paul mccartney

The Waiting Trophy Man

wtf happened to paul mccartney?! he was a genius songwriter in the beatles. he held his own against john right up until the end, but after the beatles broke up, he just took a tota nose-dive. he hasn't written anything really great, with the exeption of band on the run and live and let die. john continued writinggreat songs after the beatles(imagine, jealous guy, god, mind games, love, cold turkey, why?, #9 dream, etc.) but paul wrote total, complete shit and has ever since. even when 9/11 happened he came out with that embarrassing song 'freedom' which just disappeared as quickly as it was released, and all the radio stations were playing 'imagine; which was 30 years old by then. i've never heard of a songwriter take a bigger fall from grace than paul mccartney. he just became so gay and lame after the beatles. how did that happen?? was it because of the break up of the beatles?? his wife linda, who he had in his band and "insired" a lot of his songs?? did he just burn out?? it's too bad, because he was truly great in the beatles. i just don't understand how he never "got his mojo back."

Evacuation Rules

Have you tried actually listening to one of his solo albums, or is that too much trouble for you?

Here's a list of great McCartney songs you've probably never heard...

Every Night
3 Legs
Dear Boy
Eat At Home
Dear Friend
C Moon
Junior's Farm
Jet
Bluebird
Mrs. Vandebilt
Let Me Roll It
No Words
Love In Song
Beware My Love
I'm Carrying
Famous Groupies
Getting Closer
Spin It On
Old Siam, Sir
Arrow Through Me
To You
Coming Up (Live)

...and that's just the 70's.

I would rather listen to a bad McCartney song than a bad Lennon song (and there are plenty of those).

PJammin'

i haven't heard a lot of his solo stuff, but the ones that were released were unimpressive. yeah, that freedom song was lame. elton john is another one who lost his mojo. his 70's stuff was brilliant.

The Waiting Trophy Man

JWBusher wrote:

Have you tried actually listening to one of his solo albums, or is that too much trouble for you?

Here's a list of great McCartney songs you've probably never heard...

Every Night
3 Legs
Dear Boy
Eat At Home
Dear Friend
C Moon
Junior's Farm
Jet
Bluebird
Mrs. Vandebilt
Let Me Roll It
No Words
Love In Song
Beware My Love
I'm Carrying
Famous Groupies
Getting Closer
Spin It On
Old Siam, Sir
Arrow Through Me
To You
Coming Up (Live)

...and that's just the 70's.

I would rather listen to a bad McCartney song than a bad Lennon song (and there are plenty of those).

i admire your passion for paul mccartney, but few share your opinion. plenty of bad lennon songs?? no. there are some, even from his days in the beatles(mostly the early days). but actually, frm your list of paul mccartney songs, i noticed you left out 'let 'em in', which i really like. and 'my brave face' is a good tune as well. have you seen 'paul mcacrtney:live in red square'?? great, great concert. he hardly played any solo or wings songs, btw. mostly beatles, and it was quite a concert. if you haven't picked it up yet, get it for xmas.

Evacuation Rules

PJammin' wrote:

i haven't heard a lot of his solo stuff, but the ones that were released were unimpressive. yeah, that freedom song was lame. elton john is another one who lost his mojo. his 70's stuff was brilliant.

Elton lost it after "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"...McCartney didn't quite lose it until the 80's.

Shawn Smith Collective

There's unfortunately a handful of music legends of the 60's and 70's that never quite recovered from their 80's endeavors. Paul Mac definitely had a bit of a rough ride through the decade of decadence...creatively speaking.

trappedinmyradio

i am arrogant in that i think i have heard more music than 98% of people...and, with that, i hate paul mccartney outside of the beatles and find him to be boring inside the beatles...

off_the_record

chaos and creation in the backyard was a great album.

and lennon had just as many stinkers as paul.

The Waiting Trophy Man

off_the_record wrote:

chaos and creation in the backyard was a great album.

and lennon had just as many stinkers as paul.

i actually bought 'chaos and creation in the backyard' because i read great reviews for it. i haven't listened to it all the way through yet, though. unimpressed so far, unfortunately. i'll have to give it another try.

again, i don't think lennon wrote nearly as many stinkers as paul. his first album 'plastic ono band' was flawless, and the 'imagine' album had many great tracks. 'walls and bridges' wasn't great, but he came back near the end of his life. his songs on 'double fantasy' were quite good, and his songs from 'milk and honey' are so fun to listen to, he was definitely havingfun writing songs again. 'grow old with me', one of the last songs he wrote, is by far his most haunting and moving song. he got his mojo back, only to be taken out by a looney.

kdpjam

i don't have any solo paul but i have heard some of it. by no means would i say he has lost any creativity. and paul completed the beatles, imo....

