"There's more than "hits?"" [1983-1997]

This is part two of my admittedly hurried assessment of Paul McCartney's better music once you take away all the overexposed hits.

1983.  Pipes Of Peace.

Everybody knows:  Say Say Say [unfortunately] and possibly So Bad

What you should know:  Pipes Of Peace and So Bad

Comment:  Of all Paul's releases, this is one of his two or three least enjoyable.  Much too slick and WAY too much Michael Jackson.  Other than "Pipes Of Peace" and "So Bad," I don't care for much on here.

1984.  Give My Regards To Broad Street.

Everybody knows:  No More Lonely Nights

What you should know: every single one of his Beatle and solo reinterpretations and Not Such A Bad Boy.

Comment:  The great divide.  Critics panned the crap out of it, saying he coasted--I guess.  I absolutely love this album.  The Beatle songs he revisits sound very warm and intimate.  Paul always hated what Phil Spector did to "The Long And Winding Road," and here Paul takes an opportunity to reveal something closer to his original idea.  Mac also revisits tracks from his solo catalogue here:  and they almost all improve.  Take this album for what it is:  an interesting reminder of what it means to be the greatest pop composer ever approaching middle age.

1986.  Press To Play.

Everybody knows:  Spies Like Us [non-album track], Press, Only Love Remains and maybe Stranglehold

What you should know:  Good Times Coming/Feel The Sun, Footprints, Move Over Busker, Angry, However Absurd, It's Not True, Write Away, and Tough On A Tightrope

Comment:  Another album that most critics didn't really care for.  Even Paul himself is on record as saying he doesn't care for it.  I like it a lot: it's one of my top five Macca albums.  Of course, there's no objectivity here: this album always rekindles memories of being sixteen, driving around in my first car, listening to this cassette and enjoying the first flush of freedom that comes with having both wheels and raging hormones.

1988. Choba B CCCP.

Everybody knows: probably nothing.  Initially this was a Soviet-only release and was belatedly released in the U.S. three years later sans single support.

What you should know:  Kansas City, I'm In Love Again, Bring It On Home To Me, and Crackin' Up.

Comment:  Low-key and rootsy, these tracks are all a good time.  Listen especially for Crackin' Up, one of only two tracks in the set where Paul plays guitar and not bass.  A splendid reminder that he indeed started out on guitar, his picking crackles with energy.

1989.  Flowers In The Dirt.

Everybody knows:  My Brave Face, Figure Of Eight, This One, Put It There

What you should know:  Rough Ride, You Want Her Too, We Got Married and the non-album track Flying To My Home

Comment:  Generally hailed as a return to form, it is indeed a very good album...but not a great one.  The second half in particular lags.  The collaborations with Elvis Costello sound vital and the David Gilmour guitar work on "We Got Married" sounds like, well, David Gilmour.  A little synth heavy in places, but satisfying.

1993.  Off The Ground.

Everybody knows:  Hope Of Deliverance, Biker Like An Icon

What you should know:  Off The Ground, Mistress & Maid, Golden Earth Girl and the non-album track Cosmically Conscious

Comment:  The synths aren't quite as thick here, compared to its' predecessor, and as a result it sounds earthier.  A good listen, but not a classic.  By this time, this was a "typical" album for Paul in that he effortlessly seemed to turn out very good, but not great, work.

1997.  Flaming Pie.

Everybody knows:  The World Tonight

What you should know:  Young Boy, Calico Skies, Really Love You and especially the gorgeous Beautiful Night.

Comment:  Perhaps energized by his experience with the Beatles Anthology project, this album has spirit that several previous albums lacked.  This is a very good album, maybe a great one.  Appearances include Jeff Lynne, Ringo and Steve Miller.  Highly recommended.