Paul McCartney Archive Collection - 'Forthcoming Releases' [2019+]

It really is a great album, isn't it? One of the few times I have been able to buy a McCartney album where I didn't know any of the songs going into it. I really knew next to nothing about it. Probably couldn't even name any songs off of it. But there were two copies of it at the store (the now defunct Second Hand Rose music) and while I primarily on the hunt of the old Capitol CDs, I realized this too was uncommon, and that I should get it before it's gone and I regret it. Oh, and funny thing is that they also had a copy of Wild Life on Capitol, but it was in the wrong section so I had been going there for months before spotting it. (I did get London Town there too.)

 

The often-told story of my 20 year hate-love relationship with this album is probably too often-told. It's now a favorite, which is all that matters in the end.

 

I fell asleep the first time I listened to it. And also the second time. That probably speaks way more to how tired I was over anything else, but I will say that waking up to However Absurd was a wonderful moment. And the third time I played the album, I quite enjoyed the tracks I had missed!

 

That is actually creation that turns into chaos.

 

@revolution_vanderbilt
@Frank

Sounds like the three of us can lead the charge on this. We're the vanguard.

What's happening with the release of Wild Life bodes well for P2P. All these years, the same people who have been digging on Wild Life are now praising it for the same reason they hated it before. The re-imaging seems to have worked.

If MPL can work magic with Wild Life then they can make P2P truly amazing.

I have never heard anyone say they flat out dislike P2P. At worst it's an album they "just don't get" or it's "not for them".

The key, I think, is that this wasn't a traditional pop/rock album for Paul. Everyone was expecting or wanting some 80s pop syrup. But in typical Paul fashion he went in the opposite direction (a la Wild Life) and that confused people.

P2P is experimental Paul at some of this best. Unlike The Fireman and now Wild Life, it's a release that confusingly people have yet to realize and appreciate.

 

I dislike P2P. There.. I said it.

But I still want the Archive set for it.

 

If they don't put out "London Town"/"Egg" next, I'm gonna have to go on a rampage!

And by "rampage", I mean I'll pout!

Be really interesting to see if they go the "BBB" route and make a 1979 concert the bonus...

 

I absolutely love Press To Play! (with the exception of Talk More Talk)

 

I've got my UK Fame CD of London Town and the original UK CD of Back To The Egg to keep me somewhat content until these are issued on the Archive Series.

 

I went the other way on Wild Life, TBH. I'd always had a soft spot for it because, I guess, I was in a formative place when I first heard it and it kind of embodied and evoked that time for me. But, listening fresh without that emotional attachment, I'm kind of left feeling that it's very slight and kind of pointless as an album. Tomorrow and Dear Friend are perfect songs in my book, but the rest for me goes from bad to heavily qualified good. Not all reevaluations work out the way you want them to. Red Rose was decent for me and remains decent.

The good news for Press to Play (and Back to the Egg) is that I was already the old, jaded and pretty much emotionless guy I am now when I came to love and appreciate them, so they've got nowhere to go but up!

 

My hope is for London Town and Back To The Egg followed by Give My Regards To Broad Street and Press To Play.

Perhaps the Broadstreet and Press sets could have a special limited Return To Pepperland Deluxe Set.

 

We need a Broad Street 4k Blu Ray release.

 

Absolutely. The Concert for NY was - from McCartney's point of view - an absolute cluster. I just finished this section of the book Fab. Heather Mills wanted to take a great deal of credit for his participation in this show, his going on tour, AND the co-authorship of "Freedom" (which would make sense because that song is an absolute turd but I still don't believe her...I put that entire turd on McCartney).

Paul, while a constant visitor to NY with Linda and the family, didn't quite "get" the moment, case in point, "I'm Down". Is that a real selection? Come on, Paul. And then the pushing of his new album. A pretty vile, unforgivable move.

And Driving Rain...well, terrible album from Paul and this is the same guy that released Press To Play, Pipes of Peace, and London Town, never a stranger to mediocre drivel. Diving Rain scrapes the bottom and with the sales numbers what they were, I don't think Paul had a hand in really healing much in the US in 2001/02. He was just there pushing himself into a concert that was really owned by the Who and Mick and Keith.

I love Paul, but this era REALLY gets under my skin.

