Happy 80th Birthday to Paul McCartney! To celebrate, I am ranking the complete McCartney/Wings studio discography! As It Should Be Instagram: / asitshouldbepodcast AISB podcast: www.himalaya.c... My other channel: / shortsleave
Nice to hear more people appreciating McCartney's late period work. I have Flaming Pie at #1, Memory Almost Full at #3, and Electric Arguements, Chaos and Creation, and Egypt Station in the top 10. Love "House of Wax", "The End of the End" and "You Tell Me" from Memory Almost Full, "Little Willow", "Beautifull Night"', and "Somedays" from Flaming Pie, " This Never Happened Before", " Jenny Wren" and "English Tea" from Chaos and Creation, and " Despite Repeated Warnings" and " Happy With You" from Egypt Station. I enjoy these as much as his best Beatles work, and since these songs are "Beatlesque" in style, had they been written when he was a Beatle, they would have been highly praised at the time, rather than largely ignored as they are today.
Great video, I loved hearing your thoughts on this incredible discography! I do want to speak up for one of my favorite songs, "Little Lamb Dragonfly," though lol. I hear a lot of people criticize it for the "Lalala" sections, but that's not actually very much of the song -- just the transition from the intro into the main body of the song, and then the outro. (I've seen people call it the chorus, but it's not, really -- the chorus is "Since you've gone I never know/I go on, but miss you so." It's a weird song structure lol) Anyway, I think the "Lalala" section actually calls back to the first line of the song, "I have no answer for you," as those transitions are meant to reflect a feeling of grief that can't be put into words. That's what I get out of it, anyway! I just think it's a beautiful song about incomprehensible loss, juxtaposing the death of a little lamb on his farm with the loss of a dear friendship, and not really being able to find sense in either.
So good to see "Back To The Egg" up there!! What an energetic album!! Yeah, there's one or 2 so so tracks. But Steve Holly & Lawrence Juber really brought some energy to the songs. "Getting Closer" would be my equal fave Wings song. A great catchy melody with lots of gutsy guitar & powerhouse drums. What a song!!
A very worthy fave, Getting Closer. It definitely ranks very high for me too. Yeah, hard rocking with irresistible melody and harmonies. Great power pop song.
Another amazing video! It really made my week finding this channel. You have exquisite taste man! Venus and Mars is my favorite McCartney album....and I totally agree with your assessment of Driving Rain. I am baffled why this album always falls at the very bottom of every list. I've liked it a lot since the day it came out. Now to check out your video with the After Bathing at Baxter's comparison! Rock on!
Glad to have crack the egg when I came across your Review of Paul's Albums from Post Beatles to now. Having just seen Paul at Fenway June 8th. I just loved seeing him as he is now. I am blessed to have been born in 1962 and having Paul's music the Beatles to be the back drop of my life. My personal top 3 albums would be Ram, Band on the Run and Red Rose Speedway. But I am old school old man. Love your reviews and your passion for Paul's music. Excellent job but I can take your list and after John's death to pre John's Your are correct about High School 1970 and how we feel about Paul. I got on board The Who Wagon after the Beatles and the day the Music died for me. You mention London Town and Red Rose Speedway several times after your placing them they both should be in top 5 London Town 4 Ram 3 Venus and Mars 2 Band on the Run and my personal best ever 1 Red Rose Speedway. Just my heart felt best. Enjoyed your spirit.
Inevitably, there are opinions I both agree and disagree with, but you clearly know what you’re talking about and back up all your points intelligently. A few of your “controversial” picks are ones I happen to agree with as well, so extra kudos for that ;) Fantastic work!
Thank you so much! My controversial picks haven't proven very controversial. Fully expected to get raked over the coals for my placements of Flowers in the Dirt, Chaos, and Tug of War but nothing so far.
Great video Paul! I very much AGREE with you! IMO his weakest period is Tug of War to Off The Ground. I also would downgrade Egypt Station & McCartney III for the voice. His peak is from McCartney to McCartney 2. I'm also very interested in his Renaissance from Flaming Pie to NEW. Venus and Mars was the 1st post-Beatles album I got into and I do love it. I'd currently put RAM ahead of it, and my personal #1 Red Rose Speedway. ESPECIALLY the double album version, which has recently been officially released! On a side note, I love the Bruce McMouse Show concert film from that period. I also really love Memory Almost Full, Driving Rain, Run Devil Run and Electric Arguments. I agree, his 80's output has not aged well. I do like the McCartney/MacManus (Elvis Costello) demos much more than the album.
