New Paul McCartney album "Egypt Station" coming September 7, 2018*

I sort of agree.Whatever else Paul is a master craftsman and I am confident that the album at least will be a good and listenable one.

 

Don't you see the current band in the video? Don't you see the date of Session on the monitor in the video?

It was recorded during the first batch of sessions for Memory Almost Full album in late 2003.

 

Because no one has posted the links to these,

Sweet Sweet Memories

 

Style Style

These two were my favorites from the Off The Ground B-sides. I swapped SSM for I Can't Imagine years later. Kicked Around No More is quite good.

It seems when there's an Off The Ground discussion, I'm always late to the party and it seems to happen again.

 

1990-2018

 

Ah, I was I reading it as “now it’s my favorite McCartney b-side of the 90s”, like hearing it again reminded you how much you liked it. Understood, and a bold statement! I like the song a lot too, but would still give the nod to “Kicked Around No More”, “I Can’t Imagine”, or some of the other aforementioned Off the Ground b-sides. I’m also partial to “Demons Dance” and “Hell to Pay” from New (even if I can’t unhear the chorus as “hell toupee” at this point.)

 

If we're talking Off the Ground, I'd much appreciate if someone here could direct me towards a great live version of Get out of My Way. The studio cut sounds a bit pedestrian to my ears but I remember being impressed by it live at the time (especially Paul's singing), without ever managing to find a truly satisfying recorded version. Can someone help me out ?

 

And for my money the last baker's dozen or so years Paul has been absolutely on fire with Chaos, MAF, Electric Arguments, and New as well as his stellar side projects!

 

I hear it as Hell Toupee as well, that’s funny

 

I’d rank the Paul eras as so:

70s
2000s
80s
90s

Paul has definitely been on a roll, and I don’t think it’s gonna stop!

 

Probably live version from Tokyo 1993 soundcheck will please you.

 

I can't argue with you as far as quality song and album production goes, but as far as my own personal listening enjoyment goes, I'd even go a little farther with:

2000s
70s
80s
90s

My current top 5 are:
New (2013)
Ram (1971)
Band On The Run (1973)
Chaos (2005)
MAF (2007)

Favorite side project: Complete Kisses (2011)

Favorite Orchestral Work: Ocean's Kingdom (2010)

Favorite experimental project: Electric Arguments (2008)

So you can see 2000s have been very good for me!

 

Guess Paul was ecspecially on fire as the Fireman.

 

You’re always a user here I know feels exactly the same about his current era, and sometimes I want to put it on top, but sometimes the 70s edge only by a bit. And next week could be the 2000s again

 

and also

 

Winedark Open Sea [fast version] - Paul McCartney

 

It's a completely different song!

 

I cant remember if the fast version is on here

But there is some amazing stuff on these OTG outtakes, early versions etc.

 

Listening through all of these 'OTG' demos, and the actual album itself, has left me feeling that the sessions would have benefitted from a strong producer. I can understand why, after the sessions with several producers for 'FITD' and the large success of the 1989 World Tour, Paul wanted to make a 'band' album, but overall I think that the material suffers because of it.

So many songs that needed to rock, just don't on record (Get Out Of My Way, which was so much better live) and as Sean said, 'I Can't Imagine' would have benefitted hugely from production befitting a power-pop song. Many of the songs are also too long, and self-indulgent and could have done with a nice trim.

The man who would have made most sense, seeing as he co-wrote some of the songs, and seeing as he produced some wonderful early studio versions and demos with Paul during the 'FITD' sessions, would have been Elvis Costello, who would have stopped the songs from becoming over-produced and sterile. It's a shame that Paul didn't record them in a similar way to his 'MTV Unplugged' performance at the time.

It would be really interesting to hear the demo tapes that Paul supposedly had for the 'OTG' sessions, which contained many songs that were to be released later on, and some never to be. Paul had a great grouping of songs ready, but as the B-Sides show, many of the strongest were not released on the album proper.

Thankfully the production on the two released songs from 'Egypt Station' has been fantastic so far! I hope that it continues throughout the album!

 

Sounds like a soundcheck jam, just for fun. Bet that it was never intended like this.

 

I wonder if 'Back In Brazil' started as a soundcheck jam and ended up being recorded ?

 

This is one of my favorite "McCartney tracks that nobody has heard" that I like to share with people.

 

You mean the "Up Close" special that was on MTV or VH1 just before the album was released, right? Because I taped that off the TV and listened to it for the entire week or two before the album came out -- and was SO excited for the album. The live performances were punchy and rocking and LOUD -- in a good way. Then the album came out, and it was so limp and un-rocking -- in comparison, anyway. Soft and overproduced, where the live versions were lean and in your face. I got over it and stopped comparing them eventually, but it took years -- Paul's promo concert almost killed Off The Ground for me!

 

This one is also another favorite "McCartney track that nobody has heard".

A third one is Partial To Your Abracadabra.