And We Are All Together / The Beatles Thread

[Kevin Davis]

I second WCT's recommendations. I'm also a pretty big fan of Run Devil Run from 1999, an album of (mostly) early rock-n-roll covers with David Gilmour on guitar. And I'm sure I'll be the only one, but as a lover of jazz and the Great American Songbook, I really enjoy his 2011 standards album titled -- not sure who greenlighted this -- Kisses on the Bottom, with McCartney supported by Diana Krall and her working band. I see these as companion albums of sorts, love letters to two different musical styles of McCartney's youth, which I think are on display in equal measure in his own music across his career. I think you can hear him really enjoying himself on both records, and I find myself revisiting them both a lot more than I do his original records from this period.

For the Wings era, honestly the album I go back to most often is the Wingspan: Hits and History compilation, which picks some nice album tracks but also a lot of the non-album singles like "Live and Let Die," "Another Day," "Goodnight Tonight," etc. Also this killer B-side that for some reason he couldn't find room for on one of the marginal albums he was releasing at the time:

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

For the Wings era, honestly the album I go back to most often is the Wingspan: Hits and History compilation, which picks some nice album tracks but also a lot of the non-album singles like "Live and Let Die," "Another Day," "Goodnight Tonight," etc. Also this killer B-side that for some reason he couldn't find room for on one of the marginal albums he was releasing at the time

I took care of that for him...not that all of these are good songs...but it's a 2-CD companion to the 70's discography:

101 A Love For You
102 Another Day
103 Oh Woman, Oh Why
104 Hey Diddle
105 Give Ireland Back To The Irish
106 Mary Had A Little Lamb
107 Little Woman Love
108 Hi, Hi, Hi
109 C Moon
110 Live And Let Die
111 I Lie Around
112 Night Out
113 Country Dreamer
114 Eat At Home (Live in Amsterdam)
115 The Mess (Live in Amsterdam)
116 1882 (Live in Berlin)
117 Best Friend (Live in Antwerp)
118 Mama's Little Girl
119 Tragedy
120 Jazz Street
201 Junior's Farm
202 Sally G
203 Jet (Live at Abbey Road)
204 Soily (Live at Abbey Road)
205 Zoo Gang
206 My Carnival
207 Let's Love
208 Letting Go (Single Mix)
209 Lunch Box-Odd Sox
210 Mull Of Kintyre
211 Girls' School
212 Goodnight Tonight
213 Daytime Nightime Suffering
214 Every Night (Live in Glasgow)
215 Coming Up (Live in Glasgow)
216 Wonderful Christmastime
217 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reggae
218 Check My Machine
219 Secret Friend

[liebzz]

Yes. All in due time. Thanks all for the recommendations, though I am positive I am not going to hear that much of this live in just over a week!

[liebzz]

Flowers in the Dirt

This certainly feels like a tremendous upgrade from the last album. I wouldn’t throw this into classic territory or anything, but certainly this is encouraging to see. Some well used special guests (David Gilmour, Elvis Costello), some strong songs in addition (My Brave Face, Put It There) and some real encouraging signs, even if this feels a bit too 80s adult contempo. Onward we go.

[liebzz]

Off the Ground

Admittedly, I am not running with the same steam that we started with - a slow down as much in enthusiasm as simply time to dedicate. Off the Ground is sort of another in a consistent set of albums that manage to be fine, but don’t move the needle in a way in which my thoughts are all that interesting. I liked Hope of Deliverance, and Biker Like an Icon for sure, and lots of moments in C’mon People. I liked enough Get Out of My Way. The rest never really distinguishes itself for me on this listen. Good enough so I am not reflexively turning it off, but not good enough that I feel the need to report on it much. And so the way this journey has generally gone. Mostly apathy.

[liebzz]

Due to a crazy few days this won’t be done before Thursday’s show, but I plan to continue.

[liebzz]

Flaming Pie

This seemed like easiest the best McCartney album since II. Here he seems to focus on his more approachable pop structures without that mediocre feeling that permeates much of his albums, explores some blues rock without sounding contrived…everything just kind of works here. The Song We Were Singing gets this going on the right track from the get go. Flaming Pie, Used to Be Bad, Souvenir, Really Love You, and I think Heaven on a Sunday were my favorites but not a bad one on this. He seemed to have really benefited from working with Jeff Lynne here.

