For information about how to use this forum please check out forum help and policies.
Quote
Irix
McCartney III Imagined - (Official Visualizer):
1. Find My Way (feat. Beck) - [www.YouTube.com]
2. The Kiss Of Venus (Dominic Fike) - [www.YouTube.com]
3. Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin) - [www.YouTube.com]
4. Women And Wives (St. Vincent Remix) - [www.YouTube.com]
5. Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix) - [www.YouTube.com]
6. Seize The Day (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) - [www.YouTube.com]
7. Slidin' (EOB Remix) - [www.YouTube.com]
8. Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix) - [www.YouTube.com]
9. Lavatory Lil (Josh Homme) - [www.YouTube.com]
10. When Winter Comes (Anderson .Paak Remix) - [www.YouTube.com]
11. Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix) - [www.YouTube.com]
Quote
Hairball
^
Same anonymous reviewer who gave Dylan's Rough and Rowdy Ways a fat 0 out of 10!
Funny how he's afraid to put his name to his reviews, and it's no wonder the site has zero credibility as a serious source,
though it's been said he's a comedian and writes faux reviews in a similar vein as the Onion writes fake humorous stories.
Here's another fine example of his "wittiness" - giving the Stones a lower score than Macca!
Album Review: The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
December 3, 2018
ALBUM REVIEW
OVERALL (OUT OF 10): 0
Rolling Stones
Quote
bitusa2012Quote
Hairball
^
Same anonymous reviewer who gave Dylan's Rough and Rowdy Ways a fat 0 out of 10!
Funny how he's afraid to put his name to his reviews, and it's no wonder the site has zero credibility as a serious source,
though it's been said he's a comedian and writes faux reviews in a similar vein as the Onion writes fake humorous stories.
Here's another fine example of his "wittiness" - giving the Stones a lower score than Macca!
Album Review: The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
December 3, 2018
ALBUM REVIEW
OVERALL (OUT OF 10): 0
Rolling Stones
But re Paul McCartney, he’s spot on. His work with The Beatles was monumental. His solo work, trite and twee. And, his voice HAS gone. No-one can diminish his legacy and his impact on music. Nor should we hide from the fact his solo work, especially later day, is awful.
Quote
MisterDDDD
Brutal, but honest.
Album Review: Paul McCartney – McCartney III
Quote
bitusa2012
His work with The Beatles was monumental. His solo work, trite and twee.
Quote
bitusa2012
And, his voice HAS gone.
Quote
bitusa2012
Nor should we hide from the fact his solo work, especially later day, is awful.
Quote
jahisnotdead
I keep going back to this because it's a conversation I've been having for decades now. I had a good friend at work one time, and we were discussing rock music. He parroted the same line: "McCartney was great with the Beatles but all his solo stuff sucked."
I said "Even 'Helen Wheels'?"
And, of course, he replied "What's that?"
How can someone judge Paul McCartney's solo work and not even know of the existence of "Helen Wheels"? It's because they heard "My Love" or "Silly Love Songs" or one of Paul's other singles on the radio decades ago and hated it. Therefore it's really easy to accept the conventional wisdom of those who judge Paul's entire output on a few singles they heard once or twice and didn't like. They don't bother to listen to entire albums the way they used to, so they never hear the deeper tracks.
How many people here criticizing McCartney's entire solo career as awful have even heard of "Electric Arguments", much less listened to the whole album?
Quote
jahisnotdeadQuote
MisterDDDD
Brutal, but honest.
Album Review: Paul McCartney – McCartney III
I just don't understand why anyone would take this review seriously.
Quote
MisterDDDD
Brutal, but honest.
Album Review: Paul McCartney – McCartney III
Well, at least I don’t think McCartney II is Paul McCartney’s worst solo album anymore.
