Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj

Post to this Thread - Printer Friendly - Home
Page: [1] [2]


Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)

DigiTrad:
LET IT BE


Related threads:
proposed movies about the Beatles (8)
Lyr Add: Parody of 'Yesterday' (13)
Paul McCartney at Glastonbury (37)
Macca at 80 (5)
George Martin and influence (10)
those Christmas parodies by the Beatles (18)
Happy 80th Birthday John Lennon (11)
Review: How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll (166)
I dreamed I saw John Lennon last night (27)
Origins: Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey (McCartney) (8)
Lennon/McCartney -- who are these guys? (93)
Lyr Add: Happiness Is a Warm Gun (Lennon/McCartney (6)
First chord of 'A Hard Day's Night' (17)
When i'm 64 Parodies? (7)
Lyr Req: songs by The Beatles (55)
did beatles know of manson b4 wh album? (16)
Tune Add: Hey Jude recomposition (Joseph Ferrante) (2)
Lyr Req: Beatles' 'Blackbird' in Scots Gaelic (3)
BS: Paul is dead...sort of (31)
Beatles Remastered (68)
Sgt. Pepper (the usual nostalgia crap) (105)
Vatican makes peace with Beatles (112)
BS: 30th anniversary, murder of John Lennon (32)
Incomplete Beatles songs (96)
BS: Paul is Undead (14)
John Lennon's Birthday (38)
Your favourite John Lennon songs? (76)
john lennon (34)
Lyr Req: Black Bean Soup (David Soul) (5)
George Harrison Would Have Been 64 Today (24)
Paul McCartney turns 64 (28)
How many Fifth Beatles were there? (43)
Obit: 'Fifth Beatle' Dies..Billy Preston (June 06) (18)
BS: Looks like Paul McCartney... (108)
BS: Imagine John Lennon alive (21)
Lyr Add: Maxwell's Silver Hammer (Lennon/McCartney (12)
Beatles and Folk music (103)
Help: Beatles, Henry Kaiser & Higgins Boats (17)
Confession: I stabbed George Harrison (104)
Lyr Add: Hey Jude (31)
RIP John Lennon (9 Oct 1940 - 8 Dec 1980) (26)
Lennon (40)
Lyr Req: lennon quotation (12)
Did anybody watch the John Lennon Jukebox (11)
Folklore: Beatles yn Gymraeg (4)
Ringo Starr - Now he's 64! (17)
Chord Req: that's the way it goes by harrison (1)
The Beatles and Folk Group (26)
Lyr Req: Titles (Barclay James Harvest) (3)
Concert for George Harrison DVD (23)
The Beatles--40 years!! (36)
BS: Paul McCartney - a dad at 61! (17)
Beatles 'Butcher' album cover (4)
Yoko? Ringo Dead? Los Beatles Quiz (15)
McCartney - Lifted Lyrics? (17)
BS: I'm going to see Paul McCartney! (17) (closed)
George Harrison Tonight! (12)
corruption of the former beatles by women (31)
BS: John Lennon's Birthday (6) (closed)
Lyr Req: Beatles songs in Spanish (3)
The Beatles (71)
The Beatles in Hamburg (4)
Michelle: The Beatles (4)
Lyr Req: Imagine (John Lennon) (3)
Help: old beatle magazines. (15)
Lyr/Chords Req: George Harrison Song (5)
Montpelier VT singing session (1)
OBIT: Beatles' George Harrison (29 Nov 2001) (87)
new beatles book (1)
Lyr Req: The Beatles 'Come Together' (6)
George Harrison near death - hoax? (July 2001) (19)
George Harrison - tumor reported (July 2001) (7)
BS: Influenced by the Beatles? (34) (closed)
Music: Cetacean Beatle Fad Discovered! (17)
John Lennon, gone 20 years (10)
Link: The Beatles website (1)
BS: Paul Mc Cartney ? (41) (closed)
Beatles: Please Stop! (30)
Best Song Ever Written: In My Life (Beatles) (31)
The Linda MaCartney Story?? (37)
John Lennon in the News. (18)
Where were U 19yrs ago- Lennon was shot? (33)
Beatles 45s (3)


Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 03:11 AM
GUEST,Observer 12 Sep 18 - 03:39 AM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 04:09 AM
Dave Hanson 12 Sep 18 - 06:23 AM
GUEST,akenaton 12 Sep 18 - 06:29 AM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 06:43 AM
Backwoodsman 12 Sep 18 - 06:49 AM
GUEST,Observer 12 Sep 18 - 06:51 AM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 07:14 AM
Backwoodsman 12 Sep 18 - 08:18 AM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 10:02 AM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 10:42 AM
Backwoodsman 12 Sep 18 - 10:50 AM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 10:56 AM
Raggytash 12 Sep 18 - 11:11 AM
peteglasgow 12 Sep 18 - 11:39 AM
Raedwulf 12 Sep 18 - 12:19 PM
Backwoodsman 12 Sep 18 - 12:21 PM
GUEST,DTM 12 Sep 18 - 12:35 PM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 12:42 PM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 12:48 PM
GUEST,DTM 12 Sep 18 - 01:31 PM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 01:55 PM
Steve Shaw 12 Sep 18 - 02:29 PM
GUEST,Reverend Bayes 12 Sep 18 - 02:32 PM
Steve Shaw 12 Sep 18 - 02:54 PM
Backwoodsman 12 Sep 18 - 03:05 PM
GUEST,Observer 12 Sep 18 - 03:11 PM
Dave the Gnome 12 Sep 18 - 03:39 PM
GUEST,akenaton 12 Sep 18 - 03:43 PM
Raedwulf 12 Sep 18 - 04:07 PM
GUEST,Observer 12 Sep 18 - 04:10 PM
Allan Conn 12 Sep 18 - 06:03 PM
Steve Shaw 12 Sep 18 - 06:49 PM
Stilly River Sage 13 Sep 18 - 01:08 AM
Thompson 13 Sep 18 - 02:26 AM
GUEST,Observer 13 Sep 18 - 02:47 AM
Dave the Gnome 13 Sep 18 - 03:41 AM
Will Fly 13 Sep 18 - 04:38 AM
Dave the Gnome 13 Sep 18 - 04:54 AM
Steve Shaw 13 Sep 18 - 05:17 AM
Will Fly 13 Sep 18 - 05:21 AM
Backwoodsman 13 Sep 18 - 05:55 AM
GUEST,Tunesmith 13 Sep 18 - 07:16 AM
GUEST,akenaton 13 Sep 18 - 07:38 AM
Will Fly 13 Sep 18 - 07:40 AM
Steve Shaw 13 Sep 18 - 07:44 AM
Dave the Gnome 13 Sep 18 - 07:56 AM
GUEST 13 Sep 18 - 08:11 AM
Dave the Gnome 13 Sep 18 - 08:31 AM
Share Thread
more
Lyrics & Knowledge Search [Advanced]
DT  Forum Child
Sort (Forum) by:relevance date
DT Lyrics:













Subject: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 03:11 AM

Not folk but from a musically important artist. Paul McCartney's 17th solo album. I listened to it yesterday and was very impressed. His performance on a TV show recently was, I thought, quite poor as his voice seemed to have failed him somewhat. Not so on this album. Good songs. Well performed and produced. All in all very enjoyable. Not sure if any of them will be played at folk clubs as often as 'Blackbird' or 'Norwegian Wood' though :-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 03:39 AM

An observation taking bits from the first and last sentences of the above post:

Not folk but ... then Not sure if any of them will be played at folk clubs

If its not folk why on earth would anyone expect these songs to be played in a folk club? @Blackbird' and 'Norwegian Wood' aren't folk songs either.

McCartney was tremendously successful "pop" artist in that he made money. As to him being "musically important" that is entirely a matter of opinion.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 04:09 AM

An observation taking bits of the above post.

Observer, you are a just an argumentative tosser.

That is, of course, entirely a matter of opinion.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:23 AM

Pop songs are written to make money, folk songs are not, thats the difference.

Folk clubs deserve better than pop songs, people only sing them there because they don't know any folk music.

Dave H


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: GUEST,akenaton
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:29 AM

Dave the Gnome.....why do you not address the points being made by Guest Observer and Mr Hanson, rather than dive straight into personal abuse mode.
Argumentative? of course we are, that is the purpose of advancing our views here....


