POLL: How do you rate Paul McCartney/Wings "London Town" album?

It's so refreshing that someone else shares my fondness for this, my favorite Wings album, and that someone else also noticed the folk vibe that runs through so much of it. The people who dismiss it as "bland synth-pop" must not be listening very closely to the acoustic texture of many of the songs. It sounds like Paul, Linda, and Denny had been listening to the Pentangle, Fairport Convention, and Steeleye Span. I agree that "Mull of Kintyre" would have fit the album perfectly, but I guess it was already pretty jam-packed at almost 52 minutes. "Name and Address" is OK, but IMO, Side 2 would have flowed better with "Deliver Your Children" segued into "Don't Let It Bring You Down" and with
"Mull of Kintyre" closing the album on a mellow note after the frenetic "Morse Moose". "Name and Address" could have been one of those non-album singles Paul is so fond of releasing. As for "Morse Moose", I love it. Although it's a bit zany and surreal, it fits the folk feel of the album, sort of like Uncle Albert and Admiral Halsey singing a sea chantey while sipping Monkberry Moon Delight.

 

Besides the fantastic A/B single bonus tracks, Name And Address, and Cuff Link are the only reason I listen to this album any more.

Lower Tier (but much higher lower tier than most of his other lower tier.)

 

It's a mid-tier album for me. It's got some nice songs on it, but a few underwhelming tracks too. Still, "With A Little Luck" was a staple of those days growing up for me.

 

As with all his post Beatles output he is just marking time musically after coming down from the mountain.

 

Love the album. One of the first records I owned. I think the songs on it are very strong and rate it much higher than Back to the Egg, for example.

 

First off, I'm not a fan of the cover (Paul, Linda and Denny stripped in over a picture of Tower Bridge, once in a swimsuit on the color back cover and once in evening dress on the black and white front) but this is one of Paul's good pot albums. That's an in-joke, you know.

 

Love it. A great album for a rainy day.

 

Like a couple of Macca's albums, I will make it a great/classic one when(if?) 24 bit rolls around and I can substitute Famous groupies and Children children with Waterspout and Girls school in a flac compilation.Lots of great moments on London Town.

 

Clearly one of his best.. though I am admittedly biased. This was one of the first ever new records I owned, at Christmas 36 years ago (gulps! ) I won't say I liked every song equally back then (and some probably not at all, very much) just as there are clear standouts on there IMO, today.

I've introduced the album to a couple of friends over the decades and was glad it became something they requested very often. It IS a bit of an eclectic mixture, but then I always liked to keep things varied to some extent and there's never a track that I skip on it. Never thought of the 'folky' thing until I read this in threads here, shortly after joining the forum.

I'd say it's something like my 3rd favourite by Wings (it varies but the other top contenders are always BOTR, SOS and V&M - in that order, as a rule) and I'd give it 8/10.

 

I can understand why many (including critics and non-fans) don't like this album: it is very, um, mellow. But it has a charm about it that I find very endearing. I wouldn't be without it.

 

Probably my very favorite of his solo albums, and alongside POB as the cream of the ex-Beatles recorded output (of the two I play London Town a lot more as it is more enjoyable, though I respect POB more)
I love every track along with the pastoral feel that about 3/4 of them have.
A masterpiece.

However the video of London Town is ridiculous

 

Like Leftbank and Girlfriend; otherwise it gives the impression that some very potent ganja was consumed - nonsense lyrics and half-arsed ideas a plenty.

 

Flowers in the Dirt has a higher rating than Wife Life ??? to me this is crazy

 

I like the album but it's not his top 5 but there is good material to be found (With A Little Luck, Deliver Your Children, Name And Address and the title track.) Morse Moose And The Grey Goose I could certainly live without. Girls School would have made a better choice to close out the album. Glad Mull Of Kintyre was left off. It does not belong here IMO.

 

One of his finest albums. Throwaway tunes and effortless playing just before he got caught up with the reality of New Wave and (after 1980) being an Ex-Beatle.
Band On The Run has more ambition, Ram has better songs, but London Town is the album I've listened to the most of all McCartney/Wings's output.
A relaxed atmosphere, nice acoustic sounds (Deliver Your Children), fine R 'n B (Girlfriend), some rockin' tunes (Name and Adress, Cafe On The Left Bank) and some sensible synth-sounds (London Town, With A Little Luck).

 

Isn't the term 'throwaway tunes' a negative term, or do you mean it as a compliment?

 

My absolute favorite (I think, with Red Rose Speedway) almost in a tie.

Agree with others on the low-key being attractive. That's what I love about it. I played the Capitol CD (mostly the title track) back when I was a teen in the 90s so much my parents used to plead with me to put something else on. Ha.

Something about it being quintessentially British. Paul really creates an idyllic picture of London Town on the opening track. So Paul. The harmonies. This alternate video (fan made I believe I prefer much more than the official one.)



Whenever I listen intently to the whole of the LP I get incredibly nostalgic about the time i spent in the UK and how I wish I could go back - permanently! But the album on the whole is top notch McCartney imo.

Lots of love for the full version of 'With a Little Luck'. Who doesn't love the synth solo? It gives me goosebumps when I hear it still for the millionth time.

In my youth I was never big on 'Don't Let It Bring You Down' but as I've aged I've come to like it as much as the others. Would've liked to have seen 'Waterspout' included on this, perhaps in place of 'Name and Address' but that's a minor quibble.

10/10

 

The end of an era. Lower tier of his '70s work, which means upper tier overall. A little too long for me, could have been tightened up a bit, but I guess that's all part of its "good pot" charm.

Mull of Kintyre would have been a great closer. With A Little Luck is epic. And yes, the promo video for the title track may be the worst Beatle-related video ever.

 

Beautifully put - I'd add Northern Lights-era Renaissance** and later solo Sandy Denny to that list of contemporary influences too

** Not sure which came first, but that's almost immaterial - there was a strong strand of lush pop-folk in Britain in the mid-late 70s (I'd throw Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush into that mix too).

 

When talking about McCartney: positive! I always love his off-the-cuff, half-finished ditties!
I think he didn't have a real ending for "Name And Adress" and that never stopped me from loving it. Ditto for 'Famous Groupies'.
Can't wait for the vinyl/extended re-release! (2016? 2018?)

 

Absolutely LOVE this album - vastly underrated in Paul's catalogue IMO. But I know some die-hard fans can't warm up to it, so I had to put it at "A pretty solid effort - worth recommending"

Had he added "Waterspout" to the LP, well, IMO, it would be "absolutely essential listening".

Jeff

 

Probably my least favourite Wings albums, but still some great stuff on there.

The trouble with the statement "essential listening for Paul fans" is, if you're a Paul fan, all of his albums are essential listening. It's a fascinating journey.

 

I just bought this a few weeks ago for $1 in the Lp clearance section, in VG+ condition.

 

You are completely correct. I think that it would be interesting if you or someone else started a thread about this genre and period of time in British music. I love basically all of what you aptly described as 'lush pop-folk', and would like to know more about it and find more of it.

 

Not bad - some good/great tracks, but plenty of the usual throwaways