Paul McCartney/Wings-song by song thread

We're finally here!!!!

I Don’t Know: 5/5

What a powerful and emotive way for Paul to start his album. After the atmospheric opener of Station I, we get a treated piano intro to this song. This then leads in to an incredibly emotional and personal song for Paul. It’s almost like he wants to come out of the gate showing how confessional and perhaps cathartic this album could be for him. Here the listener gets quite hooked at this point after being a little unsettled by the moodiness of the track. What !!?? No Big Barn Bed? No Band On The Run? No Getting Closer? We think we are getting set up for a mood or feel and then he follows “I Don’t Know” up with one of his stupidest songs ever. Thanks Paul.

As for the song, we get a simple but incredible drum performance that is so Ringo-like, it’s scary. Paul also provides some prominent bass flourishes in the open space of the song. They seem to get a little more prominent each time too as Paul slowly ramps up his vocals through the song. As we’ll get to in this album, Paul opens up about a lot of his frailties and problems like never before. He was in a dark period after his divorce from Heather. This song seems to point to that period. Crows and dogs and indecision all provide imagery as a backdrop for a rare look at an insecure Paul. This song instantly became one of my absolute favorite Paul tracks. Production-wise, Kurstin comes out of the gate knowing what the hell needs to be done and gets it done right.

 

I Don't Know 10/10

Beautiful intimate song that puts you write in the room with Paul as he sings only to you. I can't think of another song in his catalog that feels so much like it's just Paul saying to you, "Got a minute, want to hear my new one?" Then he just sits down at the piano with you on a stool right there and proceeds to blow you way. The whole world gets to be one-on-one with Paul with this mini-masterpiece.

 

I Don't Know 5 outta 5 yo

 

I Don't Know 5/5

Totally unexpected, Paul at the top of the game again What a great track.
The album is still fresh for me ~ I only bought it some weeks ago.

 

Before we get too far along a fun alternate listening experience that might serve to freshen up your next listen to the album plus all the bonus tracks incorporated, plus a couple surprises added in that aren't listed here:

Egypt Station - The Traveler's Exploration Edition, a playlist by Dr. Pepper on Spotify

The Pre-Opening Trilogy is the beginning of Paul being in that twilight just in the process of waking up and imagining a great story/dream of him being a busker that has just been at a party for Sinatra and needs to get his day started by following Sixty Second Street down to the train station.
Pre-Opening trilogy
"Frank Sinatra's Party"
"Get Started" 3:41
"Sixty Second Street"
Opening track "Opening Station" 0:42
Train is leaving the station on track 5 with 15 passengers in the first car and they are thinking about...

1. "People Want Peace" 2:59 Paul imagines his father being the train conductor and sharing his thoughts of what he thinks the people want.

2. "Back in Brazil" 3:21 A traveler from Brazil planning to return to his homeland.

3. "I Don't Know" 4:27 One of the passengers is questioning life and trying to figure out what to do next.

4. "Dominoes" 5:02 Another passenger contemplates how all the decisions we make in life are like dominoes one leading to the next all effecting each other.

5. "Happy with You" 3:34 An elderly married couple sit close to each other while one of them thinks about the happiness the other has brought into their life, probably Paul and Nancy.

6. "Come On to Me" 4:11 Two passengers flirt with each other as they sit close to each other and try and figure out if the want to pursue something more than flirting.

7. "Despite Repeated Warnings" 6:58 A lively discussion about going in the wrong direction and some of our world leaders taking us places that they have been warned not to go.

8. "Confidante" 3:04 Paul's guitar starts to talk with him about being left out of his life, but maybe it's really Linda in disguise.

9. "Caesar Rock" 3:29 Everyone needs to have that rock in their relationship that is their anchor for Paul now it's probably Nancy.

10. "Who Cares" (Full Length) 5:33 A parent shares with her child how much she cares for the child even though the parent knows the child has been bullied.

Instant love Quadrilogy
11. "In A Hurry" A passenger encouraging another passenger he notices starring at the ground, in a hurry, and not taking the time to celebrate the world around her.
13. "Hand in Hand" 2:35 A young man considers proposing to his young love.
14. "Do It Now" 3:17 The same passenger learning from the woman in the last song emploring everyone on the train to not wait but take action now.
15. "Home Tonight" - Concerned and intrigued by the woman staring at the floor he thinks he should escort her home.

16. Our passengers arrive at "Station II" 0:46
Passengers disembark the train and a busker/dreamstate Paul entertains them with 4 songs, a couple reminding them to give him some money for his performance because you don't get "Nothing for Free" and everyone needs to "Get Enough" to survive.

