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In this thread I rank my favorite post-Beatles Beatles songs: 291-1. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter krista4
- Start date
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Ok, have to confess that I was worried this wouldn’t make the rankings because it only appeared on the soundtrack. It was many years after the movie came out that I even noticed this song.....even though I’ve seen the movie way way too many times.58. Cheer Down (Lethal Weapon 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1989) YouTube (not available on Spotify)
(George #20)
I teased this as "written for a movie" hoping for some misdirection to "Live And Let Die," but I could also have teased it as a Tom Petty co-write to mislead into The Traveling Wilburys. So many ways for me to be ridiculously clever.I also have to admit to a mistake: when I posted "Sally G" six or seven years ago, I mentioned it was the last song that wouldn't be available on Spotify, forgetting about this one. Why is this not on Spotify??? It has been included on a couple of George compilations, but those likewise aren't in print, though it is on his Live In Japan album, from which I hereby offer you the track. I used "hereby," as our President does, to make this legally binding.
George wrote the rhythm track for this during the Cloud Nine sessions, but didn't complete it at the time, later bringing in Tom Petty as a co-writer to assist with the lyrics. A year later, George offered it to Eric Clapton for his Journeyman album, but instead Clapton asked George to put it together for the Lethal Weapon 2 soundtrack that Clapton was working on. George brought in Jeff Lynne to produce so that this is 60% authentic Wilbury, and the song ended up being used for the closing credits of the movie.
I adore this song in pretty much every way, but three items stand out for me: (1) first and foremost the insanely amazing and varied slide guitar from George, ranging from an Indian sound to a country/bluesy sound - this could very well be George's best slide guitar performance in his catalog; (2) the descending piano chords, which always get me; and (3) because I am weird, I'm always bemused at how he holds the "shhhhhh" at the end of the word "crash."
UP NEXT: Scary giant mountain Yoko face...
I have a cousin who plays a mean guitar, and he’s really the second person who got me to develop man-love for George. My Cuz made me watch the George tribute concert one Thanksgiving night, and then he played some guitar for us all, with my mom, aunt, wife and me singing along at times. Anyway, he loved this song, particularly the guitar solo(s) at the end. (I’m going off memory here, because everyone is asleep and I can’t wake people up to listen right now, which really sucks)
At some point in the past, I listened to a George interview where he talked about this song. He could have been BS’ing, but he said that he wrote it kind of as an inside joke with his wife. Since he was always walking around cheerful and happy at this stage of life, she would say to him “why don’t you cheer down a bit” instead of most people who say “hey, cheer up!” I really like that concept, whether it is true or not. This song always bring me a smile to my face, and when my son & I recently watched LW2 (his first time seeing it!!) he was mildly annoyed that I made him sit through the credits.
And oh yeah, I’m way freaking behind now due to the damn election.....and “babysitting” my FIL, who is super high maintenance and annoyingly judgmental about everything (which is usually my role in the family).
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krista4
Footballguy
Yes, give or take a scintillion.
OK, I just looked - it's slightly over half. If anyone wishes to guess my favorite post-Beatles album, I'll give you one stab at it.
krista4
Footballguy
I'm glad you're catching up! Yes, I'd read that bit about Cheer Down, though I think I even remember it was something like "cheer down, big fella" that she would say to him, and I found it really charming. But then again, I love all things Olivia.
This song slips through the cracks since it wasn't on his albums and isn't on Spotify, but that slide guitar...swoon. Having Tom Petty assist in the writing couldn't have hurt, either. George also sounds like he's winking when he sings it, which I love.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
I suspect it is for a lot of people. Many of those songs would have been Beatles songs had John and Paul let George have more than two songs per album.Yes, give or take a scintillion.
OK, I just looked - it's slightly over half. If anyone wishes to guess my favorite post-Beatles album, I'll give you one stab at it.
There is one song still out there from George's comeback period that is very beloved. It'll be interesting to see where that ends up.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Yeah, the slide guitar is what my cousin loved so much about this song. I’m bad with details - to a degree that is embarrassing at times - but I vaguely recall my cuz breaking down all the different variations of slide he was hearing in the song. Anyway, his appreciation for the song made me love it even more.