FreshTendrils

Perhaps Paul's muse while writing music for the Beatles was trying to out-do whatever John was going to come up. Healthy competition is a great fuel for creativity and ultimately pushes the artist further and further as they hit their peak. That back and forth competition between John and Paul's work is one of the reasons why the Beatles are one of the greatest bands of all-time. I mean, hell, just look at Clapton when he plays with another great musician (ie: Cream and Derek & the Dominoes) and when he's buy himself.

kdpjam

FreshTendrils wrote:

Perhaps Paul's muse while writing music for the Beatles was trying to out-do whatever John was going to come up. Healthy competition is a great fuel for creativity and ultimately pushes the artist further and further as they hit their peak. That back and forth competition between John and Paul's work is one of the reasons why the Beatles are one of the greatest bands of all-time. I mean, hell, just look at Clapton when he plays with another great musician (ie: Cream and Derek & the Dominoes) and when he's buy himself.

well said! cheers.

bigmuzz

Band on the Run is an AWESOME album.....

Ram is a great album too....

as for his newer stuff, Driving Rain has some good tracks on it.

bigmuzz

and john lennon did some stinkers........any track with yoko ono warbling/screaming and trying to sing on it sucks and i immediately skip over.

thats what the problem is with albums like Double Fantasy....john's songs on it are FANTASTIC, but you hafta skip over a lot of shitty yoko content to get to it

albums that were pretty much pure john lennon are awesome tho, like Plastic Ono Band, and Imagine


hey, i like both lennon AND mccartney, so im happy either way!

enharmonic

Paul McCartney wrote Maybe I'm Amazed, and you didn't.

Ledbetterman10

as far as solo material goes, I like Paul's stuff over John's. John' s "hits" are great. but I personally think that Double Fantasy isn't that good and that his earlier solo albums are too preachy. Paul just writes good songs and sings them. can't fault him for that.

and the very mention of "Freedom" in this thread means you people have never listened to a Paul McCartney album and only know what's shoved down your throats.

FinsburyParkCarrots

Let's quickly compare and contrast John's 1970-80 output with Paul's:

1970

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - Maybe John's best solo album; a must-have in anyone's record collection.

McCartney - Fragmented, and very uneven. It does have Maybe I'm Amazed, yes, but it also has a lot of filler, and White Album-era barrel scrapings.


Winner: John

1971

Imagine - John's most successful album; again, an essential addition to anyone's collection. There are some duds on there (I Don't Want To Be a Soldier; How?; Oh Yoko), but there are some Lennon gems (Imagine; Jealous Guy; Gimme Some Truth; How Do You Sleep?).

Ram - This is Paul in whimsical mode. A lot of the album's throwaway, but it's not unpleasant listening.

Winner: John

1972

Sometime in New York City - What a load of painfully awful, cod-political shite this is. It's so bad, I can't bring myself to comment on it.

Wild Life - This isn't much better.


Winner: I should disqualify them both, but we'll give this one to Paul.

1973

Mind Games - The title track does sound a bit like Lennon parodying himself at times; the rest sounds like what it is, early seventies studio session crapola.

Red Rose Speedway - This album's much better than a lot of people say it is; it's certainly better, all in all, than Mind Games.

Winner: Paul

1974

Walls and Bridges - I happen to think this is a great John album, and his last flash of songwriting brilliance. I can't think of a track I don't like, on there, even the little Ya Ya at the end.

Band on the Run - This may well be Paul's best album, post-Beatles. Again, it's a great listen all the way through, and shows Paul inspired rather than lazy.

Winner: Tough call, but I'm giving this to Paul.

1975:

Rock and Roll: It's an album I can do without, and it's John, let loose with a studio mic, too much vocal reverb and too much coke.

Venus and Mars: Good point? Rock Show! Bad point: The Crossroads TV theme-tune (shudders at memories of Noelle Gordon, wobbly sets, and David Hunter getting shot).

Winner: Paul

1976-1979

Well, in fairness to John, we can't count Paul's releases during this period, no that they were up to much anyway. I'm almost tempted to award John extra points for realising that nothing is, quite literally, better than Wings at the Speed of Sound, or Thrillington, Back To The Egg ...

1980

Double Fantasy - a couple of good tracks (I'm Losing You; Woman; Watching the Wheels), and a lot of mediocre pap.

McCartney II - One day, this album will get the respect it deserves. Some of the songs on here (Temporary Secretary; Bogey Music; Frozen Jap) show Paul being inventive, funny and quirky in a way he hadn't been since The Beatles. And One of These Days, precisely because of its lyrical and melodic simplicity, is one of his most beautiful ballads.

Winner: Paul (by a mile, on this one)

Overall winner - Paul

brain of c

drugs hurt both of their solo records.......john's heroin made him a shut-in for five years, and paul's pot smoking took the edge off of his writing.



i still prefer paul, even though plastic ono band is the best record ever made.

kdpjam

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

Let's quickly compare and contrast John's 1970-80 output with Paul's:

1970

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - Maybe John's best solo album; a must-have in anyone's record collection.

McCartney - Fragmented, and very uneven. It does have Maybe I'm Amazed, yes, but it also has a lot of filler, and White Album-era barrel scrapings.


Winner: John

1971

Imagine - John's most successful album; again, an essential addition to anyone's collection. There are some duds on there (I Don't Want To Be a Soldier; How?; Oh Yoko), but there are some Lennon gems (Imagine; Jealous Guy; Gimme Some Truth; How Do You Sleep?).

Ram - This is Paul in whimsical mode. A lot of the album's throwaway, but it's not unpleasant listening.

