I'm listening to it and loving it on vinyl as we speak. I have nothing profound to say, other than that I'm glad this is in the world. What an album! Not a wrong note. And I REALLY appreciate the inclusion of Helen Wheels, which is partly why I sprung for it.
I've always felt like this is a "fuck you" album to everyone who doubted Paul's talent and genius (and maybe a little bit to John as well, despite the inclusion of the obviously for-John songs Let Me Roll It and No Words.), in which Paul figured out that he needed to stop fucking around and be Paul McCartney again, as in, you think I'm nothing without the Beatles? Fuck you, let me show you what I can do when I take this Wings caper seriously.
Paul's drumming is superb, as you point out. I have a serious soft spot for his drumming overall. It has, as they say about Ringo as well, "a feel."
I will always wonder why Denny Laine isn't on the cover... but I have no bandwidth to track down the answer, so it will remain a mystery.
Now we just need Paul to re-release Let It Be Naked on vinyl, because I'm not paying Discogs prices for it and thus it's the only Beatles album I don't own on vinyl because I won't buy the one with the Phil Spectre massacre on it. I'm surprised it wasn't included in the Super Deluxe... which makes me hope there might be something special planned for it at some point.
Anyway, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am, and from your article, it seems you are.
It’s an even better album than I remembered it being. Loving it, yes. I love how Paul pushed through when it works have been much easier to abandon the project, but that’s Macca all over. A lesson to us all.
LIB Naked on vinyl? Guaranteed at some point. Please!
Naked was releaesd on vinyl awhile back, but of course, those are long snapped up and last I checked, $$$$ on Discogs, so not gonna happen when I can stream it.
I've been listening all day. A few more thoughts:
The drums... again. Sorry, that's not new, but they're just so yummy.
I really wish Paul would have done an in studio vocal for 1985. But the vocals he did do while laying down the original tracks-- assuming they're one take scratch vocals for real -- show how far above almost everyone else he is in terms of technique, range, versaility, etc. Reminds me of that day back in 65 when he did I'm Down, I've Just Seen a Face and Yesterday back to back...
I'm a little confused though as to what the definition of "underdubbed" is because there are obviously overdubs on this. Paul's a musical savant, but even he can't play drums, bass, piano and guitar at the same time, and on several tracks, that's what's happening. So not sure what the cut off was? Maybe it was anything after Nigeria. That this is what they came back to London with? Probably everyone knows this but me...
My understanding is, as you suggest, these are the tapes they returned from Nigeria with. So, yes, there are overdubs at this stage. Then Tony Visconti was brought in to add strings etc, in London.
There’s a good article about this, and a new interview with Paul, in the new Mojo magazine (just in case you’re not aware of it yet).
Thank, and no, I hadn't seen the Mojo interview yet.
The liner notes on the vinyl confirm what you're saying, too. It looks like these are the rough mixes that Emerick did when they returned from Nigeria. So overdubs from Paul and maybe Denny and Linda, but not anyone else.
I keep forgetting that George Martin wasn't involved in this -- I wonder why, given he arranged the orchestra parts for Live and Let Die around the same time. I always feel like Live and Let Die belongs on Band on the Run in the same way that Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane belong on Pepper.
Interesting. My assumption - and it was just an assumption - was Paul didn’t want George Martin’s Beatles association for Wings projects. I’d forgotten Martin arranged ‘Live and Let Die’. More speculation - did the Bond producers insist on having Martin’s involvement?
I've not read that Paul wanted to stay away from George Martin, that would be news to me.
George Martin and Paul had, of course, a unique arrangement in terms of GM mentoring Paul, and they were closer than GM was with the others, by far, so it seems like a case where GM was one of the people that Paul "kept" after the breakup -- in that way where when a couple splits up, they divide up their mutual friends.
As I've read the Live and Let Die story from Paul (and bearing in mind that Paul is an unreliable narrator as he frequently changes his story on just about everything and flat out makes stuff up when it suits him and admits to it), but... that the Bond people approached him not George Martin, asking if he'd like to compose a Bond song. I imagine that he then got GM involved, as he'd need George's orchestral arranging and classical background to do it.
But GM tells a different story -- the way he tells it, he's the hero, of cousre, and the one that the producers were dealing with when they asked "so who's going to sing this?" when they heard the track.
PS Maybe it was like She's Leaving Home, where Paul wanted GM to arrange the strings but he wasn't available so Paul, always needing things ASAP, went to someone else (I forget who -- was it Tony? if so, that would be interesting... given that it was one of the few falling outs that Paul and GM ever had)
No need for fear. It's fab and just different enough to be really interesting, but not so much that it will sound like something entirely different. Much like Let It Be.... Naked.
The title track was one of the first songs I learned how to play all the way through (badly, to be fair) on drums. Thanks Ian for the great write-up!
I'm listening to it and loving it on vinyl as we speak. I have nothing profound to say, other than that I'm glad this is in the world. What an album! Not a wrong note. And I REALLY appreciate the inclusion of Helen Wheels, which is partly why I sprung for it.
