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Album : Flowers in the Dirt

Rating : 3 Stars

Release Date : May 1989

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

McCartney must not only have been conscious of his slipping commercial fortunes, he must have realized that his records hadn't been treated seriously for years, so he decided to make a full-fledged comeback effort with Flowers in the Dirt. His most significant move was to write a series of songs with Elvis Costello, some of which appeared on Costello's own Spike and many of which surfaced here. These may not be epochal songs, the way many wished them to be, but McCartney and Costello turn out to be successful collaborators, spurring each other toward interesting work. And, in McCartney's case, that carried over to the album as a whole, as he aimed for more ambitious lyrics, themes, sounds, and productions for Flowers in the Dirt. This didn't necessarily result in a more successful album than its predecessors, but it had more heart, ambition, and nerve, which was certainly welcome. And the moments that did work were pretty terrific. Many of these were McCartney/McManus collaborations, from the moderate hit "My Brave Face" to the duet "You Want Her Too" and "That Day Is Done," but McCartney also demonstrates considerable muscle on his own, from the domestic journal "We Got Married" to the lovely "This One." This increased ambition also means McCartney meanders a bit, writing songs that are more notable for what they try to achieve than what they do, and at times the production is too fussy and inextricably tied to its time, but as a self-styled comeback affair, Flowers in the Dirt works very well.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 My Brave Face MacManus, McCartney 3:16

2 Rough Ride McCartney 4:43

3 You Want Her Too MacManus, McCartney 3:13

4 Distractions McCartney 4:38

5 We Got Married McCartney 4:55

6 Put It There McCartney 2:09

7 Figure of Eight McCartney 3:23

8 This One McCartney 4:10

9 Don't Be Careless Love MacManus, McCartney 3:17

10 That Day Is Done MacManus, McCartney 4:18

11 How Many People McCartney 4:14

12 Motor of Love McCartney 6:18

13 Ou Est le Soleil McCartney 4:46

14 Back on My Feet [*] MacManus, McCartney 4:24

15 Flying to My Home [*] McCartney 4:15

16 Loveliest Thing [*] McCartney 3:58

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Album : Tripping the Live Fantastic (Live)

Rating : 2 Stars

Release Date : Oct 1990

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Paul McCartney's return to the stage in 1989 for the Flowers in the Dirt tour was heavily hyped, since it was not only his first extensive tour since the '70s, but also marked the first time he incorporated large portions of the Beatles' catalog into his set list. The double-disc, 37-track Tripping the Live Fantastic documents the tour, and it's a pleasant, if ultimately inconsequential, nostalgia trip that puts the weaknesses of Flowers in the Dirt in a little too sharp relief. In fact, most of McCartney's flaws are on display throughout the album, whether it's his excessive cutesiness (the album opens with Paul and the boys being told "heidy-ho, it's time for the show"), his fondness for oldies, and his persistent desire to charm the daylights out of the entire crowd. Nevertheless, he often does charm the crowd, whether it's through the effortlessly dazzling performances or his thoroughly winning catalog of pop classics. The new songs may pale next to the classics from his Beatles and solo days, and those classics may be delivered in versions that are a little too studied, but Tripping the Live Fantastic is a fine exercise in nostalgia.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Showtime 0:38

2 Figure of Eight McCartney 5:33

3 Jet McCartney 4:02

4 Rough Ride McCartney 4:48

5 Got to Get You into My Life Lennon, McCartney 3:24

6 Band on the Run McCartney 5:10

7 Birthday Lennon, McCartney 2:43

8 Ebony and Ivory McCartney 4:01

9 We Got Married McCartney 6:38

10 Inner City Madness McCartney, McCartney ... 1:23

11 Maybe I'm Amazed McCartney 4:42

12 The Long and Winding Road Lennon, McCartney 4:18

13 Crackin' Up Mc.Daniel 0:50

14 The Fool on the Hill Lennon, McCartney 5:01

15 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Lennon, McCartney 6:34

16 Can't Buy Me Love Lennon, McCartney 2:17

17 Matchbox Perkins 3:07

18 Put It There McCartney 2:44

19 Together McCartney, McCartney ... 2:15

20 Things We Said Today Lennon, McCartney 5:01

21 Eleanor Rigby Lennon, McCartney 2:36

22 This One McCartney 4:28

23 My Brave Face MacManus, McCartney 3:09

24 Back in the U.S.S.R. Lennon, McCartney 3:16

25 I Saw Her Standing There Lennon, McCartney 3:26

26 Twenty Flight Rock Cochrane, Fairchild 3:09

27 Coming Up McCartney 5:18

28 Sally Haines, Leon, Towers 2:04

29 Let It Be Lennon, McCartney 3:53

30 Ain't That a Shame Bartholomew, Domino 2:14

31 Live and Let Die McCartney 3:11

32 If I Were Not Upon the Stage Bowsher, Sutton, Turner 0:36

33 Hey Jude Lennon, McCartney 8:04

34 Yesterday Lennon, McCartney 2:07

35 Get Back Lennon, McCartney 4:11

36 Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End Lennon, McCartney 6:41

37 Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying Greene 4:31

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Album : Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : May 1991

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Released after the studied, meticulous Flowers in the Dirt, the live acoustic concert album Unplugged was a breath of fresh air, and it remains one of the most enjoyable records in McCartney's catalog. Running through a selection of oldies — not only his own, but Beatles and rock & roll chestnuts — McCartney is carefree and charming, making songs like "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (which finds Paul melding Bill Monroe with Elvis) sound fresh. But the real revelations of the record are the songs McCartney hauls out from his debut — "That Would Be Something," "Every Night," and "Junk" — which sound lovely and timeless, restoring them to their proper place in his canon. They help make Unplugged into a thoroughly enjoyable minor gem.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Be-Bop-A-Lula Davis, Vincent 3:37

2 I Lost My Little Girl McCartney 1:13

3 Here, There and Everywhere Lennon, McCartney 2:30

4 Blue Moon of Kentucky Monroe 3:13

5 We Can Work It Out Lennon, McCartney 2:18

6 San Francisco Bay Blues Fuller 2:48

7 I've Just Seen a Face Lennon, McCartney 2:02

8 Every Night McCartney 3:19

9 She's a Woman Lennon, McCartney 3:26

10 Hi-Heel Sneakers Higginbotham 3:25

11 And I Love Her Lennon, McCartney 3:33

12 That Would Be Something McCartney 2:38

13 Blackbird Lennon, McCartney 1:46

14 Ain't No Sunshine Withers 3:28

15 Good Rocking Tonight Brown 3:04

16 Singing the Blues Endsley 2:48

17 Junk McCartney 2:08

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Album : CHOBA B CCCP

Rating : 2 Stars

Release Date : Oct 28, 1991

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

This album of rock & roll oldies — "Lucille," "Twenty Flight Rock," and others — was recorded in two days in July, 1987, and released exclusively in the Soviet Union in 1988. It finally saw release in the U.S. in 1991 with one extra track, "I'm in Love Again," added. McCartney gives a spirited reading to the songs, which, it may be noted, are in some cases ("Ain't That a Shame," "Just Because") the same ones chosen by John Lennon for his similar Rock 'N' Roll album. But McCartney is characteristically more eclectic, including such ringers as "Summertime" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore."

