1. Band On The Run
2. McCartney
3. Wings Over America
1. Band On The Run
2. McCartney
3. Wings Over America
The sessions for LONDON TOWN also produced one of my favourite unreleased McCartney songs: "Waterspout". (If you haven't heard this wonderful song, you simply must check it out online.) It could easily have replaced one, if not two or three, of the weaker album tracks - and IMO would also have made a great single.
Iowa Hawkeye Beatlefan:
I would imagine there are some cool demos with Elvis Costello that could be included.
Indeed there are - I've actually heard the demos of "My Brave Face", "You Want Her Too" & "Don't Be Careless Love", and they're fantastic. In the case of "Don't Be Careless Love", I actually prefer the demo to the final, released version. There are also demos of the Paul co-written songs that wound up on Costello's records - "So Like Candy" for instance.
VENUS AND MARS was my introduction to his solo albums. I remember absolutely loving "Rock Show" and "Listen To What The Man Said" - though nearly all the songs are wonderful.
Hendrix Ibsen:
I am wondering if some of the songs on "Brainwashed" goes back to "Cloud Nine" with a recording period for the entire album between 1988-2002.
"P2 Vatican Blues" was an outtake from the Cloud Nine sessions. Actually, the song "Rocking Chair In Hawaii" goes back even further - it was written during the All Things Must Pass era, and was originally entitled "Down To The River".
I rate FLOWERS very highly indeed. I believe it's the best out of of all the albums he's made since BAND ON THE RUN (although VENUS & MARS, BACK TO THE EGG, TUG OF WAR, FLAMING PIE and CHAOS & CREATION IN THE BACKYARD - as well as possibly one or two others - rival it closely). I'd even go so far as to say it's his 3rd-best solo record, after BAND ON THE RUN and MCCARTNEY. My only quibble is that "Ou Est Le Soleil" is not as strong as the other songs, but I would offset this by regarding it as a bonus track.
SgtPepperFan48:
Did this song ever make it onto any of the remasters' track lists? Was listening to it again and it crossed my mind.
It's from the LONDON TOWN era, so I'm expecting to see it as a bonus on that remaster - or possibly on that of BACK TO THE EGG. However, at this stage there's no indication as to a release date for these.
I saw them a couple of years ago - they were fantastic! Definitely take the opportunity to see them, if you can.
SusyLuvsPaul:
Probably that much of it's malicious malarkey.
There's no "probably" about it - it is malicious malarkey. During the 80's, in the wake of John's death, a flood of dreadful Lennon/Beatles books came out - each trying to out-sensationalise all the others. Much of the content of these books was utter rubbish - either hearsay, distortion or downright fabrication. Goldman's book was the nadir of the bunch - calculatedly so. The man was notorious for character-assassination; not only John, but Elvis, Lenny Bruce and at the time of his passing was preparing a book on Jim Morrisson. I would advise all against touching this book with a 50-ft pole.
Thank you for posting this, Soft-Hearted Hana; a beautiful story!
oobu24:
Jazz Street:
...... I really like all the tracks, especially "Marwa Blues". Just one thing - I wish "Horse To The Water" had been included. (Perhaps it will be added to the album as a bonus track at some point.)
I LOVE Horse to Water...esp the version that was done at the Concert for George. It's by Sam Brown & has Jools Holland playing on it. Wasn't this song first on Jools' album?
Almost - it's the 2nd track on Jools Holland's 2001 album "Small World Big Band". I think it was also the last track George recorded, which gives it additional significance (as well as being a great song in its own right!).
Soft-Hearted Hana:
Jazz Street:
His 4th best album, IMO: 1. ALL THINGS MUST PASS 2. GEORGE HARRISON 3. CLOUD 9 4. BRAINWASHED I really like all the tracks, especially "Marwa Blues". Just one thing - I wish "Horse To The Water" had been included. (Perhaps it will be added to the album as a bonus track at some point.)
That's a good list. Going off topic for a split second, I'd add Living in the Material World to round out my list of his Top 5.
I agree, although I think THIRTY-THREE & 1/3 probably ties with LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD for the #5 spot. It's a "photo finish" between the two, IMO.
