Paul McCartney's "Off The Ground" - 20 Years On

I was thinking of Paul's album - and how it's been out for 20 years now - and by chance, today is the 20th anniversary of the release of the title track as a single. To me, this album of Paul's is one of the most blown releases he did that rivals with Press To Play as one of his worst albums.

I had bought the CD single to "Hope Of Deliverance" when it came out at the beginning of the year and really enjoyed it while looking forward to Paul's new album since 1989's Flowers In The Dirt. Then the album came out and I remember driving to the record store on release day to pick it up. After playing it for the first time, I couldn't realize how bad it was and found myself enjoying the B-Sides off of the "Hope Of Deliverance" single more. Then the CD single of the title track came out and being a hardcore McCartney fan, I also picked that up on release day...only to find that the B-Sides were also much better that a lot of the parent album.

This continued with the purchase of the next single in America: "C'Mon People". Again, I noticed how good the B-Sides were on the album. By then, I was wondering why Paul regulated all these good songs to B-Sides, while leaving total and complete dreck on the album. I finally took it upon myself to make my own version of the album from the good album tracks and the B-Sides. The end result was so popular with my friends, that I ended up making cassette dubs of it (yeah, yeah. I know). This was MY version of Off The Ground that was clearly superior to what Paul put out:

Side A
Soggy Noodle
Off The Ground
Long Leather Coat
Cosmically Conscious
Style Style
Hope Of Deliverance
I Can't Imagine
Golden Earth Girl

Side B
Kicked Around No More
Keep Coming Back To Love
Big Boys Bickering
Sweet Sweet Memories
Winedark Open Sea
C'Mon People

Both sides are roughly about the same duration and would have (barely) fit both sides of a vinyl record. I had arranged the songs on both sides to have a nice flow to them separately and as a whole and to this day only play this version, despite still owning the original album. Personally, I think if Paul had released the album like this, it would have been a better representative of his work during that period and would have easily been an equal (if not greater) to Flowers In The Dirt. When he finally decided to release Off The Ground: The Complete Works, I thought of it as too little, too late.

What do you guys think? Do you think the original album has held up well over the last two decades if at all? We've talked about this album before, but I really haven't seen a good debate or thread over it.

 

I don't think it's as bad as everyone claims. It's become one of those punching-bag type albums that people like to pile on about. I'd take it over Memory Almost Full any day.

 

I like the idea of replacing some of the weaker album tracks with b-sides to make a better album. But, in my opinion, you left off two essential tracks: "I Owe It All To You" and "The Lovers That Never Were".

I do think Flowers In The Dirt was a much better album and Off The Ground (even with different track order) can't touch it.

 

Can't argue with you. It's a stinker. Sounds rushed and weak to me right from the title track. That and Driving Rain are the ONLY 2 Paul albums I have no time for.
I bought the Complete Works when it came out as they gave up after the C'mon people single failure in the UK so we didn't get the Biker/Off The Ground single tracks. The disc of b-sides isn't without its iffy moments but does work better for me. I particularly like the sound of Style Style.

Chris

 

I do agree, a good portion of the b -sides are better than the album tracks, but not all. Cosmically Conscious is cute, but there's no way in hell that it should be anything but a b-side.

This would be how I would've done it...

1. Off The Ground
2. Sweet Sweet Memories
3. Hope Of Deliverance
4. Mistress & Maid
5. Keep Coming Back To Love
6. Get Out Of My Way
7. Long Leather Coat

1. I Owe It All To You
2. The Lovers That Never Were
3. I Can't Imagine
4. Looking For Changes
5. Style Style
6. C'Mon People w/ CC Outro

Even this version still wouldn't hold a candle to Flowers In The Dirt, but I definitely think it would hold up better.

 

20 years on, I still can't get the bad taste of "Biker Like An Icon" out of my mouth.

 

I agree, but I liked the way it flowed and it gave continuity to the coda at the end of "C'Mon People". It just seemed something that fit as a linked track.

 

I agree the related B-sides were better than most all the main material. But for me, that is quite common all through his career, not just this album. I'd still take Off The Ground over Pipes Of Dreck any day, though that's not saying much. Ground was sure a huge let-down after the overall very good Flowers album.

 

I like that song. I like the camera pun in the title "Leica Nikon".

