8/17/2023 0 Comments Fanny tunesmith![]() ![]() McCartney, Henry, Denny and Denny Seiwell chant a la Yardbirds “Still I’m Sad”. This is followed by the most Beatle-ish track (in the sense of backing harmonies) which is “When The Night” and then, in turn, by the album’s curio, “Loup”, an electronic excursion into Floydland with McCartney on Moog while Mrs. Turn over - and a quickie, “Single Pigeon” to kick off with. The whole album is justified by this track, and it’s the one I keep returning to when trying to pin down an overall critical judgement. Based on a series of 12-string figures from Denny Laine and Henry, the richness of the production totally compensates for the Beatrix Potter lyrics and, in fact, makes them work even better. “Little Lamb Dragonfly”, which simply soars. This is followed by a homey little song, “One More Kiss”: totally unpretentious, nice melody, good feel. ![]() But I’m happy to say it`s the odd man out on this otherwise very praiseworthy album. The same slick time and interval shifts are displayed but the obvious care taken fails to conceal a certain lack of direction. “Get On The Right Thing” is the weakest track, I feel, because it can’t quite make up its mind as to what kind of song it really wants to be. ![]() It’s a big, luscious ballad in the style of “Long And Winding Road” or “She’s Leaving Home” and it shows how Paul can, when he wants to, make extremely clever interval shifts all the while featuring some terrific Harrisonesque lead breaks from Henry McCulloch. This moves into “My Love”, which is one of three tracks that typify McCartney at his best. “Red Rose” comes in a complicated booklet package, lined with photos (some by NME’s Joe Stevens of blessed memory) and some remarkably sensuous archive collages.įirst track is “Big Barn Red”, a compact bouncer that displays all of Paul’s natural feel for swing and lightheartedness that used to counterpoint Lennon’s deeper susceptibilities in the, er, other band. But, with all the current heaviness and after-me-the-apocalypse brainstuds around, I for one am bloody pleased to discover a lightweight record that not only fails to alienate, but actually succeeds in impressing via good melodic structure, excellent playing and fine production. Certainly “Red Rose Speedway” is lightweight, sure it’s no intellectual posture. Well folks, this time Paul has really done it he’s really made a nice record. So, with John Lennon cast in the role of Working Class Hero (when he’s even more lower-middle than Paul) and with the anti-bourgeois chic that then prevailed, poor McCartney lost out all down the line. The fact that ducks on the wall can sometimes be appealing quite escaped McCartney’s many critics (who, if the truth be known, were probably more incensed at Paul’s legal actions of the time than at his music they fastened their prejudices accordingly). To be sure, McCartney’s first LPs, “McCartney”, “Ram”, and “Wings” did little to allay the fears that the world had lost a majestic influence and gained the doubtful substitute of another soft-centred cabaret act. When Paul McCartney split, back in the long ago when the Beatles were swatting each other and not a few hard shells were cracking under the blows, there were those who doubted whether he would ever make a good record again without the edgy brilliance of John Lennon to offset his more melodic - face it, more overtly middle-class – tunesmith aspirations. ![]() Paul McCartney and Wings: “Red Rose Speedway” (Apple). One of the great albums from the seventies. If the reviewer gave this album stars, which he didn`t, I guess he would have given this album a 4 out of 5. ![]()
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