Help me make a McCartney best of song list

Cafe Society
1

I recently went to a Paul McCartney concert with friends and family (my mom is still mad at me because I didn’t manage to get her tickets). Lately I’ve been listening more to jazz than anything else, with some classical and Brazilian music as well. But the concert was so great that it rekindled my love of Paul’s music and rock in general.

I’m a huge Beatles fan, but never knew Paul’s solo stuff all that well, so I decided to try out his latest album and I liked it a lot. I then decided to listen the rest of his stuff I didn’t already know. I was shocked by how many great songs he’d recorded that I had never heard before. Seriously, solo Paul is one of the finest rock/pop artists I know! I guess it helps I mostly don’t pay attention to lyrics, unless they’re very good or just awful :). Anyways, I decided to make my own version of a “Paul McCartney’s Greatest Hits” kind of thing. As you’ll see I ended up with a ridiculously long list of songs, so I’m hoping you guys can help me prune and organize it.

So, what do you Dopers think? What did I miss or what shouldn’t be here that is? What are your opinions on these songs in general? On Paul’s solo career? More importantly, do any of you guys have any suggestions as to how I could organize all this stuff in a play list? Are there any songs which are better done live? If so, which version should I look for? As it stands right now my list lasts for over 4 hours 40 minutes and comprises 73 songs.

2

[ul]
[li]1970 - McCartney – Every Night / Junk / Man We Was Lonely / Maybe I’m Amazed / Teddy Boy[/li][li]1971 - Ram (I think this is my favorite) – Dear Boy / Ram On / Too Many People / The Backseat of my Car / Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey / Long Haired Lady[/li][li]1972 - Wild Life (a huge disappointment) – Mumbo / Love is Strange[/li][li]1973 - Red Rose Speedway – My Love / Get on the Right Thing / One More Kiss / Little Lamb Dragonfly / When the Night / C Moon[/li][li]1973 - Band on the Run (just incredible) – Band on the Run / Jet / Bluebird / Mrs. Vanderbilt / Let Me Roll It / Helen Wheels / Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five[/li][li]1975 - Venus and Mars - You Gave Me The Answer / Magneto and Titanium Man / Letting Go / Listen to What the Man Said / Medicine Jar[/li][li]1976 - Wings at the Speed of Sound (these 3 songs are great but the rest is completely worthless) - Silly Love Songs / Let ‘Em In / Beware My love[/li][li]1978 - London Town – London Town / Café on the Left Bank / Children, Children / I’ve Had Enough / Deliver Your Children / Morse Moose and the Grey Goose / Mull of Kintyre[/li][li]1979 - Back to the Egg (mostly doesn’t sound like McCartney at all) – Old Siam, Sir / Daytime Nighttime Suffering[/li][li]1982 – Tug of War (God bless George Martin) – Tug of War / Take It Away / The Pound Is Sinking / Wanderlust / Ebony and Ivory[/li][li]1989 – Flowers in the Dirt (decent, but hasn’t any really great songs. Also, Paul’s voice is clearly deteriorating at this point.) – My Brave Face[/li][li]1993 – Off the Ground (getting better all the time) – Biker Like an Icon / Golden Eyed Girl / The Lovers That Never Were[/li][li]1997 – Flaming Pie (the previous 2 albums were good but this one was the true return to form) – Calico Skies / Flaming Pie / Used to Be Bad / The Songs We Were Singing / Great Day / Young Boy[/li][li]2001 – Driving Rain (this one was frustrating to choose from. The album’s really good but no song is all that better, or worse, than any other) – Lonely Road / From a Lover to a Friend / She’s Given Up Talking[/li][li]2005 – Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (more melodic than the last one but it drags a bit too much) – Fine Line / Jenny Wren[/li][li]2007 – Memory Almost Full (filled with complex, melodic, energetic songs with honest to God decent lyrics! A genuinely great album. Also, Paul’s learned how to use his “old” voice by now. I did hate Nod Your Head, though.) – Dance Tonight / Ever Present Past / That Was Me / Only Mamma Knows / Mr. Bellamy / Vintage Clothes / Why So Blue[/li][li]Singles - Live and Let Die / Junior’s Farm / Vanilla Sky[/li][/ul]