 

I love Off the Ground, it's probably my favorite Paul solo album! "Golden Earth Girl" is pretty ridiculous lyric-wise, but I love the sound of the band on this album. I've never heard the B-sides, I really need to check those out. As an aside, I really don't care for any of Paul's 80s releases, Flowers In the Dirt has only a few redeeming songs for me.

Something I've always wondered: for anyone who had the cassette of OTG, why did they cram most of the songs on side 1, and leave about 10 minutes of blank tape on side 2?? Any particular reason, or Paul just wanted "Lovers That Never Were" as the side 2 opener and wouldn't re-arrange anything just for the cassette release?

 

My sentiments exactly!

I was a huge fan of Flowers in the Dirt and was severely disappointed in Off The Ground. I can't see myself revisiting this one anytime in the future.

 

I have what would be known today as the Deluxe Version on 2 CD's. "The Complete Works""It hold some gems. I don't care what anyone says.

 

I second that emotion!

Off the Ground is a special album for me as it contains my favorite EC/PM collaboration, The Lovers That Never Were, as well as my least favorite Paul song of all time, Biker Like An Icon.

 

What's everybody's problem with "Biker Like An Icon"? It's not a great song, but it's not that bad either.

I guess I can nominate OTG for worst cover art ever. What a dumb idea.

 

I think I still have the Biker Like An Icon t-shirt somewhere.

 

The b-sides were cool.

I think "Hope of Deliverance" is the best single he's released since 1982 or so (maybe "My Brave Face" would be 2nd). It's one of my favorite McCartney songs even.

There are some dumb songs on the album proper. But some great melodies. And even better... Paul's vocals. His vocals were so strong and so clear on the album. Maybe his best vocal album ever. Too bad many of the songs weren't up to his performance.

My favorites: "Hope of Deliverance," "I Owe It All to You," "Golden Earth Girl," "The Lovers That Never Were" and "Kicked Around No More."

 

Great album, great tour. Just played it last month. It knocked me out.

 

Has anyone ever released a song with a worse title than Biker Like An Icon? (Well apart from Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" of course).

 

I like the album. I would swap Peace In The Neighbourhood for Kicked Around No More but, apart from that, I think it has a good (if unexciting) feel and I like the cohesiveness of sound. I also like Biker Like An Icon, which, of course, makes my view irrelevant

What I recall being surprised about was how little of Julian Mendelsohn's production/mix style I detected in it. I was expecting something more akin to his earlier stuff.

 

My Life Would Suck Without You was a very clever lyric and title. I loved the phrase the moment I first heard it.

 

I happen to like Off The Ground, (except for Biker and Peace in the Neighborhood) but agree there are some really good, even better b sides.
This is a nice collection Dr Aftershave!
Side ASoggy Noodle
Off The Ground
Long Leather Coat
Cosmically Conscious
Style Style
Hope Of Deliverance
I Can't Imagine
Golden Earth Girl

Side B
Kicked Around No More
Keep Coming Back To Love
Big Boys Bickering
Sweet Sweet Memories
Winedark Open Sea
C'Mon People
I would switch out Long Leather Coat for I Owe it All to You.

 

Love the album, I think its the most underrated McCartney album. A great pop album.

Macca was on fire during this time. A good band, touring the world playing Beatles songs again, the world at his feet, happy in his personal life and he had a boatload of good songs. Some killer b-sides, although I think the OP went a little too far including almost every one of them instead of album tracks.

Biker like an icon is the stone in the shoe for me. A song that should have been a b-side, and instead was included in the album, released a single, and played live at every concert. Puzzling to say the least.

My version do not deviate too much from the album, picking one b-side from each single:

Hope of Deliverance
Get out of my way
Mistress and Maid
Long Leather Coat
The Lovers that never were
Cmon People

Looking for Changes
Golden Earth Girl
Down to the river
I owe it all to you
Cosmically Conscious
Soggy noodle/Off the Ground

 

What sessions did Back On My Feet come from? That's one great track that I'm surprised never made an official release.

 

I always had a soft spot for Off the Ground...as stand alone tracks this is not top shelf material...yet i like the feel of the record. The band is cohesive and I like the sentiments expressed in the record. To me it is a "hippy" record and reminds me of some of Pauls early 70's stuff. i also think this was the last record where Pauls' vocals still sounded top notch. I remebr once seeing a deluxe 2 cd version of this record...if my memry is correct.

 

It did get an official release: firstly as the B side of Once Upon A Long Ago and then as a bonus track on the Paul McCartney (1993) edition of Flowers In The Dirt (both in the UK at least).