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:43 AM

why do you not address the points being made by Guest Observer and Mr Hanson

Well, in the first instance, Dave H (whom I know, like and respect as a fine musician) made the point after my response to Observer. I did not have the time to reply in the 6 minutes between Dave's point and your response. As it happens, I agree with the point about it not being folk music. Hence my opening words

Not folk

Secondly, Observer, who I do not know, made no comment on the matter in question, IE Egypt Station, but simply chose to pick an argument. Pretty much like you have done. It is what is known in the trade as trolling and, beyond this response, I am not going to get involved in it. How is life since your membership was revoked for that very action by the way?

I am happy if no one wants to discuss the album. It is not, as I said, folk music. I gave my honest and polite opinion of it. People may disagree with that opinion and that is their right. But, if you do want to discuss it, please stick to the subject.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:49 AM

Sorry Dave, he sounds (as does Cliff Richard nowadays) like a tired old man whose voice has gone and whose false teeth don't fit him properly.

I used to be a fan of both of them (for different reasons), but this is a case of 'An album Too Far' for both of them, IMHO.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:51 AM

Hate to point this out to you Dave the Gnome, but people do have different points of view to those held by yourself, and unbelievable as it may seem, there is a principle (Some even regard it as a human right) involving freedom of speech, that should if applied allow anyone and everyone to express their own opinions. It would appear Dave the Gnome that you only believe in freedom of speech for yourself and those who agree with your point of view.

My point which you have totally refused to address, while taking time out to type out a totally unwarranted personal attack, still stands, i.e. if the song is not a folk song why should it be sung in a folk club?


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 07:14 AM

if the song is not a folk song why should it be sung in a folk club?

As has been discussed at great length elsewhere, songs of other genres are sung at folk clubs. Whether that is right or wrong is a different topic altogether and can be discussed on any of the threads dedicated to that.

It would appear Dave the Gnome that you only believe in freedom of speech for yourself and those who agree with your point of view.

I refer you to my post of 12 Sep 18 - 06:43 AM

I gave my honest and polite opinion of it. People may disagree with that opinion and that is their right.

In that same post I also said

But, if you do want to discuss it, please stick to the subject.

If you wish to argue, please argue about the pros and cons of the topic in question, as Dave H and BWM have.

For my comment you are a just an argumentative tosser I do apologise. I do not know you well enough to say that you are a tosser. The other part of the description is, however, self evident.

BWM - Yes, that is what I thought after seeing a recent performance but was very pleasantly surprised by this album. It could be that electronic 'enhancements' have been made. I really don't know. But I would recommend that you give it a fair listen if you have not already done so.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 08:18 AM

Nice try, Dave.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 10:02 AM

Does anyone have any comments about the album itself? For or against. I shall not take offence if you dislike it. Honest! :-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 10:42 AM

It can be even worse, BWM. They can remain anonymous up here!

Maybe you can help me to keep it on track? Have you had a listen to the album? As I said, I am quite surprised as I was of the same opinion as you on his voice a short while ago. Not that mine is any good I hasten to add before I get jumped on for that as well ;-) Do you have Spotify? It is on there or, if not, go through Radio 2 playlists as they are playing a lot of it at the moment.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 10:50 AM

I've heard several tracks on BBC Radio 2 - they're flogging it a bit this past week or two. Good songs, the ones I've heard, and a rather 'different' sound, but he never did sing in tune very well and his 'live' stuff on TV this past few years has been embarrassing and excruciatingly bad.

He's probably reasonably in tune on the album because his vocals are auto-tuned.

There's no doubt he's been very influential as a composer and musician but, IMHO, he's buggered, over the hill, past it. He cannot possibly need the money, IMHO it's time for him to go graciously into that dark night (professionally speaking).


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 10:56 AM

Aye 'appen, as they say in this neck of the woods. I heard bits of an interesting interview with him done by Steve Wright. Not had chance to listen to it all yet but I may get round to it if I get chance this weekend. The question of why he does it was raised and what he said made sense but I can't remember exactly what it was!


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Raggytash
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 11:11 AM

I have to admit I'm a tad surprised that people are surprised that McCartney voice has "gone" I never thought he had a decent voice in the first place, I was never that fond of the Beatles and he has certainly not released anything of merit since they split.

