[66zoolane]

I grew up listening to the Beatles, but they'd already split up by then and for years, I've been meaning to listen to Paul McCartney & Wings - I knew the hits, but never really listened to much beyond that.

About half an hour in, I now appreciate how great John Lennon really was.

[pushbike_pete_PFC]

Ha ha, Paul McCartney and Wings... I seem to remember having the Venus and Mars album... or was it just a single? Anyway, it was shit. Trouble is I can still remember the lyrics. And as for Mull of Fucking Kintyre (or whatever it was called)... jeez, that was excruciating!

[exgaffer]

I grew up listening to the Beatles, but they'd already split up by then and for years, I've been meaning to listen to Paul McCartney & Wings - I knew the hits, but never really listened to much beyond that.

About half an hour in, I now appreciate how great John Lennon really was.

Yes Wings were sheite.

All the ‘edge’ came from Lennon and when McCartney was on his own he lost that.

As a double act they were great writers of course.

[Tomsk]

This is very strange and coincidental as I was having pretty much the same conversation with a chap at work today. My view being like yours that Wings were pretty mediocre bar a couple of decent songs and similarly about Paul McCartney, however he is a huge fan and loves McCartney and Wings, has everything of theirs... each to their own I guess!

[dsmg]

Band on the run was the biggest selling album in UK that year. Had some good songs on it.

[scouse]

John Lennon went to my school. Or maybe I went to his school? He was older than me.

[exgaffer]

This is very strange and coincidental as I was having pretty much the same conversation with a chap at work today. My view being like yours that Wings were pretty mediocre bar a couple of decent songs and similarly about Paul McCartney, however he is a huge fan and loves McCartney and Wings, has everything of theirs... each to their own I guess!

Yes indeed Tomsk, each to their own of course.

Tastes differ widely and I should have added an ‘in my opinion’.

[Hammie]

Mrs Hammie's most hated song, Mull of Kintyre.

With the possible exception of "grandma"

[Deebo]

Wings weren’t a bad band — just not as good as the Beatles which was the hardest of acts to follow.

As for the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership, they hardly ever co-wrote songs, especially in the latter years. They often presented the almost-finished songs to each other for suggested amends and polishing, so John’s influence on Paul’s songwriting was probably mostly limited to motivation rather than content and style.

Some of Lennon’s solo output was iffy as well. The ‘Walls and Bridges' and 'Some Time in New York City' albums were patchy with him apparently not knowing what sort of artist he wanted to be and when he let Yoko take over with her screaming, if you’re looking for shite, look no further. ‘Imagine’, however, was probably the best of the albums produced by a solo Beatle although George’s ‘All Things Must Pass’ is right up there.

Casting my mind back to those times as I remember them, it was Paul who carried on the Beatle ethos while John become ever more cranky, difficult and inaccessible. Just my opinion — I was alive and listening avidly through those times as they wrote the songbook to our lives.

In my mind they were both the greatest, it’s just that one died which gave him God-like status while the other has probably carried on for too long though the last Glastonbury set was superb. It’s Penny Lane vs Strawberry Fields. I love em both!

[Hammie]

Wings weren’t a bad band — just not as good as the Beatles which was the hardest of acts to follow.

As for the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership, they hardly ever co-wrote songs, especially in the latter years. They often presented the almost-finished songs to each other for suggested amends and polishing, so John’s influence on Paul’s songwriting was probably mostly limited to motivation rather than content and style.

Some of Lennon’s solo output was iffy as well. The ‘Walls and Bridges' and 'Some Time in New York City' albums were patchy with him apparently not knowing what sort of artist he wanted to be and when he let Yoko take over with her screaming, if you’re looking for shite, look no further. ‘Imagine’, however, was probably the best of the albums produced by a solo Beatle although George’s ‘All Things Must Pass’ is right up there.

Casting my mind back to those times as I remember them, it was Paul who carried on the Beatle ethos while John become ever more cranky, difficult and inaccessible. Just my opinion — I was alive and listening avidly through those times as they wrote the songbook to our lives.

In my mind they were both the greatest, it’s just that one died which gave him God-like status while the other has probably carried on for too long though the last Glastonbury set was superb. It’s Penny Lane vs Strawberry Fields. I love em both!

have you seen the film, "yesterday" ? Well worth a couple of hours.

