Whether the world wanted one or not, there’s another
compilation of Paul McCartney’s music since he left that other band in 1970. Curated
by the man himself, Pure McCartney is
a four-CD “mixtape” [for lack of a better phrase] for his fans. These are his
favorite songs, but a lot of them definitely aren’t mine. The songs don’t appear
in chronological order, nor are they grouped by any overarching theme, as had
been done on John Lennon’s Gimme Some
Truth boxset. They’re simply placed
in the order that that Paul McCartney wanted to hear them. This isn’t a greatest hits thing – there are
plenty of deep tracks to be found along with other stray singles that even I
had never heard of. There are the usual
suspects from the Wings era, and there is some very good stuff from 1997 to the
present. There are some curious
omissions. You won’t find anything from Run Devil Run or Flowers in the Dirt. For my
taste, there are too many ballads and not enough rockers. The 1980s is a curious hole for Paul’s
music. The problem isn’t that he didn’t
include anything from that decade [he did], but that the 80s music he did
include was crap [except for some from Tug of War].
Here is the track list from Pure McCartney, placed in chronological order and by album. To make my own version of Pure McCartney, my deletions are crossed
out, my additions are in italics. Since there are 67 songs, there are plenty of
both additions and deletions. My list is 81 songs, but they all fit on 4 CDs.
McCartney (1970)
Every Night – as good as anything he did with the
Beatles.
Maybe I’m Amazed
Non Album Single (1971) - Another Day
Ram (1971)
Too Many People – “Too many people preaching practices” and “That was your first mistake, you took your lucky break and broke it in
two…” This was aimed right at John
Lennon, who returned fire with a tactical nuke, How Do You Sleep. The nasty
guitar solo at the end was played by Paul himself.
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Wild Life (Wings, 1971)
Non Album Single (1972)
Hi, Hi, Hi – banned by the BBC for being a “drug song”
Red Rose Speedway (Paul McCartney & Wings, 1973)
Big Barn Bed
My Love
Live and Let Die Soundtrack (1973)
Live and Let Die
Band on the Run (Paul McCartney & Wings, 1973)
Band on the Run
Jet
Let Me Roll It – Paul’s peace offering to
John after How Do You Sleep. With all the echo it even sounds like a John Lennon song.
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Bluebird
Non Album Single (1974) - Junior’s Farm
– Introducing Wings’ new guitarist, Jimmy McCullouch [RIP]. Bizarre lyrics, but that’s ok – John wrote I Am the Walrus.
Venus and Mars (Wings, 1975)
Venus and Mars/Rock Show
Letting Go –
This is the heaviest one from Venus &
Mars. Great bass, and the horns are
cool.
Wings at the Speed of Sound (Wings, 1976)
Let ‘Em In – I kept this one simply for
nostalgia. I liked it when I was 14.
Silly Love Songs – Despite Paul singing “I love
you” about 400 times [ok, I exaggerate], this song’s saving grace is the bass.
Non Album Single (1977) - Mull of Kintyre
London Town (Wings, 1978)
Non Album Single (1979) - Goodnight Tonight
Daytime Nighttime Suffering – The B-side is much better
than the A-side
Back to the Egg (Wings, 1979)
Rockestra Theme
– a few guests: David Gilmour, Pete
Townshend, Hank Marvin, Ronnie Lane, John Paul Jones, Kenny Jones, & John
Bonham. An instrumental [mostly] that
rocks like a bastard.
To You
So Glad To See You
Here – Paul sings the hell out of this one.
Same line-up as the Rockestra
Theme. Same vibe, too.
Tug of War (1982)
Here Today – a conversation Paul wished he had with
John Lennon. A tear-jerker in 1982,
still a tearjerker in 2016.
Wanderlust
Tug of War – an
acoustic beginning, a rocking middle and a huge orchestral finish.
Take It Away –
Ringo on drums, George Martin on electric piano. You
never know who may be listening to you…
Pipes of Peace (1983)
Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)
Non-Album Single (Paul McCartney & the Frog Chorus, 1984)
Press to Play (1986)
Flowers in the Dirt (1989)
- None
We Got Married
Figure Of Eight
My Brave Face*
That Day Is Done*
Don’t Be Careless
Love*
You Want Her Too*
Put It There
Off the Ground (1993)
Hope Of Deliverance
Mistress And Maid*
The Lovers That
Never Were*
Looking For Changes
Get Out of My Way
Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest (The Fireman, 1993)
- None
Flaming Pie (1997)
The Song We Were Singing
The World Tonight
Flaming Pie
Beautiful Night
Great Day
Young Boy
Rushes (The Fireman, 1998)
- None
Run Devil Run (1999)
– None
Run Devil Run
What It Is
Driving Rain (2001)
- None
Lonely Road
From A Lover To A
Friend
She's Given Up
Talking
Riding Into Jaipur
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005)
Fine Line
Jenny Wren
Too Much Rain
Friends To Go –
inspired by and dedicated to George Harrison
Riding To Vanity
Fair
How Kind of You
Memory Almost Full (2007)
Dance Tonight
Only Mama Knows
Ever Present Past
Mr. Bellamy
That Was Me
House Of Wax
The End Of The End
Why So Blue
Electric Arguments (The Fireman, 2008)
Sing The Changes
Highway
Dance 'Til We're
High
Kisses on the Bottom (2012)
Destiny Original Soundtrack) (2014)
Hope For The Future
New (2015)
Queenie Eye
Early Days
New
Appreciate
I Can Bet
Scared
Get Me Out of Here
Everybody Out There
Other additions
Paul Is Live (1993)
A Fine Day –
This album is the only place you’ll find this.
It was a soundcheck, but it caught my attention in a good way
Sound City Soundtrack (2012)
Cut Me Some Slack
– Paul McCartney and Nirvana. Who knew?
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