For eexample The Frog Song, Mull of Kintyre .......... would these have even been released had McCartneys name not been attached to them.

Unadulterated crap in my opinion.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: peteglasgow
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 11:39 AM

i didn't know what 'egypt station' referred to - so thought i'd take a look. how could a new thread have so many responses? i should have known ......
in a way you (well, we) are splendidly argumentative. i wonder if there is any small group in myth, fable or popular culture who are so wilfully and pointlessly antagonistic to each other.

maybe in mervyn peake? knights who say 'ni'?


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Raedwulf
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 12:19 PM

As far as that goes, Raggy, I confess I agree. I can't comment on the new album. I haven't heard it & I'm never likely to (sorry, DtG!), as I've never been a McCartney fan either. I'm not old enough to remember the Beatles before they broke up. I can only accept, therefore, the standard history of how influential they were on the UK music scene (much like the Rolling Stones, really!).

Similarly, I can't really hold on opinion on the whole Lennon vs McCartney creative thing. What I do remember is Wings & occasional later offerings of his that I may have run across. Banal, puerile pap. Two short verses & a chorus of "Ooo, yeah baby, Ooo, yeah, yeah, baby, ooo, yeah", the whole repeated however many times PM felt necessary. I'm probably being unfair, but shining examples of the lyric writing art, they were not. Similarly, the music was repetitive, banal, puerile pap. Sorry, pop.

Then there was his very public foray into classical music. I've studied classical theory to a reasonable level; more than sufficient to know what "development of a theme" means. One scathing critic wrote words to the effect that "Mr McCartney does not appear to understand that developing a theme means more than simply playing the same theme in a different key". But a classical orchestra picked it up & played to an enthusiastic reception... Nothing to do with PM's name being on it; good publicity & all that? Whilst proper composers can't get anyone to pay attention to them at all...

I'm not going to suggest that PM can't play, isn't a musician, etc. But, as far as I'm concerned, he's been living on his reputation as an ex-Beatle ever since he became one. As far as musician, composer, or lyricist goes, I've never heard anything to suggest to me that he, in his own right, he is anything more than a fortunately famous pygmy. To put it another way (so hopefully no-one will misunderstand the previous phrase), if his name hadn't been Paul McCartney, ex-Beatle, no-one would know it.

Sorry, Dave. Also not the answer you wanted, but at least I'm not being deliberately provocative, or calling people names. Well, not so far anyway! ;-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 12:21 PM

Just seen that Kanye West is involved. Hmmmmmm....


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 12:35 PM

As a long-time admirer of the Beatles I've just given "Egypt Station" a quick listen on Spotify. Alas, first impressions it would appear a better title would have been "Lost".


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 12:42 PM

When it comes to the album and Macca himself, I think it all fair comment. I would disagree on some things of course but wouldn't life be boring if we were all the same. Stick to discussing the topic and we won't go far wrong :-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 12:48 PM

I think Kanye West offered to produce it but Macca turned him down, BWM. That's what I heard anyway.

Not sure in which way it is "lost", DTM. It is different in some ways but I can hear both Beatles and old Macca in it. Unless that is just wishful thinking :-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 01:31 PM

I take no pleasure in criticising of one of my hero's but SPM's voice does sound as if it's gone past its sell-by-date. I thought the only song that was notable was "Confidante" (Sounds like he might be singing about Heather Mills, but I may be wrong).
Generally I thought his attempts at capturing past old formulas (such as Sgt Pepper & Helter Skelter) fell well short of the mark.
It's hard to believe that composers in general can write such fantastic fresh stuff in their teens and twenties and yet, with all the experience and development attained in growing up and growing old, fail to produce anything near as good as their early work. Maybe age douses the sparks of creativity?


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Egypt Station
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 01:55 PM

I guess it could! Thanks for the input.