Cheer down big fella. I like that.
krista4
Footballguy
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I like the Yoko songs on Double Fantasy. I know she’s an easy target but looking back on all of these songs years later you can see how far ahead of her time she was and I think she was a bigger influence on some of theses women led indie groups than she gets credit for. She’s not a great vocalist, but the songs are well crafted.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
My two favorite Beatles together!!!
Always enjoyed this song, even though young APK had no idea that George was involved with it. It maximizes Ringo’s talents and minimizes any supposed shortcomings he had. Great to sing along to if you’re drunk, or just out having a good time. Mrs APK said “this sounds like Ringo and George wrote it as a Jimmy Buffett style homage, but then Ringo performed it. Did we ever hear this on a Caribbean beach? We must have right?” Well stated.
From Wikipedia:
Starr later said of Harrison's role in their collaborations over this period: "I only know three chords and he'd stick four more in, and they'd all think I was a genius."
Quotes like the above are why everyone loves Ringo. He always spreads credit around to others.
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
I have to believe people readily identified the cop as the great Super Dave Osborn, aka Bob Einstein, brother of Albert Brooks - and of course played the mightly Marty Funkhouser in "Curb".
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
I'm Losing You has always been one of my favs. I don't really know why; but I think it is just the feel.
I didn't know any of the backstory, so that helps.
Good stuff, K.
krista4
Footballguy
I've written up and erased three different songs for #50 this morning, which makes me think I might need to take today to regroup and finish off strong beginning tomorrow. 
I'm very busy today otherwise, so I think I'll put this off until tonight and get it all worked out then.
I'm very busy today otherwise, so I think I'll put this off until tonight and get it all worked out then. 
DaVinci
FairTaxguy
If you had been old enough to consider the impact of farm-to-table narcotics you wouldn’t have ranked it very high (low) either.
Morton Muffley
Footballguy
Yeah, her voice is the stand-out attraction obviously. They are a legit band and quite good (they performed on Colbert's show a few years ago). She doesn't really play guitar, but have previously seen her play just a simple riff on 1-2 songs (of a 2 hour concert). I think she's holding the guitar in this instance because she wanted to emulate John Lennon. The actual guitarist obviously wasn't available to film that day (hence the cardboard cut out). Anyway, her voice is great and very jazzy (I believe she studied jazz vocals), and the bass player typically plays a stand-up bass so the band ends up having a unique (and minimalist to my ear) sound.
Anyway, didn't mean to hijack and certainly not expecting you to continue, but IF you have further interest:
- This is the song that caused me discover them 8 years ago when they were first starting out.
- Here is the cover of a McCartney song I referenced as (likely still) upcoming. Turning the guitar solo into a trumpet solo was an interesting choice I thought
- They have also released a few albums of original songs of which this is a good example of their style
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
It’s all good, you’re still putting in work in the genrepalooza draft thread.I've written up and erased three different songs for #50 this morning, which makes me think I might need to take today to regroup and finish off strong beginning tomorrow.
ETA: I think you’ll be amused by what I do in round 24. Or not.
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krista4
Footballguy
Aw, screw it. Here's a song. I think I play this one less often than any of the others remaining on the list, so that must mean something.
50. Run Of The Mill (All Things Must Pass, 1970) Spotify YouTube
(George #17)
This is George's favorite song from All Things Must Pass, despite its not having the hallowed #7 position. In addition to George having declared it his favorite, Olivia has said that it is the song that most reminds her of George after his passing, as she loved it and often asked him to sing it around the house. Written in the midst of the breakup of the Beatles, the song served as an elegy for the Beatles and a lament over the loss of friendship. I find these to be some of George's most poetic lyrics:
Everyone has choice
When to or not to raise their voices
It's you that decides
Which way you will turn
While feeling that our love's not your concern
It's you that decides
No one around you
Will carry the blame for you
No one around you
Will love you today and throw it all away
Tomorrow when you rise
Another day for you to realise me
Or send me down again
As the days stand up on end
You've got me wondering how I lost your friendship
But I see it in your eyes
Though I'm beside you
I can't carry the blame for you
I may decide to
Get out with your blessing
Where I'll carry on guessing
How high will you leap
Will you make enough for you to reap it?
