McCartney to reissue solo catalog on Concord!?!?!

[mjzee]

A really good later McCartney album is Driving Rain. I probably wouldn't have given it a chance, but I got to see him at MSG during that tour, and liked what I heard. The CD didn't leave the car for literally months afterwards.

I think his great strength is as a melodicist, not as a lyricist. Not hard to understand, though: he was always a family man and pretty content, so wouldn't write vindictive or angry songs. I think a lot of songwriters create sorrows in their personal lives so they'd have material to write about.

I think the Concord deal is easy to understand: they're one of the few labels interested in older pop performers (see their recent James Taylor releases). Also, McCartney the solo artist is facing the same sales doldrums as others of his timeframe: as today's WSJ put it, "Sir Paul's albums have sold more than 9.4 million albums in the U.S. since 1991, when SoundScan began tracking sales, plus 2.3 million digital songs. But those numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years along with the rest of the recorded-music market. Sir Paul's catalog sold just 357,000 total albums last year, and two-thirds of those sales were generated by a live album released that year by Concord, giving an anomalous bump to the catalog as a whole. He sold just 129,000 albums in 2008."

Concord is one of the few labels still seemingly committed to CD releases, and to trying to find innovative ways of marketing them; hence, their deal with Starbucks.

[RDK]

Paul's got a bunch of good (and some great) songs, but few good solo albums imo. Through BATR, most of the albums are okay - and I've got a soft spot for London Town as well - but for my money a really good post-Beatles 2-CD comp is the best you'll ever get.

[Brad]

He has a few good songs post Beatles but not a lot that will stand the test of time. On the other hand Harrison did have some memorable albums that are classic. His last one, Brainwashed, was one of his best.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Brad

[Hot Ptah]

I think that Flaming Pie, Tug Of War, Chaos and Creation are pretty good albums, not as good as Beatles albums but pretty good.

Otherwise to me, he has about 20-30 songs that are decent, from his singles and a variety of otherwise forgettable albums. He has a lot of filler on his albums.

[Eric]

I've got a soft spot for London Town as well

Likewise. With a Little Luck is a polished turd at best, but the rest of it is really very pleasant.

[Jazzmoose]

Does McCartney have any good solo music?

I'll call you and raise. Is there any good McCartney music other than what he made with The Beatles?

And I'll raise you further, adding 'Lennon or...' and '...they...'.

Let me edit All Things Must Pass down to a single disc, and I'll have the best post-breakup Beatles album by far.

[danasgoodstuff]

I'm quite fond of Run Devil Run, certainly a far better oldies album than Lennon's, mostly because it's far more straightforward. Made in the wake of Linda's death it's to my ears far more impassioned than most of his self-written solo work.

[Hot Ptah]

I'm quite fond of Run Devil Run, certainly a far better oldies album than Lennon's, mostly because it's far more straightforward. Made in the wake of Linda's death it's to my ears far more impassioned than most of his self-written solo work.

That is a good album, surprisingly intense and energetic compared to the rest of his solo output.

[Dave James]

Let me edit All Things Must Pass down to a single disc, and I'll have the best post-breakup Beatles album by far.

I'll take just about any Harrison album over anything from either Lennon or McCartney.

[JSngry]

[Jazzmoose]

Let me edit All Things Must Pass down to a single disc, and I'll have the best post-breakup Beatles album by far.

I'll take just about any Harrison album over anything from either Lennon or McCartney.

I dunno about that; most of Harrison's output was as bad as Lennon's worst to me. As far as "body of work" quality, I'd say Ringo did the best, but I'm not a fan of his stuff either.

[A Lark Ascending]

When we've loved the music of a musician or group of musicians over a period of time we so want the magic to go on. I think the post-Beatles career of all of them has been sustained by that desire.

In the end their achievement in the 60s dwarfs any disappointments subsequently.

[JSngry]

The four of them together in their time and their place was truly magic. Apart and in a different time & place, they were still above-average talents, but...never fuck with synergy unless you're willing to live with the consequences.

Then again, the first McCartney solo works and the John/Yoko wigouts are really the same as Brian Wilsons's post Smile-collapse work - music to get away from the glare, find a comfortable coccoon, and just chill the hell out for a while. God know they were entitled...George, otoh, was finally free at last, ready to step up and out. But he was not Lennon-McCartney, much less Lennon or McCartney, over the long haul. Ringo, yeah, in a lot of ways, Ringo learned how to make good pop records.

You know, you put a record like McCartney up against a record like The Beach Boys' Friends and things start to make a little more sense and become a little more understandable, attractive even.. People needed time and space and...quiet, at least after the Big Bang did exactly that.