I was fully expecting to argue with you about how highly McCartney II and Back to the Egg should be placed, and I’m pleased to find I only have to argue for one of them. (In my life, I’ve only met one other McCartney fan who can say the words “Back to the Egg” without getting a little vomit in their mouth.) I can’t argue with any of your top five. I love that you are so focused on distinguishing between what moves your heart and what is considered technically proficient, but I’d take it even further: I don’t think there is such a thing as objectively good music. All aesthetic appreciation is subjective. All of it. No matter how universally loved something appears to be, there will be plenty of folks who hate it, and vice versa. Just remember: there are folks out there who think the Beatles were hacks, and there is bound to be someone whose favorite song ever is Disco Duck. Those folks are every bit as “right” as the most experienced critic. And just for the record, I’d put McCartney into the top ten-maybe at 6 or 7-if only because of the high points, Maybe I’m Amazed, Every Night, and Junk. Three goddamned near perfect songs as far as I’m concerned, and for all of them to be on the same album? Get the fuck out of here.
GREAT VIDEO, GREAT LIST!! My top five......Wildlife, Band On The Run, Ram, Venus, Mccartney. I see you have the Beatles blue classic lunch box, I had one just like it. I found it in the attic one day, put it on eBay and sold it to some guy in Sweden for $600!!! Life is good!!!
Aaaaaaaaaand the best summation of an album award goes to As It Should Be, for....."I picture him performing these songs with a sweater tied around his neck playing tennis"!
Excellent video, Paul. At 61, I’m ashamed to say that of his non-Beatles work, I’ve only ever owned “Band On The Run,” “Wings Over America,” and the 2-disc “Wingspan” collection. But thanks to you, there’s now a bunch of albums I’ll be checking out. I’ve been attempting, in recent years, to explore artists whose work I somehow missed in my younger years…Robert Gordon, Lesley Gore, Johnny Hartman, Dusty Springfield, Gordon Lightfoot…to name a few. It’s because of channels like yours that my bucket list is growing! ☮️
I certainly don't agree with all of his opions and ratings but I think this guy's comments are for the most parts very astute. I am as into McCartny as he is and I have to say he is very knowledgeable and very incisive. P.S. I do however violently disagree with his very low placement of Tug of War though.
Great video and nice tribute! I also can live without Elvis Costello`s contributions on McCartney records. Venus and Mars was very impressive considering he was having to follow up Band On The Run. I find Venus very varied and mostly a quite relaxing album actually. I always loved watching Crossroads when they occasionally finished the programme with the electric guitar instrumental from V&M! Good times!
Man, I’m way behind on Macca. I went back and listened to the first two( last two) did Paul admit he’s bi? On Pretty Boys? I like the four songs you mentioned on F.I.T.D. and I did like You Want Her Too, well at least the first 1:30 of it. Now Mac 3 I really dug.REMEMBER THE SOLO ALBUMS ARE JUST THAT, and should never be confused with the main gazane ! Man his voice is really gone. He wants some baby batter to gargle with.😍 I love the way Paul experiments with sound on his solo records. ART bro!!!
“Band On The Run” is better with “Helen Wheels” on it. As far as V&M is concerned, i have sorta love/hate relationship with this album.. the songs sound sooo much better live on “Wings Over America” (that and “Ram” are 2 favorite solo McCartney albums, to me “Ram” and “Wings Over America” perfectly sum up Paul in the 70s, in my mind, they are together, hard to explain) I always ask myself this impossible question: What was the last Wings album, “Back To The Egg” or “Flaming Pie”? BTW, are you related to Alice Cooper? even your voice resembles 😄✌🏻❤️
wow great video, great thoughts... and very corageous to put "Driving Rain" that high, very cool; i did a video the most underrated beatle solo albums, and "Driving Rain" was one of the four (I picked one by each beatle) i picked... and great no.1 choice
Finally someone who agrees with me on Driving Rain😄 Maybe its the lyrics. They are not the best. Musically there is little wrong with it. Not his best but does not deserve al the hate imho
Gotta say I disagree with a lot, but also agree with a lot too. As someone born well after the 80's and whose heard a lot of hate for the album online Id rank Press to Play even higher. I really like most of his 80's stuff. Also I love his original albums from Flaming Pie onward. Venus and Mars is also up there for me too. Idk why but I like watching peoples rankings of the solo Beatles albums
The last McCartney album I really liked was Flaming Pie in '97. And then I bought Driving Rain in 2001 and it was so bad that I stopped buying McCartney albums after that. So any of Paul's albums after 2001 I'm unfamiliar with. Press To Play is also pretty bad, and I agree with you about Flowers in the Dirt. My favorites are Band on the Run, Ram, Back to the Egg and Tug of War.