Only you'll arrive
At your own made end
With no one but yourself to be offended
It's you that decides
&
I love that the lyrics are presented as a stream of consciousness, with very little structure to the song and notably no instrumental breaks whatsoever. The change from minor key to a major key when George on certain bits that seem most stressful ("I can't carry the blame for you") is a subtle touch that I adore. I even enjoy the brass sound on this, not simply tolerate it, because I think its melancholic sound adds to the feeling of lament. And most of all, I'm a huge fan of the sudden time signature changes that keep the song a little off-kilter, despite sounding on its face like a sweet and sorrowful requiem. George was sad, but George was also angry, and I think he's expressed that anger here with more subtlety and poignancy than usual.
50. Run Of The Mill (All Things Must Pass, 1970) Spotify YouTube
(George #17)
This is George's favorite song from All Things Must Pass, despite its not having the hallowed #7 position. In addition to George having declared it his favorite, Olivia has said that it is the song that most reminds her of George after his passing, as she loved it and often asked him to sing it around the house. Written in the midst of the breakup of the Beatles, the song served as an elegy for the Beatles and a lament over the loss of friendship. I find these to be some of George's most poetic lyrics:
Everyone has choice
When to or not to raise their voices
It's you that decides
Which way you will turn
While feeling that our love's not your concern
It's you that decides
No one around you
Will carry the blame for you
No one around you
Will love you today and throw it all away
Tomorrow when you rise
Another day for you to realise me
Or send me down again
As the days stand up on end
You've got me wondering how I lost your friendship
But I see it in your eyes
Though I'm beside you
I can't carry the blame for you
I may decide to
Get out with your blessing
Where I'll carry on guessing
How high will you leap
Will you make enough for you to reap it?
Only you'll arrive
At your own made end
With no one but yourself to be offended
It's you that decides
&
I love that the lyrics are presented as a stream of consciousness, with very little structure to the song and notably no instrumental breaks whatsoever. The change from minor key to a major key when George on certain bits that seem most stressful ("I can't carry the blame for you") is a subtle touch that I adore. I even enjoy the brass sound on this, not simply tolerate it, because I think its melancholic sound adds to the feeling of lament. And most of all, I'm a huge fan of the sudden time signature changes that keep the song a little off-kilter, despite sounding on its face like a sweet and sorrowful requiem. George was sad, but George was also angry, and I think he's expressed that anger here with more subtlety and poignancy than usual.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
aaaah, songwriting - the great divider.Yeah, her voice is the stand-out attraction obviously. They are a legit band and quite good (they performed on Colbert's show a few years ago). She doesn't really play guitar, but have previously seen her play just a simple riff on 1-2 songs (of a 2 hour concert). I think she's holding the guitar in this instance because she wanted to emulate John Lennon. The actual guitarist obviously wasn't available to film that day (hence the cardboard cut out). Anyway, her voice is great and very jazzy (I believe she studied jazz vocals), and the bass player typically plays a stand-up bass so the band ends up having a unique (and minimalist to my ear) sound.
Anyway, didn't mean to hijack and certainly not expecting you to continue, but IF you have further interest:
Ok, back to YOUR thread
- This is the song that caused me discover them 8 years ago when they were first starting out.
- Here is the cover of a McCartney song I referenced as (likely still) upcoming. Turning the guitar solo into a trumpet solo was an interesting choice I thought
- They have also released a few albums of original songs of which this is a good example of their style
to my last breath, i will be confounded by how many clever coverers go against every instinct which made them so when they have to write originals. and not just the hurried, innocuous Katrina-&-the-Waves vamp MM links here. the whole album is either nailpounders and/or based on a lone cleverclever concept that would have been the first thing they'd throw away if they were covering it. not an ounce of the slinky Hot Lickster charm that got them in the door. amazing...
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
got a feeling this was just a control thing from Yoko - "you can have a song which doesnt reflect well on me OR the arrangement you want". the five-year break was as much Lennon finding a way to be creative thru the passive-aggressive ransoming of his beautiful boy by his mother as it was his evolution as a man & father. yeesh, that's ugly, but there's sumn there. i'm leaving it in...
this needs a riff, a nice Mike Campbell/Tom Petty clang, to counter the foreboding ding-dong thing
i can tell a Richard Perry production cuz my sphincter slams shut every time i hear one. but he knew how to make Ringo sound melodic
what you like about this is what i dont like about this. you're right -
Morton Muffley
Footballguy
Love this song and totally agree with that Paul doesn't seem to forgive easily. Seems like he probably gives you a lot a leeway, but that once you cross him one too many times that you'd be dead to him. Still not sure I agree that I'd rather have John mad at me than Paul. Will need to think about that some more. And fwiw, I heard someone refer to I've Just Seen a Face as "the most jaunty put-down song ever written." Paul definitely has a penchant for trying to undercut emotion if he feels it's getting too heavy (e.g., see how he ends records with an emotional penultimate song only to let the air out with the final song).
