal is pretty good. But on a "lost and forgotten" compilation that I hope we eventually got, I agree with Chris that I would prefer a demo version instead. On the Podcast, they played a "live" version with Paul and Elvis that sounded beautiful. It was more bare bones and sang at a lower key. Would love to have this someday.
*I Owe It All To You - I like this a little better than the guys but I agree with them that it runs too long...like almost 5 minutes. Paul has done this before taking a slighter lyric type love song and nice melody into a "long" musical type thing. A prime example of this was Motor of Love on Flowers in the Dirt which also didn't have to be nearly that long. Thinking about the Beatles Rubber Soul/Revolve eras, the typical length of songs were between 2 and 3 minutes. I Owe it all to You would have been much better in my opinion at the 3 minute mark. The longer length makes it more of a smaltzy, Adult contemporary style song. On a negative of OTG, Paul does this again on later OTG tracks.
*Biker Like an Icon - Like Yankeefan says in one of the previous posts about OTG, I also consider "Biker" a "guilty pleasure". The guys kills this song as do many people. I just see it differently especially with the lyrics. I will do a separate piece on "Biker" to explain myself. I also think that this is one of Paul's best vocal performances on OTG. I will however concede that "Biker" isn't one of Paul's best melodies. It is void of the typical hooks and changes that Paul is known for. I do understand that many don't like the song. In retrospect, Paul did have many better choices among the B Sides, and "Biker" have have been relagated to a B side.
(2nd half of OTG - to be considered)
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I can't put my finger on it exactly but "Looking For Changes" just never did it for me. The song never "takes off" as a true rock song and the lyrics could have been better. IMO- McCartney has never really been that good with "protest" songs. As for "Hope Of Deliverance", McCartney did it for the entire 1993 tour and then as usual he never went back to it again with the rare exceptions you mentioned.
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Off the Ground (OTG) 2nd half
Peace in the Neighbourhood - Revisiting this album after all these years, this is a track I like much better now. It fits the overall theme of OTG (uplifting, hope etc.) and I love the overall R&B vibe here. The music has a great feel. I also don't have a problem with the lyrics like some critics do. Unlike C'mon People (see later) it at least talks in specifics about civic harmony, helping each other out etc. I also like the change lyrically where Paul wakes up from his dream and looks at things like they really are. Years ago, I didn't like parts of Paul's vocal on this track but getting more used to his changing voice in later years, I think he does a pretty good job on the album version. My main complaint in the mix is that Robbie McIntosh's great guitar work (especially towards the end) is not fully realized. For a future "lost and forgotten" compilation, there are certainly better "live" alternative.
Golden Earth Girl - Another one of my favorites on OTG with a gorgeous piano melody (reminds me of Warm and Beautiful) but with one flaw in my opinion...Paul's lead vocal. Paul just doesn't sound good here in several parts of the song. Don't know if there is a superior vocal demo in the vaults for a future compilation, but this would be a time to include it. Another song that I wished Paul would have included on like the 2002 or 2005 tour. Paul was still in great voice during those tours. Getting back to the studio take, you have to wonder where the Producer (Julian Mendelsohn) was. As Yankeefan has pointed out numerous times, Paul needs a Producer that will tell him when something is inferior. As Ryan and Chris pointed out, someone needed to tell Paul that his vocal wasn't good and let's come back to it another day. Otherwise, one of the best songs on OTG.
Lovers that Never Were - Like Mistress and Maid, I don't have a problem with this album version as much as they do. It is a little overproduced in my opinion, so I agree 100% that the acoustic demo with just Paul and Elvis is significantly better. For a future compilation of Paul's Post Beatles' career by Decade, this demo is the version to include on either an 80's or 90's disc.
Get Out of My Way - Like Ryan and Chris, I like this rocker a lot. The live version from the Ed Sullivan promotional show is even better for a future compilation.
Winedark Open Sea - Another peaceful "Sailing" song (e. g. Wanderlust, Heaven on a Sunday) that also has a terrific feel. It also has a soulful sound. The only little complaint (as with Peace in the Neighbourhood and I Owe It All to YOu) is that it runs too long.