I've always felt like this is a "fuck you" album to everyone who doubted Paul's talent and genius (and maybe a little bit to John as well, despite the inclusion of the obviously for-John songs Let Me Roll It and No Words.), in which Paul figured out that he needed to stop fucking around and be Paul McCartney again, as in, you think I'm nothing without the Beatles? Fuck you, let me show you what I can do when I take this Wings caper seriously.
Paul's drumming is superb, as you point out. I have a serious soft spot for his drumming overall. It has, as they say about Ringo as well, "a feel."
I will always wonder why Denny Laine isn't on the cover... but I have no bandwidth to track down the answer, so it will remain a mystery.
Now we just need Paul to re-release Let It Be Naked on vinyl, because I'm not paying Discogs prices for it and thus it's the only Beatles album I don't own on vinyl because I won't buy the one with the Phil Spectre massacre on it. I'm surprised it wasn't included in the Super Deluxe... which makes me hope there might be something special planned for it at some point.
Anyway, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am, and from your article, it seems you are.
It’s an even better album than I remembered it being. Loving it, yes. I love how Paul pushed through when it works have been much easier to abandon the project, but that’s Macca all over. A lesson to us all.
LIB Naked on vinyl? Guaranteed at some point. Please!
Naked was releaesd on vinyl awhile back, but of course, those are long snapped up and last I checked, $$$$ on Discogs, so not gonna happen when I can stream it.
I've been listening all day. A few more thoughts:
The drums... again. Sorry, that's not new, but they're just so yummy.
I really wish Paul would have done an in studio vocal for 1985. But the vocals he did do while laying down the original tracks-- assuming they're one take scratch vocals for real -- show how far above almost everyone else he is in terms of technique, range, versaility, etc. Reminds me of that day back in 65 when he did I'm Down, I've Just Seen a Face and Yesterday back to back...
I'm a little confused though as to what the definition of "underdubbed" is because there are obviously overdubs on this. Paul's a musical savant, but even he can't play drums, bass, piano and guitar at the same time, and on several tracks, that's what's happening. So not sure what the cut off was? Maybe it was anything after Nigeria. That this is what they came back to London with? Probably everyone knows this but me...
My understanding is, as you suggest, these are the tapes they returned from Nigeria with. So, yes, there are overdubs at this stage. Then Tony Visconti was brought in to add strings etc, in London.
There’s a good article about this, and a new interview with Paul, in the new Mojo magazine (just in case you’re not aware of it yet).
Thank, and no, I hadn't seen the Mojo interview yet.
The liner notes on the vinyl confirm what you're saying, too. It looks like these are the rough mixes that Emerick did when they returned from Nigeria. So overdubs from Paul and maybe Denny and Linda, but not anyone else.
I keep forgetting that George Martin wasn't involved in this -- I wonder why, given he arranged the orchestra parts for Live and Let Die around the same time. I always feel like Live and Let Die belongs on Band on the Run in the same way that Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane belong on Pepper.
Interesting. My assumption - and it was just an assumption - was Paul didn’t want George Martin’s Beatles association for Wings projects. I’d forgotten Martin arranged ‘Live and Let Die’. More speculation - did the Bond producers insist on having Martin’s involvement?
I've not read that Paul wanted to stay away from George Martin, that would be news to me.
George Martin and Paul had, of course, a unique arrangement in terms of GM mentoring Paul, and they were closer than GM was with the others, by far, so it seems like a case where GM was one of the people that Paul "kept" after the breakup -- in that way where when a couple splits up, they divide up their mutual friends.
As I've read the Live and Let Die story from Paul (and bearing in mind that Paul is an unreliable narrator as he frequently changes his story on just about everything and flat out makes stuff up when it suits him and admits to it), but... that the Bond people approached him not George Martin, asking if he'd like to compose a Bond song. I imagine that he then got GM involved, as he'd need George's orchestral arranging and classical background to do it.
But GM tells a different story -- the way he tells it, he's the hero, of cousre, and the one that the producers were dealing with when they asked "so who's going to sing this?" when they heard the track.
So as always, who the hell knows?
PS Maybe it was like She's Leaving Home, where Paul wanted GM to arrange the strings but he wasn't available so Paul, always needing things ASAP, went to someone else (I forget who -- was it Tony? if so, that would be interesting... given that it was one of the few falling outs that Paul and GM ever had)
I'm afraid to listen, haha. When you know something so well.........
This was a great post, thanks!
Speaking of Lagos, there's a photo of Paul and Fela Kuti floating around, and Paul has some recollections on YouTube.
Yes, it’s an odd experience but you come away knowing the album better.
No need for fear. It's fab and just different enough to be really interesting, but not so much that it will sound like something entirely different. Much like Let It Be.... Naked.
Ah yes. If it had been Visconti we would have been reminded by him on a regular basis (I like his work, with T. Rex included, but he’s not shy).
Fav track (most people hate it) “No Words (For My Love)” off Band on the run. It’s just a great pop song, full stop.
It is a great pop song, full of hooks. I’m not aware of widespread dislike of ‘No Words’, apart from people who don’t enjoy any music that’s too pop.