Winner: John

1972

Sometime in New York City - What a load of painfully awful, cod-political shite this is. It's so bad, I can't bring myself to comment on it.

Wild Life - This isn't much better.


Winner: I should disqualify them both, but we'll give this one to Paul.

1973

Mind Games - The title track does sound a bit like Lennon parodying himself at times; the rest sounds like what it is, early seventies studio session crapola.

Red Rose Speedway - This album's much better than a lot of people say it is; it's certainly better, all in all, than Mind Games.

Winner: Paul

1974

Walls and Bridges - I happen to think this is a great John album, and his last flash of songwriting brilliance. I can't think of a track I don't like, on there, even the little Ya Ya at the end.

Band on the Run - This may well be Paul's best album, post-Beatles. Again, it's a great listen all the way through, and shows Paul inspired rather than lazy.

Winner: Tough call, but I'm giving this to Paul.

1975:

Rock and Roll: It's an album I can do without, and it's John, let loose with a studio mic, too much vocal reverb and too much coke.

Venus and Mars: Good point? Rock Show! Bad point: The Crossroads TV theme-tune (shudders at memories of Noelle Gordon, wobbly sets, and David Hunter getting shot).

Winner: Paul

1976-1979

Well, in fairness to John, we can't count Paul's releases during this period, no that they were up to much anyway. I'm almost tempted to award John extra points for realising that nothing is, quite literally, better than Wings at the Speed of Sound, or Thrillington, Back To The Egg ...

1980

Double Fantasy - a couple of good tracks (I'm Losing You; Woman; Watching the Wheels), and a lot of mediocre pap.

McCartney II - One day, this album will get the respect it deserves. Some of the songs on here (Temporary Secretary; Bogey Music; Frozen Jap) show Paul being inventive, funny and quirky in a way he hadn't been since The Beatles. And One of These Days, precisely because of its lyrical and melodic simplicity, is one of his most beautiful ballads.

Winner: Paul (by a mile, on this one)

Overall winner - Paul

i agree fins! at one point i had all john's solo stuff. and i had wings' red rose speedway, band on the run, venus and mars, and london town. i still love these records, i just don't own them anymore.

rmnsf936

I've really only like Maybe I'm Amazed but I haven't heard alot of the stuff.

But on that Elton John comment, he never wrote any of his own songs to begin with.

bigmuzz

rmnsf936 wrote:

I've really only like Maybe I'm Amazed but I haven't heard alot of the stuff.

But on that Elton John comment, he never wrote any of his own songs to begin with.

?!?!?!?!?!?! yes he did/does

bernie taupin writes the lyrics, and elton john writes the music......

since when hasnt he written his music? please explain.

The Waiting Trophy Man

i like that there's so many of you that are paul fans and you are sticking up for him, but you're simply wrong. everyone knows he's "not half the man he used to be." just look at his concerts to this day - he plays 97% beatles songs. why?? because those are still the best songs he ever wrote. no one goes to see paul mccartney to hear 'jet' or 'freedom'. they go to hear the beatles. and that's not a bad thing by far.

Jeanwah

off_the_record wrote:

chaos and creation in the backyard was a great album.

and lennon had just as many stinkers as paul.

I totally agree. Flaming Pie was a good album too. Yes, Paul has become "adult contempory", but to change with age is acceptable. And he's great in concert. I love both John and Paul, but I can't stand listening to any Lennon that has Yoko involved. The minute her voice is heard the stereo goes OFF! And even solo, John didn't make all good songs.

ETA:

aBoxOfFear wrote:

i like that there's so many of you that are paul fans and you are sticking up for him, but you're simply wrong.

YOU are entitled to your opinion. I'm not wrong and neither is anyone else who likes an artist that you don't!

GhostBoy

I am not nearly as familiar with Paul's solo work as I am with John's, but Paul hasn't 'taken a nosedive' as the original post said. As a general rule, the 80's should not count. Every great classic rock artist made complete rubbish in the 80's. The introduction of the synth was the worst thing that could've happened to the classic rock artists.

I will admit, as I think anyone should, that Paul's peak was with the Beatles. It is true that nothing he has done since the breakup of the Beatles has matched his output while with the band. However, he has written some pretty good songs. His last album, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" was surprisingly good. One song, "Jenny Wren" is one of my favorite songs by Paul. Very reminiscent of Blackbird.

By the way, the best solo album by any of the Beatles is probably All Things Must Pass by George Harrison.

bigmuzz

all that being said tho, its not really fair to judge them....i mean, who knows what john lennon would be doing right now, had he been alive?
he might have put out just as much shit as anyone else, especially if he was still allowing yoko into the studio with him (she should never have, or ever again, be allowed near a microphone!)

brain of c

aBoxOfFear wrote:

i like that there's so many of you that are paul fans and you are sticking up for him, but you're simply wrong. everyone knows he's "not half the man he used to be." just look at his concerts to this day - he plays 97% beatles songs. why?? because those are still the best songs he ever wrote. no one goes to see paul mccartney to hear 'jet' or 'freedom'. they go to hear the beatles. and that's not a bad thing by far.

i wish he would do a wings tour.