C'Mon - Chris and Ryan like this track better than me. This is an instance where I don't like the words per say. The message is too bland with no specifics. The music is good but to me it just meanders and is too long. I do like the ending with George Martin's strings. To each his own, but I realize that other Paul fans do like it. Getting back to the lyrics, I think it was Ryan who said that he hated the "O Yea" parts. I agree 100%. I know Paul was harkening back to his Beatle days, but that didn't do it for me at the time (1993) and also today as I revisited OTG.
Cosmically Conscious (hidden track) - very short but I thought it was quite effective to end the album
As I said, I think OTG is a solid album as a whole because it had good songs with common themes (e.g. Band on the Run, Tug of War) It could have had better balance with all the really good B-sides but just looking at the album, I think in future years it will be considered underrated. It didn't have a big hit in either England and the US which is one reason that it is underrated but it has a bunch of really good songs with generally great music.
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B J Conlee wrote:
Off the Ground (OTG) 2nd half
Peace in the Neighbourhood - Revisiting this album after all these years, this is a track I like much better now. It fits the overall theme of OTG (uplifting, hope etc.) and I love the overall R&B vibe here. The music has a great feel. I also don't have a problem with the lyrics like some critics do. Unlike C'mon People (see later) it at least talks in specifics about civic harmony, helping each other out etc. I also like the change lyrically where Paul wakes up from his dream and looks at things like they really are. Years ago, I didn't like parts of Paul's vocal on this track but getting more used to his changing voice in later years, I think he does a pretty good job on the album version. My main complaint in the mix is that Robbie McIntosh's great guitar work (especially towards the end) is not fully realized. For a future "lost and forgotten" compilation, there are certainly better "live" alternative.
Golden Earth Girl - Another one of my favorites on OTG with a gorgeous piano melody (reminds me of Warm and Beautiful) but with one flaw in my opinion...Paul's lead vocal. Paul just doesn't sound good here in several parts of the song. Don't know if there is a superior vocal demo in the vaults for a future compilation, but this would be a time to include it. Another song that I wished Paul would have included on like the 2002 or 2005 tour. Paul was still in great voice during those tours. Getting back to the studio take, you have to wonder where the Producer (Julian Mendelsohn) was. As Yankeefan has pointed out numerous times, Paul needs a Producer that will tell him when something is inferior. As Ryan and Chris pointed out, someone needed to tell Paul that his vocal wasn't good and let's come back to it another day. Otherwise, one of the best songs on OTG.
Lovers that Never Were - Like Mistress and Maid, I don't have a problem with this album version as much as they do. It is a little overproduced in my opinion, so I agree 100% that the acoustic demo with just Paul and Elvis is significantly better. For a future compilation of Paul's Post Beatles' career by Decade, this demo is the version to include on either an 80's or 90's disc.
Get Out of My Way - Like Ryan and Chris, I like this rocker a lot. The live version from the Ed Sullivan promotional show is even better for a future compilation.
Winedark Open Sea - Another peaceful "Sailing" song (e. g. Wanderlust, Heaven on a Sunday) that also has a terrific feel. It also has a soulful sound. The only little complaint (as with Peace in the Neighbourhood and I Owe It All to YOu) is that it runs too long.
C'Mon - Chris and Ryan like this track better than me. This is an instance where I don't like the words per say. The message is too bland with no specifics. The music is good but to me it just meanders and is too long. I do like the ending with George Martin's strings. To each his own, but I realize that other Paul fans do like it. Getting back to the lyrics, I think it was Ryan who said that he hated the "O Yea" parts. I agree 100%. I know Paul was harkening back to his Beatle days, but that didn't do it for me at the time (1993) and also today as I revisited OTG.
Cosmically Conscious (hidden track) - very short but I thought it was quite effective to end the album
As I said, I think OTG is a solid album as a whole because it had good songs with common themes (e.g. Band on the Run, Tug of War) It could have had better balance with all the really good B-sides but just looking at the album, I think in future years it will be considered underrated. It didn't have a big hit in either England and the US which is one reason that it is underrated but it has a bunch of really good songs with generally great music.