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Kansas City Leiber, Stoller 4:01

2 Twenty Flight Rock Cochran, Fairchild 3:02

3 Lawdy Miss Clawdy Price 3:14

4 I'm in Love Again [*] Bartholomew, Domino 2:56

5 Bring It on Home to Me Cooke 3:11

6 Lucille Collins, Little Richard 3:11

7 Don't Get Around Much Anymore Ellington, Russell 2:49

8 I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday Bartholomew, Domino, Hayes 4:12

9 That's All Right Crudup 3:45

10 Summertime Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward 4:55

11 Ain't That a Shame Bartholomew, Domino 3:42

12 Crackin' Up Diddley 3:53

13 Just Because Robin, Shelton, Shelton 3:33

14 Midnight Special Leadbelly, Traditional 3:56

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Album : Off the Ground

Rating : 2 Stars

Release Date : Feb 1993

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Flowers in the Dirt did earn good reviews but perhaps more important was its accompanying tour, McCartney's first full-fledged world tour in years. Given the tour's enthusiastic reception, McCartney could wait until 1993 to deliver the album's proper sequel, Off the Ground. Though it isn't as consciously ambitious, Off the Ground certainly picks up where Flowers left off, as McCartney feels no shame in making an album that doesn't aim for the charts (though success would certainly be welcomed), yet is still classy, professional, and ambitious. Two key differences appear: It's a leaner production (making the mid-tempo numbers seem less cloying and giving the rockers real kick), and McCartney's social conscience dominates the record (which is easily his most politically active, as he rails against animal testing and pleads for world peace several times). He doesn't leave love or whimsy behind ("Biker Like an Icon" is easily his worst, most studied stab at whimsy), and he still has a pair of fine McCartney/McManus songs ("Mistress and Maid," "The Lovers That Never Were") to pull out. This all results in a record that has its virtues — it's clean and direct, where many of his solo albums are diffuse and meandering, and it's serious-minded where many rely on cutesiness — but, overall, Off the Ground feels like less than the sum of its parts, possibly because the seriousness is too studied, perhaps because the approach is a bit too stodgy. Nevertheless, this has nearly as many successful moments as Flowers in the Dirt, standing as a deliberately serious comeback record by an artist who spent too much time relying on his natural charm, and who feels no shame in overcompensating at this stage of the game.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Off the Ground McCartney 3:40

2 Looking for Changes McCartney 2:48

3 Hope of Deliverance McCartney 3:22

4 Mistress and Maid MacManus, McCartney 3:00

5 I Owe It All to You McCartney 4:51

6 Biker Like an Icon McCartney 3:26

7 Peace in the Neighborhood McCartney 5:06

8 Golden Earth Girl McCartney 3:44

9 The Lovers That Never Were MacManus, McCartney 3:42

10 Get Out of the Way McCartney 3:32

11 Winedark Open Sea McCartney 5:26

12 C'mon People McCartney 7:42

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Album : Paul Is Live

Rating : 2 Stars

Release Date : Nov 16, 1993

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Paul McCartney's fourth live album in four years (including Tripping the Live Fantastic: The Highlights) is arguably his weakest yet, full of competent but utterly unnecessary versions of Beatles classics and recent McCartney numbers. Really, does anyone need to hear a live version of "Biker Like an Icon"? And after putting out two separate live albums from his previous tour, it smacks of overkill to release this record, which has the exact same band and tone as Tripping the Live Fantastic.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Drive My Car Lennon, McCartney 2:16

2 Let Me Roll It McCartney 4:04

3 Looking for Changes McCartney 2:37

4 Peace in the Neighbourhood McCartney 4:42

5 All My Loving Lennon, McCartney 2:14

6 Robbie's Bit (Thanks Chet) McIntosh 1:35

7 Good Rockin' Tonight Brown 2:41

8 We Can Work It Out Lennon, McCartney 2:34

9 Hope of Deliverance McCartney 3:25

10 Michelle Lennon, McCartney 2:49

11 Biker Like an Icon McCartney 3:28

12 Here, There and Everywhere Lennon, McCartney 2:27

13 My Love McCartney, McCartney 3:57

14 Magical Mystery Tour Lennon, McCartney 3:09

15 C'mon People McCartney 5:31

16 Lady Madonna Lennon, McCartney 2:24

17 Paperback Writer Lennon, McCartney 2:32

18 Penny Lane Lennon, McCartney 2:52

19 Live and Let Die McCartney, McCartney 3:10

20 Kansas City Leiber, Stoller 3:19

21 Welcome to Soundcheck McCartney :45

22 Hotel in Benidorm McCartney 2:00

23 I Wanna Be Your Man Lennon, McCartney 2:20

24 A Fine Day McCartney 6:04

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Album : Flaming Pie

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : May 27, 1997

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

According to Paul McCartney, working on the Beatles Anthology project inspired him to record an album that was stripped-back, immediate, and fun, one less studied and produced than most of his recent work. In many ways, Flaming Pie fulfills those goals. A largely acoustic collection of simple songs, Flaming Pie is direct and unassuming, and at its best, it recalls the homely charm of McCartney and Ram. McCartney still has a tendency to wallow in trite sentiment, and his more ambitious numbers, like the string-drenched epic "Beautiful Night" or the silly Beatlesque psychedelia of "Flaming Pie," fall a little flat. But when he works on a small scale, as on the waltzing "The Song We Were Singing," "Calico Skies," "Great Day," and "Little Willow," he's gently affecting, and the moderately rocking pop of "The World Tonight" and "Young Boy" is more ingratiating than the pair of aimless bluesy jams with Steve Miller. Even with the filler, which should be expected on any McCartney album, Flaming Pie is one of his most successful latter-day efforts, mainly because McCartney is at his best when he doesn't try so hard and lets his effortless melodic gifts rise to the surface.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 The Song We Were Singing McCartney 3:52

