Tag Archives: linda mccartney

#1394: Paul & Linda McCartney – Too Many People

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It was 2010. A year on from the Beatles: Rock Band game release, interest about that and how great The Beatles were in general was still at what felt like an all-time high. At least, that’s if you were a member on the Harmonix / Rock Band forums back in the day, which I was. There was a really cool community around that place. A thing that got people together and all creative-like was mash-ups, influenced by the LOVE album made by George and Giles Martin for the Cirque du Soleil show. I go into a lot more depth regarding these in this post I did many years back. For one specific mash-up “album”, I thought it would be a good idea to blend the ‘diss tracks’ of George Harrison’s ‘Wah-Wah’, John Lennon’s ‘How Do You Sleep?’ and the Paul & Linda McCartney’s ‘Too Many People’. The result… well, hear it for yourself. I don’t think it’s too bad, actually. A little abrupt in the changes, maybe. It belongs in the 2010s.

So I heard ‘Too Many People’ way before I got round to listening to Ram from front to back. I think it was a couple years that I did. It’s the first song on there, and what a way to start the album off. “Piss off, caa-haay-hay-hayy-hay-haayy-haaake” and then a bunch of cutesy vocalizations. Interesting. The ascending guitar lick adds a bit of mystery. And then after a few chord strums, the song properly gets underway. Over a groovy bassline, Paul McCartney provides some social commentary. He sees these activities people are doing, too many of these people, and he doesn’t get it. Among these activities are: losing weight, going underground, waiting for that lucky break. Etcetera, etcetera. A great vocal performance – “too many HUNGRY PEOPLE.. LOSING WEEEIGHT” – one of my favourite parts. A lot of grit mixed with a fantastic melody. Linda McCartney adds some gusto with those “Piece of cake / Lucky break” harmonies. It’s a bit of a list song, and at the end he more or less states he’s had enough of what he’s seeing. Thinks it’s all a bit silly. And everything’s capped off with a minute long instrumental for the outro to shake out the jams.

Got to address the elephant in the room, though. That being how the track was a shot at his old bandmate and songwriting partner, John Lennon. Particularly the “You took your lucky break and broke it in two” and “Too many people preaching practices” lines. Lennon took great umbrage to that, writing ‘How Do You Sleep?’ in response. A nasty track, that one. Not too much fun to listen to, which I think is its point. Me, I prefer ‘Too Many People’ ’cause it’s the exact opposite. And with all that beef aside, the song feels like a statement of intent for what’s to follow on Ram. You know, the preceding McCartney album is okay, but apart from ‘Every Night’ and ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’… maybe ‘Junk’ too, it felt more like a collection of ideas rather than full-fleshed songs. But Ram is the real deal. So many strong songs with variety, a lot of surprises, and McCartney exploring ranges and tones in his vocals that he’d rarely go to again in further releases. It all begins with ‘Too Many People’.

#1224: Paul & Linda McCartney – Smile Away

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Well, I’ve got no qualm in saying that I think Ram is my favourite out of all the Paul McCartney solo albums he’s ever done. Quite funny too because it’s technically not even a solo album, being credited to him and wife-at-the-time Linda and everything. The LP was burned at the stake back when it was released, mainly by critics who hadn’t got over the Beatles breakup and blamed McCartney for it. As the years rolled on, more and more people recognized its quality. I’ve come to think of it as a response to anyone who may have thought his first album was underbaked and lacking of substance. People wanted a bigger-sounding record, so this is what they got, with fuller band arrangements and wilder vocal performances.

‘Smile Away’ is a number on Ram, one which I don’t think people take much notice of. I would guess that’s because of the somewhat inconsequential subject matter. McCartney reminisces about a time when he was walking down the street and a friend of his came up to him and said ‘I could smell your breath/feet/teeth a mile away’. The song’s title is sung in response. And that’s pretty much the whole song. Now, you could take it at face value. But I read an interpretation that said it was about the times when McCartney would just be out in public and people would make fun of him or take slights at him ’cause of the whole Beatles breakup thing and, being the clean-cut, PR man he is, McCartney would just grin and bear it instead of taking things to a physical level. I don’t know if that’s true. But I’ve always thought about the song in a different way since.

Though the song seems silly, the McCartneys and the backing musicians ham things up to make the track one of the most enjoyable to listen to from the album. Paul McCartney puts on his American soul voice, hollering and whooping and laying things on thick throughout right up to the song’s ending where he’s straight up hooting like a monkey. Linda McCartney’s supporting vocals change from “Don’t know how to do that” to “Learning how to do that”, which I think is pretty cool. I initially thought she was just singing wordless phrases. The fuzz on the bass guitar is immense, cutting through the mix and coming in with a vengeance particularly around two minutes and 50 seconds in. The whole affair’s delivered to be this big one-night-only showtime kind of song, which is hilarious considering what the McCartneys are singing about, but it works somehow.

