McCartney & current band-studio recordings list comments

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by johnny moondog 909, Jul 20, 2016.

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  1. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    They ain’t “Wings” for a reason. They are just session musicians that play live with him.
     
  2. yellowballoon

    yellowballoon Senior Member

    Location:
    Maine
    I hate this band and always have. Backing vocals lacking no personality.... Rusty too dirty sloppy on the guitar, Abe way over the top on the drums, and Brian just boring. Prefer the 89-93 line ups instead. Just my opinion.
     
  3. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter


    These guys are very good, they aren't just session men. Which is kind of a blanket or generic description. But their role is strictly as backup or sidemen. On the other hand, to say there is no chemistry, after 15-16 years of touring & recording, seems naive or wrong.

    There is no one fulfilling the role of a 2nd wing Denny Laine sidekick, getting his allocation of 1 song every album. Or even the Hamish Stuart role.

    These guys play better than the other guys ever dreamed of. Reminds me of the Brian Wilson band in some regards. Great players, devoted to their boss friend.

    Except Wilson's guys are woefully underpaid, & reportedly, McCartney takes better care of his people. I think at least 3 guys in McCartneys band have made solo studio albums. Abe is noted for some work he does with others. I don't think their vocals are generic. At this point, they're saving a 74 year old McCartney's bacon, onstage, to some degree. I just heard I've got a feeling & Two of us on YouTube they sounded good.

    Abe is younger, I think. But aren't Brian Ray & Rusty pushing 60 ?

    But yeah, Denny Laine was an actual collaborator. A junior partner, but he cowrote 5 songs on London Town, & sang around 12-15 lead vocals in Wings, if you include the B sides, & rarities like I would only smile, & I lie around

    I'm stunned how many Beatles songs & solo songs are on live DVD with McCartney & the band. I remember Linda McCartney thought the Hamish lineup was best. But she died before these guys came on board.
     
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  4. Solace

    Solace Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brussels, Belgium
    These guys are a backing band, pure and simple. The Beatles was a real band, Wings...well....tried to be.
     
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  5. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Current ages of Paul's band:
    Wix: 60
    Brian: 61
    Rusty: 57
    Abe: 45
     
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  6. Cronverc

    Cronverc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn,NY
    Agreed 100% ! They just do what Paul tells them to do, probably very convenient for him. But IMO not much artistically going on there and no personality either. Just well paid professionals, no more than that.
    Personally I like previous band with Hamish Stewart much better.
     
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  7. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter

    In this entire thread, I don't think anyone, have listed their favorite tracks recorded by McCartney & the band.

    Except 1 guy who said, House of wax. I love that track, but McCartney did the guitar I believe.
     
  8. Chris from Chicago

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

    I did. I said Rinse the Raindrops and Heather. Post #8
     
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  9. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter

    You hate them ! They're good !

    I would agree Abe seems kind of heavy & ham handed as a drummer . A good drummer, but no delicate touch that's for sure.

    Vocally these guys are good, I think. It's worth pointing out, in 15+ years, McCartney hasn't used them on that many studio tracks.

    As a live band, I think they've done definitive live versions of most of the Beatles & Wings hits, much better than the Hamish band. The Hamish band often threw little Average white band soul, into the arrangement of classic Beatles & Wings songs, which I found almost repulsive. The current band, doesn't play exactly like the records. But they're close. Hamish & all versions of Wings weren't able to duplicate, judging from results.
     
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  10. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter


    Thank you. You must be a Driving Rain guy.

    I hated that album. But after 15 years, I've warmed a little. I like Whole Life & Vanilla Sky, 2 tracks left off the album. Rinse The Raindrops I won't ever listen too, too long, I hate it. But a lot of people love it.
     
  11. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I like "Only Mama Knows".
     
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  12. winojunko76

    winojunko76 Forum Resident

    I'll give it a go...starting with...