2 The World Tonight McCartney 4:03

3 If You Wanna McCartney 4:36

4 Somedays McCartney 4:11

5 Young Boy McCartney 3:54

6 Calico Skies McCartney 2:29

7 Flaming Pie McCartney 2:27

8 Heaven on a Sunday McCartney 4:26

9 Used to Be Bad McCartney, Miller 4:08

10 Souvenir McCartney 3:38

11 Little Willow McCartney 2:55

12 Really Love You McCartney, Starr 5:14

13 Beautiful Night McCartney 5:03

14 Great Day McCartney 2:06

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Album : Run Devil Run

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : Oct 5, 1999

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

When Paul McCartney returned to the studio a year after his wife Linda's death, he wanted to cut loose and have a good time. He gathered a bunch of friends, most notably guitarist David Gilmour, with the intention of cutting a collection of rock & roll oldies with minimal rehearsal and a handful of takes. On the surface, that makes Run Devil Run like Choba B CCCP, but there are subtle differences that make Devil a far superior effort. This time around, there's a real freshness to the performances. Gilmour, in particular, amazes, turning in some of his finest playing in years. Similarly, McCartney is invigorated, leaving behind his vocal schtick, laying back and rocking out with a set of fairly unfamiliar oldies. Only three songs — "All Shook Up," "Lonesome Town," and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" — are radio staples; and while "I Got Stung," "Blue Jean Bop," "She Said Yeah," "Honey Hush," and "Movie Magg" are known by aficionados, they're not ubiquitous standards. This leaves room for a few more obscure numbers, such as Little Richard's "Shake a Hand," the Vipers' "No Other Baby," and the Fats Domino B-side "Coquette," plus three terrific new songs from McCartney: "Run Devil Run," a fantastic Chuck Berry-styled narrative; "Try Not to Cry," a strong bluesy pop number; and "What It Is," a catchy up-tempo shuffle. Best of all, McCartney and co-producer Chris Thomas create an appealingly out-of-time production — heavily compressed sound, yes, but cleaner than '50s recordings and livelier, grittier than most '90s albums. It all adds up to a dynamic, loose, carefree, and utterly infectious record, one of his best solo albums.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Blue Jean Bop Levy, Vincent 1:57

2 She Said Yeah Williams 2:05

3 All Shook Up Blackwell, Presley 2:04

4 Run Devil Run McCartney 2:35

5 No Other Baby Bishop, Watson 4:17

6 Lonesome Town Baker-Knight 3:29

7 Try Not to Cry McCartney 2:40

8 Movie Magg Perkins 2:11

9 Brown Eyed Handsome Man Berry 2:27

10 What It Is McCartney 2:23

11 Coquette Green, Kahn, Lombardo 2:41

12 I Got Stung Hill, Schroeder 2:39

13 Honey Hush Turner 3:07

14 Shake a Hand Morris 3:50

15 Party Robinson 2:37

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Album : Driving Rain

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : Nov 13, 2001

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

For Paul McCartney, Driving Rain completes the trilogy he began with Flaming Pie, in retrospect a warm tribute to his dying wife, and continued through the storming rock & roll of Run Devil Run. The first found Macca writing some of his most affecting songs while he returned to his musical standbys — charming folk, layered pop, and amiable rock & roll. Then, with Run Devil Run, he retreated even further, finding his love for piledriving, uncompromising rock & roll. With those two extremes, he covered the bases with everything except one important thing — he had yet to reclaim his art pop inclinations, something he does so subtly on Driving Rain. In a sense, it's a nice blend of the self-conscious Flowers in the Dirt and the organic, natural Flaming Pie, combining the craft of the former with the attitude of the latter. As such, it sounds fresh, particularly because McCartney has teamed up with young producers and backing bands that don't just allow him to follow his muse, they're eager to chase him when he extends a song to an abnormal length with a jam. This is not the homemade charm of Ram, nor the post-Abbey Road studio trickery of Red Rose Speedway or Band on the Run, but instead a seasoned professional finding a way to fuse his various influences in a record that is as proud of its melody as it is of its elasticity. As such, it's more self-conscious than its immediate predecessor and it's a little indulgent, but in a good way. When McCartney decides to indulge himself here, it's not with whimsy but with sheer musical muscle. As the record draws to a conclusion, he hauls out a bunch of inventive, winding jams that may be a little excessive, yet they're exciting because he hasn't tried something like this in years. He's grooving on making music again, just like he did on Flaming Pie and Run Devil Run. Driving Rain may not be as coherent as Pie, nor as relentless as Devil, but it's rich, layered, ambitious, and successful. Since becoming a solo artist, Paul McCartney has never delivered three records in a row so overstuffed with imagination, melody, and enthusiasm as he has in these three albums. Let's hope he can keep the streak going next time around.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Lonely Road McCartney 3:16

2 From a Lover to a Friend McCartney 3:48

3 She's Given Up Talking McCartney 4:57

4 Driving Rain McCartney 3:27

5 I Do McCartney 2:56

6 Tiny Bubble McCartney 4:21

7 Magic McCartney 3:58

8 Your Way McCartney 2:55

9 Spinning on an Axis McCartney 5:16

10 About You McCartney 2:54

11 Heather McCartney 3:25

12 Back in the Sunshine Again McCartney 4:22

13 Your Loving Flame McCartney 3:43

14 Riding into Jaipur McCartney 4:07

15 Rinse the Raindrops McCartney 10:12

16 Freedom [live/*] McCartney 3:33

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Album : Back in the World (Live)

Rating : 2.5 Stars

Release Date : Apr 8, 2003

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Another album, another tour, another live album souvenir of the tour. Paul McCartney has essentially followed this pattern since his 1989 return to arenas for the supporting tour for Flowers in the Dirt, and each of the records is essentially the same: the big solo hits, some of the big Beatles songs, plus a few tunes from the latest solo album. The repertoire changes slightly over the years, with some Beatles tunes drifting in and out of rotation, but they all play exactly the same — glossy, professional readings of the songs that you know and love, played in arrangements very close to the original versions. Comprised of highlights from his 2001/2002 tour, the double-disc Back in the U.S. is longer than, say, Paul Is Live, but that's the only difference, and there's really nothing notably different than the equally long Tripping the Live Fantastic. If anything, he's playing for the crowd even more than usual, filling out the set list with sentimental favorites, including a version of "Something" as a tribute to the recently departed George Harrison. There is an unflagging sense of showmanship here, and the musicianship is top-notch, and there's nothing wrong with the music — but there's nothing interesting about it, either. Given the hot streak that he'd been on since 1998's Flaming Pie, it's a bit of a disappointment that this doesn't live up to those standards, but then again, this is no better or no worse than what you'd expect given his live albums since 1989. Unfortunately, it's exactly what you'd expect, which is certainly not as satisfying as a good live album and somehow more disappointing than a flat-out bad album. [For territories outside the United States, Back in the U.S. was released as Back in the World, with a slightly different track listing, taken from gigs outside of the States. "Vanilla Sky," "C Moon," and, mercifully, "Freedom" are dropped from the album and "Calico Skies," "Michelle," "Let 'Em In," and "She's Leaving Home" take their place, all on the second disc. This results in a slightly stronger album (only "C Moon" is really missed), but the overall feel of the record remains the same.]