3

Excellent post vdgg81… my preferences are below. Uncanny that your missing albums (e.g. Press To Play) are the same ones that I know nothing about and would have ignored myself. Yeah, McCartney is a contradiction between musical brilliance and lyrical sloppiness. Too bad, oh well still worth a serious listen.
[ul]
[li]1970 - McCartney – Every Night / Junk / [del]Man We Was Lonely[/del] / Maybe I’m Amazed / [del]Teddy Boy[/del] / [/li]


Momma Miss America

[li]1971 - Ram – Dear Boy / Ram On / Too Many People / The Backseat of my Car / [del]Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey[/del] / Long Haired Lady / [/li]


Heart Of The Country

[li]1972 - Wild Life – [del]Mumbo[/del] / [del]Love is Strange[/del] / [/li]


Tomorrow (I felt compelled to include *something* from this wretched album)

[li]1973 - Red Rose Speedway – My Love / Get on the Right Thing / One More Kiss / Little Lamb Dragonfly / [del]When the Night[/del] / [del]C Moon[/del] / [/li]


Single Pigeon

[li]1973 - Band on the Run – Band on the Run / Jet / Bluebird / Mrs. Vanderbilt / Let Me Roll It / Helen Wheels / Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five / [/li]


Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)

[li]1975 - Venus and Mars - You Gave Me The Answer / [del]Magneto and Titanium Man[/del] / Letting Go / Listen to What the Man Said / [del]Medicine Jar[/del] / [/li]


Love In Song

[li]1976 - Wings at the Speed of Sound - Silly Love Songs / Let ‘Em In / Beware My love / [/li]


Wino Junko / Must Do Something About It

[li]1978 - London Town – London Town / Café on the Left Bank / [del]Children, Children[/del] / I’ve Had Enough / [del]Deliver Your Children[/del] / [del]Morse Moose and the Grey Goose[/del] / Mull of Kintyre / [/li]


I've Had Enough / With A Little Luck

[li]1979 - Back to the Egg – Old Siam, Sir / Daytime Nighttime Suffering / [/li]


Getting Closer / Arrow Through Me

[li]1982 – Tug of War – Tug of War / Take It Away / [del]The Pound Is Sinking[/del] / Wanderlust / [del]Ebony and Ivory[/del] / [/li]


Ballroom Dancing

[li]1989 – Flowers in the Dirt – My Brave Face / [/li]


Rough Ride

[li]1993 – Off the Ground – [del]Biker Like an Icon[/del] / Golden Eyed Girl / The Lovers That Never Were / [/li]


Hope Of Deliverence

[li]1997 – Flaming Pie - Calico Skies / Flaming Pie / [del]Used to Be Bad[/del] / The Songs We Were Singing / Great Day / Young Boy / [/li]


Little Willow

[li]2001 – Driving Rain – Lonely Road / From a Lover to a Friend / She’s Given Up Talking / [/li]


Your Loving Flame

[li]2005 – Chaos and Creation in the Backyard – Fine Line / Jenny Wren[/li][li]2007 – Memory Almost Full [/li]


(haven't listened to this one much)

[li]Singles - Live and Let Die / [del]Junior’s Farm[/del] / Vanilla Sky / [/li]


Coming Up (live version)

[/ul]

4

I would add a few tracks from Give My Regards To Broadstreet. The movie was pretty terrible as far as movies go (though I think it has a certain charm) but the soundtrack is really pretty good. I’d add No More Lonely Nights, So Bad , and No Values (though I rather enjoy the medley of Yesterday/Here, There, and Everywhere/Wanderlust that he performs in the film).

For the Singles, I’d add Just Another Day. Lyrically, I think it’s one of his strongest. I’d also keep Junior’s Farm.

I think the entirety of Band on the Run should be included. It’s a really remarkable album.

I sometimes forget about how much I really love Paul, but looking over your list and considering what should be added, I realized that he has a lot of good to great work. I hate it when people rag on him for being the “sentimental one” or imply that he wasn’t up to par, creatively or talent wise, with John. He really has a large variety and sometimes pushed himself and experimented and it paid off well. Other times, it was utter crap, but at least you could usually tell that he was trying for something, not just resting on being Paul McCartney.