His 4th best album, IMO: 1. ALL THINGS MUST PASS 2. GEORGE HARRISON 3. CLOUD 9 4. BRAINWASHED I really like all the tracks, especially "Marwa Blues". Just one thing - I wish "Horse To The Water" had been included. (Perhaps it will be added to the album as a bonus track at some point.)
I didn't like the title either at first, but over the years I've become used to it. I have, however, always thought that the "Sunny Side Up" and "Over Easy" names of the respective LP sides was a wonderfully clever idea!
liv4art:
Wonderful article. I hadn't known the last part where John was planning to work with Paul again in 1981.
That part of the article reminded me actually: John's song "I Don't Want To Face It" on MILK AND HONEY was musically-inspired by his listening to Paul's "Coming Up" (both songs having a similarly nifty, punchy riff). It further goes to show that John was still following Paul's solo work and creatively-competing with him. Which leads one to speculate on the kind of album they might have made together had they "joined forces" again in 1981 or '82. Some points to consider: - Ringo would definitely have worked with them as well, especially given that he was already working with Paul on what would become TUG OF WAR. (George probably wouldn't, however - at least not right away.) - It wouldn't have been credited as a "Beatles" album as such (assuming, as before, that George wouldn't have wanted to be involved) but rather as "Lennon & McCartney" - in the same way that Jimmy Page & Robert Plant's post- Led Zeppelin collaborations were. - George Martin or Jack Douglas (or possibly both?) would have handled the production. - Session musicians would have included Ringo, Linda and Denny Laine, as well as the likes of Eric Stuart, Hugh McCracken, Earl Slick, Andy Newmark, Stanley Clarke, Steve Gadd etc. (Though probably not Yoko!) - It would have been accompanied by a world tour around 1982-83 (though probably not to Japan!). This is all my hypothesising of course, but I think these are probably well-founded assumptions.
Martin Luther:
Overall I think it's just ok. The Other Me is my favorite song, nearly ruined by the famously cringeworthy "dustbin lid."
Personally, "The Other Me" is my least favourite track. I would actually have replaced it on the album with the "Say Say Say" flip-side "Ode To A Koala Bear", relegating "Other Me" to a B-side. My own version of PIPES OF PEACE is as follows: [Side One] 1. Pipes Of Peace 2. Say Say Say 3. Ode To A Koala Bear 4. Sweetest Little Show 5. Average Person [Side Two] 6. The Man 7. Keep Under Cover 8. So Bad 9. Hey Hey 10. Tug Of Peace 11. Through Our Love
When George enters the office, observes the modern-art sculpture and says "You don't see many of these nowdays, do you?".
Get On The Right Thing:
Jazz Street:
Another point worth noting is that each album had at least one wonderful song omitted from it: "Waterspout" left off LT; and "Cage", left off BTTE in favour of "Baby's Request". Added to the fact that "Daytime Nightime Suffering" is also from the same period, as well as "Did We Meet Somewhere Before" (which turns up in the soundtrack of the film ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL starring The Ramones [!]), and there were several potential "undiscovered" hits which I think could have boosted sales of each album.
well done! i don't know that i've heard any of those! ha! can those tunes be purchased on iTunes? backwards traveller is one of my fave tune tunes form LT. wish it was longer.
"Daytime Nightime Suffering" is available on the "History" disc of WINGSPAN: HITS & HISTORY. "Waterspout", "Cage" & "Did We Meet Somewhere Before" are unreleased songs, not as yet commercially-available. However:
Another point worth noting is that each album had at least one wonderful song omitted from it: "Waterspout" left off LT; and "Cage", left off BTTE in favour of "Baby's Request". Added to the fact that "Daytime Nightime Suffering" is also from the same period, as well as "Did We Meet Somewhere Before" (which turns up in the soundtrack of the film ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL starring The Ramones [!]), and there were several potential "undiscovered" hits which I think could have boosted sales of each album.
Eeee Cor Blimey:
His first work was Juniors Farm.
I've always loved the way Paul exclaims "Take me down, Jimmy!" just before the solo.
Eeee Cor Blimey:
Oh and Medicine Jar rocks
I'm a fan of both this and "Wino Junko".