My latest fave would be My Valentine. Such a rich melody, kind of dark and haunting, too. I was really disappointed with the production and arrangement though. It felt so lame for such a great composition. In the big picture, Maybe I'm Amazed and For No One never fail to blow me away. Absolute genius!
Posts made by ZodiakFool
-
RE: Paul's Last Great Love Song
-
RE: What do you think of the song 'Press'?
Omg, I'm sorry, I can't stand this song, lol. Most of it has to do with the sound and the production. It's like being hit by a tsunami of cheese. All those synths, and electronic drums, and flourishes make it such a shmaltzy pop song. It feels like a SuperNintendo song on acid. I was analyzing this song a bit more the other day. I was listening to a more stripped-down version on youtube, and I found it immensely more tolerable. Melody-wise I don't think it's too bad, it's nicely crafted, but I think it lacks the monster hook of some of his best hits. It's a potpourri of song bits, and some of them I think are pretty good! The opening line "I love you very, very, very much", I find very, very, very grating, lol. There could be an Elvis vibe in that opening bit of melody which I think would have been more cool to capitalize on. Getting back to the "sound", it made me wonder what Paul was going for. In the previous years, he had just scored a couple of HUGE hits with Coming Up and Say Say Say, and I would describe those as pop-funk type songs, which, in a general sense, feels like what Press is going for, too. But I think the production and arrangements of Coming Up and Say Say Say was far better and stronger (i.e. less cheezy) and had better hooks. I don't think synths are necessarily bad either. There are a lot of cool bands (Prince, NIN) that do well with synths. I wonder if Paul was trying to evoke a Talking Heads vibe with this song? I can hear some similarities in sound, with the funky-african grooves, fat bass, high keyboards, etc. Sometimes it's a fine line between a really cool sound and cheezy crap. It might have been nice if he had restrained himself to more of a Talking Heads vibe with this song (?). I don't buy into the argument that Paul was a "victim" of the sound stylings of the day. Sure, there was lots of embarrassing crap during this era. Hugh Padgham was the producer. I was listening to the Police's Synchronicity again, and it's a freaking brilliant album with a fantastic sound (produced by Padgham), just a couple years previous to Press. (On a sidenote, as weird as it sounds, I can hear a lot of McCartney-isms in Synchronicity. Miss Grenenko sounds like a classic McCartney song I wish he'd make again. Shades of Temporary Secretary?) I suspect that Padgham is just another super producer who can't stand up to Paul's, ummm, aesthetic indulgences. So, yeah, I just find Press way too over-the-top in all its poppy flourishes and accents. That's just my tastes!
-
RE: 'Road' is the best track from the album 'New'
I enjoy this track, too. It makes me think of a David Lynch-esque film of travelling down Route 66 with lots of ambience and mystery. I think the melody is quite decent, but....not quite brilliant enough to rank with his biggest songs. It feels like it needs something more. Does anyone else feel like the vibe of this song harkens back to the Rolling Stones' Monkey Man? (Not that that's a bad thing). Personally I prefer it when Paul pulls together a "ballad" of this style, rather than some of the overly-sugary pieces he has done in the past. But that's just me
-
RE: SECOND SINGLE FROM "NEW" - "QUEENIE EYE"
Oh my god. I f***ing LOVE this song. It floored me the first time I heard it this morning. Such an original, fresh sounding beast of a song. I had mixed feelings about "New", but "Queenie Eye" achieves everything I was hoping for. What a wicked SOUND: the rollicking piano, great sliding guitars, kick-ass drumming and fills. Love the groove! The melody is fantastic. Catchy, some strange twists and surprises, some dark chords thrown in. Paul's voice sounds excellent, too. The joyous whoop he gives towards the end of the song gives me goosebumps. I've been following the early reviews and, of course, noticing how everyone gives it Beatle-y comparisons. I can hear that, but I don't find it the slightest bit derivative (in a negative sense) at all. Other songs like "When We Was Fab", "C'mon People" felt derivative in a borderline-ish way, but "Queenie Eye" embodies the spirit of Paul's old band in a remarkably fresh and original way. I also love the genre of the 'trippy rock song'. I think this song nails it in an awesome way that past songs like "Off The Ground" or "Nod Your Head" didn't quite get. Sorry for all the hyperbole, but I think this is the best f***ing song Paul has done in donkey years. THANK YOU, Paul! (Oh, man, I should also thank Paul Epworth for the stellar production. What a unique and exciting sound they've created.)