Which reminds me, if you haven’t listened to his work as Fireman, you absolutely should. He’s got some really great songs spread over the two albums.

5

Hope For Deliverance and So Badd are lovely gems

6

I really don’t have anything intelligent to add to this list, but isn’t it wonderful we have Paul to provide us with such a great choice?

Thank you, Paul!

(And thank you Beatles!)

Quasi

7

Although Wild life is pretty dire, Dear Friend is truly moving.

I’ve just finished a biography of Paul called Fab by Howard Sounes, which is very comprehensive. Recommended.

8

I definitely think Another Day ought to be on any such list.

And what about Give Ireland Back to the Irish? (I am not going to defend it as among his best work musically, but in putting this out he showed more more political courage - or stupidity, depending on how you look at it - than John, or virtually any other supposedly ‘political’ rock star, ever came close to. “Give Peace a Chance,” my ass! What is controversial about that?)

9

John was more controversial in his actions - for example, his support for Malcolm X, Jerry Rubin, John Sinclair and Angela Davis - than in most of his music. Sometime In New York City was fairly political, though.

10

I think Press To Play is his most underrated album, and he tries some interesting things on it. I’m not sure which tracks to single out, though. Pipes of Peace was a somewhat disappointing followup to Tug of War, but if you take it on its own terms and don’t expect too much, it’s not bad. And McCartney II has “Coming Up,” plus a bunch of tracks that I’ve either forgotten or wish I could.

Mostly, I’d agree with K364’s emendations on the albums I’m familiar with, but for Ram I would absolutely uncross “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (if you don’t like this, how can you really claim to like Paul?) and add “Monkberry Moon Delight” and “Smile Away” (yeah, they’re stoopid, but they rock!).

11

After a few days on the Christmas radio channels, I can tell you very firmly what should not be on any Greatest Hits list. I won’t even type the name, because just thinking about it has already put it back in my head and I don’t want to do that to you.

Seriously, that would be an awful enough song if it didn’t come from Paul Fucking McCartney.

12

quoted for truth.

13

He does have an older ‘best of’ album that came out in 87’ called “All The Best” which is a good sampler or his older solo stuff.

14

Yeah, you’re right. I guess I’ve heard too much of that song over the years and I just focus on it’s ridiculous randomness rather than the brilliant creativeness. There’s so much on Ram in that vein.

Butter Pie!

15

K364, thanks for the detailed answer. I did make a few changes on my list, but I have to say that Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, When The Night and The Pound Is Sinking are my favorite songs of their albums.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I couldn’t agree more with what you’re saying here. I used to underestimate Paul too, if not by much. In time I was just forced to recognize the strength of the man’s talents. I think he was by far the most naturally talented Beatle (though not necessarily the best one. I never could choose).

I’m trying to just choose the songs I’d like to listen to the most, so that one’s out. I do wonder why did Paul ever write it, though. Were there any special circumstances, was it an impulse thing or did he just feel strongly about the issue?

De gustibus non disputandum etc…, but I thought Press to Play was completely worthless and literally painful to listen. (I do mean literally. It gave me a headache.) The sad thing is I think there were a few good songs in there somewhere, but if that was the case all that noise got in the way of it.

Dear Friend is moving but it’s also way too long and I get bored near the end. If it was shorter I’d add it to my list.

So far I’ve added Coming Up, Arrow Through Me, Your Loving Flame and Hope of Deliverance and I’ve cut Used to Be Bad. I’ve Had Enough was already on the playlist.

16

I’m afraid that after the sheer horribleness of Freedom, Paul is dead to me. Which is a pity, considering how much I liked some of his earlier works (My Brave Face in particular is amazing).

17

I haven’t listened to much of anything by him that’s recent, but any “best of” list of his absolutely must include Junior’s Farm (if for nothing other than the tasty guitar licks).

And Band On The Run is pretty much Wing’s magnum opus. Its every bit as good as (and often reminds me of) A Day In The Life.

18

Oh, you need to definitely add Here Today from Tug of War.

19

Yeah, how did I miss that one :o