What is your favourite 1980s Beatles record?

Double Fantasy easily and I'm not listening to any of this crap even if it's good.

I've definitely heard some of the McCartney here and was unimpressed at the time.

The Marcello review is of Tug of War, not McCartney II, but it is an interesting read, good call. Particularly like the case made for "Get It" as the best song on the record, though I don't think I could ever really buy it. http://nobilliards.blogspot.com/2013/07/paul-mccartney-tug-of-war.html

I really enjoyed this take on the album, though I think I'm more well disposed to 'Here Today' than Marcello. I always herd the “For you were in my song” bit as McCartney trying to be humble, like McCartney writing about what Lennon meant to him personally, rather than make some big statement trying to sum him up. I suppose if you're an ultra-famous pop star trying to sound humble can just come across as conceited and arrogant? I think the awkwardness and the self consciousness make it more touching for me.

See "Stranglehold" has those melodic bits at the end of each hard rockabilly chorus and a sharp horn chart.

God, the 'you were AL-ways a VE-ry good DA-ncer' bit from 'Stranglehold' is an all time top ten McCartney moment for me, no question.

Is 'Stranglehold' McCartney's first attempt to try and do a kind of sexy thing for a while? Like, after the mid sixties most Beatles stuff is kind of sexless, or McCartney's songs anyway. Which is strange, when all the early songs are about sex, and they were such massive sex symbols and so forth. Is that why some people are so down on 'Stranglehold', because it's trying to do a sexy beatles thing and failing (in their opinion?)

I guess there's some 70s McCartney stuff that you could point to, but all seems to be kind of awkward and embarrassing like the 'get you ready for my body gun' bit from 'Hi Hi Hi', or 'I got a little woman i can really love/My woman fit me like a little glove'. 'Stranglehold' is awesome, though.

"eat at home" isn't awkward or embarrassing!

I don't know (m?)any of these records so I tried to lol vote but there were too many choices

then of course there's "Press."

RIGHT there. THAT'S it. YES.

I'm relistening to Press To Play right now... I haven't listened to this for months, and I'd forgotten how nuts 'Talk More Talk' (those voices!) and 'Pretty Little Head' (Ursa Major! Ursa Minor!) were. There's some beautiful songs on this, though, 'Only Love Remains' is one of my favourite McCartney slowies. Then there's 'Angry'... Paul apparently trying to do a "punk" song, with Phil Collins on drums.

Does anyone know who those voices on 'Talk More Talk' are? Is it a sample from something, or was it recorded specifically for the album?

Recorded specifically for the album. Steve Jackson, Matt Howe, John Hammel, Eddie Klein and the young James McCartney are credited on the album with "spoken word".

Kinda wishing he'd waited a little while so he could have got 'Once Upon A Long Ago' on this.

Does anyone know who those voices on 'Talk More Talk' are

The album credits are frustrating.

One of my favorite bits: the "Feel The Sun" part of "Good Times Coming." It's gorgeous, especially when that keening guitar enters.

Something which isn't apparent until one actually dives deep into McCartney's catalogue is that the throwaway/experimental nature of McCartney II didn't cease to happen after that album and certainly existed beforehand. The only difference between the stuff that's on McCartney II and later tracks like 'Pretty Little Head' and 'Ou Est Le Soleil?' is the production, where those tracks would have had a scrappy charm to them if done in the style of McCartney II (and wouldn't have felt out of place either), McCartney decided to "buff up" his later experimental throwaways with big production.

And what about 'Loup' from Red Rose Speedway, part of which is kinda McCartney's attempt to "do a Floyd"?

I'd agree with that assessment of 80s McCartney - the weirdness doesn't go away, but it gets clattering and clean and brisk and and sessiony, and just ends up sounding like everything else. I am immensely fond of "Good Times Coming," "Pretty Little Head," and "Ou Est Le Soleil," not to mention "Ode To A Koala Bear," "Love Come Tumbling Down," etc. I do draw the line at "P.S. Love Me Do" though.

My problems with "Stranglehold" have a lot more to do with this junky loudness than with the sex theme of the track. Damn thing gives me a headache to listen to it.

Yeah, the snare sound is very sharp, brittle and trebly throughout the whole album; it really stuck out to me on that last listen. It's the overwhelming double whammy of the Padgham gated snare sound mixed with late '80s digital recording.

Does the version of the album you're listening to have 'Write Away' on it? I'd say it's McCartney's sophisti-pop moment.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Wow. Now there's revisionism at work.

LMAO at Flowers In The Dirt getting the same amount of votes as Pipes Of Peace (one of the weaker McCartney solo albums, IMO) and Gone Troppo... and Press To Play coming higher? Those are some truly exclusive to ILX results, right there :P

the intro to Talk That Talk sounds like 80s Kate Bush.

pretty amazing that almost as many people like Press To Play as Tug Of War.

Progress!

I like FITD. I may be alone in thinking "Distractions" and "This One" two of his best ballads. Gilmour's solo on "We Got Married" is almost as lovely as his work on "No More Lonely Nights."

Those are some truly exclusive to ILX results, right there :P

isn't that the point of polls on ilx

Poor Ringo.

It's one of those "Those that might have voted for y, had already voted for x"

Remove Mac2 from the list, see how that pans out..(and DoubFant prob)

OK that does it, I've def gotta hear "Press To Play" (never heard the single even though I remember floormates making fun of it. And a friend bought the cassette weeks before the CD was available. He bought that too.)

Might have to hear "Gone Troppo" too for the goofiness

I may be alone in thinking "Distractions" and "This One" two of his best ballads. Gilmour's solo on "We Got Married" is almost as lovely as his work on "No More Lonely Nights."

― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 August 2013 00:18 (20 hours ago) Permalink

Nope, you're not alone there, I rate both 'Distractions' and 'This One' quite highly myself :) I still think 'My Brave Face' is one of McCartney's best solo singles, too. In fact, the only tracks I would bump off there are 'Rough Ride' and 'How Many People', really. Currently have 'That Day Is Done' running through my head as I type, which is maybe a sign that I should give this album another spin!

xpost:

Press To Play definitely worth listening to in full at least once!

One more word about Gone Troppo - I've probably mentioned liking the production on the late '70s/early '80s Dark Horse albums more than once, but Gone Troppo is particularly lush. Nice use of synths and I wonder if George was using a Roland Jazz Chorus amp or something because his tone is so clean.

Oh, and his voice sounds so good, too.