-
RE: Paul's New Album-- "New"-- CONFIRMED
That is very cool! Thank you for sharing. I was aware of Dan's work, but not so much of the artist himself.
-
RE: Paul's New Album-- "New"-- CONFIRMED
Hmmm, so this is the new album cover.....?! My first gut reaction is.....cool! Good, I think I like it. It has a Euro-artsy-pop feel. Quite hip and modern. It looks like something you might see in a trendy art gallery -minimalist...(simple shapes or strokes evoking a bigger meaning)....fluorescent tubes with kitsch colours (retro 80s feel is hip).....set against a textured background. Edgy. Based on reports of this being a very eclectic album (well, aren't all his albums and the best Beatles' albums like that?), this kind of mysterious cover might fit the bill. Me likes it!
-
RE: NEW - Lyric Video
I love the video! Very nicely done. Great energy, lovely kaleidoscope of candid and interesting moments, beautifully shot! Is it just me, or does the song sound a wee bit different in this video version (I realize the outro is axed in this version)? For some reason this version of New sounds better to my ears than what I heard before.
-
RE: Paul's upcoming album review they say its HOT!
I've been listening to Paul's new song, and I thought I'd wait a week or so before weighing in with my reaction. First off, I'm really glad there are a lot of people here who enjoy the song, and I hope the song does well. I really, really want to like this song, but I'm feeling quite mixed about it. It's not the amazing knock-out that I was hoping it would be. In terms of composition, it seems pretty good to me, well-crafted, catchy...but not strong enough to be a single. I find that the bridge section is the weakest part of the song. I've been listening to the youtube versions of New of people doing either a piano version or violin version, and I find that I prefer THAT to the studio version. This tells me that the production and execution of New isn't quite working for me as much as I hope it would. New is mining that "baroque pop" sound (as someone else well put it) that Paul helped perfect many years ago. But this can be a tricky musical field to my ears. That style of song can easily sound dire and cloying, and to keep it sounding cool is a tough task. Songs like MGMT's Kids and Prince's Raspberry Beret (and even Lennon's demo of Real Love) are examples of what I like about "pop" songs sounding great. I think the way Paul sings New is part of what doesn't work for me. That chirpy, falsetto style rubs me the wrong way. I wish Youth had been involved with the production of this song, because I really liked how he found a great vocal styling that worked with Paul's current voice for each of the songs on EA. Also, I don't think the arrangement and production really maximized the song's potential. It feels a bit thin, as though there could be more layers to augment the harpsichord, and more emphasis on the interesting counter-melodies. His Sgt. Pepper-era work (unfair comparison?) feels a lot richer with lots of interesting layers and depth. I DO love the backbeat Ronson provides, as it gives it a modern, upbeat feel. Lyrically, I'm totally cool with the message of the song! It's great to hear a positive, upbeat message that anchors around the line, "Don't look at me". As a side note, some recent pop music that has blown me away is Lorde's new music. I love her writing, arrangements, production and edginess....THAT'S the effect I was hoping for with Paul's new music. Anyways, I hope the rest of his new album is better...
-
RE: Paul's upcoming album review they say its HOT!
Bravo! Nicely done, I bet that's on the right track.
-
RE: Paul's upcoming album review they say its HOT!
haha, I have to admit, I love the head games. Great fun. Now to try and figure out what it means. Castle? Born? York? It makes me think of monarchy or a monarch.
eric in boise:
another clue/tweet: "York"
-
RE: Paul's upcoming album review they say its HOT!
ditto.....hmmmmm. Album title? Song title? God, I hope the new single doesn't suck. I find it worrisome that some of the new producers are quoted that they don't question Paul for any of his choices or the material he brings in. I still get the feeling that Paul is surrounded by yes men. It would be really cool if he could blow us away with a killer new song....
