POLL: How do you rate Paul McCartney/Wings' "Wild Life" album?

I hunted down the original UK press to get a "good copy". I love this album, great vibe, if a bit underwritten.

 

One of his top 5 albums.

 

I put Wildlife at or near the toppermost of my Paul McCartney poppermost. Like Mazzy, easily top five for me. I've defended the album a zillion times here, so here's a cut and paste from one of the other Wildlife discussions, plus a few added thoughts:

I bought Wildlife when it was first released. I was pretty disappointed that "Beatle Paul"would release an album with things like "Bip Bop", out of tune harmony singing from Linda and out of tune guitars in places. This from the guy who's work was previously pretty immaculate and professional sounding, harmony vocal-wise, etc.
As I mentioned in a different thread, it was almost as if Paul was thumbing his nose at me/us..saying , "I'm "Paul McCartney" like this or lump it". I was tepid about the album originally . I liked about half of it when it was released. Abbey Road this ain't, and that album was only about 18 months earlier, so for this Beatles fan a little attitude adjustment was in order I guess.
Now, all these years later, Wildlife is one of my favorite's of Paul's, except for the song "Wildlife" itself, which still annoys me.

I've learned to enjoy it's low key nature and the CD bonus tracks really ARE a bonus on this release, rather than just filler. It's a refreshing listen for me. Plus it really sounds immediate and full. Nice fat bass, and not much studio sheen/over production except for "Dear Friend" which I've always liked. I've always loved "Oh Woman Oh Why" and "Mumbo" sounds like it's musical brother or something. And, as I mentioned in yet another previous thread , I'll bet John would have loved to have joined Paul working on "Mumbo", gleefully adding more chaos to the track.

 

I picked solid effort, I actually quite like it, second to Band on the Run but not far above Ram.

 

Not Bad -- it's an album that really grew on me.

 

i like both "wild life" & "red rose speedway" better then "band on the run"

 

Which side?

Side 1 - almost totally unlistenable crap

Side 2 - pretty good (but definitely not great)

 

Voted "lower-tier." Though I do like more than two songs on it, I wouldn't recommend more than "Dear Friend" and "Some People Never Know" to someone who wasn't as big a Paul fan as me. "Bip Bop" kind of moves pleasantly and seems an audio counterpart to the pastoral album cover. "Mumbo" is stupid fun with great drumwork.

The other songs are weak, and "Wild Life" and "I Am Your Singer" surprisingly bad. I used to like "Tomorrow," but I find it wears thin after a few listens.

 

The only song I actually like is "Love Is Strange" but it goes on way too long and sounds like a rough run through in spots. Paul took this cake out of the oven too early. Terrible album.

 

I've always loved it. It took getting used to at the time, but I love the songs, only a couple go on a bit IMO but all in all a nice stoned groove here and there.

 

The negative hype about this record kept me away from it for decades. Finally picked up a copy ten or so years ago and immediately liked it a lot - in fact loved quite a bit of it. Tomorrow, Love Is Strange, Dear Friend, and Wild Life are favorites. One of the reasons I go to this record a lot more than most of his later (post-1982 or so) work has to do with the instrumentation and recording: there's an early 70s vibe here that I far prefer to the the 80s/90s vibe on the records he made then (click tracks, overdubbing into oblivion, etc.).

 

Thanks to this poll, today was the first time in years I've listened to this album, "Mumbo" and "Bip Bop" being the two main reasons.

Having done that, I'd rate it "A pretty solid effort."

I think this is the only Macca album where the second half (the Linda side) is way stronger than the first half (the Paul side), though I do like the reggae cover of "Love Is Strange", so the first side isn't a total loss.

Since I did Uncut Ultimate Music Guide rankings last time with McCartney, for Wild Life, here are my rankings:

Mumbo - *
Bip Bop - **
Love Is Strange - ****
Wild Life - **

Some People Never Know - ****
I Am Your Singer - ****
Tomorrow - *****
Dear Friend - *****

 

A pretty solid effort for me

 

I've always thought of this record as 'Organic', like organic vegetables straight out of the ground, not washed, clumps of dirt hanging off and the faint smell of manure.
I think that covers all the angles about this record historically in reviews AND it explains the rise in its popularity.
Now all that remains is for Paul to put it out in an edition labelled 'ORGANIC' (or just 'Archive Edition') and people will be prepared to pay 700% more for it than they did in the seventies.