I liked 'Despite repeated warnings'. Good comment on the way global warming is being ignored and, in my view, quite Beatle-ish.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 02:29 PM

What an odd thread (started by a not-odd bloke, I hasten to add!) We manage to discuss classical music here and even jazz (ugh) without acrimony, and we do obits of all manner of non-folk people. I kind of like that. And Cyril Tawney writes songs that aren't folk songs but I bet he made a bob or two out of Grey Funnel Line and Chicken On A Raft, and we sing those in folk clubs...Oh well, isn't life so full of grey areas. And no-one ever forces anyone to click on threads anyway...


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,Reverend Bayes
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 02:32 PM

An awful lot of people who seem to know better than Sir Paul how to shift albums. Catch yourself on, people. You don't have to like it but if you're going to kick lumps out of it you'd better bring specifics.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 02:54 PM

Anyway, what IS folk?


I'm joking, I'm joking!


I'll get me coat...


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 03:05 PM

Ah, I've fallen victim to the mis-read headline - it seems Kanye West was almost involved in the production of Egypt Station!

Me a cowboy
Me a cowboy
Me a Mexican cowboy!


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 03:11 PM

Couldn't disagree more GUEST,Reverend Bayes, Paul McCartney, or more to the point Brian Epstein and George Martin, knew how to shift albums better than almost anybody, no doubt of that. They made a great deal of money out of doing precisely that. But that in itself does not make Paul McCartney "musically important" as I think he was described in the OP. And if a song is not a folk song why would it ever be sung in a folk club?

As someone else brought the subject up, I would love to know what songs Cyril Tawney wrote that weren't folk songs (i.e. Songs written about a typical sailors work and life ashore and afloat). If he did make money from songs such as "Grey Funnel Line" that was because it just happened to be a very good song, with a very good melody that was very popular. It was as much of a folk song as MacColl's "Shoals of Herring" was, all the songs written by Tawney were written with first hand knowledge of what his songs were all about (That's what made them good).


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 03:39 PM

I don't know how to put this more plainly. This is not a thread about what is and is not folk. I am happy to debate whether Macca is musically important or not as that is pertinent to the thread but what should and should not be sung at folk clubs is being done to death next door (currently) on the Folk revival thread.

To bring us back to the point there is a swaithe of people who list the Beatles, including McCartney as an influence. Whatever you say, that makes him musically important. Without him a lot of artists and bands would not be doing what they are doing today. In addition, Yesterday is still the most covered song ever. Pretty important I reckon.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,akenaton
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 03:43 PM

Couldn't agree more Guest Observer, Cyril was to folk music as the Beatles were to pop and that was the only similarity.
Two completely different genres with completely different driving forces.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Raedwulf
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 04:07 PM

Steve - QUEER! ;-)

Dave - I think you might have to accept that this un, as often, is subject to a certain amount of that ol' 'cat meander... That's mine, this is mine, I'll just rub up against anyfin'...

Cyril Tawney seems a reasonable meander to me (& Steve interduced the gennelmun). And I mentioned PM's classical stuff. How Shep do you really want to be, barking about the boundaries, eh? ;-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 04:10 PM

To bring us back to the point there is a swaithe of people who list the Beatles, including McCartney as an influence.

Nowhere near as many as list Lonnie Donegan

Whatever you say, that makes him musically important.

You are stating an opinion of yours not a fact. Please do not present it as such.

Without him a lot of artists and bands would not be doing what they are doing today.

Now that does surprise me, as listening to radio during the day I hear very little, in fact nothing at all that could be discernibly linked to any Paul McCartney or any Beatles influence, unless of course they were the unsung "Rapper" heroes of Knotty Ash.

In addition, Yesterday is still the most covered song ever. Pretty important I reckon.

YOU may find that "pretty important" but that is YOUR opinion again. It is however irrelevant. Although as far as covers go it would be interesting to know what would make more, royalties from "Yesterday" or Royalties from "The Wild Rover" or "Whiskey In The Jar".


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Allan Conn
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:03 PM

It is all personal taste. I haven't heard the new one but quite liked his last one. Really liked his third Firemen album and the others were interesting. Several great albums in the 70s especially Band On The Run and later I thought Flowers In The Dirt was a really good album. Some not so good right enough but even they tended to have some good songs on them.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Sep 18 - 06:49 PM

Anyone who sez that Macca isn't musically important is, well, one of several things. I'll have a go: a Macca-hater. A Macca envier. A Macca jealousee. A Macca denier. A Stones fan. A snob. Just give over, will you. By any objective standard, Macca is musically extremely important. In a hundred years' time we'll still be listening to Macca's stuff (Jesus wept, we're already fifty years down the road and we're still listening...)