-
RE: Paul's upcoming album review they say its HOT!
Cord:
The touring band is playing on the album? That doesn't sound so hot. They're alright for touring, but... I don't know.
I'm with you on that. They're great as a touring band....very proficient, great harmonies, etc. But as a band in the studio....being able to come up with great ideas, yay or nay songs, etc....I think they're pretty suspect. They seem like a great bunch of guys, so I'm glad Paul is enjoying their company on the road. (I'm trying to finish this on a semi-positive note before I get flamed to death, lol).
-
RE: Paul's upcoming album review they say its HOT!
I just wanted to weigh in here on the merits of Electric Arguments. I agree that I'm not sure how this album fits into the canon of Paul's albums. It's not really a standard album of carefully-composed songs. And it's not entirely a throwaway experiment either. Far from it! These are rough song sketches, quick, intuitive exercises. It's like how a visual artist makes sketches before proceeding to a full-blown project. As such, I think these snippets of melody writing are fantastic for what they are. They are not fully composed songs like Maybe I'm Amazed or Take It Away. These melodic sketches do reinstate Paul as a master of memorable hooks, after years of uneven and flat melodies. EA also makes two huge accomplishments to my ears: 1) It shows Paul getting a groove back that I haven't heard from him in a million years, and 2) it creates an aesthetic that is completely COOL, and void of any of the cheesiness and saccharine that has plagued his music for years and years. At a certain level, I think it's his most LISTENABLE album.....ever. It's my hope that he uses this exercise as a sonic and creative template for his next album of fully-composed songs.
-
RE: NEW PAUL & NIRVANA SONG
Hey, I'd like to add my two cents' worth regarding the new song (Cut Me Some Slack)... First up, I'm a huge Paul fan AND (to a slightly lesser degree) a huge Nirvana fan as well. I've been harbouring the hope for a long time now that Paul and Dave would collaborate on some new music. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they've been secretly working on material, and keeping it under the radar so as not let expectations get too carried away. That said, when they finally do decide to unveil a new song, I've been hoping it would be something Pretty Darn Amazing. They have the world at their feet with the Hurricane Sandy concert. I would be so disappointed if these two men of great talent released only a half-baked song. So, I've been listening to the new song, and as with any Paul song, I tend to over-analyze it and take it apart and turn all the pieces upside down. I am feeling a bit mixed on my first impression. I'm keeping in mind that being a live performance, the song is going to sound sludgy. I'll wait to hear the recorded version before passing my own personal judgment. But these are first impressions.... In a general sense, I LOVE the energy of the song. I mean, who wouldn't love a bluesy, balls-to-the-wall rocker that sounds birthed from the white album, channeled through Nirvana and the Fireman, and served up in full blazing glory today? This is exactly the kind of song I had been expecting from Paul and Dave. But now I start picking apart the pieces of the song. The intro bit sounds like a cliched riff you would hear on a 50's TV shows introducing the Indians in an old-fashioned cowboy/old west show. Hmmmm. The verse of the song seems okay-ish, nothing exceptional to me. I'm wondering if there's an amazing riff under the verse that I'll hear better in the recorded version. It changes key, or does an interesting thing at the end of the verse which is really turning me on. Sounds like a very cool hook! It's hard to describe the parts, as it's an oddly-structured song (which I like for it's oddness), so I'm not sure if there's a clear-cut chorus in this song or not. The song breaks into another section (a middle 8?! Darned if I know, lol) which strikes me as .....okay-ish. Again, I'll have to wait to hear the recorded version. In the outro of the song, they get into some strange, dark chord changes which I rather liked! Personally, I don't want to cut Paul and Dave any slack because they ARE two enormously talented men, haha. Hopefully the recorded versions comes out soon and we can all have a true taste of this collaboration.