|
Post by lonelysummer on Aug 19, 2021 2:37:48 GMT
Interesting, a few of those statements lead me to respond. (Not really disagree, more just respond.) which leads me to believe the record company was pressuring them to make it "Paul McCartney & Wings" instead of a just a band where Macca was the dominant member. It's funny how that went. My understanding of Red Rose Speedway was that Paul's intention (when it was a double album) was to present it as a more democratic band, and that it was indeed the record company wanting it to be more about Paul. There, I think it's not really a surprise or contradiction. I think it got quite a few mixed reviews back then, too, for that matter (like the Rolling Stone one I linked). Seems to me being a huge seller has nothing to do with reviews, plenty of great bands were critically despised.
Personally I don't hear Wings as a great band, but a good band with some great stuff. (Probably a silly distinction to make, but oh well.) But critics seem to have had it out for them from the beginning. It's funny, actually: Paul's too lightweight! George is too (religiously) serious! John is too (politically) serious! You really can't win...
From fans, do you mean, or critics? In terms of the reviews, yes, I meant fans. These days, people just lump in the Wings albums with Paul's solo output.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 19, 2021 13:08:32 GMT
Sure, Linda sang harmony. John Deacon sang harmony on Queen's albums, but they sure as hell weren't handing him any leads, even on songs he wrote.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 19, 2021 13:55:37 GMT
I don't like her voice at all, either. I mentioned it early on and would do so during the discussions of every album, but I think my position is clear! I realize she was "part of the sound" or whatever, but she's a part of the sound I can't stand. Her voice is extremely grating to my ears.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 19, 2021 14:31:51 GMT
I don't like her voice at all, either. I mentioned it early on and would do so during the discussions of every album, but I think my position is clear! I realize she was "part of the sound" or whatever, but she's a part of the sound I can't stand. Her voice is extremely grating to my ears. I can tolerate her on some of the harmonies. But, there is no reason she should've been handed any leads. At least George and Ringo were smart enough to not put mics in front of their significant others.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Aug 20, 2021 0:46:08 GMT
No votes yet? I'm certainly at a '7', but my comments will have to wait 'til the weekend. I will say, though, that "Must Do Something About It" is my favorite track sung by a backing member. Which do you guys prefer?
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Aug 20, 2021 1:07:15 GMT
It is a mixed review. The lede reads:
And the review closes with: Well, way to cherry-pick tracks, Stephen! No rocker quite matches the spirit of "Jet" or "Band on the Run", insofar as there are no songs like them on the album, but I do find myself associating "Beware My Love" with the likes of "Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five". And, you know what? I think I prefer "Beware My Love". What an incredible vocal performance! He pushes the limit of his voice, continually, complete with multiple voice cracks, and yet he manages to sound amazing throughout the entire track. It's on tracks like this that I really recognize Paul for being the legendary (rock) vocalist he is/was. As much as I agree with Stephen on the production vs songwriting, consistency-wise, I think it's worth pointing out that "Warm and Beautiful" sounds like a demo compared to the rest of the album, and as a closer (and a potentially memorable Paul-ballad) it really kind of stands out a bit in an unfortunate way.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Aug 20, 2021 1:14:58 GMT
The one thing I'll say right now. Did Paul figure "Fuck, if John's gonna let Yoko sing, I'm letting Linda sing?" I absolutely think Paul was reacting to John. The Lennon/McCartney partnership broke up, they replaced each other with their wives.