My iPod #310: Paul & Linda McCartney – Eat at Home

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“Eat at Home” is probably one of the cheesiest McCartney tunes. And Paul has written a lot of those. Everything from the cheery melody and the melismatic vocals on the word ‘love’ and all the general gushing on Paul’s part on how great his relationship is with Linda may make a listener want to throw up, gag, annoy or just bring to displeasure for a lot of listeners.

I think it’s quite good, actually. One of the most enjoyable tracks on there. A nice, pleasant, easy-going track…. possibly about oral sex. Yeah.

Musically, it’s pretty easy going. But I think it contains one of Paul’s busiest bass takes. He’s always switching between different notes, ascending and descending scales in the bass line while the other instruments play around it. Paul sounds very happy singing, throwing in his trademark “woos” and “ahhs” and really emphasising syllables, as you hear on the very first line (come on little lllllaaaayu-DUH).

Yes, it’s all a bit silly and shit. It does come after one of the album’s most dramatic tracks, so it’s a good way to relieve the tension.

It’s on “Ram“, by the way. Have a listen. You might enjoy it.

My iPod #255: Paul & Linda McCartney – Dear Boy

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“Dear Boy” is the fourth track on Paul McCartney’s second solo album (credited to both he and wife-at-the-time Linda) Ram, released all the way back in 1971.

Paul believed he was very lucky to have Linda as his wife, and wrote this song as a tribute to her. It is also an address to her former husband; they married years earlier in 1962 before divorcing in 1965. McCartney ‘tells’ him that he was a silly man to let Linda go, and that he will never find another one like her.

Although most of it is in a minor key, the dramatic, layered backing vocals and airy rhythm make things a little lighter. You can probably imagine the smugness he had when writing and singing this: “I hope you never know, dear boy, how much you missed/And even when you fall in love, dear boy, it won’t be half as good as this”.

Burn.

My iPod #62 & #63: Paul & Linda McCartney – The Back Seat of My Car / Big Boi – Back Up Plan

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Right. I have some explaining to do.

Yesterday I went out with friends to watch “Man of Steel”, the new Superman movie. I was out for a long time, I couldn’t put out my post and for that, I apologise to the small number of people who actually view this blog.

To be honest the film wasn’t that good; I don’t see what all the fuss is about.

Today, I bring a special two-in-one post. Only to make up for yesterday though, don’t be expecting anything more.

“Ram” is the second album released by Paul McCartney after The Beatles split in 1970. However, it was credited to both he and his wife Linda, and therefore doesn’t really count as a solo album.

“Ram” is one of the happiest albums I’ve listened to. Whereas “McCartney”, his first album, was more of a collection of old songs he had written whilst he was still in The Beatles, “Ram” on the other hand gave off a sense of freedom and also a sense of closure. Paul had ‘found his love awake and waiting to be’ and was ready to take things head on.

“The Back Seat of My Car” is the final track on the album, and probably the most emotional. Love is a theme that runs throughout, but this is when it reaches its peak.

The story in the song is pretty simple. The couple have dreams of getting away ‘along the highway’ to ‘Mexico City’ but prefer making out in the back seat of a car unbeknownst to the girl’s father who is always nagging at them. Awww. How romantic is that?

Sure, the story is short and sweet. The actual composition is beautifully performed, with calming and soothing vocals by Paul and slight changes in tempo here and there culminating in an audience participation section and a rocking outro make it perfect for the album closer.

Also, the song contains what is probably the best vocal delivered by McCartney. Ever.

I can’t describe it very well, just listen to it; you’ll get what I mean.

John Lennon thought this was one out of several songs on the album on “Ram” that was aimed at him and Yoko, it isn’t, but you can hear his thoughts about it if you search for it on YouTube.

Big Boi – Back Up Plan

Put that bitch in smash mode.
Ooh, another closing track from an album.
“Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” was Big Boi’s debut in 2010. I wrote a bit about it in my previous Big Boi post, but all you need to know is that it was released and a lot of people liked it.
It has a completely opposite message compared to Paul McCartney. This time around, Big Boi’s been cheated on or dumped or whatever, and the relationship has ended. But what does he do? He only picks himself up, dusts himself off and moves on to a new one. That being his ‘back up plan’.
That is pretty much all I can say about the song. Big Boi basically tells the story of the relationship in the song, so again listen to it. It’s a confident closer, I enjoy it. What could go wrong?

I hope that makes up for everything.Until tomorrow.

Jamie.