What's not to love?

 

Was out walking on this beautiful fall day and I had a thought (probably not original, but my failing memory protects my conscience from worries of plagiarism!) about the Wild Life album. I wonder if Paul was trying to right the wrongs committed by Phil Spector on the Let It Be project and make an album truly as nature intended. Paul's failing was that he forgot to write some songs before he went in to record. Oh, and he also used overdubs...

 

Voted B. This was the last McCartney studio album I picked up, hell I got Broad Street before Wild Life, based on all the reviews trashing Wild Life, I think I picked it up in 2005. At the time I wasn't overwhelmed by the album but over the last decade I've really come to love it. So many great songs, Tomorrow, Some People Never Know, the title track, Dear Friend and I love the bands take on Love Is Strange, really funky version. Even songs like Mumbo and Bip Bop are made good due to the sheer joy you hear in the music. The production is sparse, and that really helps the album, I don't think it would be as good if it were recorded like Ram was, with studio musicians. The roughness adds to the charm, and really the songs aren't even that rough.

I love McCartney, and of course Ram as well, but Wild Life sounds to me like the first album where Paul is actually having fun making a record, he's not trying to prove anything and it just sounds natual. I would have a tough time recommendng the album to a Paul/Wings newbie, but for anyone looking to dig a little deeper than the hits, it would be in my top 5 Paul/Wings albums to recommend.

 

Rate it?
Option 2.
This album and RRS,he still had a bit of beatles aura about him.

 

I have the pre-bonus track version of Wild Life. I would place it as my 5th or 6th favorite McCartney album. It's an album where McCartney is developing a new sound, after the Beatles breakup. I can't think of any other McCartney album like it. It is an essential album for me, but like many before me I could not recommend it to a newbie because it is a very quirky album. What I like about it is the quirkiness, but like the Beach Boys Smiley Smile album you just don't get it until you start mining the tracks and listen to it a few times.

I voted Not Bad.

 

It has a lot of charm, and I find myself listening to it often. Wild Life, Ram, and Red Rose Speedway are my favorite post-Beatle McCartney albums.

 

Grown to like it more over the years, but my reaction in 1971 was one of horror! As much as I also loved John's music, I often found myself in Paul's corner when in heated debate over their 'solo merits' while at secondary school. I'd pitched Ram against Imagine and Another Day against Power To The People, but to no avail. Generally, my schoolmates were always in Lennon's camp! "You'll see!" I protested. "Just wait until McCartney's new one... it'll be even better than Imagine!" I warned. Weeks later and the moment arrived. I still remember putting Wild Life on the turntable and my heart sinking further and further with every song. As I say, I've grown to appreciate Mumbo now for what it is - 4 minutes of Paul's brilliant rock & roll vocals and a new band getting it on - but back then it was just a lousy song. Bip Bop was fluff of the highest order and Love Is Strange seemed ok, but an Everly Brothers cover? What was going on?? The Wild Life song itself failed to lift my spirits after which I sullenly turned the vinyl over (in fact I'd still say Wildlife has the worst 1-2-3 opening numbers of any of his albums). Side two improved I thought - although a bit of pruning on the lengths of songs like Some People Never Know and Dear Friend wouldn't have gone amiss. Anyway, I knew I'd be dodging the flak when my school mates got around to hearing it (and of course until Band On The Run, I'd better be getting used to it!)
All these years later, my harsh 1971 viewpoint has softened somewhat - maybe it summons nostalgic memories of those 'McCartney bashing' school mates - but it still seems just too ramshackle?

 

Lots of Sir Paul fans on this forum - how do you rate this album? I must say I never reach for it........

 

It's quite highly anticipatted on here for an Archive release.

Have to say it would be towards the bottom of my list for the latter. It's not horrible or anything, but he's done far better.

 

I would post a link to a past thread about this, but there are so many I'm not sure which to choose.

 

It IS horrible or anything. Amateurish.

 

Technically by Wings (not even PM&Wings)

Among the 3 Paul and/or Wings albums I play the most. Along with Ram amd London Town.

I find the rawness and exuberance refreshing. It is everything Back to the Egg failed to be.