Love "Get Out Of My Way" and why the heck was that not a single? I like "Peace In The Neighborhood" on the album but when he did it live it it just did not work which is rare because most McCartney songs I like better live than on album.
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As I have said, the single most important point of these great podcasts for me is a "confirmation" that Paul really needs a true Deep Anthology of his Post Beatles's Career. He needs something like I have been enumerating throughout these pages for his own legacy and also as a convenient package for his real fans and people generally who have liked his music over all these years.
As Chris and Ryan again expertly point out is how many "piles" of really good material there was from the Off the Ground "sessions". They emphasized the word "sessions" towards the end of this Podcast as compared to just the finished original album. As we have been going through each Decade (they're now in the 90's), there is so much "good" material that fans don't even know or find difficult to even buy. That is why I have been using the working title of "Lost and Forgotten" for a Deep Anthology package.
To illustrate this point, Chris and Ryan put together a "fantasy" album for Off The Ground that in their minds would have been a significantly "better" album than the 12 track original. Chris had a whopping 7 new songs from the "Sessions" that would replace 7 songs on the original album. Ryan had 5 which is still a significant number of tracks that would have made the album in their minds better. Here they are:
Chris's Fantasy OTG Album
Side 1
Off the Ground
Long Leather Coat
Hope of Deliverance
Kicked Around No More
Mistress and Maid
I Can't Imagine
Side 2
Style, Style
Keep Coming Back to Love
Sweet, Sweet Memories
Peace in the Neighbourhood
Big Boys Bickering
Lovers That Never Were
Ryan's Fantasy OTG Album
Side 1
Off the Ground
Hope of Deliverance
Lovers That Never Were
Mistress and Maid
Sweet Sweet Memories
Golden Earth Girl
Side 2
Style Style
Long Leather Coat
Big Boys Bickering
Kicked Around No More
Get Out of My Way
C'mon People
While I totally agree with the guys that the original OTG album was a good, solid album for Paul, I think the main reason that it wasn't more successful commercially (particularly in the US and England) is that the album didn't have enough energy and excitement. There were too many longer ballad type songs which made the overall album feel much more "Adult Contemporary". Paul was a founding member and key creative force in the Beatles and you certainly woudn't describe them as "adult contemorary". When looking at their specific "fantasy" tracklists, they easily provide a far better "balance" of song styles including more and better rockers and R&B/blue eye soul flavor songs. Paul is also very good at the latter as well is Hamish Stuart and Robbie McIntosh. These extra "fantasy" songs prove it!
While I love the "what if" discussions, it is surely now a "moot" point. Conversely, it is not too late for Paul to have his people working on a real Paul McCartney Anthology By Decade available for release in the early 2020's. At that point, you would be covering 5 Decades of Sir Paul's music. So far, I have given very strong 2 Disc tracklists of "Lost and Forgotten" for both the 70's and 80's (even without obvious access to his vaults) and now just starting with the 90's in these Podcasts, I can see there is easily enough good material for a 2 disc 90's era. We don't need another Pure McCartney or Wingspan type Compilations of his Greatest hits and Most Known Songs. What is needed are all the Lost and Forgotten Songs (incuding all the good unreleased material) that really covers his entire Post Beatles' Career. What a great convenient package that the real fans would surely love and buy.
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Yankeefan,
You make an excellent point about "Looking For Changes". While I like the song better than you, Chris and Ryan were also not in love with the song. In fact, they both think that "Looking for Changes" should have been replaced on the proper album by "Long Leather Coat". In their minds, the latter song is a better "Animal Rights" track with better lyrics.
I noticed that on their Fantasy OTG album, neither had "Looking for Changes" on it and both had "Long Leather Coat".
Regarding "Hope of Deliverance" and Paul's live shows, this was precisely the type of terrific song that I wanted Paul to add or bring back to his "one on one" tour. In 2017 I would have gone to the Tampa show if he would have "freshen" up the Setlist with about a 6 Solo songs like "Hope of Deliverance". That's all we were asking.
