Paul McCartney/Wings-song by song thread

His album covers since the "chair" one haven't been so bad.

 

Oh ! That's one of the worst covers in rock music history. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Dealing only with the albums so far discussed , I' d say ' Ram' was the worst album cover. With 'Speed of Sound' a close second.
Have I already said this here? It's all becoming a BeatlesLennonMcCartney HarrisonStarrgroupsoloalbumssingles blur.

 

Just a few of us longtime curmudgeons who think McCartney II is an embarrassment. But the cloud will lift with the next album in line.

 

and i like the album cover. I imagine that's the face most listeners made when they first heard Temporary Secretary lol

 

The next sure will gets is dues. Even from curmudgeons, But first we have to go with one more beaty from the McCartney sessions that Id bet You don t like

 

Next one
Check my machone
With this b/side to Waterfalls we say goodbye to the McCartney II sessions for now
This one is mainly Paul check-in out his gear and gettin a bit wild and crazy on the way. Punctiated by a great riff that goes on and one-Paul does several voices during the trip
I have always enjoyed listening to tjos one -it s fun and exitng. Soundwise it s way before it s time.

 

I like II’s cover.
The sand colour and multi-lit close-up capture the album’s mood real well.

 

I love "Check My Machine". Terrific tune with one of Paul's best basslines ever.

 

Check My Machine:
Really catchy tune that instantly sticks in your head.
However, as an experiment it has to take a backseat to Secret Friend as it’s a bit more limited in it’s scope.

Now, will the Lunch Box/Odd Sox lynch mob fess up?

 

Good morning all you horseriders

Two b-sides I forgot:
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reggae 1.5/5 ~ A throwaway track, for a christmas single b-side ok.
Coming Up (Live) 4/5 ~ I prefer the album version but this is a great energetic live rendition.

Check My Machine 5/5
One of my favourite Macca deep tracks - often the first song on McCartney mix-tapes I create for friends. Very very very funky. "Check My Machine" and "Secret Friend" (edited?) should have been regular album tracks!

 

Paul had done lots of extravagant "event' shots or location shots or big name photographer shots for his album covers up to this point. His albums were big deals and there needed to be something grand on the cover to go along with it.

I like how he kept it very low key, almost underground, for the McII album cover. Even the fact that he's just in a plain white tshirt lends to this theory. It fits the style of the album. Just him. Nothing extravagant. No exotic recording studios or big press events. Just Paul.

I haven't figured out the goofy face yet but it could be no simpler than the fact that Paul does a LOT of funny faces in photos. He likes to ham it up. Or it could be symbolic of him getting caught recording this album on the quick and aside from his existing band which he had not dissolved yet.


And I do not agree about the covers to date. I thought they were all great and fit the albums well.

 

I love Check My Machine & can’t help but think that Damon Albarn used it as a template for most of his Gorillaz output.

 

True
I think Gorilsz once put boy check my machine and Darkroom on a mixtape. The music from McCartneyII have been more influential than is generally known

 

Banjo in a funky groove? Only McCartney. Love this one!

 

Check My Machine: 4/5 I think the album would have been much improved if this track was added in place of one of the weaker tracks but I get Paul wanted to balance things out a bit on the album. There’s not much to this track but it’s got a killer groove to it. I also like the Looney Tunes intro.

 

Check My Machine (2/10)

I think this is his worst experiment - as the title indicates, there is little ambition and despite a really good funk bass line, the Chipmunk voice is highly annoying for me and at over 5 minutes, I have a hard time hearing this all the way through. I prefer "Kreen Akrore" to something this repetitive. How many times can you sing 'check my machine, check it out'? I don't mind the high pitch vocals on any other track and I liked the electronics on everything but this one has become a bore to me. It's the repetition without the changeups or beautiful landscape "Secret Friend" had. As a composition, it's poor.

 

Damon is a fan of Paul, and asked him to perform 'Coming Up' and 'Goodnight Tonight' with Africa Express, so he is obviously aware of Paul's output from 1979/1980, but has he ever mentioned 'McCartney 2' ? I'd love to know if he mentions it as an influence on early Gorillaz work.

 

Check My Machine

A testing machine recording transformed in an ode to improvisation, freedom and construction of one of the most experimental mix of sounds with a terrific bassline and crazy vocals. Bravo!!!

Lyrics:

(Spoken) Hi, George
Morning, Terry
Hi, George
Morning, Terry
Ooooeee
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

(Spoken) Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones
But Names Will Never Hurt Me

Check My Machine
Check Check Check Check Check My Machine
Check My Machine
Check Check Check Check Check My Machine

(Repeat) -

I Got A Woman A Long Time Ago
I Had Trouble
I Want You To See What You Can See

Check My Machine
Check Check Check Check Check My Machine
Check My Machine
Check Check Check Check Check My Machine

(Ad Lib)

I Want You To Check Check Check Check Check My Machine Check Check Check Check Check My Machine

(Ad Lib)
Check Check Check Check Check My Machine

Credits:

Produced by Paul McCartney
Written by Paul McCartney
Banjo, Bass, Drums, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mixing, Percussion, Shaker, Synthesizers, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Eddie Klein: Mixing assistant
Label: Parlophone
Release Date: June 13, 1980
Recorded at Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK / Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland / EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Length: 5:53 minutes

 

More about Check My Machine...

Full Length Version (8:59 minutes):

 

More about Check My Machine...

On 1988 the song was sampled by Dj Cuca:

 

That live performance is really cool. That African guitarist is incredible & Damon can’t contain his excitement at having Macca on stage; he’s bouncing all over the place like a hyperactive loon.

 

I was so excited when I found out about it, and the song choice was fantastic! I would love for Paul to work with Damon, I think that they could produce a fantastic mix of Paul's more experimental work and 'McCartney 2' with what Damon creates as Gorillaz.

 

Full disclosure: I am a big fan of Paul's 70s output, with occasional quibbles. I've actively participated along the way on this thread and have gone back to revisit a lot of great music (though my opinions haven't really revised!!)

I full out don't like M2. The reasons are plenty which I won't go into here.

I felt like that this thread has been pretty positive and without conflict and felt better to go along the likes of "if you can't say anything nice..."

So I've refrained, jumped off the train a bit. Maybe others have? Like I said, I don't mean to say any of this with ill intent. Just don't want to have to explain myself over and over against the tide of optimism for M2 and get cast as a negative, nor rain on others parade.