17. "Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link" 6:22

18. "Nothing for Free" 3:15

19. "Get Enough"

20. "Fuh You" 3:23 A young man tries to explain to his lover that all of the questionable choices he has made are really for her and to try and improve their life together.

P.S. I think this is the only Paul McCartney album ever, where I love every track. Some more than others, but I love them all. And they all work together as a pretty cohesive narrative, that I just outlined for you.

 

In the Blink of an Eye - a beautiful ballad that has similarities to I Want To Come Home. A song that I never heard on any local stations. This song is too good to be just buried in a sound track. 8.5/10

I Don't Know - another beautiful ballad. I first heard this on the Beatles Channel. This is my favorite song on Egypt Station. 8.5/10

 

That's why I secretly incorporated it into the "Egypt Station - The Traveler's Exploration Edition, a playlist by Dr. Pepper on Spotify" playlist above!

 

I Don't Know

The first minute of this track is as good as ES gets and it's very, very good. I just love the piano intro and then the classic Paul vocal melody enters, drawing you right into the song. I'm not a lyrics person but the "I got crows at my window, Dogs at my door, I don't think I can take any more" lines are easily my favourites on ES.

Instrumentally, I particularly like the piano sound and the descending bass sequences at the end of the "I don't think I can take any more" lines, plus there are plenty of other nice little touches. The only downside is the 80s / Jeff Lynne drum sound combined with the sort of pedestrian drumming that sometimes plagues Paul's later songs. Occasionally, I wish he'd just get Abe in to do something more interesting.

Anyhow, for me, this track is definitely a late-career highlight and one of the two outstanding tracks on ES. I'm so glad that for once he used one of the best tracks to promote the album, but why oh why did he not play this live?

I'll very happily give it a low 4.5/5.

 

Opening Station
An OK way to open the album, but nothing special either
(2.5/5)

I Don't Know
This is an excellent song. Great piano and it builds well. Paul's voice is fine. One of the best songs on the album.
(4.5/5)

 

Come and Get It

A collaboration with Hollywood Vampires. It's a powerful version of a fantastic song.

Lyrics:

If you want it, here it is, come and get it
Make your mind up fast
If you want it, anytime, I can give it
But you better hurry 'cause it may not last

Did I hear you say
That there must be a catch?
Will you walk away
From a fool and his money?

If you want it, here it is, come and get it
But you better hurry 'cause it's goin' fast

If you want it, here it is, come and get it
Make your mind up fast
If you want it, anytime, I can give it
But you better hurry 'cause it may not last

Did I hear you say
That there must be a catch?
Will you walk away
From a fool and his money?

Sonny, if you want it, here it is, come and get it
But you'd better hurry 'cause it's going fast
You'd better hurry 'cause it's going fast
Fool and his money, Sonny

If you want it, here it is, come and get it
But you'd better hurry 'cause it's goin' fast
You'd better hurry 'cause it's goin' fast
You'd better hurry 'cause it's goin' fast


Credits:

Album: Hollywood Vampires
Produced by Bob Ezrin
Written by Paul McCartney
Bass, Piano, Vocals by Paul McCartney
Background Vocals, Vocals by Alice Cooper
Guitars by Joe Perry
Background Vocals, Guitars by Johnny Depp
Background Vocals by Bob Ezrin
Background Vocals, Drums by Abe Laboriel Jr.
Recorded at Anarchy Studios, Los Angeles
Engineered by Bruce Witkin, Justin Cortelyou, Tommy Henriksen
Mixed by Bob Ezrin, Justin Cortelyou
Mastered at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles
Mastered by Robert Vosgien
Label: Republic Records
Release Date: September 11, 2015
Length: 2:59 minutes

Song:

 

More about Come and Get It...

Behind the scenes:

 

More about Come and Get It...

Alice Cooper On Working With Paul McCartney On A Tribute Album To "Dead, Drunk Friends" John Lennon:

 

More about Come and Get It...

1969

Studio Demo:

 

More about Come and Get It...

1969

Anthology 3 version:

 

More about Come and Get It...

1969

Evolution:

 

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1969

Badfinger version:

 

More about Come and Get It...

Finally,

First Live performance, Bologna, Italy (November 26, 2011):

 

In The Blink Of An Eye

A beautiful song with a heartfelt performance, sweet vocals, and intimate melody. The arrangement is fantastic and has a perfect piano intro and clean acoustic sound. In the end, it's a great composition, a pure McCartney creation.

