McCartney & current band-studio recordings list comments

Since Paul McCartney began working with, his current band. He has recorded the studio albums

Driving Rain
Chaos & Creation
Memory Almost Full
The Firemen 3
Kisses on bottom.
New

McCartney has also recorded a plethora of non album singles, guest collaborations, & so forth. Things like Vanilla Sky, Cut Me Some Slack, Heal The Pain, Comfort of Love, Whole Life & many more. He has also recorded several live albums post 2000 with this band of Wix Wickens , Rusty Anderson, Abe Laboriel, & Brian Ray. Wickens of course goes back further to the FITD 89 album.

Specifically which tracks, album & non LP, have the guys played on with McCartney, do we have an accurate list, or can we compile one.

Did they play anything on Fireman 3 or Kisses on Bottom ? As far as I know, most of the tracks with the band, appear on Driving Rain, Memory Almost Full & New & various non LP tracks.

These guys have been with him for at least 15 years, they're good, they're bad & deserve a little recognition. So who knows what ? What did they play on, what are some outstanding studio moments with the band

We all know they're great & can sing, & are devoted, are probably well taken care of. Why hasn't McCartney recorded more with them ? Why are so many tracks with the band unreleased ? Who gets the blame for Driving Rain ? Did they play on Whole Life ?

Is their compendium of Beatles & McCartney classics live close to miraculous.. Wings & the Hamish band, didin't seem able to nail the stuff live, but this band has done virtually everything on the McCartney side of the catalogue perfectly, even vocally .

How many of the post 2000 songs are these guys playing the tracks ? Which are best ?

 

The band members contributed nothing to the Fireman Electric Arguments album nor the Kisses On The Bottom album.

 

Most of these albums have credits (except The Fireman. But like Arnold Grove say...). It can probably be compiled from Discogs for example. I think "Driving Rain" is the one where they come the closest to sound like a band although a rehearsal almost with echoes of Wings "Wild Life". They are much more together since touring. I feel that they contribute more like session musicians to McCartney's studio albums. "Only Mama Knows" is a great band track if I was to pick one. "House of Wax" maybe. And I love the ten-minute prog-jam "Rinse the Raindrops".

 

I think that Abe Laboriel was on Kisses On The Bottom doing vocal harmonies. He appears on Live Kisses

 

This brings up a point I've made over and over, McCartney should record a full album with his band!

Can't believe he hasn't done it yet. Songs like Only Mama knows and Whole Life show just how good and amazing they are.

Imagine a rockin album of songs like those two, both are top notch!

McCartney should get a producer that truly understands and likes real rock and roll, get his band in the studio and record a really powerful rocking album!

 

The guy is 74 and hasn't released a real rock song in 40 years. What difference will a full-band or rock producer really make?

 

Maybe he wants to work with folks that are less Beatle influenced?

 

I, too, enjoy this band. But do they just do what Paul asks them to do, or do they contribute? Rinse the Raindrops seems like an edited band jam. Heather seems like a band effort as well.

I'm not sure he could belt out the vocals of an all out rock album. But who knows.

 

Paul has played with this band longer than Wings and The Beatles .....yet has never named the group. Odd.

 

Dveric, most of his albums contain some rock and they all were released!

Two really good rockers are mentioned on this very thread!

An album doesn't have to be all out rock, it could just be more rock, especially if McCartney stays away from these soft producers and gets someone that brings out that side of him!

 

Yeah, I guess this point can't be argued semantically, but in my opinion, Beware My Love was the last rock song he recorded. Since then, soft-rock, pop, schmalz, genre exercises and nods to 50's rock . . .

 

These guys are a cover band with the real guy singing for them. Note for note copies of the records which is what the audience wants at this point in McCartney's career. Technically great, but playing it safe. I'll take the '76 Wings line up easily over this or any other band he has assembled since.

 

DVEric, I would say that you haven't really listened then because there are plenty of rockers on his albums since Beware My love! There's absolutely nothing wrong with 50s rock especially when you take it to an even harder rocking level the way McCartney did!

As I posted two very good rockers are listed on this very thread. Listen to the songs...
Rinse The Raindrops
About You
Old Siam Sir
Abbracadabra
Used To Be Bad
Girlschool
Rockestra Theme
So Glad To See You Here
What It Is
She Said Yeah
Party
Run Devil Run
Not Such A Bad Boy
Stranglehold
House Of Wax
Getting Closer
Angry
I've Had Enough
That doesn't even include other great rockers like The First Stone and Long Leather Coat!

