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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a man doing a job-to make music for the fans, 17 Nov 2006
This review is from: Flaming Pie (Audio CD)
Right from Day 1 the critics in one form or another sit behind their desks and push their pens.The World awaits for the judgment from these one time-rock-wannabbes-who-failed and its as if this is the County Court. McCartney is on trial for a possible failure to communicate and as evidence here's the sales figures from his last album.Members of the Jury make your deliberations..... The jury returns and the verdict is announced.Rubbish Yes we've heard it so many times.When it happenned with RAM the result was a chart topper. So its sales figures which say whether an album is good,bad or indifferent? Nothing to do with a composer who plucks notes out of the air,turns them into songs not even like any of his others and is able to convince millions he did the right thing? I don't think I'd like to be a rock critic as I'm biased for one thing.I don't think I could say anything about Radiohead-why are their albums selling more than McCartneys-they are boring. You've got to realise that McCartney has fingers in many (flaming) pies.His ambient and classical output for instance-something which began as far back as the mid 60s and "The Family Way". This is an album which brings together many names from Beatles days.Its there for anybody who wants it.Sometimes albums don't need to sell in millions to prove their greatness-McCartney's already done that both collectively and individually. And its also worth bearing in mind McCartney's penchant for reconstructing the Beatles songs or even his own later ones.Here's where Mccartney makes some of the best Beatles Cover Versions-after all he's the custodian of the legacy-the Keeper of the Flame. As the Stones struggle to recapture former glories McCartney does it effortlessly with every album With every new album you know he'll keep on trying something new,influenced by everything around him-even his son growing up
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
McCartney's best solo album., 18 Jun 2007
This review is from: Flaming Pie (Audio CD)
The release of "memory almost gone" made me revisit my other McCartney albums, one of which is this total gem. Flaming Pie was written during Linda's (then private) tragic battle with cancer, and it's an album about all the things that are good in life: love, hope, reconciliation, friends and, indeed, partying. that McCartney made such an intimate album as this, is quite amazing. his songs have never been more honest, and never more pointnant. this is an album which gently moves from one mood to the next, dealing with his wife's struggle with cancer not in a pessimistic way, but by making the most of every possible moment. there are some obvious tracks which are classic latter-day McCartney - the 60's rocker "Young Boy" and the almost-Lennon homage "Flaming Pie" with the near-nonsense-yet-strangely-meaningful lyrics and the classic McCartney piano-bashing. but it's the songs that are indirectly (or directly) about his family which are the most memorable. "Little Willow", "Heaven on A Sunday" and "Calico Skies" are tender, calm intimate portraits which are quite moving. It feels like a family effort, indeed Linda provides some backing-vocals on one of the tracks, and McCartney's son, James provides some rather good guitar on a couple of them. Other guests invited round are steve miller and jeff lynne, but most special of all, to complete the old-boys reunion, ringo and george martin pop round for a bit of back-beat drumming and some fantastic orchestral arrangements. McCartney himself plays a lot of the instruments too - couple of tracks feature him playing nearly everything - there's a great sense of fun and 'just try it' attitude as if he felt the songs would work whatever. and they really do. He clearly enjoyed himself making this, despite the obvious adversity at home. A testament to his optimism and character if ever there was one. you get a lot of 'up-close-and-personal' moments with just McCartney and his acoustic guitar - which are really rather effective. "Great Day" is a short little footnote after the superb "Beautiful Night" - a wind down to the latter's bombast and mayhem, and ends the album on a thoroughly optimistic tone. Can't resist a word on "Beautiful Night": It's one of those great tracks that starts off well and just improves. A really strong piano part leads into a gorgeous ballad which soars away and then back down to earth, and then - slam! - into a classic McCartney rock-out with a superb George Martin horn and string arrangement and some great guitar and general mayhem for good measure. when I first bought this album 10yrs ago, "Beautiful Night" rapidly became one of my favourite songs. 10yrs on, nothing's changed - only now this album has become one of my all time favourites. Truly, an album that grows, and has lasted the test of time.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
His best solo work, 2 Feb 2005
This review is from: Flaming Pie (Audio CD)
This is probably Macca's best solo album. Probably his best post-Beatles album, including Wings material. That's quite a statement to make, i know. But it really is. As he says himself in the sleeve notes, he made this after making the anthology stuff and it reminded him of the standards the Beatles used to reach. The inspiration comes through on this record. The simple songs are the best, the little acoustic ditties, its back to basics stuff. Ringo picks up the sticks for a jam, George Martin helps add a few touches. It feels warm, tranquil somehow. Calico Skies written as a round the campfire number written during a storm, Young boy about his son James growing up, Little Willow about a...tree. You know, stuff like that. It's nostalgic, its warm, its melodic, someone who knows who he is.
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