As for Vanity Fair, I definitely think it's about Heather but I do think it's about someone else as well. Some have speculated that around the time he also had a falling out with his manager. I know nothing more about the situation than that but the song does strike me as an amalgam.
I realize I owe you an updated accounting now that you are inside your Paul 25. I'll do that tonight and in the meantime will let you know that Riding to Vanity Fair is my #30 and that your recent postings have taken down ANOTHER top 10 of mine. I assume you'll be able to figure out which one given one of you ongoing counts.
Raging weasel
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
Thanks! I'll listen to these later tonight. I had wondered which was the Paul song you were referencing. Eager to listen.Yeah, her voice is the stand-out attraction obviously. They are a legit band and quite good (they performed on Colbert's show a few years ago). She doesn't really play guitar, but have previously seen her play just a simple riff on 1-2 songs (of a 2 hour concert). I think she's holding the guitar in this instance because she wanted to emulate John Lennon. The actual guitarist obviously wasn't available to film that day (hence the cardboard cut out). Anyway, her voice is great and very jazzy (I believe she studied jazz vocals), and the bass player typically plays a stand-up bass so the band ends up having a unique (and minimalist to my ear) sound.
Anyway, didn't mean to hijack and certainly not expecting you to continue, but IF you have further interest:
Ok, back to YOUR thread
- This is the song that caused me discover them 8 years ago when they were first starting out.
- Here is the cover of a McCartney song I referenced as (likely still) upcoming. Turning the guitar solo into a trumpet solo was an interesting choice I thought
- They have also released a few albums of original songs of which this is a good example of their style
krista4
Footballguy
Probably right re Yoko. And sadly re John, too.
I'd like to hear that riff just to see if it would improve it for me. The incessant foreboding ding-dong gives the song the discomfort bordering on lil' bit of terror that I like about it.
krista4
Footballguy
I'd read it might be directed at his manager at the time as well. I just prefer to think it's only about that other one.
Yes, if I'm taking down a top 10 of yours (I assume Little Willow) at this point, then we're in pretty good alignment!
krista4
Footballguy
I remembered this! You hadn't been in here for a while so I was hoping to sneak it in while you weren't looking.
The good news is I have four unused write-ups done today for whenever these come up.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Is that a xylophone?
Im not sure how I feel about that one yet. It didn’t really grab me but there were some intriguing things. The voice starting to fail him didn’t bother me at all in the Flaming Pie songs so far, in fact it helped in some songs - but I also wished he could have carried this tune a little better.
krista4
Footballguy
Raging weasel
Footballguy
Yeah, like you I mostly took the weekend off other than the music draft. Was like 70 here all weekend so got all our winterizing done and put a railing on the porch among other projects.I remembered this! You hadn't been in here for a while so I was hoping to sneak it in while you weren't looking.
krista4
Footballguy
49. Mistress And Maid (Off The Ground, 1993) Spotify YouTube
(Paul #21)
wikkid mentioned that he might have preferred for Paul to do an album of covers of Elvis Costello songs rather than the collaborations on Flowers In The Dirt, so I wonder what he will think of this one. It's a leftover from the Flowers In The Dirt sessions, co-written by them, but which Paul recorded on his own, added various instrumental flourishes, and included on Off The Ground. To me, despite its being "co-written," the lyrics sound like Costello through and through. While the song features some of my favorite elements - waltz time! powerful well-performed harmonies! weird circus-y feel! - what sends this way over the top in my rankings are the lyrics.
First I'll back up. When I research these songs for purposes of getting little tidbits, or to find the musician lineup, or what have you, I try very hard to avoid reading any reviews or opinions of the songs. In contrast, I did read reviews of the albums but tried to avoid seeing much on any song in particular. I don't want to be affected by what others might think. But in reading about this album, along with Flowers In The Dirt, I've gotten a general sense that this song is not well regarded, at least compared to the other Costello collaborations and perhaps in comparison to Paul's catalog as a whole. And it's befuddled me until a week or so ago, when *lightbulb*, I realized something that could be factor: I've never read a book about the Beatles (individually or collectively), or a review or opinion piece, that was written by a woman. That doesn't mean they're not out there, but the major writers seem to have penises.