[liebzz]

Run Devil Run

This next album, and the last I will get to hear before the show tonight, is a collection of covers and originals in that 50s rock n roll sound that is maybe one of the driving forces of McCartney’s long and winding career. This stuff all fits right in his wheelhouse and there’s a sense of comfort that he has with the material and the sound that gives him little opportunities to play around with these songs. The most striking example, just because I have heard the original more times than I could ever count, and never by design, is All Shook Up. Everything here is solid, though the nature of what it is more of a single moment than an album that would endure repeated listens. Really ends up being a singular jolt of energy.

[liebzz]

Well that was pretty epic:

Can’t Buy Me Love
Junior’s Farm
Letting Go
Got to Get You Into My Life
Come On to Me
Let Me Roll It
Getting Better
Let ‘Em In
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Maybe I’m Amazed
I’ve Just Seen a Face
In Spite of All the Danger
Love Me Do
Dance Tonight
Blackbird
Here Today
New
Lady Madonna
Fuh You
Jet
Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Something (on ukulele)
On-La-Di Ob-La-Da
You Never Give Me Your Money
She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
Get Back
Band on the Run
Glory Days (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
I Wanna Be Your Man (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude

Encore:
I’ve Got a Feeling (w/ John Lennon)
Happy Birthday (w/ Jon Bon Jovi)
Birthday
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers>Carry That Weight>The End (w/ Bruce Springsteen)

[wease]

37 tunes and he’s 104 years old.

Fuck you Pearl Jam. Bring back the long sets.

[liebzz]

Turns 80 today. It was a thing last night.

[oasisfan35]

Well that was pretty epic:
Encore:
I’ve Got a Feeling (w/ John Lennon)

Macca to Springsteen "You can sing your own tune and help me out on a few"
Macca to Bon Jovi "You get Happy Birthday with everyone else"

[liebzz]

Well that was pretty epic:
Encore:
I’ve Got a Feeling (w/ John Lennon)

Macca to Springsteen "You can sing your own tune and help me out on a few"
Macca to Bon Jovi "You get Happy Birthday with everyone else"

It was an isolated live vocal from the Rooftop Concert. Like a fever dream- “so we’re gonna go and Bruce will play some tunes and then Lennon will emerge from the grave and play one!”

Also smartly Jon Bon Jovi was relegated to bringing out balloons and you couldn’t really hear him singing. So that worked. I think he came back out during the final suite and also played guitar but definitely a bit player in all the craziness.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Something (on ukulele)

I genuinely sobbed when he did this at the George Tribute.

[McParadigm]

Jon Bon Jovi was relegated to bringing out balloons and you couldn’t really hear him singing.

Perfect use. No notes.

[liebzz]

Driving Rain

After a bit of an absence, getting back in gear with this. And this is one hell of an album to return to. McCartney is embracing a bit more modern rock here and finding clear inspiration tinkering around with it without losing himself in the process. Lonely Road, She’s Given Up Talking, Driving Rain, Spinning on an Axis, About You, Back in the Sunshine Again, Your Loving Flame, and Freedom are all highlights, though they all must stand back in comparison to Rinse the Raindrops, which might be my favorite McCartney solo song so far. What a beast!

[liebzz]

Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

I wrote something up and it disappeared so I will try to recreate the best I can. This one, produced by Nigel Godrich, is an effective attempt by McCartney to play along the edges of his typical sound. Not quite the revelation that was Driving Rain but still a very solid addition. Fine Line, How Kind of You, At the Mercy, Friends To Go, Too Much Rain, Promise To You Girl, and the instrumental bonus of I’ve Only Got Two Hands were my initial favorites.

[McParadigm]

they all must stand back in comparison to Rinse the Raindrops, which might be my favorite McCartney solo song so far. What a beast!

Love that song and recording. One of those times when the crime of being Paul McCartney probably kept a great and subversive track from getting its due.

[Anders]

they all must stand back in comparison to Rinse the Raindrops, which might be my favorite McCartney solo song so far. What a beast!

Love that song and recording. One of those times when the crime of being Paul McCartney probably kept a great and subversive track from getting its due.

Just listened to it. Pretty cool.

[liebzz]

Memory Almost Full

As we close in towards the end of the journey, a few albums left, but McCartney continues to modernize his sound to great effect. Dance Tonight sounds almost indie, Only Mama Knows has some killer crunch to it, as does the piece of the final suite Nod Your Head. You Tell Me, Mr. Bellamy, Vintage Clothes, That Was Me, Feet in the Clouds, and House of Wax are also highlights and jump around in sound quite a bit. Another very solid outing from a late career groove.