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Aug 20, 2021 3:49:30 GMT
I settled on a 9. I don't love it quite as much as Band on the Run or Venus and Mars, but it's still a very strong album. It helps that there was no change in lineup between albums - they sound very tight here. Great rhythm section with Paul on bass and Joe on drums. "Let Em In" is a song that SHOULDN'T work. Read the lyrics on paper, there's no way this song should be any good - but it is! I sat down and played on piano, and it's fun to play. Simple, but fun. A lot of the success of the song is the arrangement - very sparse instrumentation, the marching drum, the backing vocals. My guess is that in anyone else's hands, this would be shite, but Paul McCartney makes it work. "The Note You Never Wrote" is a great showcase for Denny Laine's singing, and Jimmy McCulloch's guitar playing. This could have been a hit single if Capitol had been willing to take a gamble on a non-Macca vocal as an A side. "She's My Baby" is another little Macca charmer that really shouldn't work, but it helps that the track is deliberately underproduced. Again, I have to praise the Macca/English rhythm section. "Beware My Love" is amazing here. The live version omits the acoustic build up, which I think was a mistake. Again, we've got Paul, Linda and Denny harmonizing, and in that context, I think Linda sounds fine. Again, the rhythm section kicks it, and then there's some great rock and roll piano (Laine?) and guitar (McCulloch), supporting Paul's all out screaming vocal. Maybe Paul didn't rock like this often enough for some fans, but no mistake, when he did, it was awesome! "Wino Junko" - it's hard not to compare this with Jimmy's Venus and Mars track, "Medicine Jar" - which really is a classic. "Wino Junko" is a solid, enjoyable track, and again, I'm super impressed by that rhythm section. Love the fuzztone guitar solo, the mix of acoustics and electrics, and I think Jimmy does fine with the vocal. No, he's not Paul McCartney, or even Denny Laine, but I think it's good to have the other Wings guys get a chance at the microphone. "Silly Love Songs" - again, we have a song that, at it's core, is very simple, but a great arrangement lifts it up several notches, and again, you've got great vocal interplay between Laine and the McCartneys. At this point in his career, I don't think Paul had a lot to say in his songs. He was a craftsman, a melody man, and I think it's perfectly acceptable to write catchy songs that stay in your head forever. He was probably the happiest he'd been in 1976 - his band is top of the charts, selling out arenas and stadiums around the world, and he's got a good family life at home. "Cook of the House" - no, Linda's not a lead singer, but one song on an album isn't gonna kill anybody. She does fine here - live, in concert, would be another story. "Time to Hide" - my favorite track on the album. Denny finally breaks the one-song-per-album quota, but the whole band really shines here. In fact, I'm really starting to be bummed out that Joe would leave the band during London Town! Most Wings fans seem to agree that this was their best lineup - probably because they worked the most. It's not like "okay, Denny, get your song out of the way", no, they play the hell out of this! "Must Do Something About It" - a few years later, Joe recorded some albums of Christian pop or rock. I've only heard one of the albums, pretty predictable, radio friendly stuff with religious lyrics. In fact, I would say the best thing about the album is Joe's singing. This is a great vocal from Joe. Wonder if he would have gotten more lead vocals if he'd stayed with the band? "San Ferry Anne" - kind of a jazzy feel about this one. I can't think of any other Paul songs like it. The Wings Horn Section gets the spotlight here. I can imagine walking down some city street late one night, hearing this kind of music floating out of the bars. "Warm and Beautiful" - for me, this is the weakest song on the album. Paul is known for writing the classic ballads, but this one falls a bit short. But the album is winding up now, so it doesn't bother me.
|
|
|
Post by jk on Aug 20, 2021 8:54:34 GMT
I settled on a 9. I don't love it quite as much as Band on the Run or Venus and Mars, but it's still a very strong album. It helps that there was no change in lineup between albums - they sound very tight here. Great rhythm section with Paul on bass and Joe on drums. "Let Em In" is a song that SHOULDN'T work. Read the lyrics on paper, there's no way this song should be any good - but it is! I sat down and played on piano, and it's fun to play. Simple, but fun. A lot of the success of the song is the arrangement - very sparse instrumentation, the marching drum, the backing vocals. My guess is that in anyone else's hands, this would be shite, but Paul McCartney makes it work. I'd say Billy Paul makes a pretty good job of it: Well, I've two tracks to go and so far it's been a terrific listen. The sheer variety has to be a contributing factor but of course that's not enough to make for a great album. Expect a generous vote either today or tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 20, 2021 13:15:24 GMT
Curious about that 10. I'm a little surprised lonelysummer went as high as a 9, but his comments make clear why he likes it so much. Nobody has said anything more positive than him. Care to elaborate, 10er?