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Hello Goodbye Lennon, McCartney 3:46

2 Jet McCartney, McCartney 4:02

3 All My Loving Lennon, McCartney 2:08

4 Getting Better Lennon, McCartney 3:10

5 Coming Up McCartney 3:26

6 Let Me Roll It McCartney 4:24

7 Lonely Road McCartney 3:12

8 Driving Rain McCartney 3:11

9 Your Loving Flame McCartney 3:28

10 Blackbird Lennon, McCartney 2:30

11 Every Night McCartney 2:51

12 We Can Work It Out Lennon, McCartney 2:29

13 Mother Nature's Son Lennon, McCartney 2:11

14 Carry That Weight Lennon, McCartney 3:05

15 The Fool on the Hill Lennon, McCartney 3:09

16 Here Today McCartney 2:28

17 Something Harrison 2:33

18 Eleanor Rigby Lennon, McCartney 2:17

19 Here, There and Everywhere Lennon, McCartney 2:23

20 Calico Skies McCartney 2:37

21 Michelle Lennon, McCartney 3:15

22 Band on the Run McCartney, McCartney 5:00

23 Back in the U.S.S.R. Lennon, McCartney 2:55

24 Maybe I'm Amazed McCartney 4:47

25 Let 'Em In McCartney 5:23

26 My Love McCartney, McCartney 4:03

27 She's Leaving Home Lennon, McCartney 3:52

28 Can't Buy Me Love Lennon, McCartney 2:11

29 Live and Let Die McCartney, McCartney 3:04

30 Let It Be Lennon, McCartney 3:57

31 Hey Jude Lennon, McCartney 7:35

32 The Long and Winding Road Lennon, McCartney 3:30

33 Lady Madonna Lennon, McCartney 2:21

34 I Saw Her Standing There Lennon, McCartney 3:07

35 Yesterday Lennon, McCartney 2:08

36 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/The End Lennon, McCartney 4:40

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Album : Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : Sep 13, 2005

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Quiet though it may be, Paul McCartney experienced something of a late-career renaissance with the release of his 1997 album Flaming Pie. With that record, he shook off years of coyness and half-baked ideas and delivered an album that, for whatever its slight flaws, was both ambitious and cohesive, and it started a streak that continued through the driving rock & roll album Run Devil Run and its 2001 follow-up, Driving Rain. For Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, the follow-up to that record, McCartney tried a different tactic, returning to the one-man band aesthetic of his debut album, McCartney, its latter-day sequel, McCartney II, and, to a lesser extent, the home-spun second album, Ram. Apart from a guitar part or two, a couple of drum tracks, and, of course, the strings and horns that pop up now and again, McCartney played everything here, from the guitars and keyboards down to the bass and drums. The difference here is that instead of producing the record by himself, McCartney brought in alt-rock auteur Nigel Godrich, best known as the producer behind Radiohead's OK Computer and Beck's Mutations, as well as being the only producer responsible for a streamlined Pavement record. Godrich has a gift for making messy or difficult music sound simple, logical, and clean, and he has that same effect on Chaos and Creation, removing the obvious rough edges and home-spun charm that characterized Macca's previous one-man affairs. Consequently, Chaos sounds as polished as a normal McCartney album, as polished as Driving Rain, but the process of its creation and recording does make this a very different album from not just its predecessor, but from most of McCartney's solo albums. It's quiet and meditative, not without its share of eccentricities, nor without its share of sprightly tunes — certainly, the opener, "Fine Line," is a propulsive, hooky song that burrows into your head after just one spin and sounds like a tune you've known all your life, and "Promise to You Girl" also zips along nicely — but the overall feel of the record is one that's reflective and ruminative, not messy or silly. Or whimsical or treacly, for that matter, since the combination of introspective ballads and intricately detailed but not overly fussy or polished production means that Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is a rare thing indeed: a McCartney album that's devoid of cuteness or easy sentiment. Which doesn't mean that it's somber or lacking in romantic material — Paul loves his love songs, after all — but the tone and timbre of the album is so simple, stripped-down, and sincere that all the music resonates a little deeper and feels a little more heartfelt. If there are no outright knockouts here, there are no weak spots, either, and if the album doesn't have the sprawl and quirks or overt humor of his classic solo albums from Ram through Tug of War, that's OK, because Chaos and Creation in the Backyard offers something different: not only is Paul in an unusually reflective mode, but he's made a lean, cohesive record that holds together better than his previous latter-day high-water mark, Flaming Pie — which is unusual, since McCartney albums rarely, if ever, come without spots of filler. The quiet nature of Chaos and Creation may mean that some listeners will pass it over quickly, since it's a grower, but spend some time with the record and it becomes clear that McCartney is far from spent as either a songwriter or record-maker and, in many ways, continues to make some of the best music of his solo career.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Fine Line McCartney 3:05