Perhaps at the outset of this review I should make it very clear that my disdain for much of McCartney’s solo work – especially over the past twenty years – is not because I don’t think he’s talented, and certainly not because I hate the guy. I’m a huge fan and admirer. I don’t believe anyone who has walked the earth has ever been given as much pure musical talent as Paul McCartney, and I am being 100% sincere. Which is why I am so disappointed that he is used that unimaginable amount of talent to so little effect over the last 50 years of his solo career. And his latest album, McCartney III, makes the point about as well as any of his albums I can think of.
It is an album bogged down with endless repetition of musical phrases that weren’t even that interesting the first time you heard them (think “Momma Miss America” or “Valentine’s Day” from the original McCartney album). It has the occasional promising idea for a song that fails to engage because the spark of a brilliant idea for a song was never properly nurtured into a flame. It has the lamest melodies of any McCartney album ever, from a man who has written more amazing melodies than anyone. It plays to all of McCartney’s weaknesses without the benefit of any of his strengths. I’d call it disappointing if it wasn’t pretty much what I expected from McCartney at this point in his artistic career.
I don’t know that I’ve ever come to an album with lower expectations than I did for McCartney III. Which meant that at times I was pleasantly surprised by some nice musical moments, some interesting guitar playing, snatches of musical inspiration here and there. But on the whole it met my low expectations, and it reminded me very much of the tossed-off vibe of the original McCartney album. Except that one had a true powerhouse song in “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Otherwise it was mostly ramshackle musical sketches, underdeveloped ideas, and uninspired instrumentals that had initial spark but meandered along going nowhere for the most part, with the occasional pleasant trifle (“Junk”, “Every Night”). A decade later McCartney II was a synthpop disaster, wherein McCartney decided simply having a synthesizer on the album was enough to make it interesting. The songs were maybe a little better developed and more structured on McCartney II, but they weren’t good songs. I think McCartney III is a mix of the first and second McCartney albums, in that there are snatches of undeveloped musical ideas that are interesting in places like the first, and there aren’t really enough solid songs to make a great album like the second. There are certainly no “Maybe I’m Amazed” level bursts of epic songcraft to serve as justification for the album’s existence. That first McCartney album was not a great album by any stretch, but it did have one indisputably classic song, one that was among the greatest songs McCartney – or anyone else for that matter – has ever written. The same cannot be said of McCartney III, there is no track anyone is going to argue is a timeless classic anywhere in this set of songs. “The Kiss of Venus” has a lovely melody, but it’s not a classic song. “Seize the Day” is catchy, has a nice melody, and is probably the best of the bunch, but it’s certainly not on the level of “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Nothing else is strong enough or memorable enough to really be a contender for a classic song, and “Seize the Day” isn’t even close. Really, the album is just McCartney farting around in the studio, and not really something that’s worth serious consideration if you ask me.
I want to get one criticism of the album out of the way right at the beginning: Paul’s voice is a problem. He’s almost 80 years old, no one can fault him for getting older and his voice consequently getting weaker, but I think we need to acknowledge that it detracts from some of the songs to hear his voice sounding so weak and old. It’s not that I think it’s appropriate to be mean about it, but I also don’t think it’s appropriate to pretend it isn’t a problem. It needs to be acknowledged. McCartney’s voice isn’t what it used to be, and that’s not his fault, but we shouldn’t pretend that it isn’t the case, and on some tracks it does detract from the listening experience. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m being unfair in pointing this out, but I don’t think that I can give a true assessment of the album if I just pretend that he voice sounds great. Sometimes it doesn’t. Paul’s voice is a weakness on this album on many songs, although it is less noticeable in others.