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 20, 2021 13:40:09 GMT
I've decided on a seven. I like the album. I do agree with Lonelysummer's assessment of Let 'Em In, that it sounds like it should be corny as Hell, but the arrangement makes it a great song. I think it's a great sounding album (save for Linda's vocal lead of course). The Note You Never Wrote in particular, with the electric piano and guitar solo. I like Beware My Love and Wino Junko a lot.
I really like the band approach again here. I really wish Paul would go back to more of a band approach, even if it was with the really solid live band he's had over the last 20 years.
But, while I find the album enjoyable other than Cook of the House, which I think would be awful even with a real singer. I don't think there are many standout tracks. As much as I dislike disco infused songs, Silly Love Songs is pretty good, even if two minutes too long.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 20, 2021 14:54:47 GMT
OK, here are some notes I jotted down during my most recent listen. I'm not ready to commit to a rating quite yet, but considering I went with a (low) 8 for Venus and Mars and consider this noticeably--but not ridiculously--worse, I think it's safe to say I'll end at either a (high) 6 or a 7. I'm just not sure quite which. There is not much bad, a lot of pretty good, and a few REALLY cool moments.
I really like “Let ‘em In.” Goofy, fine, but it’s great. The slow build of the arrangement is cool. The vibe of it is fun, which the lyrics of course complement exactly. This isn’t a requiem mass for choir and orchestra demanding serious sophistication, it’s a pop album. And if the album as a whole was an expansion on the “Silly Love Songs” idea, then I love it so much the more. It could be the happiest, shoulder-shrugging middle finger of all time.
“The Note You Never Wrote” is a bit of a buzzkill for me as the second track, its first minute and a half being a bit of a dirge: so much for our carefree spirit. It’s a fine song (not a favorite). Nice guitar tone in the solo, and cool strings accompanying it. But I absolutely wouldn’t put it second.
“She’s My Baby” is more in line with what I’d expect and want after “Let ‘em In.” It’s light, but it’s well done. I enjoy it. Tight, too, really well played. Cool little moments in the arrangement. Obviously it’s not a big arrangement, but the little stops and starts, the little hits, it’s how a good arrangement can work with a small band.
I don’t like “Beware My Love” at all. I find it tedious, really. On and on, six and a half minutes, nothing in it I care much about at all. I’m sure I’d tolerate it more if it were three and a half minutes, maybe four. But this is too much.
“Wino Junko” is OK. I don’t love it, but I don’t dislike it, either. Jimmy McCulloch has two songs on these past two albums and they’re both about substance abuse, though? Starting to feel like a one-trick pony. I like how they change it up at the end with that little acoustic guitar figure, the sixteenth-note strumming pattern.
“Silly Love Songs” is a great single and, as I said above, a wonderful rebuttal to the complaint. That complaint is basically, “I wish you did a thing that isn’t what you do.” What’s an artist to say to that? “Hey Mozart, your music sucks because I prefer bluegrass.” Well, ok… You want political music, philosophical music, heavy-hearted music? Fine. What’s Paul got to do with it? And to be clear, I’m not being hypocritical about that when I say what I don’t like about this album, because I’m saying what I don’t like, not what’s good or bad, not what Paul and the band should have done. They should have done whatever the hell they felt like doing! The rest is my problem (or my pleasure).
“Cook of the House” strikes me as a decent song that is very much in the spirit of the album as I interpret (and desire) it. Linda McCartney’s voice is not something I like, so I’d have preferred anyone else to sing it.
I prefer “Time to Hide” of the two Laine leads. But does anyone else want to sing “You Just Keep Me Hangin’ On” during the verse? I can’t help it. Cool bridge, especially the back-and-forth vocals. I also like the instrumentation a lot, between the reeds, the organ, the guitars, and that prominent, full bass!
Joe English was a really welcome addition to the lead vocal picture. Great performance on “Must Do Something About It”! That’s another song that, for me, fits perfectly on the album. It’s cool, it’s low-key, but it’s not boring or tedious.
“San Ferry Anne” is such a McCartney song… I don’t even know whether I’m saying that as a compliment or a dig. At first it feels overly familiar and corny in its homey feel, but when the horns come in with an F# over the A minor chord, it’s not what you’d guess, and you remember you’re listening to a goddamn genius.