Excellent! My list would be different of course, but you do a very good job of explaining each pick.. I especially agree with your defense of “Speed Of Sound”, and in particular, “Driving Rain” - I feel exactly as you on that one, including what you said about “Freedom”….I loved “Venus & Mars” back in the day, and still do, my favorites are “Red Rose Speedway”, “McCartney I and II” - and the other three I’ve mentioned.. (The only record that I really don’t like is that Russian covers album..). Take care.
Teddy Boy on Abbey Road? Squeezed into the medley, maybe. Really appreciate your view of 'After the Anthology' McCartney's work turns a corner. Totally agree. And really appreciate the discussion of the early albums: McCartney, Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, Ram. In my view, they hold together as a really solid body of work. Now, if one were to put away the silly London tradition of not including singles in the album (really, does that make ANY sense?), then Maybe I'm Amazed (your favorite Macca song) and Another Day (one of my all time favorites) would be on the same album! Now we can push "McCartney" a few notches higher! Red Rose Speedway works for me. Little Lamb Dragonfly works for me. And the medley stands up to Abbey Road, and anticipates the work in RAM. Wings at the Speed of Sound... I heard it in somebody else's stereo in a summer cabin. It hit me right from the first time.Totally like it. And I liked London Town as well. I wasn't looking for Abbey Road each time out. I was looking for a good set of songs. And they are there. TOP 3... Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, I have no trouble with anything there. 'Let Me Roll It', here or on Wings Over America, works great. Helen Wheels (a single on an album... finally) has to be heard as "Hell On Wheels", to really get it. RAM... it doesn't really matter whether it is top or runner up. We now know that at the time Rolling Stone editors deliberately put it down. But, did you ever play the record at a party? Gets the people on the floor. Venus and Mars... great album. No problem with it at #1.
01 Ram 02 Red Rose Speedway 03 Back To Egg 04 Flaming Pie 05 Venus And Mars 06 Band On The Run 07 McCartney II 08 London Town 09 Wild Life 10 Pupes Of Peace 11 McCartney 12 Tug Of War 13 Flowers In The Dirt 14 Memory Almost Full 15 Wngs At The Speed Of Sound 16 Chaos And Creation In The Backyard 17 Press To Play 18 Egypt Station 19 Driving Rain 20 Off The Ground 21 Run Devil Run 22 New 23 McCartney III
I agree on most your list my favorite was Venus and Mars too I love red rose highway more than you I'm crazy about run devil run would put it higher and think band on the run lower think. It's a tiny bit overrated would put it red rose highway a little higher but lots I don't have of later stuff great show have McCartney your books inherited from 70s was. My sister's favorite
Your ranking for McCartney III and Chaos are refreshing. MCC III did not have the charm of the first two in the series. Not experimental enough and not enough instrumentals. I actually hated Chaos the first time I heard it. I now love it, but I love many other Paul albums more. I think the problem is that Paul being pushed by Nigel to do “quality work” takes a great deal of the Paul fun and charm away from the album. I think the album would have worked much better if more of the songs sounded like the instrumental tacked on at the end. You are also right about I Don’t Know. You have him sing that with the voice he had on Arrow Through Me and it equals or betters Yesterday or Hey Jude.
Yeah, I think you make a good point about Nigel "quality working" the fun and charm out of Chaos. There's something a bit po-faced about a lot of it. I'm surprised English Tea got the Nigel stamp of approval.
Exactly what I thought! English Tea is my favorite track on the album because it is classic McCartney. The other part I really enjoy is the instrumental tacked on at the end. I was hoping for three or four tracks like that and In Private on McCartney III but I was disappointed.
I agree with you about his voice..but I really do like Mccartney 3, Mccartney 2 I've never been able to get into...always really like your videos and your banter with your 2 partners in crime is always great!
Great video! I don't agree with you in most part, but no problems, democracy is that. My top 10 McCartney's albums: 1 - Ram 2 - Band On The Rum 3 - Chaos And Creation In The Backyard 4 - Flaming Pie 5 - Tug Of War 6 - Flowers In The Dirt 7 - Electric Arguments 8 - Venus And Mars 9 - Memory Almost Full 10 - New Greetings from Brazil!