Many years ago my BFF and I both read the book "She's Come Undone," by Wally Lamb. It's an amazing book in many ways, but what she and I both were most blown away by was that it was a coming-of-age story of a teenage girl, written in the first person by a man, that somehow got into the mind of a young girl in an incredible way. I'd never (and still haven't) seen a man write a woman's story like that. This might not occur to you guys so much, because you're used to seeing both men and women write from the POV of men. But writing from a woman's perspective is generally reserved for women only, and what Paul and Costello have done here reminds me of what had been most successful about that book.
This song is not written in the first-person, but it describes a deeply personal story from a woman's POV unbelievably well. And the clever, subtle turns of phrase only heighten the storytelling, as a woman progresses from the beginning of a downturn in her relationship through her finding the strength to end it, entirely encapsulated in the song. All in less than three minutes. Check out, for instance, the minor change in wording between the first pre-chorus and chorus and the second as, in the second pre-chorus, she's coming to terms with the changes, and in the second chorus, she strengthens her resolve. I've highlighted the two changes in each of the pre-chorus and the chorus that I'm referencing. ####### brilliant. I'm not an "I am woman, hear me roar" person, so the subtlety of these changes is particularly appealing to me. When Paul sings the final chorus, many women can figuratively stand and shout along with him.
She said, "come in my dear
You're looking tired tonight
Your bath is drawn, let me loosen your tie
And fix you your usual drink"
He settles back, takes a magazine
Kicks off his shoes, as he studies the form
Of every appealing soubrette
But where are the flowers that he used to bring?
Every endearing remark
Reminds her of passionate promises
That he only made in the dark
In her bed, she wants to shout at the back of his head
Look at me, look at me, look at me--I'm afraid
See what it's come to
I'm just your mistress and maid
The wine is warm, but the dinner is cold
The look in his eye tells her it won't be long
'Till the girls on the page come to life
They'll get the flowers that he used to bring
With every endearing remark
And all of the passionate promises
He'll never fulfill in the dark
In their bed, she wants to shout at the back of his head
Look at me, look at me, now that I'm not afraid
See what it's come to
I'm not your mistress and maid
See what it's come to
I'm not your mistress and maid
&
(Paul #21)
wikkid mentioned that he might have preferred for Paul to do an album of covers of Elvis Costello songs rather than the collaborations on Flowers In The Dirt, so I wonder what he will think of this one. It's a leftover from the Flowers In The Dirt sessions, co-written by them, but which Paul recorded on his own, added various instrumental flourishes, and included on Off The Ground. To me, despite its being "co-written," the lyrics sound like Costello through and through. While the song features some of my favorite elements - waltz time! powerful well-performed harmonies! weird circus-y feel! - what sends this way over the top in my rankings are the lyrics.
First I'll back up. When I research these songs for purposes of getting little tidbits, or to find the musician lineup, or what have you, I try very hard to avoid reading any reviews or opinions of the songs. In contrast, I did read reviews of the albums but tried to avoid seeing much on any song in particular. I don't want to be affected by what others might think. But in reading about this album, along with Flowers In The Dirt, I've gotten a general sense that this song is not well regarded, at least compared to the other Costello collaborations and perhaps in comparison to Paul's catalog as a whole. And it's befuddled me until a week or so ago, when *lightbulb*, I realized something that could be factor: I've never read a book about the Beatles (individually or collectively), or a review or opinion piece, that was written by a woman. That doesn't mean they're not out there, but the major writers seem to have penises.
Many years ago my BFF and I both read the book "She's Come Undone," by Wally Lamb. It's an amazing book in many ways, but what she and I both were most blown away by was that it was a coming-of-age story of a teenage girl, written in the first person by a man, that somehow got into the mind of a young girl in an incredible way. I'd never (and still haven't) seen a man write a woman's story like that. This might not occur to you guys so much, because you're used to seeing both men and women write from the POV of men. But writing from a woman's perspective is generally reserved for women only, and what Paul and Costello have done here reminds me of what had been most successful about that book.