Am I the only one who doesn’t have a gripe about “Warm and Beautiful”?! I think its simplicity, its demo quality, is fine. Perfect, even! That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy a majestic treatment of it, but especially if you’re imagining this album as a thumbing the nose at expectation, there is something really perfect about this as a closer. It is an epic song done almost solo, not quite rough around the edges, but with edges at least being visible rather than coated in production sheen. (That said, I mean, we do have horns and strings…) I love the simple piano and voice treatment, and I think Paul sings it beautifully. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. Fabulous melody. Gorgeous.
|
|
|
Post by jk on Aug 20, 2021 22:19:16 GMT
Am I the only one who doesn’t have a gripe about “Warm and Beautiful”?! I think its simplicity, its demo quality, is fine. Perfect, even! That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy a majestic treatment of it, but especially if you’re imagining this album as a thumbing the nose at expectation, there is something really perfect about this as a closer. It is an epic song done almost solo, not quite rough around the edges, but with edges at least being visible rather than coated in production sheen. (That said, I mean, we do have horns and strings…) I love the simple piano and voice treatment, and I think Paul sings it beautifully. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. Fabulous melody. Gorgeous.
I think it's fine too. I like the intimacy of it and the olde-worlde feel. I can't believe it's the parody some reviewers consider it to be -- for god's sake, the man's singing to the woman he loves! Like lonelysummer, I gave the album nine. The variety holds up to the very last bar.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Aug 21, 2021 13:45:27 GMT
Despite being a well-produced, pleasant listen from start to finish, my enthusiasm certainly ebbs and flows from track-to-track. I think it's an album that's easy to overlook, that kind of knocks you out if you haven't listened to it for a while, but upon repeated listens certain tracks overshadow the rest. And, yes, I'm mainly talking about the Paul-sung tracks. "Let Em In", "Silly Love Songs", "Beware My Love", and "She's My Baby" are the tracks I return to, along with the Joe English sung "Must Do Something About It". Joe's voice really impresses me. Now, a Paul/Joe album in the vein of a Crosby/Nash album, I could really get behind, I think. By the way, this performance, the characteristics of his voice, and a similar title, reminds me quite heavily of another drummer of a famous group, Gene Parsons of the Byrds, singing "There Must Be Someone" on Ballad of Easy Rider. Check it out. First time I heard that album I was struck by the introduction of such a calming voice, and the song is nice, too. Anyway, "The Note You Never Wrote" might be my least favorite. I just don't care for the song, and I kind of have a hard time hearing it as a McCartney-written tune. Laine's vocal performance also doesn't work for me. His voice is pretty pedestrian. The only thing I look forward to is the guitar solo, but that's not enough to keep me from (occasionally) skipping the track. "Wino Junko" is better, but not really to my taste. The novelty tune "Cook of the House" is a bit more enjoyable. I enjoy it, and Linda's vocal performance, on their own terms. "San Ferry Anne" is a great production, but again the song doesn't do much for me. (I do enjoy listening to the track, though.) "Time To Hide" is the best of this lot, and features a more convincing vocal performance from Laine. It's funny - I like the "yes I will...MY LOVE...yes I will...MY LOVE" bit, but not nearly as much as I like singing along to the (somewhat) similar "I LOVE...I LOVE" in "Again and Again and Again" (another Laine written and sung track - and one...well...I LOVE ). I agree with everyone on "Let Em In", that's one of my favorite McCartney songs. "Silly Love Songs" is hindered a little by its disco nature but I still like it a lot. I can't help but be reminded of the Beach Boys (e.g. GOK and TID) when I hear that round of vocal harmony - so good!
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Aug 21, 2021 15:19:27 GMT
By the way, Kapitan , I believe the official album title includes "wings', so it's Wings at the Speed of Sound. Interestingly, though, as I peruse some of my McCartney LPs, I notice the spine reads "Wings: Speed of Sound" (although, instead of a colon there's a dot - it's the same stylization as a few of their other albums). The sleeve also depicts "Speed of Sound". Check it out, doesn't it remind you of John's Rock 'n' Roll? Pretty cool. Also, interestingly, I'm noticing the spine of Band on the Run reads "Paul McCartney: Band on the Run"! (again, with the dot instead of a colon.)
|
|