2 How Kind of You McCartney 4:47

3 Jenny Wren McCartney 3:46

4 At the Mercy McCartney 2:37

5 Friends to Go McCartney 2:43

6 English Tea McCartney 2:12

7 Too Much Rain McCartney 3:24

8 A Certain Softness McCartney 2:41

9 Riding to Vanity Fair McCartney 5:06

10 Follow Me McCartney 2:31

11 Promise to You Girl McCartney 3:09

12 This Never Happened Before McCartney 3:24

13 Anyway McCartney 7:22

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Album : Memory Almost Full

Rating : 5 Stars

Release Date : Jun 5, 2007

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Allusion to the digital world though it may be, there's a sweet, elegiac undercurrent to the title of Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full, an acknowledgement that it was written and recorded when McCartney was 64, the age he mythologized on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, released almost exactly 40 years before Memory. Certainly, McCartney has mortality on the mind, but this isn't an entirely unusual occurrence for him in this third act of his solo career. Ever since his wife Linda's death from cancer in 1998, he's been dancing around the subject, peppering Flaming Pie with longing looks back, grieving by throwing himself into the past on the covers album Run Devil Run, slowly coming to terms with his status as the old guard on the carefully ruminative Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. But if that previous record was precise, bearing all the hallmarks of meticulous producer Nigel Godrich, Memory Almost Full is startlingly bright and frequently lively, an album that embraces McCartney's unerring gift for melody. Yet for as pop as it is, this is not an album made with any illusion that Paul will soon have a succession of hit singles: it's an art-pop album, not unlike either of the McCartney albums. Sometimes this is reflected in the construction —- the quick succession of short songs at the end, uncannily (and quite deliberately) sounding like a suite — sometimes in the lyrics, but the remarkable thing is that McCartney never sounds self-consciously pretentious here, as if he's striving to make a major statement. Rather, he's quietly taking stock of his life and loves, his work and achievements. Unlike latter-day efforts by Johnny Cash or the murky Daniel Lanois-produced albums by Bob Dylan, mortality haunts the album, but there's no fetishization of death. Instead, McCartney marvels at his life — explicitly so in the disarmingly guileless "That Was Me," where he enthuses about his role in a stage play in grammar school with the same vigor as he boasts about playing the Cavern Club with the Beatles — and realizes that when he reaches "The End of the End," he doesn't want anything more than the fond old stories of his life to be told.

 

This matter-of-fact acknowledgement that he's in the last act of his life hangs over this album, but his penchant for nostalgia — this is the man who wrote the sepia-toned music hall shuffle "Your Mother Should Know" before he was 30, after all — has lost its rose-tinted streak. Where he once romanticized days gone by, McCartney now admits that we're merely living with "The Ever Present Past," just like how although we live in the present, we still wear "Vintage Clothes." He's no longer pining for the past, since he knows where the present is heading, yet he seems disarmingly grateful for where his journey has taken him and what it has meant for him, to the extent that he slings no arrows at his second wife, Heather Mills, he only offers her "Gratitude." Given the nastiness of the coverage of his recent divorce, Paul might be spinning his eternal optimism a bit hard on this song, but it isn't forced or saccharine — it fits alongside the clear-eyed sentiment of the rest of Memory Almost Full. It rings true to the open-heartedness of his music, and the album delivers some of McCartney's best latter-day music. Memory Almost Full is so melodic and memorable, it's easy to take for granted his skill as a craftsman, particularly here when it feels so natural and unforced, even when it takes left turns, which it thankfully does more than once. Best of all, this is the rare pop meditation on mortality that doesn't present itself as a major statement, yet it is thematically and musically coherent, slowly working its way under your skin and lodging its way into your cluttered memory. On the surface, it's bright and accessible, as easy to enjoy as the best of Paul's solo albums, but it lingers in the heart and mind in a way uncommon to the rest of his work, and to many other latter-day albums from his peers as well.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Dance Tonight McCartney 2:54

2 Ever Present Past McCartney 2:57

3 See Your Sunshine McCartney 3:20

4 Only Mama Knows McCartney 4:17

5 You Tell Me McCartney 3:15

6 Mr. Bellamy McCartney 3:39

7 Gratitude McCartney 3:19

8 Vintage Clothes McCartney 2:22

9 That Was Me McCartney 2:38

10 Feet in the Clouds McCartney 3:24

11 House of Wax McCartney 4:59

12 The End of the End McCartney 2:57

13 Nod Your Head McCartney 1:58

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Album : Wings Greatest

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Nov 22, 1978

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Released in 1978 after London Town gave McCartney another huge hit, Wings Greatest rounds up McCartney's greatest hits from 1971 to 1978 — which means it skips "Maybe I'm Amazed" but touches on Ram. The main strength of this collection is that it contains many hits that never appeared on any album, and these are among McCartney's very best solo singles: the eccentric domesticity of "Another Day," the choogling rocker "Junior's Farm," the Bond anthem "Live and Let Die," the piledriving "Hi Hi Hi," and "Mull of Kintyre," a Scottish-styled folk ballad that was his biggest hit in England. And yes, it's fair to peg these as McCartney successes, since some of them were billed as McCartney, not Wings, and as such, this record is a great overview of McCartney's first decade of solo recording, containing many of his very best solo tunes. One consumer warning: Much of this overlaps with 1988's All the Best (both the U.S. and U.K. editions), which is more comprehensive for the listener looking for a more complete retrospective.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Another Day McCartney, McCartney 3:44

2 Silly Love Songs McCartney, McCartney 5:54

3 Live and Let Die McCartney, McCartney 3:13

4 Junior's Farm McCartney, McCartney 4:23

5 With a Little Luck McCartney 5:46

6 Band on the Run McCartney, McCartney 5:11

7 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey McCartney, McCartney 4:50

8 Hi, Hi, Hi McCartney, McCartney 3:10

9 Let 'Em In McCartney 5:11

10 My Love McCartney, McCartney 4:10

11 Jet McCartney, McCartney 4:09

12 Mull of Kintyre Laine, McCartney 4:42

 

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Album : All the Best [uK]

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : 1987

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Technically, All the Best was the first compilation of McCartney's solo material, since Wings Greatest covered songs released under the Wings aegis. Well, there is considerable overlap between the two records — eight of that album's 12 songs are here, yet the absent "Hi Hi Hi" and "Junior's Farm" are both missed — although the nine new songs wind up giving this album a different character, for better or worse. With the U.K. version of All the Best, which has four different songs than its American counterpart, the balance shifts toward the worse, since the distinctly English bent does it a disservice. Nowhere is that more evident than on "We All Stand Together," a song written for a British kids' show and sung by frogs; not surprisingly, it sounds out of place among the rest of the album. The rest isn't as bad, though the neo-Scottish singalong folk of "Mull of Kintyre" will certainly baffle Americans and the exclusive "Once Upon a Long Ago," while fairly good, is not good enough to merit an extended search for this import (much less the nearly 30 dollars this author spent on the album when he was 15 years old; 1988 was a really strange world). The other song is the title track for Pipes of Peace, which just wasn't a big enough hit in the U.S. to justify its inclusion on the American disc. Even with these flaws, it's a very good retrospective of McCartney's career. It's easy to complain about some missing songs — though grant me this: "Maybe I'm Amazed" really should be here. This compilation still has most of the greatest singles of McCartney's career, and while it may be a little heavy on the schmaltz at times, it's still mainstream pop craft of the highest order.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Jet McCartney, McCartney 4:06

2 Band on the Run McCartney, McCartney 5:10

3 Coming Up McCartney 3:50

4 Ebony and Ivory McCartney 3:44

5 Listen to What the Man Said McCartney 3:54

6 No More Lonely Nights McCartney 4:39

7 Silly Love Songs McCartney, McCartney 5:52

8 Let 'Em In McCartney 5:08

9 C Moon McCartney, McCartney 4:33

10 Pipes of Peace McCartney 3:24

11 Live and Let Die McCartney, McCartney 3:10

12 Another Day McCartney, McCartney 3:41

13 Once upon a Long Ago McCartney 4:06

14 Say Say Say Jackson, McCartney 3:54

15 My Love McCartney, McCartney 4:08

16 We All Stand Together McCartney 4:23

17 Mull of Kintyre Laine, McCartney 4:43

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Album : Wingspan: Hits and History