This song is not written in the first-person, but it describes a deeply personal story from a woman's POV unbelievably well. And the clever, subtle turns of phrase only heighten the storytelling, as a woman progresses from the beginning of a downturn in her relationship through her finding the strength to end it, entirely encapsulated in the song. All in less than three minutes. Check out, for instance, the minor change in wording between the first pre-chorus and chorus and the second as, in the second pre-chorus, she's coming to terms with the changes, and in the second chorus, she strengthens her resolve. I've highlighted the two changes in each of the pre-chorus and the chorus that I'm referencing. ####### brilliant. I'm not an "I am woman, hear me roar" person, so the subtlety of these changes is particularly appealing to me. When Paul sings the final chorus, many women can figuratively stand and shout along with him.
She said, "come in my dear
You're looking tired tonight
Your bath is drawn, let me loosen your tie
And fix you your usual drink"
He settles back, takes a magazine
Kicks off his shoes, as he studies the form
Of every appealing soubrette
But where are the flowers that he used to bring?
Every endearing remark
Reminds her of passionate promises
That he only made in the dark
In her bed, she wants to shout at the back of his head
Look at me, look at me, look at me--I'm afraid
See what it's come to
I'm just your mistress and maid
The wine is warm, but the dinner is cold
The look in his eye tells her it won't be long
'Till the girls on the page come to life
They'll get the flowers that he used to bring
With every endearing remark
And all of the passionate promises
He'll never fulfill in the dark
In their bed, she wants to shout at the back of his head
Look at me, look at me, now that I'm not afraid
See what it's come to
I'm not your mistress and maid
See what it's come to
I'm not your mistress and maid
&
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
i like the ding-dong - they're the notes you come away with and highlight the ominous tone intended, but are a little sorethumbish. a bit of clang like this opening for them to respond to rounds it out without hurting the mood
krista4
Footballguy
I do have one that I wrote up and set aside today.
Might get posted tomorrow. Or might not.
krista4
Footballguy
Shaft41
Footballguy
I don't know if I can deal with the uncertainty.I do have one that I wrote up and set aside today.
RickySpanish
Footballguy
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
interesting. very Costellian imagery - all the thoughts that pass thru a mind before swinging a doorstop at the back of a lover's head, then leaving one to wonder if they did.
Paul going for the monotony in the arrangement again - that's apparently his vehicle of disdain. i would have actually brought the carousel-y thing with the poppin' bass & trumpets at the end right up front. i'm surely going to Hell - can't stop giving Mozart my notes...
dunno what this means, but two of the three novels in my active files are female POV. my vampire novel unfolds in the mind of a modern woman who must decide upon an infernal proposal from Dracula's baby brother. and my favorite work i've ever done has a delightfully unreliable narrator - a woman inherits a house in Toulon France and finds a trunk filled with the 200 yo papers of an ancestor who claims to have been Napoleon's longtime mistress. the pages are all written at the end of her life, when she is apparently dying of stomach cancer. she wants to tell her tale - fictitious or not - but must do so in the couple of hours in front of a morning fire before the pain gets too great. the stories are sometimes finished, sometimes not and their avid curator is left to puzzle the full story from these fragments and what research she can do.
at any rate, the reason i like writing from a woman's POV is probably sexist. most writers, including your humble servant, must surround the truth to get their points across and i consider that a feminine, or at least motherly, instinct. and a storyteller must abide a great deal of unpleasantness and keep a large number of secrets to tell a proper tale, and the male part of me has no interest in that. a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. and a woman's gotta do everything else. aaand that brings us back to the song.
ETA: coincidence? me Ma, who read 3 books a week with one good eye right up to the end, read 90+% books w female authors, but she looooved Wally Lamb.
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Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
I haven’t listened to Mistress and Maid yet, but if you told me those lyrics were by Joni Mitchell, I would have believed you.
My reading is mostly nonfiction and useless stuff on the internet, but I have read She’s Come Undone - I received it as a gift for some reason - and I thought it was great.
My reading is mostly nonfiction and useless stuff on the internet, but I have read She’s Come Undone - I received it as a gift for some reason - and I thought it was great.
krista4
Footballguy
I don't know; Shaft [don't] know; everybody [don't] know...might as well go with the one that sums up my current state.