    Driving Rain (2001) (Note: I only listed Paul's touring band, Gabe Dixon and David Kahne also played on DR. Brian joined the band for the 2002 Super Bowl so he's not listed here)

    1. About You: Paul (vocals, electric guitar) Rusty (12-string electric guitar, bass), Abe (drums, tambourine)
    2: Lonely Road: Paul (vocals, bass, acoustic and electric guitar), Rusty (acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitar), Abe (drums, tambourine)
    3: Riding into Jaipur: Paul (vocals, bass, acoustic/electric guitar), Rusty (tampura, 12-string electric guitar), Abe (electronic percussion)
    4: She's Giving Up Talking: Paul (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, drums) Rusty (electric guitars, Leslie pedal) Abe (electronic percussion)
    5: I Do: Paul (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar) Rusty (electric guitar) Abe (drums, tambourine)
    6: Your Way: Paul (vocals, electric guitar, drums, percussion), Rusty (bass, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals), Abe (drums, electronic drums, backing vocals)
    7: Rinse The Raindrops: Paul (vocals, bass, Spanish guitar), Rusty (electric guitar), Abe (drums, accordion)
    8: From A Lover To A Friend: Paul (vocals, piano, bass), Rusty (12- string electric guitar), Abe (drums)
    9: Spinning On An Axis: Paul (vocals, bass, acoustic/electric guitar, percussion), Rusty (acoustic/electric guitar, percussion), Abe (drums, percussion)
    10: Tiny Bubble: Paul (vocals. piano, bass, electric guitar), Rusty (electric guitar) Abe (drums)
    11: Magic: Paul (vocals, acoustic/electric guitar, bass), Rusty (acoustic/electric guitar), Abe (drums)
    12: Driving Rain: Paul (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar) Rusty (electric/12-string electric guitar), Abe (drums)
    13: Back In The Sunshine Again: Paul (vocals, bass, electric guitar), Rusty (electric guitar), Abe (drums)
    14: Heather: Paul (Lead/backing vocals, piano, bass, electric/acoustic guitar), Rusty (backing vocals), Abe (drums)
    15: Your Loving Flame: Paul (Lead/backing vocals, piano, bass, tambourine), Rusty (backing vocals, acoustic/electric guitar), Abe (drums, backing vocals)
    16: Freedom: Paul (vocals, acoustic/electric guitar, bass), Rusty (electric guitar), Abe (drums)
     
  13. maccafan

    maccafan Senior Member

    Absolutely love his current band, my all time fave will always be Wings in 76, but his current band is way way way better than some are giving them credit for!

    McCartney must like Rusty's so called sloppy playing since he rehearses with him over and over for each and every tour. wonder what some of you hear that McCartney doesn't?

    One of my absolute faves by McCartney and his current band is the song Whole Life! That songs really shows what this band can do, and I wish McCartney would get them in the studio and turn them loose recording a full album!
     
  14. winojunko76

    winojunko76 Forum Resident

     
  15. Jackstar74

    Jackstar74 Forum Resident

    Funny that's how I felt about Hamish Stewart and Robbie McIntosh , but I love this band because they play with BALLS
     
  16. Rob Hughes

    Rob Hughes Forum Resident

    I have no complaints about this band. They seem excellent players to me and very good vocalists. Importantly, they are pros in the best sense: they show up ready to do their considerable best for their boss and they all share a nice personal chemistry. Drug abuse and generally flakiness don't appear to be a problem. I also think they have a nice stage presence: Abe may overplay, but he's an eye-magnet on stage and, in a stadium setting, I think overplay is maybe a plus.

    All that said, I don't miss them in the studio. And I don't long to hear the personality of their individual contributions. And, if someone wants to call them session players, fine (though I wouldn't want that to be taken dismissively).

    Some bands I like to think of as bands: I can imagine the part being devised by a specific player in coordination with the contributions of the others in the band. I would name examples, but we can all name such bands.

    Post-Beatles McCartney is in a different category for me. With a few exceptions, his music has always, even with Wings, sounded to me as if Paul himself devised the total sound of the song. Which I like. For me as a long-time Paul listener, I listen to his music as if, whoever is actually playing on the recording, it's more truly Paul who has dictated the smallest details of the play. As if, again with a few exceptions granted, what I hear on record is how McCartney created and crafted the song in the genius of his art.