Lyrics:

I can see your shadow
Underneath the moon
Maybe a winter cloudburst
Heading this way soon

In the blink of an eye
Many songs have been sung
Many lives have gone by
We will never give up
We will hold on to love
With no reason to cry

(Interlude)

In the blink of an eye
Many songs have sung
Many lives have gone by
We will never give up
We will hold on to love
With no reason to cry


Credits:

Album: Ethel & Ernest Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Written and Performed by Paul McCartney
String Arrangement by Carl Davis
Executive Production by Paul McCartney
Produced by Chris Egan
Recorded by Steve Orchard, Eddie Klein, Keith Smith and Jamie Kirkham at Hot Hill Mill, Sussex
Paul McCartney: Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Bass, Piano, Harpsichord and Synths
Orchestra Arranged by Cris Egan and recorded by Matt Bertram at Angel Studios, London
Engineered by Matt Bertram
Assistant engineer by Jeremy Murphy
Additional programming by James Howe
Mixed by Tristan Francis at Chris Egan Music
Published by MPL Communications,Inc.
Label: Decca
Release Date: October 28, 2016
Length: 3:20 minutes

 

Opening Station
McCartney begins the journey sitting on the train in the station as he contemplates at a crossroads in his life.

I Don’t Know (9/10)

“I’ve got crows at my window, dogs at my door”. McCartney’s weighing his confidence and it’s lightweight. But look at this first line of the album. If crows were as in ‘crow’s feet’ and window was ‘the eye is the window to the soul’, then Paul McCartney has one of his greatest ever lyrics of his 50-year solo career. Maybe I’m reading too much into it but if he thought of this, it’s sheer brilliance. If it’s true, this song is about aging.

The darkest, uncertain depression ever to begin a Paul album. “Lonely Road” at least had some anger in it while this is sorrow and confusion. The piano lines are gorgeous, some of the best he’s ever done. But Paul sounds so sad it’s like he played each note with teardrops pressing down on the keys for the heartaching melody.

By the final verse, Paul’s confidence is up a little as he tries to end positively like he did but he can’t fight time like he used to so when he gets back on his feet, he may not enjoy it as long. “But it’s alright, sleep tight, I will take the strain, you’ll find love of mine” – he’s talking to himself that he doesn’t love himself but he will soon. But first he has “so many lessons to learn”. The song builds some and speeds up to midtempo but it’s so blue. John Lennon had a song “I Know” when he was down in 1973 and now Paul has “I Don’t Know” when he’s down 45 years later.

 

Before I comment on I Don't Know, a few words about Egypt Station overall: The longer I live with it, the more I feel this is Paul's best post-Beatles album. It's one where all the aspects of his talent come together -- gorgeous melodies, intriguing and thoughtful lyrics, and beautifully calibrated arrangements that bring out the best in each song (some credit clearly goes to Kurstin here) -- while his worst tendencies are mostly kept in check. It's not precisely a concept album, but it's probably as close as Paul has come to creating one. Themes keep recurring -- the passage of time, the decisions you make along the way -- and the songs play off of each other in interesting and surprising ways. The thing is a damn masterpiece.

It took me a while to appreciate I Don't Know. The first couple listenings, it just kinda bounced off me -- it seemed okay, but nothing special. It's not an instant grabber like some of Macca's stuff. But I've come to appreciate its subtle brilliance. Occupying emotional space Paul doesn't venture into a lot -- fighting against self-doubt -- it starts off with that lovely, delicate piano intro, and all through Paul's bass keeps doing interesting things, subtly enhancing the mood. The excellent lyrics are always working in harmony with the music, each enhancing the mood and feel of the other.

This track really brings home for me Paul's skill as an instrumentalist. It's not technical virtuosity -- there are plenty of bass and keyboard players with more dazzling chops -- but he has an extraordinary ability to play in a way that captures and enhances the song's mood. Listen to that piano intro -- it's lonely, lost, fragile, played in almost a whisper. A bit later that same piano part comes back, but now it's played with a completely different feel as the mood of the song becomes more determined and decisive.

The guy is just really, really good at this stuff. An excellent song on an jaw-droppingly great album.

 

I'd never heard this version. I love it!!!!

 

Well , enjoy ! A truly great McCartney album.
Bought it on release , liked it immediately. Macca's fresh and alive , the way he should be , the way we want him to be. Melodic , sweet and rockin'
I've been putting off playing 'Egypt Station for some time now in anticipation of this discussion of it. But I'm playing it now and it's sounding fantastic.

 

I've stayed with this thread at least partly to reach this album. I feel like Paul really put it all together with this one. He pulled out all the stops from the cover and crazy accordion design of the CD to each song having something unique to say, but being integral to moving the whole album forward.

 

I Don't Know, classic emotive Macca ballad. 5/5
Egypt Ststion is a fine late period Macca album rolling in all the aspects of him that we love (some cheese) and all.

 

I have not seen this one. Like I mentioned before, a concert from McCartney with all the songs he gave away would be amazing.