What's the best Paul McCartney album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by EchoStars24, Jan 1, 2018.

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  1. schnitzerphilip

    schnitzerphilip "Modern Dad" Unlocked Award

    Location:
    NJ USA
    Yes. I have "Rain" and "Paperback Writer" on my iPhone (headphones) and iPod (car) Revolver playlist which is where I do 90% of my music listening. Same for "Hey Jude" on the White Album.

    My logic?

    1. I listen to Revolver and the White Album in their entirety once a week and if those tracks aren't on those LP's I wouldn't listen to them at all, or perhaps only when I listened to a greatest hits album which is almost never.

    2. They were recorded in the sessions for the very LP's they supported. And as the ones deemed the very best by the band to release to the world in advance of the rest of the body of work, they belong there.

    I mean, come on. "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" were recorded the day after "Love You Too" and the day before "Taxman". Are we really going to say that they weren't part of Revolver? "Hey Jude" was recorded right after "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and right before "Sexy Sadie". Most definitely a White Album track.

    Not trying to convince anyone....just saying why I think it is justified for fans to take this approach since some are questioning my decisions. The singles are often the best songs off a particular LP, they are part of the DNA of the rest of the LP they were drawn from, and if not for decisions by record companies of the time they'd certainly be on those LP's.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2018
  2. schnitzerphilip

    schnitzerphilip "Modern Dad" Unlocked Award

    Location:
    NJ USA
    Good points, and while I am open to debate the merits of RAM I just can't criticize BOTR as I love it so much. I look at them as Paul's 1A and 1B creations, they're both seminal works I adore. There was a time I had BOTR as as the clear 1 but RAM grew on me. Perhaps I'm getting older and my tastes are changing. Perhaps it's that I didn't listen to RAM much for the better part of 20 years and so rediscovering it feels fresher and more relateable. Not sure.
     
  3. Fleet Fox

    Fleet Fox Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waterford, Ireland
    As this thread shows Band on the Run and Ram are way way ahead of the rest. I would have 'New' third, 'McCartney' fourth and 'Flaming Pie' fifth
     
  4. NightGoatToCairo

    NightGoatToCairo Forum Resident

    Location:
    .
    I only have 3

    Ram 5/5
    McCartney 4/5
    Flaming Pie 2/5
     
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  5. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I don't count Wings as Paul McCartney albums but ok,
    1, Band On The Run
    2, Ram
    3, London Town
    4, Wings Wild Life
    5, Wings At The Speed Of Sound
     
  6. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Surprised NEW is not doing better in the poll. A lot of love here for NEW when it was released five years ago.
     
  7. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I hate criticizing anything McCartney at all, even RAM which has some songs I love, Too Many People, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey and some I can tolerate such as Heart of the Country.
    I only get cynical when I am in shock at how so many think RAM is a masterpiece.
    But if it's Paul or John or The Beatles I hope everyone enjoys the music.
     
  8. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Nice to see Ram in the poll lead.
    This album was overshadowed by BOTR for decades. I think internet really gave this album the respect it deserved.
     
  9. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I'm the opposite.
    I get that their are musicians on Wings albums who were for a time Wings members, but there are musicians on many non Wings albums through the years that don't get the credit as a band with Paul.
    With the rare exception of a Laine song or co write or a few band member tracks on Speed of Sound, all the post Beatles McCartney concepts, arrangements, lyrics, melodies and lead vocals are Paul
     
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  10. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    I was going to say Sgt Pepper, had a great band, but I'll go with Band On The Run.
     
  11. Derek Slazenger

    Derek Slazenger Specs, rugs & rock n roll

    We're picking one best album from his catalogue though so there can't be many people who know them all and would vote either of those as his best ever, I wouldn't have thought! :) I did think Back To The Egg might have fared a little better though so what do I know? :)
     
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  12. KayNicole

    KayNicole Well-Known Member

    Location:
    USA
    Love 'em ALL!!! So hard to choose a favorite! Ram, New, Flaming Pie, and Red Rose Speedway, personally! :angel::love:
     
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  13. bob chabot

    bob chabot chab

    Location:
    florence, mass
    Ram
     
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  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Or, Flowers In The Dirt.
     
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  15. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Wings was a band.
     
  16. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    My choice with Venus and Mars following closely...
     
  17. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    It was the name of a band and so was Paul McCartney and Wings which was a much more accurate title.
    It put Paul's name in the front and made the Wings sound like his backup group, which is what they were, instead of sounding like his equals with just Wings.
     
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  18. a customer

    a customer Forum Resident

    Location:
    virginia
    I love the beatles . I have every McCartney cd bonus tracks etc through file sharing etc . I can listen to maybe about 30 or 45 minutes of his music . I have tried over and over (dc5) but as Keith Richards says you don't move me.

    Band on the run by a mile ( and its not like I can listen to this album anytime soon). His music goes into a dated style and not a good dated time like beatles stones etc. They just sound dated like flavor of the month The massive hits of wings at the speed of sound kept him at the top for awhile longer.

    Venus and Mars does not hold up for me even though I purchased the remastered version . Listen to what the man said and Sally G are all that I think stand the test of time. When I was young I didn't like the pop hits .They did not rock hard enough. Now they are easily better than the "rockers" hahah He looks a lot like the one used by Jimmy Page (yawn)
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2018
  19. BlueSpeedway

    BlueSpeedway Curated Iconic Half-Speed Picture Disc

    Location:
    England
    Best: Ram

    Favourite: Red Rose Speedway

    :)
     
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  20. Bruce M.

    Bruce M. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hilo, HI, USA
    "Dear Boy" has always struck me as a song that could have been great but that Paul just blew it on the arrangement. The backing vocals so totally overpower the lead that you can't hear or understand anything, and the result is just mush -- mildly interesting mush, but mush nonetheless. I don't think Brian Wilson ever did anything like that. It's a shame, because with the exception of "Too Many People," it's the closest thing to a coherent song on the album.
     
  21. JannL

    JannL Forum Resident

    I fluctuate between Ram and Band on the Run. They are fantastic albums. So I guess it's a tie. I haven't heard all of his albums, though.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2018
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  22. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Wrong, Wings was a band.
     
  23. Isamet

    Isamet Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Was Another Day released on Ram? No it wasn’t. So it’s not part of the album. It’s like considering Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields as part of the original Sgt Pepper release
     
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  24. Audioresearch

    Audioresearch Forum Resident

    R.A.M.
     
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  25. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    No vote from me because I have never been inspired to purchase an album by Macca. I'm surprised and comforted to see that I am missing nothing.
    I know "Band On The Run" was good as it was well played by friends (and even gloryfied by our music teacher). I have "Ram" (a gift that I listened to once and didn't get excited about). I do have Wingspan (found for 5 euros) which I enjoy occasionally. However my favourite is The Fireman's "Electric Arguments". I was surprised by how damn good it is.
     
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