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In Defense of "Biker Like an Icon"...
Biker Like an Icon is yet another Paul song that many critics love to "bash". For example, a critic from "Ultimate Classic Rock" says "a track so laughably weak that it ranks toward the bottom of any realistic overall accessment of McCartney, if arguably shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever". Talk about an over the top negative and biased assessment of the song.
To be clear, I probably wouldn't put "Biker" in my top 75 or even 100 of Paul's Solo songs. Its biggest weakness in my opinion is its rather "slight" melody, normally a huge strength in Paul's songs. There are no melodic changes in the music. However, I do think it is saved by Robbie's excellent slide guitar work (especially the solo) and Paul's vocals which is one of his best on OTG.
But many critics focus on the lyrics which I think are actually pretty creative. Ryan and Chris (who I really respect) seem to totally dismiss the song. I think it's Ryan who just coudn't get over the "Biker/Like Her" rhyming attempt. Actually when I first heard the song I never saw that specific line as Paul even trying to rhyme. To me that line was part of the song's narrative where the secondary character (the "Biker") didn't know her and had no feelings for her. To me, he was just saying that he "didn't like her" from a romantic or love point of view.
The bottom line for me is lyrically "Biker" is a good Paul story song. It has a real underlying message particularly in today's crazed media/internet world specifically focusing so much on famous people. To that extent, some people get caught up with their heros, idols etc. In extreme cases, they even change their entire life, leave their families chasing after a pointless dream about a famous figure or image. Groupies chasing rock stars are just one obvious example. This is how I interpreted this song and it is real. The main character (the girl) goes so far as to travel a long distance (Hollywood) to a try to arrange a meeting. When she does, the idol takes advantage of his position. The lyrics to this part of the story in my opinion are good:
"When he met her, he couldn't let her get away. He didn't ask for her permission, took advantage of her position, but HE was always HER ambition anyway.
The girls family (referenced earlier) think her mind is twisted and that they wouldn't miss her anyway. But time is the ultimate healer and later they are worried. Afterall, she is still family and they do eventually miss her. Again, these lyrics I think are good:
"The family tries so hard to find her, they showed her picture across America. But no trace of her sweet face was ever found."
I also like "the wasting time and water" metaphor expressed several times:
"She loved the biker like an icon, slowly watching precious water drip away"
Again, pretty creative lyrics in my opinion. These kind of sad stories do happen where people go missing for years so I do see the underlying message. Lyrically, "Biker" kind of reminds me of another song Paul wrote about 10 years later for his Driving Rain album. It is called "She's Given Up Talking". Another "story" song of Paul's that I like.
As far as Biker Like an Icon making the final cut for the OTG album, I do agree with the guys that probably it should have been relegated to a "B-side". Paul had better songs that didn't make the cut. I think Paul needed some more Rockers (e.g. Style Style, Long Leather Coat) and more R&B style songs (e.g. Keep Coming Back to Love, Kicked Around No More) to really improve the balance of the album.
But to say like that critic...Biker Like an Icon "shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever" is ridiculous. As I've stated above, it does have redeeming qualities and does not ruin OTG for me. The performance despite the slight melody and the lyrics are actually pretty good.
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B J Conlee wrote:
In Defense of "Biker Like an Icon"...
Biker Like an Icon is yet another Paul song that many critics love to "bash". For example, a critic from "Ultimate Classic Rock" says "a track so laughably weak that it ranks toward the bottom of any realistic overall accessment of McCartney, if arguably shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever". Talk about an over the top negative and biased assessment of the song.
To be clear, I probably wouldn't put "Biker" in my top 75 or even 100 of Paul's Solo songs. Its biggest weakness in my opinion is its rather "slight" melody, normally a huge strength in Paul's songs. There are no melodic changes in the music. However, I do think it is saved by Robbie's excellent slide guitar work (especially the solo) and Paul's vocals which is one of his best on OTG.