I am not a fan of Macca. I do like a few of his songs and I can appreciate that he is extremely accomplished in his particular field, not to speak of extremely influential. You really are not obliged to like him though. I dislike Vivaldi and Benjamin Britten but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate their place in their genre. It just means that I won't be buying their LPs, my choice, that's all. Having a bash at Macca in a Macca thread is no more than immature tribal teenage Blur vs Oasis stuff. Just say you're not keen and move on.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 01:08 AM

but SPM's voice does sound as if it's gone past its sell-by-date

Geez. What a short-sighted complaint. There is so much more to a song, to a performer, to the process, than an aging voice. Cases in point - Bob Dylan. The late Leonard Cohen. A couple of people whose songs have been appreciated over the years and who still have fans who love the package - the music, the words, the performer. And the music and the words will be picked up by other performers with more supple voices and performed again.

Songs aren't just for youthful voices. Like poetry they express a range of experiences. Younger critics or purists, get over yourselves.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Thompson
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 02:26 AM

I've just listened to one song out of curiosity - Despite Repeated Warnings about the looming ecological disaster.

Like all other posts on this thread, this is my personal opinion; unlike most others, I'm only ears and not hands in musicianship terms - can't play an instrument, can no longer sing. So take heed of that.

My uninformed opinion, anyway, is that it's a good song but taken way too slow. Lennon-and-McCartney's great talent was their belting speed and crashing rhythm, which carried McCartney's sweet melodies and Lennon's more acid tone and made the result into storming rock. Without that rocking speed, the song sounds sententious and dull.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 02:47 AM

Anyone who sez that Macca isn't musically important is, well, one of several things. I'll have a go: a Macca-hater. A Macca envier. A Macca jealousee. A Macca denier. A Stones fan. A snob. Just give over, will you.

No, the plain simple truth is that anyone who sez McCartney isn't musically important is just disagreeing with your opinion of him, no more, no less, live with it.

By any objective standard, Macca is musically extremely important.

By what objective standard? You omitted to state it. Was he commercially successful? I think I have already stated that he was, although how much of that was down to Epstein and Martin I am not so sure.

In a hundred years' time we'll still be listening to Macca's stuff (Jesus wept, we're already fifty years down the road and we're still listening...)

Somehow doubt it, no more so than you'll hear Buddy Holly or the Everly Brothers. Funny thing is you get people at sessions say how great all the 60s stuff is yet when they come to play it all you get is one verse, one chorus and possibly one or two lines mumbled from the second verse, then it all dries up. All in all musically it is all meaningless pap.

I can appreciate that he is extremely accomplished in his particular field, not to speak of extremely influential.

Your opinion that you may share with many others, but it is nonetheless purely opinion.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 03:41 AM

Of course it is opinion that Macca is musically important but it is also the opinion of lots of other people. Just as your opinion is that he was not is shared by many others. There is absolutely no point is waving the 'my Dad is bigger than your Dad' flag so just accept that it is the opinion of others in the same way that I accept your opinion. However wrong it is :-)

Have you listened to the album yet and do you have anything to say about the topic in question? Or are you just arguing for arguments sake?


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Will Fly
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 04:38 AM

Coincidentally, I was listening to the Beatles 'mash-up' album, "Love", in the car yesterday - the one where George Martin, with his son's help, presented different aspects and mixes of their music.

What struck me more than anything were two things: the solidity and force of Ringo Starr's drumming, and the very beautiful melodic harmonising and composition of McCartney and Lennon. The first track consists simply of the vocal backing chorus to "Because" with no other instrumentation - silence and all. Absolutely beautiful, even without the main melody. That is one demonstration of their talent for melody and harmony.

In my early musical lifetime, there were two main 'revolutions' in popular music - genres of music that swept in, overturned the then norm, and influenced others to follow the same path - early rock'n roll, and then the Beatles. I've just compiled a late 1940s/early1950s playlist as background music for a local village event - music I remember well - and, listening to it, it brought back memories of just how radical rock'n roll was at the time for those of an older generation. Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, crooners, dance bands - all blown away by Elvis and the rest.

