Paul McCartney
Man On The Run: Music From The Motion Picture
A Capitol Records release, under exclusive license to UMG Recordings
There’s a new definition of madness, or at least a twist on the old one for people endlessly watching music docos and reading bios and expecting to find new information. It’s less about the information, more about the analysis, or the way the material is presented; the angle.
I didn’t find much for me in the new Paul McCartney doco, Man on The Run — but hey, if this was the document that got a few people checking out Ram and some of the Wings albums outside of any greatest hits comp, then yay, right?
The soundtrack album seemed slight, and/or unnecessary on first listen. I mean, technically the soundtrack to this documentary is everything Paul did between 1970 and 1980, otherwise largely known as the catalogue of Wings.
I used to think that Lennon anthologised very well, and that for McCartney it was better to go through the albums, even if you struck a dud now and then. Compilations just take the schmaltz and the hits and parade them around, and you miss the grit, and dodge the misfires, and actually that’s what helps to make the puzzle complete, and of course interesting.
So I spent more time with this album than is probably needed, particularly when I have all of the McCartney and Wings albums; the full Beatles catalogue too.
But that’s when you realise that it’s not about new information on soundtracks either, it’s about new ordering, new presentation.
So, the demo version of Silly Love Songs is a great way for this to kick off, McCartney’s probing, funky, weird, exploratory, and melodic bass line missing, stately, plaintive piano chords in its place. The song has its ‘bop’ removed and is slightly glorious even in downbeat demo mode. I love the recorded original and won’t hear a bad word against it, but it was nice to hear soemthing ‘different’.
Available for iOS and Android
And then into curious, but great selections, That Would Be Something, Long Haired Lady, and Too Many People — yeah, we could have Maybe I’m Amazed, Uncle Albert, and Back Seat of My Car, for the early majesty post-Beatles/pre-Wings, but we’ve had that on a half-dozen other compilations. We haven’t had these, in this order, in this way. And it fits with the more rustic, robust setting (musically, and geographically) that the doco is mining.
From there we have to have Band On The Run as it’s basically the ‘title track’, but beyond that we don’t go all in on the big, big Wings songs, instead finding the less obvious gems (Arrow Through Me and Let Me Roll It have forever been two of my favourites that I’d take over the likes of My Love and Jet any day).
There are a couple of “rough mix” and alternative live versions to whet the appetite of absolute completists, but that’ll mean nothing to casual listeners.
I liked this version of Live and Let Die, which is no mean feat, because I’ve never really bought into the bombast of this song, which tries to shrink Paul’s medley-trick down to a single song and a soundtrack soundbite, and it was obviously a bit deal in the 70s, but I wonder if it might have died a death had Guns N Roses never covered it.
Coming Up is on here, just like the pre-Wings songs to kick it off. We need some bookending of the McCartney / McCartney II albums to house this story.
I’m not really sure why I’m writing this review, nor who I’m thinking it’s for — perhaps just awarding myself a badge for sticking with this and finding something in it. The film didn’t do anything for me, but I weirdly love this selection — it feels like someone made a playlist of McCartney tunes to share with me. I know them all already, but because I have never listened to them in this order, I’m at least curious.
So, yeah.
Thanks for reading Sounds Good! ! This post is public so feel free to share it.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.