But many critics focus on the lyrics which I think are actually pretty creative. Ryan and Chris (who I really respect) seem to totally dismiss the song. I think it's Ryan who just coudn't get over the "Biker/Like Her" rhyming attempt. Actually when I first heard the song I never saw that specific line as Paul even trying to rhyme. To me that line was part of the song's narrative where the secondary character (the "Biker") didn't know her and had no feelings for her. To me, he was just saying that he "didn't like her" from a romantic or love point of view.
The bottom line for me is lyrically "Biker" is a good Paul story song. It has a real underlying message particularly in today's crazed media/internet world specifically focusing so much on famous people. To that extent, some people get caught up with their heros, idols etc. In extreme cases, they even change their entire life, leave their families chasing after a pointless dream about a famous figure or image. Groupies chasing rock stars are just one obvious example. This is how I interpreted this song and it is real. The main character (the girl) goes so far as to travel a long distance (Hollywood) to a try to arrange a meeting. When she does, the idol takes advantage of his position. The lyrics to this part of the story in my opinion are good:
"When he met her, he couldn't let her get away. He didn't ask for her permission, took advantage of her position, but HE was always HER ambition anyway.
The girls family (referenced earlier) think her mind is twisted and that they wouldn't miss her anyway. But time is the ultimate healer and later they are worried. Afterall, she is still family and they do eventually miss her. Again, these lyrics I think are good:
"The family tries so hard to find her, they showed her picture across America. But no trace of her sweet face was ever found."
I also like "the wasting time and water" metaphor expressed several times:
"She loved the biker like an icon, slowly watching precious water drip away"
Again, pretty creative lyrics in my opinion. These kind of sad stories do happen where people go missing for years so I do see the underlying message. Lyrically, "Biker" kind of reminds me of another song Paul wrote about 10 years later for his Driving Rain album. It is called "She's Given Up Talking". Another "story" song of Paul's that I like.
As far as Biker Like an Icon making the final cut for the OTG album, I do agree with the guys that probably it should have been relegated to a "B-side". Paul had better songs that didn't make the cut. I think Paul needed some more Rockers (e.g. Style Style, Long Leather Coat) and more R&B style songs (e.g. Keep Coming Back to Love, Kicked Around No More) to really improve the balance of the album.
But to say like that critic...Biker Like an Icon "shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever" is ridiculous. As I've stated above, it does have redeeming qualities and does not ruin OTG for me. The performance despite the slight melody and the lyrics are actually pretty good.
Paul certainly had his share of groupies, and took full advantage of them in the 60s, so he could be writing semi-autobiographically.
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Nancy R wrote:
B J Conlee wrote:
In Defense of "Biker Like an Icon"...
Biker Like an Icon is yet another Paul song that many critics love to "bash". For example, a critic from "Ultimate Classic Rock" says "a track so laughably weak that it ranks toward the bottom of any realistic overall accessment of McCartney, if arguably shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever". Talk about an over the top negative and biased assessment of the song.
To be clear, I probably wouldn't put "Biker" in my top 75 or even 100 of Paul's Solo songs. Its biggest weakness in my opinion is its rather "slight" melody, normally a huge strength in Paul's songs. There are no melodic changes in the music. However, I do think it is saved by Robbie's excellent slide guitar work (especially the solo) and Paul's vocals which is one of his best on OTG.
But many critics focus on the lyrics which I think are actually pretty creative. Ryan and Chris (who I really respect) seem to totally dismiss the song. I think it's Ryan who just coudn't get over the "Biker/Like Her" rhyming attempt. Actually when I first heard the song I never saw that specific line as Paul even trying to rhyme. To me that line was part of the song's narrative where the secondary character (the "Biker") didn't know her and had no feelings for her. To me, he was just saying that he "didn't like her" from a romantic or love point of view.
