Poll--The Weakest Link: Paul McCartney OFF THE GROUND, Round 1

I already regret my vote.

 

It's funny, because I always tell people I like this album and that it's underrated, but as I actually look at the tracklist, it's really that there are a few songs I really love (the title track, HoD, M&M, PITN, TLTNW) and the rest of it I could take or leave.

 

Ok... After listen one I can easily say there's not much about this album I like. I enjoyed the title track, Hope of Deliverance, The Lovers That Never Were and Winedark Open Sea and that's about it. The production overall is way too stale for me. It's like Tug Of War left out in the sun for 11 years.

I don't feel inclined to participate because I don't really want to listen to the whole thing again. I'd rather to listen to Flaming Pie instead. Or the stuff from New that I like.

The Dodger Stadium show is in a little over two weeks and I'm looking forward to it.

 

Biker Like An Icon
Get Out Of My Way

 

Is it me or is he doing some Lennon on "Peace in the Neighborhood?" When he sings "How can peace hope to stay alieeeeve," that sounds a lot like solo Lennon. Then he throws a little John-like "Ow!" before "When I was there, I felt so good." Do you think that was intentional with the song being about peace or just happened?

 

Such a shame to see Looking For Changes go, it's an amazing song. Everybody's talking about Paul never singing about anything important or really personal etc etc. and here he is putting his personal sentiments to words in a great way. The words are direct and clear, yet not preachy.

 

I don't know a single song from this album.

 

"Looking For Changes" is certainly an imperfect song, but it is a favorite of mine. Unlike "Angry", here he really IS angry, and with a legitimate cause that he clearly feels strongly about. But I was pretty certain it was doomed for a first round exit.

 

I think "amazing" is a stretch. I don't revile it like others may, but it is very awkward to the point of being nearly parodic.

 

TWL: Serving to generate interest in overlooked albums since 2005...

JcS

 

I don't disagree with your point - the song, oddly, lacks the usual McCartney touch for melody, and in writing more direct lyrics than he usually does Paul either wasn't capable, or didn't take the time, to make them flow smoothly. All that being said, it's a song about a subject very close to my own heart. And to my (limited) knowledge it is the best anti-animal testing song ever produced by a major artist, simply because it is the ONLY one ever produced.

 

I went thru the thread but I didn't see what you voted for. I wouldn't sweat it too much - with some of these weakest links it's really hard to vote some of your favorite songs off, even though it's just a game. Not so much with this album - I think most of these rounds are gonna be fairly easy.

If Off the Ground is considered a 'modern' album from Paul, even though its 20 years old, it has to be his weakest from Flowers in the Dirt forward, imho. And yes, I'm including Driving Rain in that group of albums, which I think gets unfairly bashed.

 

That post was where my vote (Looking for Changes / Winedark Open Sea) would have been. After I cast my vote, the phrase "Lovers Zone" popped into my head and I wished I'd replaced one of those with I Owe It All To You. I give it so little thought that I'd totally overlooked it on the list!

For the record, only 10% of us currently think this is one of the the two worst things on Off The Ground:

Last Night You Helped Me Through,
Took Me To The Lovers Zone.
I Saw There, Images
Projected On A Wall Of Stone.
I Stood Inside Egyptian Temples,
I Looked Into Eternal Gardens,
Lay On The Shores Of Distant Islands,
Listening To The Sea Birds Song Of Joy.

Late last night, we were right into some exotic scene
Everywhere, images appearing on a giant screen
I stood inside a glass cathedral
I looked into the golden canyon
Lay by the lakes of holy water
Glistening like a diamond in the light

 

Well, I've never liked those lyrics. They sound like something I might come up with if I tried really hard, and that's not a good thing. But seriously, they sound detached, like they were just pulled out of the air and don't mean anything, which I suspect is the case. Most of us, at least I speak for myself, aren't necessarily remembering all of the specific lyrics for a poll like this, just our overall feel for the songs. I'll admit though, this isn't an album I know like the back of my hand, like most other McCartney albums.

 

Winedark Open Sea... I literally don't remember what it sounds like. Biker Like an Icon is memorable on the other hand. And not necessarily in the bad way.

 

I think I'm going to find this thread a really tough read. I genuinely like this album and you guys are a harsh crowd for a bunch of fans and can be pretty brutal

 

I have a feeling the air those I Owe It All To You lyrics were pulled out of was not so thin.

 

No use retyping, +1

 

Musically there are some nice things about the beginning of the song, but the lyrics needed a full revamp, and the choruses are not musically as good as the verses IMO.

 

Based on the early results, I was beginning to think I was the only one embarrassed by "C'mon People.

 

For the record, I like OTG a lot. It's Paul's last album before becoming a mainly nostalgia artist. It's the last one targeted to current listeners. Post-Anthology he got very focused on making music geared toward establishing his place as an artiste in history, IMO. I didn't internalize another release until NEW, even though NEW also has a bit of the artiste pretense.

 

Well, I guess its relative. I tend to compare this album with Flowers in the Dirt and Flaming Pie the most along with his newer albums. I don't think Off The Ground is a bad album, but I don't think it's great either or particularly memorable. Just my opinion, no offense. But I understand how certain albums, whether they are great or not, can resonate with some of us, especially McCartney albums. I'm not sure if the McCartney album or London Town are great albums, but they 'sing' to me and are a couple of my favorites. Same thing with Memory Almost Full, it clicked with me. I even think Driving Rain has its share or good moments but I understand why it's not to everyone's taste. Maybe it has to do with what was going on in my life when Off The Ground came out, I'm not sure, but it's never grabbed me like most of his albums do.

 

Oh, no, not hardly. I've not voted this round yet, in case I need to break a tie for second place, but "C'mon People" will get my vote until it is gone. Totally banal lyrics + overblown production=absolute mess.


EDIT: I found the critique I did of the lyrics that I posted here in 2007; since this round is about over, I'll drag them forward in a future round.

JcS

 

C'mon People might not be great but, to me, it sounds like 1967 and I like that about it.

 

Guess I am the only one here who likes Biker like an Icon and Golden Earth Girl...I think the melody is actually pretty on this one. Biker is fun, I don't understand the hate for it at all. I must be missing something.

Then again, I am not one to pay attention to lyrics...all too often. Very rarely do lyrics make me not like a song. Overall Off the Ground is a strong album and doesn't have any real clunkers (like Gratitude on Memory Almost Full...can't stand that.)