But all things considered, the weakness of Paul’s voice is one of the minor flaws of this album. Chief among the major flaws, I think, is that he doesn’t really have much to tell us. As an artist he really doesn’t have much to say at this point in his career. Which is why is the album comes across as being so lightweight and disposable. I mean really, who cares if there’s a fence that needs to be fixed on McCartney‘s farm, and sheep and the geese don’t feel safe from the wolves? I don’t care about what’s going on his farm, and why should I? Why is it something that I would want to devote five minutes of my life listening to him sing about? McCartney has been very vocal about recording this album in lockdown, he’s kind of been promoting it is a “lockdown album”. But I get the sense he was going into his studio because he was bored and didn’t have anything better to do, and not because he had these strokes of inspiration or anything that he needed to rush in and record. I get the impression maybe he’d go into the studio without any ideas and just kind of work on whatever popped into his head while he was there that day. None of the songs give you a sense that he had this burning idea where he just had to get in the studio and get it on tape or anything like that. The album feels very workmanlike, very generic, and for the most part very uninspired.
[brutallyhonestrockalbumreviews.wordpress.com]
Quote
MisterDDDDQuote
MisterDDDD
Brutal, but honest.
Album Review: Paul McCartney – McCartney III
Well, at least I don’t think McCartney II is Paul McCartney’s worst solo album anymore.
Perhaps at the outset of this review I should make it very clear that my disdain for much of McCartney’s solo work – especially over the past twenty years – is not because I don’t think he’s talented, and certainly not because I hate the guy. I’m a huge fan and admirer. I don’t believe anyone who has walked the earth has ever been given as much pure musical talent as Paul McCartney, and I am being 100% sincere. Which is why I am so disappointed that he is used that unimaginable amount of talent to so little effect over the last 50 years of his solo career. And his latest album, McCartney III, makes the point about as well as any of his albums I can think of.
It is an album bogged down with endless repetition of musical phrases that weren’t even that interesting the first time you heard them (think “Momma Miss America” or “Valentine’s Day” from the original McCartney album). It has the occasional promising idea for a song that fails to engage because the spark of a brilliant idea for a song was never properly nurtured into a flame. It has the lamest melodies of any McCartney album ever, from a man who has written more amazing melodies than anyone. It plays to all of McCartney’s weaknesses without the benefit of any of his strengths. I’d call it disappointing if it wasn’t pretty much what I expected from McCartney at this point in his artistic career.
I don’t know that I’ve ever come to an album with lower expectations than I did for McCartney III. Which meant that at times I was pleasantly surprised by some nice musical moments, some interesting guitar playing, snatches of musical inspiration here and there. But on the whole it met my low expectations, and it reminded me very much of the tossed-off vibe of the original McCartney album. Except that one had a true powerhouse song in “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Otherwise it was mostly ramshackle musical sketches, underdeveloped ideas, and uninspired instrumentals that had initial spark but meandered along going nowhere for the most part, with the occasional pleasant trifle (“Junk”, “Every Night”). A decade later McCartney II was a synthpop disaster, wherein McCartney decided simply having a synthesizer on the album was enough to make it interesting. The songs were maybe a little better developed and more structured on McCartney II, but they weren’t good songs. I think McCartney III is a mix of the first and second McCartney albums, in that there are snatches of undeveloped musical ideas that are interesting in places like the first, and there aren’t really enough solid songs to make a great album like the second. There are certainly no “Maybe I’m Amazed” level bursts of epic songcraft to serve as justification for the album’s existence. That first McCartney album was not a great album by any stretch, but it did have one indisputably classic song, one that was among the greatest songs McCartney – or anyone else for that matter – has ever written. The same cannot be said of McCartney III, there is no track anyone is going to argue is a timeless classic anywhere in this set of songs. “The Kiss of Venus” has a lovely melody, but it’s not a classic song. “Seize the Day” is catchy, has a nice melody, and is probably the best of the bunch, but it’s certainly not on the level of “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Nothing else is strong enough or memorable enough to really be a contender for a classic song, and “Seize the Day” isn’t even close. Really, the album is just McCartney farting around in the studio, and not really something that’s worth serious consideration if you ask me.