The bottom line for me is lyrically "Biker" is a good Paul story song. It has a real underlying message particularly in today's crazed media/internet world specifically focusing so much on famous people. To that extent, some people get caught up with their heros, idols etc. In extreme cases, they even change their entire life, leave their families chasing after a pointless dream about a famous figure or image. Groupies chasing rock stars are just one obvious example. This is how I interpreted this song and it is real. The main character (the girl) goes so far as to travel a long distance (Hollywood) to a try to arrange a meeting. When she does, the idol takes advantage of his position. The lyrics to this part of the story in my opinion are good:
"When he met her, he couldn't let her get away. He didn't ask for her permission, took advantage of her position, but HE was always HER ambition anyway.
The girls family (referenced earlier) think her mind is twisted and that they wouldn't miss her anyway. But time is the ultimate healer and later they are worried. Afterall, she is still family and they do eventually miss her. Again, these lyrics I think are good:
"The family tries so hard to find her, they showed her picture across America. But no trace of her sweet face was ever found."
I also like "the wasting time and water" metaphor expressed several times:
"She loved the biker like an icon, slowly watching precious water drip away"
Again, pretty creative lyrics in my opinion. These kind of sad stories do happen where people go missing for years so I do see the underlying message. Lyrically, "Biker" kind of reminds me of another song Paul wrote about 10 years later for his Driving Rain album. It is called "She's Given Up Talking". Another "story" song of Paul's that I like.
As far as Biker Like an Icon making the final cut for the OTG album, I do agree with the guys that probably it should have been relegated to a "B-side". Paul had better songs that didn't make the cut. I think Paul needed some more Rockers (e.g. Style Style, Long Leather Coat) and more R&B style songs (e.g. Keep Coming Back to Love, Kicked Around No More) to really improve the balance of the album.
But to say like that critic...Biker Like an Icon "shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever" is ridiculous. As I've stated above, it does have redeeming qualities and does not ruin OTG for me. The performance despite the slight melody and the lyrics are actually pretty good.
Paul certainly had his share of groupies, and took full advantage of them in the 60s, so he could be writing semi-autobiographically.
Yes Nancy, Paul could definitely (more than 99.9% of people on the planet) relate to both characters in this story. By the time he wrote this song he was already around 50, so I think he had more of a "soft spot" for the "lost" girl by the time "Biker Like an Icon" was released. He must have liked the song (despite the overall criticism from the press) as it was one of the 5-6 OTG songs that he played on his subsequent full tour.
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B J Conlee wrote:
In Defense of "Biker Like an Icon"...
Biker Like an Icon is yet another Paul song that many critics love to "bash". For example, a critic from "Ultimate Classic Rock" says "a track so laughably weak that it ranks toward the bottom of any realistic overall accessment of McCartney, if arguably shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever". Talk about an over the top negative and biased assessment of the song.
To be clear, I probably wouldn't put "Biker" in my top 75 or even 100 of Paul's Solo songs. Its biggest weakness in my opinion is its rather "slight" melody, normally a huge strength in Paul's songs. There are no melodic changes in the music. However, I do think it is saved by Robbie's excellent slide guitar work (especially the solo) and Paul's vocals which is one of his best on OTG.
But many critics focus on the lyrics which I think are actually pretty creative. Ryan and Chris (who I really respect) seem to totally dismiss the song. I think it's Ryan who just coudn't get over the "Biker/Like Her" rhyming attempt. Actually when I first heard the song I never saw that specific line as Paul even trying to rhyme. To me that line was part of the song's narrative where the secondary character (the "Biker") didn't know her and had no feelings for her. To me, he was just saying that he "didn't like her" from a romantic or love point of view.
The bottom line for me is lyrically "Biker" is a good Paul story song. It has a real underlying message particularly in today's crazed media/internet world specifically focusing so much on famous people. To that extent, some people get caught up with their heros, idols etc. In extreme cases, they even change their entire life, leave their families chasing after a pointless dream about a famous figure or image. Groupies chasing rock stars are just one obvious example. This is how I interpreted this song and it is real. The main character (the girl) goes so far as to travel a long distance (Hollywood) to a try to arrange a meeting. When she does, the idol takes advantage of his position. The lyrics to this part of the story in my opinion are good:
"When he met her, he couldn't let her get away. He didn't ask for her permission, took advantage of her position, but HE was always HER ambition anyway.