Rating : 5 Stars

Release Date : May 8, 2001

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Paul McCartney always got the short end of the stick when he was in the Beatles and again in the '70s, as he and his erstwhile partner John Lennon pursued solo careers. McCartney was attacked for his virtues — for his melodicism and his domesticity, along with his desire to form a real touring band following the Beatles. None of these were celebrated at the time, but he moved many, many records and sold countless concert tickets, which only hardened opposition toward him. But, in retrospect, McCartney's albums make for the most fascinating body of work among any of the ex-Beatles, and really among any of his peers. Yes, there were pitfalls among the heights, but that's part of what makes his career so fascinating — each record is distinctive, and even if the songs themselves are shallow, at least lyrically, the melodic skill and studio savvy behind each are hard not to admire. This may require a bit of conversion, and if you're not up to trudging through his individual works, even such masterworks as Ram (truly the roots of homemade pop), the double-disc set Wingspan is ideal. McCartney has had a number of career overviews before, including such seemingly comprehensive discs as All the Best, but those were plagued by vaguely haphazard sequencing. This is nearly perfectly executed, dividing McCartney's career between the "hits" and "history," with the latter being devoted to album tracks that are acknowledged classics, yet never were singles. Now, it's true that this isn't completely comprehensive — some will notice that superstar duets with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson are missing, and others will wonder where such terrific latter-day singles as "Press" are or why such charting hits as "So Bad" are bypassed, or why album tracks like "Ballroom Dancing" are absent — but nothing has come as close to capturing the quirky brilliance of McCartney's solo career, how it balanced whimsical pop with unabashedly sentimental romantic ballads, piledriving rockers, and anything in between. And what makes Wingspan so impressive is how the "History" disc fills in the gaps that "Hits" leaves, whether it's on the tremendous "Maybe I'm Amazed" (one of the very best songs he ever wrote), the charming "Junk," the clever "Take It Away," or such absolutely stunning miniatures as "Heart of the Country," an effortless folk-pop tune that ranks among his very best songs. That's why Wingspan isn't just a good hits collection — it's a convincing argument that McCartney's solo recordings are a rich, idiosyncratic body of work of their own merits. Ram, Red Rose Speedway, and London Town all have their merits, but if you need to be converted, this is where to start.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Listen to What the Man Said [Venus and Mars + Single] McCartney 3:57

2 Band on the Run [band on the Run + Single] McCartney, McCartney 5:13

3 Another Day [single] McCartney, McCartney 3:43

4 Live and Let Die [single] McCartney, McCartney 3:12

5 Jet [band on the Run + Single] McCartney, McCartney 4:08

6 My Love McCartney, McCartney 4:08

7 Silly Love Songs McCartney, McCartney 5:55

8 Pipes of Peace McCartney 3:26

9 C Moon McCartney, McCartney 4:35

10 Hi, Hi, Hi [single] McCartney, McCartney 3:09

11 Let 'Em In McCartney 5:10

12 Goodnight Tonight [single] McCartney 4:21

13 Junior's Farm [version] McCartney, McCartney 3:03

14 Mull of Kintyre [single] Laine, McCartney 4:45

15 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey McCartney, McCartney 4:50

16 With a Little Luck [DJ Edit] McCartney 3:13

17 Coming Up [live] McCartney 3:28

18 No More Lonely Nights [Give My Regards to Broad Street + Single] McCartney 4:47

19 Let Me Roll It McCartney 4:51

20 The Lovely Linda McCartney :45

21 Daytime Nightime Suffering [b-Side Single] McCartney 3:23

22 Maybe I'm Amazed McCartney 3:52

23 Helen Wheels [single + Us Band on the Run] McCartney, McCartney 3:46

24 Bluebird [band on the Run] McCartney, McCartney 3:26

25 Heart of the Country McCartney, McCartney 2:24

26 Every Night McCartney 2:34

27 Take It Away [Tug of War + Single] McCartney 4:05

28 Junk McCartney 1:57

29 Man We Was Lonely McCartney 2:59

30 Venus and Mars/Rock Show [single Edit] McCartney, McCartney 3:46

31 Back Seat of My Car [Ram + UK Single] McCartney 4:29

32 Rockestra Theme [back to the Egg] McCartney 2:37

33 Girlfriend McCartney 4:44

34 Waterfalls/ [DJ Edit] McCartney 3:24

35 Tomorrow [Wings Wild Life] McCartney, McCartney 3:27

36 Too Many People McCartney 4:12

37 Call Me Back Again [Venus and Mars] McCartney 4:59

38 Tug of War [Tug of War + Single] McCartney 4:04

39 Bip Bop/Hey Diddle [As Featured in Wingspan TV-Film] McCartney, McCartney 3:36

40 No More Lonely Nights / [version] McCartney 3:55

GEORGE HARRISON

 

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Biography by Bruce Eder

 

As lead guitarist for the Beatles, George Harrison provided the band with a lyrical style of playing in which every note mattered. Harrison was one of millions of young Britons inspired to take up the guitar by British skiffle king Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Island Line." But he had more dedication than most, and with the encouragement of a slightly older school friend — Paul McCartney — he advanced quickly in his technique and command of the instrument. Harrison developed his style and technique slowly and painstakingly over the several years, learning everything he could from the records of Carl Perkins, Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. By age 15, he was allowed to sit in with the Quarry Men, the Liverpool group founded by John Lennon, of which McCartney was a member; by 16, he was a full-fledged member of the group.

 

The Beatles finally coalesced around Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and drummer Ringo Starr in 1962, with Harrison established on lead guitar. The Beatlemania years, from 1963 through 1966, were a mixed blessing for Harrison. The Beatles' studio sound was generally characterized by very prominent rhythm guitar parts, and on many of the Beatles' early songs, Harrison's lead guitar was buried beneath the chiming chords of Lennon's instrument. Additionally, he was thwarted as a songwriter by the presence of Lennon and McCartney; the quality and proliferation of their output left very little room on the group's albums for songs by anyone else. Despite these problems, Harrison grew markedly as a musician between 1963 and 1966, writing a handful of good songs and one classic ("If I Needed Someone"), and also making his first acquaintance of the sitar, an Indian instrument whose sound fascinated him.