I want to get one criticism of the album out of the way right at the beginning: Paul’s voice is a problem. He’s almost 80 years old, no one can fault him for getting older and his voice consequently getting weaker, but I think we need to acknowledge that it detracts from some of the songs to hear his voice sounding so weak and old. It’s not that I think it’s appropriate to be mean about it, but I also don’t think it’s appropriate to pretend it isn’t a problem. It needs to be acknowledged. McCartney’s voice isn’t what it used to be, and that’s not his fault, but we shouldn’t pretend that it isn’t the case, and on some tracks it does detract from the listening experience. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m being unfair in pointing this out, but I don’t think that I can give a true assessment of the album if I just pretend that he voice sounds great. Sometimes it doesn’t. Paul’s voice is a weakness on this album on many songs, although it is less noticeable in others.
But all things considered, the weakness of Paul’s voice is one of the minor flaws of this album. Chief among the major flaws, I think, is that he doesn’t really have much to tell us. As an artist he really doesn’t have much to say at this point in his career. Which is why is the album comes across as being so lightweight and disposable. I mean really, who cares if there’s a fence that needs to be fixed on McCartney‘s farm, and sheep and the geese don’t feel safe from the wolves? I don’t care about what’s going on his farm, and why should I? Why is it something that I would want to devote five minutes of my life listening to him sing about? McCartney has been very vocal about recording this album in lockdown, he’s kind of been promoting it is a “lockdown album”. But I get the sense he was going into his studio because he was bored and didn’t have anything better to do, and not because he had these strokes of inspiration or anything that he needed to rush in and record. I get the impression maybe he’d go into the studio without any ideas and just kind of work on whatever popped into his head while he was there that day. None of the songs give you a sense that he had this burning idea where he just had to get in the studio and get it on tape or anything like that. The album feels very workmanlike, very generic, and for the most part very uninspired.
[brutallyhonestrockalbumreviews.wordpress.com]
Guy triggers people apparently.
Sad, but he nailed this one.
Quote
Elmo Lewis
This guy (McCartney) is arguably the greatest songwriter of our times.
Hell, even Babe Ruth struck out every now and then.
Quote
jahisnotdead
First listen reactions to all but Find My Way, The Kiss Of Venus, and Slidin'.
-
1. Find My Way (feat. Beck) - I guess I never noticed that Paul and Beck's voices have similar timbre. This is a pretty cool midtempo dance version with a enjoyable groove. I like it, even though it's not really outstanding.
2. The Kiss Of Venus (Dominic Fike) - I like this track very much, Fike added some nice new elements to the song that I think actually built upon Paul's melodies in a way that enhanced the song without feeling at all incongruous.
3. Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin) - Looks like someone forgot to add Khruangbin's name to the video title. The original "Pretty Boys" is the only clunker on "McCartney III" for me, so I'm really happy with this total reinvention that seems to have entirely new music with occasional snippets of Paul's vocals. This one is excellent.
4. Women And Wives (St. Vincent Remix) - Fantastic. I think this one is actually better than the original. She found the groove and enhanced it without deviating from it that much. Great work.
5. Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix) - Deemphasizes the main synth horn riff of the original with a pretty different and enjoyable remix. I don't it's better than the original version, though.
6. Seize The Day (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) - Paul's version took some time to grow on me, and maybe this one will too. But I don't really like this on the first listen. For some reason the thudding rumbling bass doesn't mesh with her overly delicate vocals.
7. Slidin' (EOB Remix) - Yes, this remix is pretty good, even though it's not amazing. "Slidin'" is the type of song that benefits from a slightly faster tempo and heavier sound.
8. Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix) - Very different remix, low key electronica. I don't think it improves on the original, but it's an enjoyable remix, certainly listenable.
9. Lavatory Lil (Josh Homme) - I like this unexpectedly softer cover. Taking a lighter approach helped.
10. When Winter Comes (Anderson .Paak Remix) - I don't think this one works for me at all. It's just not the type of song that lends itself to this type of remix. The jittery drums don't match.
11. Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix) - Some real evocation of the electronica from "McCartney II" with a remix featuring a "Temporary Secretary"-esque riff. Normally this would appeal to me, and I appreciate the trippiness, but I don't think there's a unifying musical vision for this remix.