The girls family (referenced earlier) think her mind is twisted and that they wouldn't miss her anyway. But time is the ultimate healer and later they are worried. Afterall, she is still family and they do eventually miss her. Again, these lyrics I think are good:
"The family tries so hard to find her, they showed her picture across America. But no trace of her sweet face was ever found."
I also like "the wasting time and water" metaphor expressed several times:
"She loved the biker like an icon, slowly watching precious water drip away"
Again, pretty creative lyrics in my opinion. These kind of sad stories do happen where people go missing for years so I do see the underlying message. Lyrically, "Biker" kind of reminds me of another song Paul wrote about 10 years later for his Driving Rain album. It is called "She's Given Up Talking". Another "story" song of Paul's that I like.
As far as Biker Like an Icon making the final cut for the OTG album, I do agree with the guys that probably it should have been relegated to a "B-side". Paul had better songs that didn't make the cut. I think Paul needed some more Rockers (e.g. Style Style, Long Leather Coat) and more R&B style songs (e.g. Keep Coming Back to Love, Kicked Around No More) to really improve the balance of the album.
But to say like that critic...Biker Like an Icon "shouldn't have appeared on a major label release from any artist, ever" is ridiculous. As I've stated above, it does have redeeming qualities and does not ruin OTG for me. The performance despite the slight melody and the lyrics are actually pretty good.
Good points BJ. I agree the lyrics are better than the critics think and while it is not a great song it still is one of those that I find I enjoy. (my guilty pleasure). I think the "idol takes advantage of his postion" lyric is very right on point in todays world.
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At the 1993 shows, especially at Arrowhead Stadium on Memorial Day, Biker received a great, loud response, as did C'mon People. Still recall the visual for Biker; a huge stain-glassed window with a traditional black leather jacket 'biker' girl posing.
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wingsoverkc wrote:
At the 1993 shows, especially at Arrowhead Stadium on Memorial Day, Biker received a great, loud response, as did C'mon People. Still recall the visual for Biker; a huge stain-glassed window with a traditional black leather jacket 'biker' girl posing.
Please flip your pic right side up!
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Arturoman wrote:
Is anyone else listening to this podcast? It's great!
https://takeitawaypodcast.com/
They are reviewing every single Paul McCartney release from 1970 to present day. Every song on every album. Singles, B-sides, bootlegs, etc. You will most likely hear songs you've never heard before, and hear old favourites from new perspectives, all lovingly placed in the context of McCartney’s career and the musical sounds of their era.
And there is an amazing interview with Denny Laine.
Random question BJ. Have the guy guys ever mentioned the different band members McCartney has used in his albums?
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Yankeefan2 wrote:
Arturoman wrote:
Is anyone else listening to this podcast? It's great!
https://takeitawaypodcast.com/
They are reviewing every single Paul McCartney release from 1970 to present day. Every song on every album. Singles, B-sides, bootlegs, etc. You will most likely hear songs you've never heard before, and hear old favourites from new perspectives, all lovingly placed in the context of McCartney’s career and the musical sounds of their era.
And there is an amazing interview with Denny Laine.
Random question BJ. Have the guy guys ever mentioned the different band members McCartney has used in his albums?
Yankeefan,
Yes they do a great job of disecting each album with the various band members. That's just one reason i like these Podcasts. On top of discussing the varlious band members and cowriters on various specific songs (Elvis Costello, Denny Laine, Eric Stewart, and on a couple of songs Hamish Stuart), they do a great job of discussing the entire sessions of each album and what songs were left off the album. Ram, Red Rose Speedway, Tug of War, Pipes of Peace, Flowers in the Dirt and the latest Off the Ground were fascinating session periods when thinking about the material Paul left off albums.
Just hit the link at the top of this specific post, and then it shows all the podcasts that they have done so far. For each podcast I just his the "download" link to listen to anyone of them.