[Deebo]

Yes, twice Hammie. Being as it’s usually difficult for me to sit through a film once that says it all!

[Milkins]

I was too young for the Beatles, but through the Jam etc fell in love with the "Fabs". At the same time I thought Wings & Maccas 70's music was rubbish...

However a mate of mine (a bit older) introduced the concept of the Beatles "Black Album" (which if you've not heard of it) is where you can include solo records from JPG&R from the early 70's into one imaginary last Beatles LP.

It's quite a thing to do, and helped me discover that some of Paul's stuff (while still a bit gooey like his Beatles stuff) was great, that All Things Must Pass is excellent, and there are even a couple of decent Ringo songs (given to him by George) kicking around. Stick them together in your own Black Album compilation, and its not a leap to still hear the Beatles (because late in their career they often recorded on their own anyway), but with a bunch of new songs.

[66zoolane]

I was too young for the Beatles, but through the Jam etc fell in love with the "Fabs". At the same time I thought Wings & Maccas 70's music was rubbish...

However a mate of mine (a bit older) introduced the concept of the Beatles "Black Album" (which if you've not heard of it) is where you can include solo records from JPG&R from the early 70's into one imaginary last Beatles LP.

It's quite a thing to do, and helped me discover that some of Paul's stuff (while still a bit gooey like his Beatles stuff) was great, that All Things Must Pass is excellent, and there are even a couple of decent Ringo songs (given to him by George) kicking around. Stick them together in your own Black Album compilation, and its not a leap to still hear the Beatles (because late in their career they often recorded on their own anyway), but with a bunch of new songs.

Thanks for that - brilliant. Also, I'd never listened to the whole All Things Must Pass album - so far, there's not many I'd want to reject for the Black Album. 

Cheers

[Deebo]

Side One
1. Band on the Run
2. Instant Karma
3. Maybe I’m Amazed
4. All Things Must Pass
5. My Sweet Lord

Side Two
6. Jet
7. Isn’t It A Pity
8. Imagine
9. It Don’t Come Easy
10. Jealous Guy

Not bad. I’d have bought it if I’d a spare couple of quid back then.

[Tufnell_Chimes]

I’m a bit ambivalent towards them even though I have the White Album, Revolver, Rubber Soul and Sgt Pepper - it’s almost like you’re obliged to have a few. And I’d probably rate Paul McCartney third if there was a scale of originality between the four of them (soz, Ringo). But, above all that, when my son was only about ten I went to another of his primary school assemblies - all the kids were kneeling sitting, standing in an L-shape in the main hall, and he was in the crux of the L with his acoustic guitar. When all the shuffling and talking/whispering/turning your mobile off stuff had died down, he played Blackbird. Faultlessly. And I’ll never have that feeling from any other live act ever. So Paul McCartney gave me that.

[dsmg]

Great song

[firqdays]

Beatles for Sale - best album; includes Mr Moonlight; No Reply; Baby's in Black; I'll follow the Sun.

[Milkins]

Side One
1. Band on the Run
2. Instant Karma
3. Maybe I’m Amazed
4. All Things Must Pass
5. My Sweet Lord

Side Two
6. Jet
7. Isn’t It A Pity
8. Imagine
9. It Don’t Come Easy
10. Jealous Guy

Not bad. I’d have bought it if I’d a spare couple of quid back then.

Nice one.

When I got down to it, I found it difficult to keep my Black Album to a single LP, and wound up with it as a double, with 7 songs per side, just like the White Album. (FFS). 

The two Ringo songs were Photograph & his version of It Don't Come Easy. Six songs made it from All things Must Pass, and as G had been trying to get the Beatles to record them for Get Back (to later become Let It Be) & Abbey Road, that made sense. Among his songs, I included Macca's instrumental Momma Miss America and his song Bluebird, which might be my favourite of his post Beatles songs. John got to start and finish, which seemed appropriate with Instant Karma at Side 1 track 1 & Imagine on side 4 track 7. 

In this sort of context it is easy to drift away while listening to the less familiar songs & think, I didn't know the Beatles did this....

[Hammie]

I like sad story songs
so Eleanor Rigby is one of my favourites.

[dsmg]

Saddo!