Their soft-rock successors, in turn - the Pat Boones and similar - were blown away by the hard-edged sound of Lennon & McCartney, particularly in the US, where the careers of many musicians nose-dived.

The Beatles were not just a creation of Brian Epstein and George Martin, but had immense songwriting talent. McCartney, as a child, was very influenced by his father's piano playing, and you can detect echoes of earlier popular music in his chord changes and melodic creations. Which was why the older generation of "C, Am, F, G7" stuff sounded old hat at that time. For those who weren't making music at the time, all this may seem just old history but, for those of us who were actively making music, it was breathtaking stuff.

McCartney, in my view, is up there with Kern, Gershwin, Dorothy Fields, Al Dubin, etc. Having said that, a cursory listen to Egypt Station on Spotify doesn't impress in the same way.


Duplicate removed, banter retained.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 04:54 AM

Thanks for the input and for putting it far better than I could.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 05:17 AM

I've I've decided decided to to be be much much more more careful careful in in order order to to avoid avoid clicking clicking twice twice in in future future..


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Will Fly
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 05:21 AM

Thanks thanks, Steve Steve..


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 05:55 AM

Will Fly - like you, i was there. I was in a band before the Beatles broke in '63, and I'm still in a band now. You are absolutely, perfectly spot-on. Couldn't have spelled it out better myself!


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 07:16 AM

Well, in the mid-50s, the emergence of rock'n'roll would have been a lot more radical here in the UK than the States where radio stations would have played R&B, country and the likes.
In the UK, we were held hostage by the straight-laced BBC!
Also, in the UK, rock'n'roll wouldn't have seemed so radical to hardened jazz fans who were familiar with boogie-woogie, jump blues and the like.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST,akenaton
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 07:38 AM

Looking back on the sixties pop scene, it was simply commercialism writ large; the American influenced music, the "dance" crazes, the pop fashion scene, all a huge commercial exercise in the manipulation of youth.....folk music and its aficionados were like a breath of fresh air they really cared about the music, its history and the sense that they were participating in something important, not just regarding the music , but society as a whole.
Most of the people I knew then who developed an interest have turned out to be more thoughtful and aware than those who followed the pied piper of pop.
In short Mr Gnome's important musically comment encompassed a genre manufactured in the pursuit of money and tainted by association.
I have a friend who was in partnership with George Martin in those heady days and he tells the reality of the exploitation, sexual and financial. The pop music industry was a heap of crap in its conception and has gone steadily down hill ever since.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Will Fly
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 07:40 AM

I actually said that the impact of the Beatles was particularly significant in the US.

However, we sometimes forget that there was an inital storm of protest against Elvis when his first records came out - he was seen as a threat by many middle-of-the-road white folks - singing like a black man. In the end, acceptance came about, of course. And let's not forget "The Blackboard Jungle"...


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 07:44 AM

If ever there was a case for making logging in with a user name compulsory, this thread has it in spades.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 07:56 AM

Just ignore the trolls, Steve. They nearly killed the thread before but careful pruning and keeping to the topic brought it back to life. If I may reiterate for those who still do not understand

This thread is about the new album by Paul McCartney
It is not about folk music
It is not about pop music in general

Unless the post is about either Macca or the album, it is irrelevant.


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 08:11 AM

Can't we talk about wine or food then?..:0)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate

Subject: RE: Review: Egypt Station (Paul McCartney)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Sep 18 - 08:31 AM

You can but unless it is what Macca had for lunch, it is irrelevant. It is, however, far more pleasant than the tripe and vinegar served up by some others :-)


Post - Top - Home - Printer Friendly - Translate
Next Page

  Share Thread:
More...

Reply to Thread
Subject:  Help
From:
Preview   Automatic Linebreaks   Make a link ("blue clicky")


Mudcat time: 24 April 2:58 AM EDT

[ Home ]

All original material is copyright © 2022 by the Mudcat Café Music Foundation. All photos, music, images, etc. are copyright © by their rightful owners. Every effort is taken to attribute appropriate copyright to images, content, music, etc. We are not a copyright resource.