49. I Don't Know (Egypt Station, 2018) Spotify YouTube TIEEEEEEEED see later
(Paul #21) TIEEEEEEEEEED see later
I'd mentioned in this thread or another that I rarely fall in love with a song the first time I hear it. This was an exception. When this and "Come On To Me" were released as a double-a-side single in advance of Paul's most recent album, I was blown away with this one immediately. It's the piano, and the interesting (not Paul-standard) chord progressions and key changes, and the cello (of course), and the overall production, and the excellent use of his old-man voice, not straining or pushing but singing beautifully within his range. And it's the imagery - the lines about "crows at my window, dogs at my door" speak to me in an odd way. But more than anything, what immediately drew me in was the theme of the song. Although Paul has said this came from a particular experience in his life, where he felt like he was messing up a lot, it seems to be written more broadly in the "old man takes stock of his life" way that I find appealing in many films, novels, and songs. It's unusual to hear Paul doing that, being so immediately vulnerable in terms of his life rather than couching it in a made-up universe. It's "I've done things wrong," not "some character I invented should have done better." It's such a genuine, direct expression of emotion and failure from Paul, which we're not used to hearing.
Unsurprisingly, what I'm trying to say Paul said much better: "That’s a grown-up song. Sometimes in your life, you’re not a god on Olympus. You’re a real person walking 'round the streets. I’m a grandfather, a father, a husband, and in that package there’s no guarantee that every minute’s gonna go right. In fact, quite the opposite. And there was a private occasion – I’m not gonna get into it – that brought me down. 'God, what am I doing wrong?' I’m not knocking it, I have a great life. But from time to time, reality intrudes. This was one of those occasions where it was like, 'Oh, #### me…' ."
49. I Don't Know (Egypt Station, 2018) Spotify YouTube TIEEEEEEEED see later
(Paul #21) TIEEEEEEEEEED see later
I'd mentioned in this thread or another that I rarely fall in love with a song the first time I hear it. This was an exception. When this and "Come On To Me" were released as a double-a-side single in advance of Paul's most recent album, I was blown away with this one immediately. It's the piano, and the interesting (not Paul-standard) chord progressions and key changes, and the cello (of course), and the overall production, and the excellent use of his old-man voice, not straining or pushing but singing beautifully within his range. And it's the imagery - the lines about "crows at my window, dogs at my door" speak to me in an odd way. But more than anything, what immediately drew me in was the theme of the song. Although Paul has said this came from a particular experience in his life, where he felt like he was messing up a lot, it seems to be written more broadly in the "old man takes stock of his life" way that I find appealing in many films, novels, and songs. It's unusual to hear Paul doing that, being so immediately vulnerable in terms of his life rather than couching it in a made-up universe. It's "I've done things wrong," not "some character I invented should have done better." It's such a genuine, direct expression of emotion and failure from Paul, which we're not used to hearing.
Unsurprisingly, what I'm trying to say Paul said much better: "That’s a grown-up song. Sometimes in your life, you’re not a god on Olympus. You’re a real person walking 'round the streets. I’m a grandfather, a father, a husband, and in that package there’s no guarantee that every minute’s gonna go right. In fact, quite the opposite. And there was a private occasion – I’m not gonna get into it – that brought me down. 'God, what am I doing wrong?' I’m not knocking it, I have a great life. But from time to time, reality intrudes. This was one of those occasions where it was like, 'Oh, #### me…' ."
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krista4
Footballguy
I was wrong! Not going to be posted tomorrow or the next day.I do have one that I wrote up and set aside today.
krista4
Footballguy
It makes me unreasonably happy that your Ma loved Wally Lamb. She's Come Undone isn't even my favorite book of his (that would be I Know This Much Is True), but he has several of my favorites. I'm in love with the idea of your French novel. Are you anywhere near completion on that one?
I could do with more of the carousel notion at the end, too. One of the downfalls of the song, in my opinion, is the drab ending - I do not like that extended "Maaaaid." Feels like the song had been discarded by the pair while still in search of an ending.
krista4
Footballguy
Yes, even setting aside what I highlighted as the most amazing aspect, it's just a great book. Fabulous storytelling and prose. It seems like it too rare for me to read a book with a compelling narrative plus excellent prose, so those that have both stand out to me.
krista4
Footballguy
After saying I wasn't going to post any today, I'm going to do a fourth one. It's a song that I had much, much, much lower at the beginning, and I can't figure out why. I didn't even have it in my John top 25 or overall top 125 at one point, but I kept moving it up(down) higher(lower). And I'm just tired of seeing it on my list, jumping over so many songs. So I'm ripping off the John band-aid and posting it before I move it yet again.
48. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - I Found Out (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970) Spotify YouTube
(John #11)
I think the reason this wasn't higher in the rankings earlier on is that my least favorite part of the song is John's vocal and delivery. Love John's fuzzy guitar licks, and Ringo is spectacular, but Klaus Voormann uncharacteristically steals the show and prevents this from being a RINGO SHOWCASE!. Listen to Voormann go! This is a great harder-edge but minimalistic song, and I appreciate John's raw vocal, but the delivery becomes kind of repetitive, more like reeling off a laundry list to make sure he gets all his digs in. I don't feel as much emotional power in this song as in others on the album, especially in the barks at the end. The song doesn't really go anywhere; it's a great riff with a rollicking bassline, but... Anyway, love the song but it shall rise no further.
48. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - I Found Out (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970) Spotify YouTube
(John #11)
I think the reason this wasn't higher in the rankings earlier on is that my least favorite part of the song is John's vocal and delivery. Love John's fuzzy guitar licks, and Ringo is spectacular, but Klaus Voormann uncharacteristically steals the show and prevents this from being a RINGO SHOWCASE!. Listen to Voormann go! This is a great harder-edge but minimalistic song, and I appreciate John's raw vocal, but the delivery becomes kind of repetitive, more like reeling off a laundry list to make sure he gets all his digs in. I don't feel as much emotional power in this song as in others on the album, especially in the barks at the end. The song doesn't really go anywhere; it's a great riff with a rollicking bassline, but... Anyway, love the song but it shall rise no further.
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krista4
Footballguy
Well, it's settled. I messed up somewhere along the way when I was substituting some Paul songs mid-countdown. I must have added one, but then forgot to take out the one I was removing and ended up rating it, too.
Instead of crying, which is what I feel like doing, I've deemed "Mistress And Maid" in a tie with "I Don't Know" for #49, Paul #21. And "I Found Out" will be #48. Tomorrow I'll resume with #47, with the top 47 still including 20 more Paul songs.####
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Raging weasel
Footballguy
You needed a Temporary Secretary to help you with this project. No worries, we can work it out Another Day.
Morton Muffley
Footballguy
Great stuff Krista. Thanks for sharing. Where to begin? Well, I guess I'll start with the admission that this song isn't in my Paul 100, but I have a very good reason for that: I have a penis! Ok, so not a great reason I admit, so let me try again. As you know, I'm as big of an EC fan as I am a McCartney fan. EC is arguably the greatest lyricist in rock music history and as you've noted, the lyrics to this song are likely ALL EC. If someone theorized that Paul didn't write a single word I don't know how one would even begin to argue against that contention. Does Paul have any songs that include direct quotations? EC has dozens. Does anyone think that if you asked Paul TODAY what a "soubrette" is that he'd be able to tell you? By contrast EC's lyrics have sent me scrambling to my dictionary more times than I'd care to admit. And the careful story structure you've noted, that's not Paul either. But I don't dislike it because the lyrics are EC's, heck I love My Brave Face and those lyrics are similarly all/mostly EC's. Heck, I don't dislike it all. I just don't love it.krista4 said:
And I think the reason why can be best expressed by a reaction I read to Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. The reviewer went into great detail about all the things he loved about the movie: the use of color to represent different moods/themes, the exploration of marriage/infidelity with two actors who were married, the gay theme that follows Cruise throughout both his real and fictional life, the recurring Christmas lights, the symmetry of the story structure, the foreshadowing in the opening scene, sex as alternatively old-fashioned, over-commercialized, and dangerously animalistic, the power of imagination and the curse of jealousy. The reviewer went into excruciating detail on the meaning behind every element and then concluded with an admission that he didn't really love them film and he wondered why. The reason he explained: Kubrick had made a film that was more enjoyable to analyze than it was to watch. And that's kinda how I feel about this song. I have always appreciated the lyrics and I totally understand why you like it and think this is another case of art being in the eye of the beholder, impacting different people differently based on their unique situation and experience. That's what makes art great. Anyway, maybe I was wrong to have written the above. I don't mean for it to come of as an argument against the song. Quite the contrary, I want it to be an acceptance and appreciation for the impact of different perspectives and experiences on how we receive art. Or maybe I should have just shut up and accepted that it's because I have a penis. That seems a more likely answer than the one I gave anyway.
