McCartney "Back to the Egg" Why is it not everyone's favourite ?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Gerbaby, Apr 28, 2014.

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  1. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    No love for the two Rockestra songs? I especially love the real rockin' "So Glad To See You Here".

    I'm a but unsure of the song "Waterspout", which I have seen named more than once. IMO it's something of a silly song, or at least the main bit about "Love goes in, love comes out" is.
     
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  2. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy

    Location:
    USA
    It didn't have a "hit" I think that's why some people aren't drawn to listen to it in the first place, Arrow Through Me is lovely.
     
  3. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    It may not have had a hit, but they played The Rockestra Theme pretty heavily, I recall. And I believe it won some kind of award.
     
  4. Jerry Horne

    Jerry Horne WYWH (1975-2025)

    Location:
    NW
    Possibly my favorite Macca lp. So many great songs.
     
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  5. PNeski@aol.com

    [email protected] Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    gee ,I wish it was better, starts off great
     
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  6. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    I'm listening to it now on Spotify. I guess this is one that I missed the first time around. My first impressions (though I do know some of the songs):

    Opening track "Reception"...well, this has got to be one of those that gets nominated for "worst opening track" threads.

    Getting Closer, We're Open Tonight, Again and Again and Again, To You (this sounds real straight ahead McCartney): good tracks

    Spin It On: Fun! Unexpected (if that kind of comment makes sense)

    Old Siam, Sir: I'm embarrassed to say I have never heard this before. Hey, I like it!

    Arrow Through Me: wasn't this a hit? I know this song...from somewhere.

    Rockestra Theme: Of course, I know this. Thumbs Up.

    After the Ball/Million Miles: Unexpected, is my first reaction. Almost gospel like.

    Winter Rose/Love Awake; Hmmm, gonna have to think about this. Different, but I like it. (the Winter Rose part. Love Awake is pretty typical McCartney. Okay.)

    The Broadcast: WTF?! I wouldn't want anyone walking in on me when I was listening to this. Is this part of the original album? I hope not.

    So Glad To See You Here: Nope. Doesn't do it for me.

    Baby's Request: I guess I like it, but don't know that I would end the album with something like this.

    Anyway, this is my knee-jerk initial reaction, which is that it certainly is NOT my favorite McCartney album.
     
  7. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    Seems like you enjoyed most of it.

    Just a thought: the opening track ("Reception") is supposed to be like listening to a radio, and then the dial gets switched, and WHAM! - we blast into "Getting Closer". And yes, "The Broadcast" is on the original album. When heard in context of the rest, it goes back to the "radio" format idea.
     
  8. Zeki

    Zeki Forum Resident

    Was "Arrow Through Me" the single? Somewhere?
     
  9. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I'm pretty sure it was a single somewhere. (Anybody?) It's a pretty popular track, and I remember it was in a Chevy Chase film.
     
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  10. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    One thing this thread has convinced me of, is that BACK TO THE EGG will now definitely be my #1 go-to pick for "Most Underrated McCartney Album"! I usually choose the under-appreciated OFF THE GROUND for this, but at least OTG is a little more understandable to me; but BTTE is a solid Paul record.
     
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  11. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    I agree Side 2 is weaker, but it still contains two of his strongest tracks of the 70's "Love Awake" and "To You."
     
  12. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    --and I'd add "Rockestra Theme" and "So Glad To See You Here". Along with "To You", there are three solid Rockers right there on Side 2 .
     
  13. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    Here is my preferred tracklist for the album - the way it should have been:


    Back To The Egg

    Side 1

    1. We're Open Tonight
    2. Getting Closer
    3. Daytime Nighttime Suffering
    4. Baby's Request
    5. Again and Again and Again
    6. Old Siam, Sir
    7. Arrow Through Me

    Side 2

    1. Cage
    2. After the Ball/Million Miles
    3. Spin It On
    4. Winter Rose/Love Awake
    5. To You
    6. Goodnight Tonight
    7. So Glad To See You Here

    Starting the album with We're Open Tonight makes the most sense, kind of like the way Venus and Mars opens. And ending with So Glad also, since it reprises We're Open Tonight and has an ending feel to it anyway. Adding in to three non-album tracks enhances things a ton since they're all fantastic songs, and they were recorded during the Back to the Egg sessions anyway. I got rid of the silly linking tracks and rearranged things to contrast faster with slower songs.
     
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  14. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    "Arrow Through Me" was the second single released from Back To The Egg in the USA, peaking at #29.

    "Getting Closer" was the first single in the USA, and that one peaked at #20.

    So these were minor hits for Paul, especially as all other previous Wings album (except Wild Life) had at least one top-10 single.
     
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  15. theMess

    theMess Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    I completely agree; they should both have been on the album IMO. Paul should have put more consideration into the commercial success of his first album with that version of Wings, and his first under his new contract.
    The inclusion of a hit single would certainly have helped the fortunes of the album, and the two songs would have improved the quality of the album overall.

    I believe that they would have worked nicely because it was already a diverse album with many different genres of song; the album seems to almost fulfil the concept of someone flicking through the radio stations listening to different styles of music, and both songs would have worked under that concept.

    I also think that he made a mistake of recording with the 'Rockestra' band, and then not using those songs as the first single from the album; seeing as he had all of those stars together, the single would have got a fair amount of attention, and I can easily see So Glad To See You Hear, backed with Rockestra Theme on the B-Side, do well on the charts, most likely better than the singles that were released.
     
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  16. Glaeken

    Glaeken Forum Resident

    Location:
    OH
    One thing i was never clear on - was Rockestra meant to be its own project/band, or just a bunch of friends playing a one-off? So much ego in the studio for that tune, I can't imagine it was the former... but it won a Grammy so I'm sure at least some record execs were weeping it didn't go further.
     
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  17. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    It was just a one-off. It never was meant to do more than the recording of those 2 songs "Rockestra" and "So Glad To See You Here". Strangely, one of the "egos" who refused to turn up at the time was Jeff Beck. He wanted a say in what he played or what he would allow to be released (unlike the others, who acceded to Paul).
     
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  18. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I heartily recommend this documentary film on the recordings with Rockestra

     
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  19. Glaeken

    Glaeken Forum Resident

    Location:
    OH
    This is very cool, thanks for sharing. To have been a fly on the wall there...
     
  20. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    Always loved this song, after London Town my Wings purchases were singles. Never play this title much, owning it for the first time on cd.

     
  21. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes

    This review is absolutely brutal. It isn't exactly in his upper echelon for me, but this guy thinks it's worse than chicken**** on a birthday cake.

    Sounds as if this guy hated Paul and was forced to review this album.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 7, 2015
  22. Brother Maynard

    Brother Maynard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Arrow Through me - even if one hadn't heard it, there's a familiarity to it because, in my opinion, it was Paul (successfully) keeping tabs on what was currently hip. That song could've easily been on Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall". Side note: the other night, I was at a restaurant counter waiting for my takeout order when I heard what I presumed to be a current R&B song that was the Arrow Through Me instrumental track with new lyrics.
     
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  23. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    From 2010?
     
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  24. Helmut

    Helmut Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Germany
    A very strange album. Sometimes I listen to it and think it's really great. Sometimes I listen and think it's terrible. I couldn't name another album being that way for me.
     
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  25. Brother Maynard

    Brother Maynard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Quite possibly. I can't hear it at work. I'm not very current with R&B, or much else for that matter.
     
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