    The great caveat (though there are others) is Linda's vocals, but even there, I tend to hear Linda's vocals as part of Paul's vision. She's there because he wants her there, because she is, to him, part of his own creative process.
     
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  17. Rob Hughes

    Rob Hughes Forum Resident

    Thanks for hunting this down, Arnie.

    One of the things that pleases me about the band is that they are all excellent players who, because of their age, must know that, despite their excellent chops, they will never get a better offer than the one they've enjoyed since 2000 or whatever it was. The age discrimination in rock means that no promoter is going to take them on and work really hard to get them a hit record -- there's just no significant market for 60-year olds playing awesomely well. Well there are two or three, I guess: they're called the markets of Messieurs McCartney Dylan, and... well someone else I'm sure. And, truth be told, that market is significant mostly because of its live pull, not because of CD sales.

    Why does that please me? I don't know. I guess for some crazy reason I like to see guys in late-middle age face up to reality, but still get an awesome deal. Their choice, as I take it, being to reap the sweet rewards of being McCartney's live and rehearsal band or to quit and try to get their own music out there. I think they made the right call. I do hope Paul is treating them well.
     
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  18. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    I find Paul doing songs on his tours with this band, he NEVER did with his old band. I have to wonder if any of the members were big Paul McCartney fans before working for him.

    I remember seeing them and when they played Too Many People, I almost fell out of my chair... Couldn't believe they were playing it. Seemed like a song Paul would never do.
     
  19. yellowballoon

    yellowballoon Senior Member

    Location:
    Maine
    Enjoy the vanilla sound. There is a reason Paul doesn't use them that much on record.
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2016
  20. yellowballoon

    yellowballoon Senior Member

    Location:
    Maine
    Playing more obscure songs in the set list is no surprise, because all he does now is tour and plays many dates. Just an evolution based on his constant playing live.
     
  21. MaccaBeGood

    MaccaBeGood Forum Resident

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV
    Abe, Rusty and Brian have all released albums during their time with McCartney. I'm very biased but Brians' solo releases have been very good and the work he has done with Oliver Leiber as "The Bayonets" have garnered a lot of critical praise and airtime on SirusXM/Underground Garage as well as terrestrial radio. Worth checking out!!

     
    johnny moondog 909 likes this.
  22. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter


    Yeah. I'm supportive of this band. The idea they are bland, generic, nothing special. That's not what I hear at all. Hands down, not even close , the best band McCartneys had since the Beatles.

    But the role they play with McCartney, is strictly backing him. Reproducing the classics live. Occasionally getting to record with him as the back up group.

    But just because that's their role, doesn't mean they aren't great, or creative. Wix I don't know about , but the other 3, have a number of albums & projects to their credit. McCartney guested on a couple of them. Brian Ray had another project, besides Bayonet, called Black Rhino or something like that. Rusty had at least 2 well regarded solo albums in the last decade.

    Technically, personally, they're so far ahead of Hamish it's not even close. McCartney doesn't really need a fully participating band, making creative decisions. He already was in The Beatles, he's a solo now.

    Besides they did play quite a bit, on New, MAF & Driving Rain.
     
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  23. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I do wish Paul would do one more album with Lumpy Trousers, of course it will never happen. But there's something special about that band backing Paul, and Paul had this chocolatey bass tone (to my ears) on Flowers and Off the Ground that maybe could be recaptured :D
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2016
  24. masterbucket

    masterbucket Senior Member

    Location:
    Georgia US
    I saw Paul in Atlanta(with Ms Linda thankfully) on the Flowers tour and enjoyed the whole experience but
    he lost me totally with this new bunch whether live or studio.
    Maybe it was the loss of Linda I suppose but he never came around again to me.
    Same scenario with Eric Clapton shortly after loss of his son.
    Sad in both cases as they were 2 of my favorite artists.
     
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