You’re wrong. McCartney didn’t break up the Beatles. John had already left the group by September of 1969 and Paul waited for a long time to see if John really meant it. It was obvious that they weren’t going to get back together so Paul released McCartney with the press release that he wasn’t sure if the Beatles were going to get back together. If you read the press release, he actually never says they’re done. He only says he’s not sure about their future. John actually said the same exact thing before Paul did but that didn’t get publicized. So Paul did not break up the Beatles with the McCartney album
Yeah, I know all this. There were a thousand issues and numerous people (Klein, etc) who contributed to the break up. I know that Paul didn’t actually break up the Beatles, but I do think that John may not have carried through with quitting if Paul hadn’t pissed him off with that press release. And really the true point of no return was when McCartney sued in Dec ’70, which I don’t blame him for. Paul was definitely right to take whatever action he needed to take to keep everything from going into the hands of Klein. Also, I say numerous times in the video that people in the '70s slagged off Paul because he "broke up The Beatles", because that was what people thought. That was the perception. Not because he actually did.
My Ranking 1. Band On The Run 2. Flaming Pie 3. Venus And Mars 4. Ram 5. Off The Ground 6. Wings At The Speed Of Sound 7. McCartney 8. Tug Of War 9. Red Rose Speedway 10. Pipes Of Peace 11. Driving Rain 12. Memory Almost Full 13. Back To The Egg 14. London Town 15. Flowers In The Dirt 16. McCartney II 17. Run Devil Run 18. Wild Life 19. Press To Play 20. Chaos And Creation In The Backyard 21. Egypt Station 22. New 23. McCartney III
i speak spanish , but some english too great !!!! it´s my fever album of all time i just love it soooo much , and the best song for me is Venus and Mars (reprise) but every song is a 10 and i love Wings even more than The Beatles ( don´t get me wrong , i looove Beatles) but Paul and Wings it´s fun , free and full of diferent styles , melodies and voices , just the best for me
General Waffle Just curious but have you heard the bootleg stripped back original version of Press to Play. So much more enjoyable. A fellow born 1970 man! Gee listening to London Town (not one I like much) at the age of eight is amazing. I was still listening to kids records. Check out the video to Appreciate. Listening to your explanatuions it seems that contrary to your ratings you enjoy Wildlife more than Red Rose Speedway. I seem to be the only person who really doesn't connect with RRS. YAY someone else who loves Back to the Egg. Arrow Through Me is a hidden gem. Baby's request could have been written by Cole Porter (it's just people slagging past eras who like to knock this classic song), what I call the When I'm 64 grumblers. Souvenier from FP is one of Paul's best songs EVER! i might be one of the few folks who agree with you about Band on the Run. Side Two is good but that's all. I think because of the societal view that McCartrney solo was crap prior to it's release made this album grow in grandeur. It is a great album but I'm with you, not number one. Venus and Mars Brilliant pic from number one. I was five and my dad played in on every car trip. It doesn't have a dud track and it set up things for a brilliant tour. Venus and Mars/Rockshow are like magic for me, Love in Song is a stunner with that gorgeous 'Happiness in the Homeland' refrain. Cole Porter again would have loved to have written You Gave Me the Answewr which descrinbing it as a delightful little ditty, does not show just how difficult songs like that (which John called Granny Music) are to write. Magneto and Tiatnium Man is fun and Medicine Jar rocks out, especially live. Call Me Back Again has one of Paul's very best vocal deliveries of all time - this really deserves more credit. It's a ripper! Letting Go failed in the charts but is a sublime blues rocker. Listen to What the Man said is pop perfection. One of those biggest questions in solo McCartney's career is why wasn't this song included on All the Best'? Treat Her gently/Lonely Old People I have heard many listeners slag off as fuddy duddy meaning they really miss the point of the song as it is about the forthcoming shit that is going to come to most of us. 'Eeking their lives away' and 'No body asked us to stay' what poignant lyrics. This album hold together as both a concept album as strangely enough as a straight forward album. The variety is immense, the vocals brilliant, the songs ranging from good to sublime and the songs were perfect material to play life, which is always the sign of a great song. In my green metal suit, and a ring at the end of my nose makes me rather pretty and proud to love this superb album. SUPERB PICK FOR NUMER ONE. p.s. I don't have the ring as for the green metal suit....??? Number One placement as it should be. Great video. Thanks!
Thanks! I haven’t heard the stripped version of Press to Play. That’s definitely an album that would be interesting to hear minus the crap production values of the day. Listen to What the Man Said is on All the Best. Yeah, I do speak more positively about Wild Life but I put Red Rose above it because I think the highs are higher. My Love and Get On the Right Thing alone are enough the push that one up.