 

In 1966, Harrison finally seemed to find his voice with two of his songs on the Revolver album, "Taxman" and "Love You Too." In the wake of the group's decision to stop touring, Harrison's playing and songwriting grew exponentially. The period from 1968 onward was Harrison's richest with the Beatles. He displayed a smooth, elegant slide guitar technique that showed up on their last three albums; and he contributed two classic songs, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun," along with "Something," which became the first Harrison song on the A-side of a Beatles single.

 

Although never known as a strong singer, Harrison's vocals were always distinctive, especially when placed in the right setting; for his first solo record following the group's 1970 breakup, All Things Must Pass, Harrison collaborated with producer Phil Spector, whose so-called "Wall of Sound" technique adapted well to Harrison's voice. All Things Must Pass and the accompanying single "My Sweet Lord" had the distinction of being the first solo recordings by any of the Beatles to top the charts following their breakup. Unfortunately, Harrison was later successfully sued by the publisher of the 1962 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," which bore a striking resemblance to "My Sweet Lord."

 

Harrison followed All Things Must Pass with rock's first major charity event, The Concert for Bangladesh, which was staged as two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1971 to help raise money for aid to that famine-ravaged nation. The second of the two all-star shows was released as a movie and a live triple album. Harrison's next studio album, Living in the Material World, initially sold well, but its leaner, less opulent production lacked the majestic force of All Things Must Pass, and it lacked the earlier album's mass appeal. Subsequent Harrison albums from the 1970s into the '80s always had an audience, but — except for Somewhere in England (1981), released in the wake of the murder of John Lennon with the memorial song "All Those Years Ago" — none seemed terribly well-crafted or -executed. During this same period, Harrison embarked on a successful career as a movie producer with the founding of Handmade Films.

 

In 1987, Harrison made a return to the top of the charts with his album Cloud Nine, which featured his most inspired work in years, most notably a cover of an old Rudy Clark gospel number called "Got My Mind Set on You," which reached number one on the charts. In 1988, Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison formed the Traveling Wilburys, who released two very successful albums. It was also around this time that Harrison appeared with his former bandmate Ringo Starr, Dave Edmunds, Rosanne Cash, and the Stray Cats' Lee Rocker (who was born the year the Beatles made their first recordings) in a superb live-in-front-of-the-cameras rockabilly performance accompanying Harrison's one-time idol Carl Perkins; which was subsequently released on video cassette and laser disc. All of this success heralded a short-lived re-emergence for the musician out of private life, resulting in a 1991 tour of Japan that yielded a live album (Live in Japan). Harrison had hated concertizing since the harrowing days of the Beatles' international career, and had done one poorly received concert tour in the mid-'70s; he seemed more comfortable in 1991, and the album performed moderately well, driven by the presence of his then-recent hits.

 

He withdrew into private life after that, devoting himself to his life with his second wife and their son, and only re-emerged before the public when necessary, such as defending the Beatles' copyrights in court cases.

 

In 1999, Harrison was assaulted in his home and seriously injured by a deranged fan, but he recovered and in 2000 he began work on remastering and expanding his classic All Things Must Pass album. The reissue of that album at the outset of 2001 heralded an unusually public publicity campaign by Harrison, who accompanied its re-release with an interview record that anticipated the eventual reissue of the rest of his catalog. Harrison had been treated for throat cancer in the late '90s, but in 2001 it was revealed that he was suffering from an inoperable form of brain cancer. At the time of his death on November 29, 2001, The Concert for Bangladesh album had been announced for upgraded reissue in January of 2002, and a DVD of the film was in release internationally.

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Album : All Things Must Pass [30th Anniversary Edition]

Rating : 5 Stars

Release Date : Jan 23, 2001 (Originally: Nov 27, 1970)

 

Review by Bruce Eder

 

All Things Must Pass has long been one of the more vexing classic albums to make it to CD. It appeared previously in two distinctly different (yet confusingly similar) packagings in the late '80s, one from England and one from America, both of which were straight reissues of the original triple LP. Neither was a wholly satisfactory release, owing to the same problems that existed on Layla by Derek & the Dominos — both albums (which have related histories) were recorded using lots of tracks (and no noise reduction technology) to achieve a very big sound, which was impressive on vinyl but had a lot of noise when processed digitally for CD. This expanded and remastered edition, released in January of 2001, solved most of those problems as well as offering five additional tracks. The remastering, done sometime in 2000, has imparted greater resolution to the music without losing the wall-of-sound effect that most of the album was intended to display. In the process, it's possible to discern the various guitars at work far better than on the original LP set, and to better appreciate the virtuosity of the playing involved as well as the sheer size of the ensemble Harrison assembled. Additionally, and almost more important in terms of enjoying the album as a whole, the new edition captures the warmth and nuances of Harrison's singing on songs like "Let It Down," "Run of the Mill," and "Isn't It a Pity (Version Two)." This improvement isn't reflected everywhere — on "The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp," for example, his voice is still buried fairly deep in the mix and not as up front as it is elsewhere, but that's how it was mastered originally, and even Harrison admits, in the notes introducing the accompanying booklet, that he had to resist the urge to remix the album. Of the five bonus tracks, one is an entirely new song from the original sessions, and three more are outtakes of existing songs in versions that have appeared on various bootlegs, while "My Sweet Lord (2000)" is a stripped-down reconsideration of the song. It doesn't add anything in particular, except to show that Harrison can still play up a storm. The so-called "Apple Jam" tracks that comprised disc three of the original LP have also been remastered, to their considerable advantage — the nuances of the playing on those sessions, which essentially marked the birth of Derek & the Dominos, are brought out in crisp detail and they are worth hearing, now more than ever, and that goes double for the hard-rocking, Chuck Berry-esque jam "Thanks for the Pepperoni." The new edition comes in a box with each CD in a separate slipcase and a booklet containing photos from the original sessions, full lyrics, recording credits, and an essay by Harrison.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 I'd Have You Anytime Harrison 3:00

2 My Sweet Lord Harrison 4:43

3 Wah-Wah Harrison 5:39

4 Isn't It a Pity? Harrison 7:13

5 What Is Life Harrison 4:27

6 If Not for You Dylan 3:33

7 Behind That Locked Door Harrison 3:10

8 Let It Down Harrison 5:01

9 Run of the Mill Harrison 2:52

10 I Live for You Harrison 3:37

11 Beware of Darkness Harrison 3:22

12 Let It Down Harrison 3:55

13 What Is Life Harrison 4:27

14 My Sweet Lord [2000] Harrison 4:57

15 Beware of Darkness Harrison 3:52

16 Apple Scruffs Harrison 3:09

17 Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) Harrison 3:52

18 Awaiting on You All Harrison 2:50

19 All Things Must Pass Harrison 3:47

20 I Dig Love Harrison 5:00

21 Art of Dying Harrison 3:43

22 Isn't It a Pity? [Version Two] Harrison 4:51

23 Hear Me Lord Harrison 6:00

24 It's Johnny's Birthday :49

25 Plug Me In Harrison 3:19

26 I Remember Jeep 8:09

27 Thanks for the Pepperoni 5:32

28 Out of the Blue Harrison 11:16

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Album : Living in the Material World