 

The Heather Mills years were dark times all round, and the music was no exception.
Freedom has to be the worst song he's ever written.

 

I don't feel the same way you do about that era and I really like Driving Rain (now), but if you really want to revel in your negative feelings about McCartney and the Concert for NY I highly recommend Albert Maysles' 2011 documentary The Love We Make. I felt bad for McCartney for how poorly he comes off in it if that tells you anything, and I'm not a guy with a lot of empathy. He's running around trying to get everyone on board with Freedom (another thing I don't mind) and the kindest reaction he gets is one of mildly amused dismissiveness.

 

We need a second Pee-wee Herman Netflix movie . . . but I'm not really sure there is a point to that either.

 

I disagree. Press To Play finds Paul doing the same thing he did with Back To The Egg: taking the trends around him without giving up being pure pop Paul, and the result is a poor second to the competition that inspired him — while still being an enjoyable listen.

But, unlike Back To The Egg, Press To Play followed two LPs that weren't so valued (Pipes Of Peace and Give My Regards To Broadstreet) — and that led to the general feeling that Paul was trying too hard, and it wasn't worth the effort. "Press" in particularly was mocked for including a placeholder line all the way to final version and not being noticed. "Pretty Little Head" was like McCartney doing Pet Shop Boys without any of the additional elements that might have made his audience want to like it. And so on. [It might also explain the critical reception to Choba as an album devoid of all the usual problems and Flowers as the right formula for fixing things.]

Personally, I like the album for its movement forward into the middle of the decade instead of trying to re-create the past as a more serious musician the way Martin wanted to produce him. There are some flaws, but not in the way the later albums have too much material without any variety — here, Paul is still working with the Beatle philosophy all songs can be singles, so make the best one possible. An Archive set would definitely lead to its re-evaluation when it comes.

 

I can't believe I live in a world where Paul's first four albums aren't universally despised. Ram started getting re-evaluation in the 90's, and Neil Young's comments on McCartney helped a lot, but Wild Life?! No way. If you had gone back in time and told me that Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway would see critical approval some day, I'd have laughed at you. With all of that in tow, Press To Play should be a no-brainer. Broad Street might be a harder sell, but Press is a good enough album that it'll pick up these same kinds of "In Defense" and "Hidden Gem" articles.

 

I never liked it either. Bought it when it was first released and was just appalled at the quality of the material. I'm looking forward to the inevitable box set just to hear the songs that weren't good enough to make the album proper. If he thought those songs weren't good enough...

 

Your opinion is noted. I still find very little that is pop on P2P outside of Press. I'm not sure Paul was going for a slam dunk album. If he was, he would have played it safe. P2P is not formulaic Paul. I fee l like he was looking for something slightly different from the mainstream gloss of the times. He had just come off of that with the last couple albums. P2P is definitely in the experimental camp for me.

 

Fantastic!!

 

I think it just gets completely overlooked. Paul's reputation was pretty low after Broad Street, and then there's the whole "comeback" with Flowers and his world tour. Press To Play is also what it is in no small part thanks to Padgham and Eric Stewart. They got Paul to go in a different direction, the same way Elvis Costello would, but it didn't garner such a big reaction so Paul likely deemed it a failure. But really, it's full of great songs and excellent production. Sure, Talk More Talk might be a bit much. And Write Away is pure fluff (but fun!) And the remixes are very entertaining too. Angry with horns? Cool. The Pretty Little Head mixes? Arguably better than the album version. The remix of Only Love Remains? It makes the album version sound more like the rough/early mixes. The It's Not True remix? Well, if I was in charge, I would have put the regular version as a bonus on the CD instead of the remix, but the remix has its merits.

 

I also passed on that movie for the most part but have seen bits and pieces. Can you blame all these people rejecting that song? It's dreadful. And we're not talking about mere mortals like you and I rejecting Paul McCartney on a sing=along version of this song. Elton John can't get out of there fast enough. Elton has done a few things in the business, some also dreadful, so he knows what he's looking at.

The Driving Rain era is the nadir of the Paul McCartney story.

 

I still don't understand the hatred for "Freedom". It's simple, and it's not meant to be anything more. "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You" were simple too.

 

I would say one of his weakest points this century. All other releases were up from that point onward.