Great review. Even though I totally disagree with you rankings. McCartney III is pure genius - I simply love 'old man' Paul's voice and think he hasn't put a foot wrong since and including 'Flaming Pie'. Anyway. My Top 30 (every one, from 'Driving Rain' and upwards, are great albums in my book!!) 1 Band on the Run 2 London Town 3 McCartney III 4 McCartney II 5 Rushes (Fireman) 6 Ram 7 Chaos and Creation in the Backyard 8 New 9 Egypt Station 10 Back to the Egg 12 Electric Arguments (Fireman) 13 McCartney 14 Memory almost Full 15 Flaming Pie 16 Press 17 Red Rose Speedway 18 Venus and Mars 19 Driving Rain 20 Flowers in the Dirt 21 Speed of Sound 22 Wild Life 23 Off the Ground 24 Pipes of Peace 25 Strawberries, Oceans, Ship, Forest (Fireman) 26 Tug of War
Paul, do you believe the "theory" that there have been two Pauls? One pre and one post 1966? I know you must have gone down the rabbit holes. What say you?
Ok, our opinions differ here and there (My personal #1 would be 1970's McCartney) but I really appreciate your high regarding of Driving Rain. As you said, even if I tried to understand that, I never got the precise motivation behind his general bashing among Macca fans. Ok, it contains probably the worst ever McCartney song in my opinion (Freedom) but it also has its great moments. For instance, I'm completely with you on From A Lover To A Friend, truly a late-era McCartney masterpiece that, you are right, would have fit perfectly in the Chaos And Creation In The Backyard mood. The only song on this album on which I disagree with you is Heather: Ok, that name can not be pronounced ever more to Paul, so probably the namesake song will slowly fade into obscurity, but I find this semi-instrumental (With the lyrics coming at the tail end) piano driven song full of wonderful vocal harmonies and beat changes an amazing little jewel
McCartney 3 i share your thoughts. It was a brilliant example of marketing at it's most manipulative. Approx 10 coloured vinyls then all the merchandise. Left me disappointed. I actyually preferred the Reimagined covers version.
I can respect Driving Rain for some decisions it made but I am admittedly a hater of it. I just did an entire ranking myself and it ended up on the bottom. IMO the experiments did not work for me, the lyrics felt tired, and the production was boring and flat. To me it feels like a misstep and Paul trying to figure out what to do after losing Linda. Plus, this album had not aged well with the references to Heather Mills. I appreciate some of the themes of losing love and finding love again, but I was bored out of my mind for most of the record. That last track is mildly interesting though.
I'd agree with venus and mars Pretty tight though...mood fluctuations Ram...wild life...red rose speedway...band on the run...London town... back to the egg and flaming pie all classics...I care less for the mccartney trilogy...there's a few decent songs on them Not a lover of speed of sound...and after flaming pie I think you'd be hard pressed to make a decent album up of good songs from each one
No nasty comments from me and i donm;t share your opinions on everything. People should not watch ranking videos if they can't happily disagree. It's just opinions. For me Veronica was the best co-written track with Elvis. The video for it is also very beautiful. Off the ground is week with the only song I really enjoy is Hope of Deliverance.
This is somewhat deceitful! You're holding up what appears to be a Paul & Linda album in your RU-vid picture but it just sits there in the background unacknowledged. Nevertheless, I voted thumbs up for Paul.
I can't rate Macca albums. They don't stand up as great albums. For me, McCartney's genius is scattered through all of his albums, singles, B-sides and unreleased material. He has no opus magnum.
I find it so weird that you criticise his voice on McCartney III. I mean… he was 78 years old. And you point out that his voice has been declining for years. No shit!
What's weird about it? I don't care WHY his voice sounds bad; doesn't change the fact that it sounds bad. Am I supposed to enjoy his croaky voice out of sympathy? David Crosby is the same age and still sounds amazing, so there. Some people lose it, some people don't. Luck of the draw.
@@AsItShouldBePodcast ..You enjoy the album NEW, right? How about the song "Early Days"? I think there's an example where his aged voice works perfectly in a song that should be sung by an older weary guy looking back. I don't think a younger Paul voice would have worked there. I feel the same about WOMEN AND WIVES, where Paul sounds like an old wizened preacher passing down advice. I don't want to hear young Beatle Paul sing it.
@@MeanMrMayo Love NEW! But I also think his voice sounds much better on that album than on lll. I hear what you're saying about certain songs but I'd personally be in heaven hearing young Paul sing every last track of the past 15 to 20 years.
RAM is almost a perfect album, BUT I’ve always HATED Smile Away. Idk what it is..I just find it incredibly annoying, especially the screeching overbearing guitar sound and the backing vocals. :(
