Note: This release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by a CD. The CD I listened to was the imported 1993 reissue in The Paul McCartney Collection which added 2 bonus tracks.
The album was produced with Hugh Padgham (The Police, Genesis, Phil Collins) and features writing collaborations with 10cc's Eric Stewart on 8 of the 13 tracks. Big name friends such as Collins and Pete Townshend lend a hand on drums and guitar on track 9, Angry. If you're imagining hook-filled pop tunes with inane lyrics and lots of gated drum sound, you're not far off. I once read a piece about McCartney that stated by he had become "an ace jingle writer" by this point in his career and there's some truth to that oversimplification. The album also includes some attempts at old timey rockers and experimental noodling plus a beautiful ballad. I'm not sure if this is an overlooked, underrated McCartney album or if I just listened to it quite a bit in the fall of 1986 and the nostalgia is kicking in. I like it better than the critics, but it's got its fair share of filler, particularly on what was side two of the LP.
Press of the time:
- High Fidelity: "Here we have a 44-year-old former Beatle...trying to adjust to the '80s."
- CashBox: "some of his most compelling work in years"
- Billboard: "a grab bag of styles"
- Record Mirror (2 out of 5): "Musical progression, where are you?"
- Smash Hits (5 out of 10): "utterly, utterly average"
- Spin: "It's his best album in six years, but we want better."
- Rolling Stone: "one of the sturdiest LPs of McCartney's post-Beatles career."
- Los Angeles Times: "basically just another in a long line (over 12 years!) of post-'Band on the Run' letdowns by a once almost unimaginably creative artist."
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: #30
- Billboard Top CD: #12
- CashBox: #22
- CashBox CD: #10
- Rolling Stone: #18
Tracks: Let's rank 'em and count 'em down!
- Pretty Little Head
- However Absurd
- It's Not True
- Footprints
- Angry (#44 rock)
- Tough On A Tightrope
- Move Over Busker
- Press (#21 pop)
- Stranglehold (#81 pop)
- Talk More Talk
- Write Away
- Only Love Remains (#9 adult contemporary)
- Good Times Coming/Feel The Sun
Bonus tracks: Spies Like Us (#7 pop) and the 1987 UK single Once Upon A Long Ago which I once described as "a nice ballad (think Billy Joel meets 10cc with an electronic violin solo)" and Phil Ramone produced the thing so there's your Joel comparison. Spies Like Us is as corny as the movie it was written for. That one doesn't hold up to repeated listenings, but both bonus tracks are good additions to the CD package.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: During the fall semester of 1986, I lived alone in a room in a mostly empty section of my college dormitory. It was quiet, peaceful, and a welcome change of pace from usual dorm shenanigans - it was time to get down to business, get the needed credits, and get the hell outta here [spoiler alert: that wouldn't happen for another two years]. At some point in the latter half of the semester, I caught a nasty bug and was pretty much bedridden for a full week. I must have listened to this album on repeat during that week and put it away for good after I was well because I don't remember hearing these tunes for many, many years. Move to the third decade of the 21st century, CDs are readily available, inexpensive and yada yada yada it was time to revisit the thing.
I kept waiting for this thing to be released as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, but since it doesn't look like that will ever happen, I opted for this import with the bonus tracks.
Previously revisited for the blog:
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