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : May 30, 1973

 

Review by Bruce Eder

 

How does an instant multimillion-selling album become underrated? George Harrison's follow-up to All Things Must Pass was necessarily a letdown for fans and critics, appearing after a two-and-a-half-year interval without the earlier album's backlog of excellent songs from which to draw. And it does seem like Harrison narrowed his sights and his vision for this record, which has neither the bold expansiveness nor the overwhelming confidence of its predecessor. And some of the most serious songs here, such as "The Light That Has Lighted the World," seem dirge-like. What Living in the Material World shows off far better than the earlier record, however, is Harrison's guitar work — he's the only axeman on Material World, and it does represent his solo playing and songwriting at something of a peak. Most notable are his blues stylings and slide playing, glimpsed on some of the later Beatles sessions but often overlooked by fans. "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" is driven by a delectable acoustic rhythm guitar and has a great beat. The title track isn't great, but it does benefit from a tight, hard band sound, and "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)," despite its title, is the high point of the record, a fast, rollicking, funky, bluesy jewel with a priceless guitar break (maybe the best of Harrison's solo career) that should have been at the heart of any of Harrison's concert set. Vocally, he isn't as self-consciously pretty or restrained here, but it is an honest performance, and his singing soars magnificently in his heartfelt performance on "The Day the World Gets Round." Perhaps a less serious title would have represented the album better, but nobody was looking for self-effacement from any ex-Beatle except Ringo (who's also here, natch) in those days. [A re-mastered version of the album was issued in 2006 and included two bonus tracks: "Deep Blue" and "Miss O'Dell".]

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) Harrison 3:38

2 Sue Me, Sue You Blues Harrison 4:50

3 The Light That Has Lighted the World Harrison 3:32

4 Don't Let Me Wait Too Long Harrison 2:58

5 Who Can See It Harrison 3:53

6 Living in the Material World Harrison 5:30

7 The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord) Harrison 4:37

8 Be Here Now Harrison 4:12

9 Try Some Buy Some Harrison 4:10

10 The Day the World Get 'Round Harrison 2:55

11 Thats All Harrison 3:51

12 Deep Blue [*] Harrison 3:47

13 Miss O'Dell [*] Harrison 2:33

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Album : Dark Horse

Rating : 2.5 Stars

Release Date : Dec 9, 1974

 

Review by Richard S. Ginell

 

With his first solo tour looming ahead in November and December of 1974, George Harrison felt impelled to rush out a new album, and even a steadily worsening case of laryngitis wouldn't stop him. Would that it did, for the appallingly weak state of his voice would torpedo this album and the tour, to his great embarrassment. "Hari's on Tour (Express)" — with Tom Scott's L.A. Express churning out all-pro L.A.-studio jazz/rock — gets the doomed project off to a spirited start, but it's an instrumental, and Harrison's vocal distress becomes obvious to all in the next track, "Simply Shady." Some of George's tunes — particularly the title track and the exquisite "Far East Man" — might have benefited from waiting for a better time to record, while others probably could not have been saved. The recording quality, like the voice, has a raw, coarse-grained sound that belies the impeccable musicianship. Dark Horse is perhaps most notorious for Harrison's bitter, slipshod rewrite of the Everly Brothers' hit "Bye Bye Love" — referring openly to George's wife Pattie running off with Eric Clapton and, for good measure, having both of them on the session! Dark Horse would also be the name of Harrison's soon-to-be-formed new label, as well as a metaphor for the underestimated Beatle who leaped artistically and commercially ahead of his three colleagues immediately afterthe Beatles' breakup. Unfortunately, this album — despite its humorous Sgt. Pepper parody on the cover and outright plea to critics on the margins of the inside jacket to go easy on its contents — would only undermine Harrison's hard-fought campaign for respect.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Hari's on Tour (Express) Harrison 4:44

2 Simply Shady Harrison 4:38

3 So Sad Harrison 5:01

4 Bye Bye Love Bryant, Bryant 4:08

5 Maya Love Harrison 4:24

6 Ding Dong, Ding Dong Harrison 3:41

7 Dark Horse Harrison 3:54

8 Far East Man Harrison, Wood 5:52

9 It Is "He" (Jai Sri Krishna) Harrison 4:51

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Album : Extra Texture

Rating : 3.5 Stars

Release Date : Sep 22, 1975

 

Review by Richard S. Ginell

 

Despite George Harrison's reputation for solemn, lugubriously paced albums in the early '70s — and this one is mostly no exception — the jacket is full of jokes, from the eaten-away Apple logo (the Apple label would expire at year's end) to the punning title, the list of non-participants, and the mischievous grin of the ex-Beatle above the arch caption "OHNOTHIMAGEN" ("Oh, not him again!"). The record gets off to a great start with the instantly winning single "You" — a bit of which is then repeated to open side two. But here, the basic idea and instrumental track come from Feb. 1971, during George's most fertile period, dressed up with vocals and string synthesizer four years later. One of George's most beautifully harmonized, majestic, strangely underrated ballads "The Answer's at the End" — whose inspiring lyric was based upon an inscription on George's home by its builder, Sir Frank Crisp — comes next, followed by "This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)," an attractive sequel to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." At this point, the devoted fan's hopes go up; could this be an unsung masterpiece? But George has fired off his best stuff first, and the record slowly and inexorably tails off, closing with a baffling salute to ex-Bonzo Dog Band member "Legs" Larry Smith. Yet despite its stretches of treadmill material, Extra Texture has worn better as a whole than its Apple neighbors Dark Horse and even much of Living in the Material World, for even the lesser tunes reveal a few musical blossoms upon re-listening and the front-loaded songs are among the best of his solo career.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 You Harrison 5:32

2 The Answer's at the End Harrison 5:32

3 This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying) Harrison 4:11

4 Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You) Harrison 3:59

5 World of Stone Harrison 4:40

6 A Bit More of You Harrison :45

7 Can't Stop Thinking About You Harrison 4:31

8 Tired of Midnight Blue Harrison 4:51

9 Grey Cloudy Lies Harrison 3:41

10 His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen) Harrison 5:46