How can anyone overlook these great rockers?

Also his band does not play note for note, those solos that I hear on the songs live are not the same solos George Harrison played. McCartney lets his band play the songs differently!

 

I see your point (and I'll let the music speak for itself). However, although these songs could have potentially been real rock songs, they are neutered by god-awful production, radio friendly arrangements and McCartney's increasingly annoying, insincere personality. We probably have differing definitions of "great rockers".

 

DVEric, I do exactly what you said, I let the music speak for itself, I don't bring in all that extra baggage that you posted!

I agree that you and I probably have different definitions of a great rocker, because I don't hear anything remotely radio friendly about most of those songs!

I couldn't care less about McCartney's personality, all I want is the fantastic music that the man makes!

I don't bring all that excess baggage to my listening experience!

 

So does anybody know specifically which songs feature the band, and or what you believe are the highlights, including them

I agree with the poster who mentioned Only Mama Knows & House of wax. But David Kahne did an interview stating McCartney did the lead guitar, including the solo. He played the piano & presumably bass, so did the entire band even feature on that ?

As far as McCartney having sickening production, or not having cut a rock song in 40 years. That seems wildly inaccurate to me. I suppose if you're into punk, Green Day, Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden, or whatever else, maybe you're not a McCartney fan. He just did Cut Me Some Slack with Pat Smear & Dave Grohl, that sounded pretty rock to me. Personally I hate the crappy rappy stuff he did with Kanye West & those other people. I hated it so much, I even understand what anyone heard in it.

Typically a lot of McCartneys rockier tracks, still include a significant melody like House Of Wax or Only Mama Knows. Even Temporary Secretary has a very defined specific melody.

Occasionally he does horrid rock stuff like Looking for changes, or Little Richard impersonations, most 74 year olds are just worried about living another 4-10 years or that the grand kids can get an education. McCartneys doing pretty good, still making good albuns. As recently as NEW a couple years ago.

 

Johnny Moondog, I don't think Looking For Changes is horrid at all neither is the Little Richard stuff, did you listen to Shake A Hand from the Run Devil Run album, it's one of the best vocals of McCartney's entire career!

 

I've tried to compile a list as much accurate as possible in my book.

 

I believe Ferrante gets the blame for Driving Rain. Seriously though, my favorite spotlight of the post 2000 band is probably "House of Wax". A killer track!

 

That's because they're not a group. They're backing musicians to Paul McCartney. That's the usual way with solo performers, they have backing musicians to help them in a tour setting.

 

I like the Run Devil Run Album, & his little Richard style he uses on stuff like I'm Down. I don't think Looking For Changes is good at all.

You're that guy with that website ? You probably like everything he does. That's ok by me. I love the guys work, but Looking for changes is one of my examples, of a lousy McCartney rock song.

We'll just agree to disagree on that one. Sincere people sometimes differ.

I've gotten sidetracked listing all the Dvd quality performances of Beatles through the present day. Of all the songs McCartney has with this band. There must be over a dozen proshot DVDs, possibly 2 dozen.

They've done a lot of his material. Ironically most of his Beatle stuff, quite a bit of stuff from Driving Rain Thru New, but less stuff from the Wings & 80s era solo.

Big songs I don't think are on DVD with the band include, as far as I can tell

1. Uncle Albert
2. Monkberry Moon D
3. Back Seat o Car
4. Mary Lamb
5. Big Barn Bed
6. Get on R Thing
7. Silly Love Songs
8. Good nite 2 nite
9. London Town
10 WithA little Luck
11 Arrow Thru me
12. Waterfalls
13. Take it away
14 Pipes of peace
15 No More Lonely
16. Spies Like Us
17. Press
18 all Stand Together
19. My brave face
20 off the ground
21Beautiful Night
22 The World Tonight

I've seen no DVD with current band on any of that stuff

 

Soily, WOA. Wouldn't that qualify as a better candidate than Beware My Love?

 

He has lots of rock songs, Cut me some slack, Soily , Nod Your Head, the entire argument, that he hasn't cut a rock song in 40 years, is a false argument to begin with.

Someone could say they don't like his rock tunes of the past 40 years. But that's a different argument. Just saying they don't exist has no factual basis.

 

Say WHAT?!?

 

Clearly I overstated my case -- I stand corrected. McCartney deserves credit, he has clearly written and recorded rock music in the last 40 years. We can argue/discuss the results, nevertheless my initial comment was a blanket statement and blanket statements never hold up. I put my foot in my mouth . . . apologies to anyone I offended.