Paul McCartney Archive Collection - Tug Of War & Pipes Of Peace coming! (Part Two)

As far as I know, all three songs were from before or during the Martin sessions, and No Values actually predates them:



I think that Paul was fed-up of being in Wings, and he didn't want to produce his own album, and he must have thought that it was long enough since the Beatles split to work with Martin again on a full album. John's death must have made him want to release a successful and quality 'statement' album and in George Martin he knew he had someone he could trust.

 

These songs work together so well, they truly do sound like they were recorded at the same time with the same people involved, and many regular length albums don't sound like that. I think the original problem was that they generally pulled out the cream of the crop and put it on Tug, leaving the rest for Peace, but Tug still has a couple lower rung songs on it. Tug has classics, highs, mid level songs and a couple of lows, while Peace has no real classics, a couple highs, lots of Mid level, and it's lows aren't as low as the lows on Tug. By putting this mishmash together on one double album the classic songs from tug and the highs from both albums help bring up the mid level material and mask the lows to make a more enjoyable listening experience, IMHO.

 

Thanks for being a good sport.

 

I personally love every song on Tug (as you know ), but I do agree with you; the strengths and weaknesses of both get equalled out when they are placed together. I suppose that the White album is another example of this theory.

 

Thanks for posting the link! Never heard this version and I love the song.... it pulls me in even this rough version

 

Yes, but my question is was George Martin really involved with three individual album sessions or just one marathon session that became three albums?

 

Too late, dude--the word is out and it's all we can think about!

 

Ah, I see. As far as I know, they were more or less continuous sessions that evolved into the three separate projects. These links contain a lot of info:

http://www.jpgr.co.uk/pctc259.html

http://www.beatlesbible.com/people/paul-mccartney/albums/pipes-of-peace/

 

I'm blushing.

 

One thing I have always disliked about this site is the guy concentrates on the UK alone and ignores many solo CD's not released in England.

 

Mostly on-topic, my friend pulled out his Take It Away/I'll Give You A Ring single, after we were singing it in the car. And I was reminded of how interesting the production is. The melody sounds very much like seventies Paul, but a lot of the sounds are very much in line with his eighties George Martin era. The bass tone matches the tone used on the Tug Of War album. Likewise, the backing vocals sound very polished and strong, likely thanks to Eric Stewart who brought his style to Paul and (with the help of Linda) gave the albums their distinctive backing vocals. It's a great little song and it's wonderful that it FINALLY gets a digital release.

The a-side isn't half bad either...

 

Weird that people think a double album should have been released. He did it the way he wanted to and was rewarded with massive success at least in his home country with 3 singles that reached 1 or 2 (and then another no. 2 on Broadstreet). That is enough justification for McCartney. Putting it all out together would have been commercial suicide.

 

I am not in any way attacking what he did, or denying his massive commercial success in the early to mid 80's; I merely think that one double album may have been even more well received than Tug followed by the critically unpopular POP.

 

I think he wanted to make some sort of artistic statement with Tug of War and that would have been lost or at least diluted by releasing a double. I don't think he really tried as hard again until Chaos and Creation which was the next time he worked with a great producer.

 

So are there any differences in the covers of Tug of War? Never had a UK LP but, what with the subtle variations in covers on BOTR, V&M, SoS and WOA, I was just thinking...

Maybe all the reds and blues on some covers are flipped on the others?


Yes, I'm bored tonight...

 

I found this reply to one of the customer reviews: "To clarify, the regular edition sold by Amazon does not include a CD or slipcase. Glyn Morris, Dalton Watson Fine Books".

 

Well said. I agree 100%.

 

I think his artistic statement would have been strengthened and highlighted with a double album release. He was trying to juxtapose Peace and War, and he diluted the message by splitting it between two albums that were released multiple years apart. I don't know of anyone besides us diehards that even sees much less understands the connecting chords between the two albums and their messages. Also Pipes didn't sell nearly as well as Tug, so combining the two at a higher retail price may have even been more successful financially, though I'll give you it would have sold fewer copies. It would definately would have been seen as more of a statement, being his only solo double studio album. I also think the words war and peace would have made an interesting link back to Tolstoy with comparisons to the length and quality of the book and the double album.

 

Since when does "1" equal "multiple", Dr? I take it your degree is not in Mathematics?

 

A double LP (WAR AND PEACE)
Timing -- maybe release Ebony and Ivory / What's That You're Doing as a stand-alone in spring '82 and save this for winter - so we can include the 3 Broad Street numbers...

I'd envision
2/82 Ebony and Ivory/What's That You're Doing
single

9/82
No More Lonely Nights
single

10/82 War and Peace album

12/82
Take It Away
single

Side One
1. Tug of War
2. Take It Away
3. Someone Who Cares
4. Keep Under Cover
5. Rainclouds
6. Here Today
Side Two (we'll make this the killer side)
1. No Values
2. No More Lonely Nights
3. Not Such a Bad Boy
4. Get It/Be What You See (link)
5. The Pound Is Sinking
6. Wanderlust
Side Three
1. Ballroom Dancing
2. I'll Give You a Ring
3. The Other Me
4. Ode To a Koala Bear
5. So Bad
6. Through Our Love
Side Four
1. Dress Me Up As a Robber
2. Seems Like Old Times
3. Sweetest Little Show/
4. Average Person
5. Tug of Peace (it works in this context)
6. Pipes of Peace

Tug of War is much better as a single album - but this is interesting -- quite a stretch.

 

Yeah, didn't check, but I was thinking 1981 and late 1983. Was I wrong?

 

Are you ever right?

Just kidding, my fellow Northwesterner!!



Apr 82 and Oct 83, I believe.

 

I'll assume it will be a glowing blue box.

 

Seemed like forever for me. Tug of War was released my senior year of high school. Pipes of Peace was during my second year of college. Developmentally for me ages apart!