Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (Album) Song by Song Thread

Wow! I wish this album could inspire that level of emotion from me.
I have to admire that!

 

Just picking an old Chaos thread to drop in this silly post.

It's still among my fav McCartney albums. But I've never liked Fine Line (it's like Billy Joel, without Billy) or thought it fit too well, nor did I like the sequence of the album. So here's the order from the playlist I ended up with over time:

01 - How Kind of You
02 - Promise to You Girl
03 - English Tea
04 - This Never Happened Before
05 - Jenny Wren
06 - Too Much Rain
07 - Follow Me
08 - A Certain Softness
09 - At the Mercy
10 - Friends to Go
11 - Riding to Vanity Fair
12 - Anyway

Fine Line omitted, we're coincidentally down to a traditional 12-track album (if you don't count the instrumentals at the end as tracks). It also happens to end as it begins and kinda makes a natural loop, since How Kind of You begins and the instrumentals end with effects. Anyway...

 

wow Fine Line is one of two songs I still go back to on tis album, I love it (and HATE billy joel!)

interesting post and resequence

 

Thanks. I was hoping it'd grow on me but it hasn't (yet). Glad you like it (and that it does not remind you of Billy ).

A lot of folks seem to detest English Tea. To me, it's part of the picture, where he comes from and who he is, a good part. Very twee certainly, as he says in so many words, but it belongs at least as much as anything else. Brave of him to include it if anything, going by what an easy target for ridicule it seemed to be. Vanity Fair is the greatest track, but I also particularly love the "they shouldn't go it alone" parts of This Never Happened Before and love Too Much Rain, full of feeling. What an album. Just wish the sound wasn't so over-compressed.

 

I'm totally with you. I think in context, English Tea is great. I wouldn't want a whole album of songs like that, but it's a pleasant break from what is mostly a pretty serious album. And I agree on Fine Line. It just doesn't quite work for me -- not terrible, but one of the weaker tracks on the album. I love almost all of the rest, though.

 

I hate "English Tea"!! The bsides are all killer though.

 

Nice sequence. I would add as a bonus SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL. What a great track.

www.mccartney-recordings.com

 

Chaos and creation is one of my favorite latter day macca albums

 

Chaos
Memory Almost Full
Electric Arguments
Oceans Kingdom
Complete Kisses
New

The best run of consecutive albums in Paul's solo career,IMHO!

 

Played a few tracks from Chaos on the way to work this morning - nearly 10 years on - I think this might be the *best* of his later day albums, (from 1999 on, I'd say) I tend to classify the music he made while Linda was still alive differently because he obviously changed and grew a bit differently, musically. I then listened to a set of recordings I have called "Chronicles In The Backyard", all the promo interview stuff. I think not having a "Yes sir" man like Nigel Godrich really helped that album. With some distance as I say, I think that fact is a valid one. Now, I love something about all of Paul's releases but from start to finish Chaos gets the nod I think with Electric Arguments as the close runner up. Memory Almost Full I really enjoyed when it come out but the loudness war effect really hurts it for me, pity since there are some gems on it.

Back to Chaos, it just has all the hallmark McCartney trademarks millions love or hate. Sappy lyrics, good guitar licks, ballads. The only track I'm not really keen about (and I believe Nigel Godrich wasn't also) is 'Riding To Vanity Fair', and to a lesser extent 'A Certain Softness'. Other than that it's a winner for me.

Fine Line *****
How Kind of You *****
Jenny Wren ****
At The Mercy *****
Friends To Go *****
English Tea ******
Too Much Rain *****
A Certain Softness **
Riding To Vanity Fair **
Follow Me *****
Promise To You Girl ***** (probably my fav track on it)
This Never Happened Before *****
Anyway ***** (2nd fav)

Plus the B Sides!!

 

I'd rank Chaos and Creation in my top three post-Beatle McCartney discs (together with Ram and whatever else happens to be close at hand). A serious, beautiful, melancholy album. Love the production. Love the saminess of the sound. Love the big batch of great b-sides. I think Paul sustained more musical tension in this album than ever before. There are a thousand moments when you can see he's heading for a hook--and then he does something strange--an odd chord, a sustained repetition, an f-ing duduk, and it's like the imagined hook is there in half your brain, while the actual deviation from the hook fills your ear at the same moment. Amazing. Favorite track: Anyway, which is just heartbreakingly beautiful.

And how nice that he took a break from David Kahne for a spell. Always appreciated Nigel Godrich's kind words for "Tug of War" in the promo.

 

My thoughts on Chaos as of 11-18-14 - Still my second favorite McCartney album!

Great
"Jenny Wren" – 3:47
"English Tea" – 2:12
"Too Much Rain" – 3:24
"Summer of '59" 2:11 (Really, between Strong and Great somewhere)

Strong
"Fine Line" – 3:05
"At the Mercy" – 2:38
"A Certain Softness" – 2:42
"Riding to Vanity Fair" – 5:07
"This Loving Game" 3:15
"She Is So Beautiful" 3:01

Solid
"How Kind of You" – 4:47
"Friends to Go" – 2:43
"Follow Me" – 2:31
"Promise to You Girl" – 3:10
"This Never Happened Before" – 3:24
"Anyway" – 7:22
"Comfort of Love" 3:12
"Growing Up Falling Down" 3:27
"I Want You to Fly" 5:03

Weak
"I've Only Got Two Hands"

 

Happy 10th anniversary to Chaos & Creation in the Backyard -- still one of my favorite Macca solo albums!

 

I'd like to know more about Jason Falkner's involvement if anyone can shed some light
at times it sounds like a JF LP to me!

 

I don't know what McCartney scholars think, but this fan considers Chaos to be Macca's last masterpiece. MAF and NEW simply pale in comparison.

 

Love English Tea, works well on chaos.

 

My current top 5 order 0f preference is:

New
Chaos
Peace & War
Complete Kisses
Ram

 

He's actually only on a couple of the album tracks ("At The Mercy" and "A Certain Softness"), but I know he plays on some of the b-sides.

 

Boy, this album is cathartic and soothing when you're not feeling too great. I used to absolutely hate "Riding To Vanity Fair," and now it's a song I really enjoy. It's just got that mood, and if you're also in that mood, you're able to latch onto it in a unique way. Such a great album. Really, really strong. I wasn't feeling well this afternoon and decided to listen to some Pure McCartney, but the second "Too Much Rain" came on, I switched over to this album to hear the rest. I had to. "Too Much Rain" got me when I needed it. I treasure this album.