Match 6, Solo LP Tourney, Rnd 2, BTTE 1 vs. WW 1

[joeyself]

BACK TO THE EGG, Side 1 vs. WONDERWALL, Side 1

BACK TO THE EGG, Side 1

1. "Reception" 1:08
2. "Getting Closer" 3:22
3. "We're Open Tonight" 1:28
4. "Spin It On" 2:12
5. "Again and Again and Again" 3:34
6. "Old Siam, Sir" 4:11
7. "Arrow Through Me" 3:37



WONDERWALL, Side 1

"Microbes" – 3:42
"Red Lady Too" – 1:56
"Tabla and Pakavaj" – 1:05
"In the Park" – 4:08
"Drilling a Home" – 3:08
"Guru Vandana" – 1:05
"Greasy Legs" – 1:28
"Ski-ing" – 1:50
"Gat Kirwani" – 1:15
"Dream Scene" – 5:26

These two feasted on Ringo sides last time. BTTE 1 took out SJ 2 by the score of 15-1, while WW 1 beat RT4 1 by a 10-7 count.

JcS

[RockoRoll]

BACK TO THE EGG, Side 1

[coachbk]

I voted for BTTE. Not a spectacular album side, but at least average. WONDERWALL has a couple I like a lot ("Red Lady Too" and "Gat Kirwani" ), but also has "Microbes", which is highly unpleasant and "Dream Scene" which is quite boring. The rest is tolerable, but I'll take an album side of songs over a side of mostly background instrumental music.

[Joseph McCabe]

Well, Microbes is not a good album opener - but it's the only bummer, I reckon. Now for some of the highlights - ;D

Red Lady Too is very trippy, especially in mono.

Drilling A Home is a groovy, bopping track, perfect for the scene it plays with in the film, yet standing as an interesting track in its own rite. BTW, this matching of the audio with the visual is an outstanding feature of George's soundtrack; its mentioned often in discussions of Wonderwall.

Other highlights are the duel in Tabla & Pakavaj, and the sequence of the four short tracks starting with Guru Vandana, punctuated by Clapton's guitar in Ski-ing.

The whole album is a nice fusion of "east" and "west". The climax of side comes in the last track, Dream Scene. The collage of voices and musical sounds of an hallucinatory trip shows that John Lennon may have got ideas for a certain piece of his from this Wonderwall track.

I feel that many people have never really listened to Wonderwall, and certainly have not seen the film. I urge everyone who is not totally familiar with the whole Wonderwall thing to:

(1) see the film (pm me if you need somewhere to download it from)
(2) listen to the stereo soundtrack on its own, in one complete session
(3) listen to the stereo soundtrack on its own, in one complete session with - ahem - help, if you know what I mean
(4) listen to the stereo soundtrack through headphones (with or without the "help"); the stereo images George paints are often intriguing and interesting.
(5) as in (2) and (3) but in mono. Try mono with headphones, too - the mix is different in places. If you want to download the mono Wonderwall, I can help with that too.

McCabe

[Joseph McCabe]

So, how does BTTE compare with Wonderwall?

I've always thought BTTE (either side) sounds very try-hard. And although Macca tries hard, he fails. A boring, non-event of an album.

Some fans think there are some "rockers" (hate that term!) on this album. I can't find them ...

Wonderwall gets my vote.

McCabe

[Deleted]

BACK TO THE EGG, Side 1

I'm not a fan of Wonderwall ,i can't see myself ever getting into it...

A more familiar George album would have fried the Egg......

[vectisfabber]

BTTE is one of Paul's more underrated albums (by which I mean that it is better than its relatively poor reputation, as opposed to those which merit their relatively poor reputation). Wonderwall is incidental music for a movie. Nothing wrong with that, but the key word is "incidental" - all the love in the world doesn't hide the fact that there are no themes, leitmotifs, or other major characteristics of dramatic scoring here, just snippets/tunes to go with particular scenes.

[Joe Karlosi]

No contest for me - BACK TO THE EGG is an underrated album, and yes, there are some fine solid ROCKERS on there! Side 1 is a good side.

WONDERWALL. I had this on vinyl, I think I played it once many years ago and didn't care for it at all. I don't have the LP in any form anymore.

[mikev]

Wonderwall is a very cool "soundtrack" in its own way. I'll own up to McCabe on the film portion- it's on my next list on Netflix.

However, I have listened numerous times. It is not an "album".

I understand why it is here, but it also beat out the worst solo album of all time IMO- Ringo the Clunkth.

WW might be the better LP to fry out with, but BTTE to me has aged well. None of the tunes are 10s, but generally they are well crafted. Wonder how these songs would have sounded with Jimmy Mc on lead.

And this is PURE speculation, but out of all the Wings albums, this one would have fit John Lennon closest. Even Baby's Request has a little bit of a You Know My Name feel.

[John S. Damm]

I pieced together Wonderwall from YouTube(or at least 92% of it) and I was impressed. mikev, one of the first movies I got after I started my Netflix subscription was Wonderwall and I enjoyed it just as I did Performance featuring Mick Jagger.

Still, WW won't get my votes in these later Rounds.

Now to BTTE. I sure played it a lot in the Summer of 1979. I mean a lot. I was amazed that "I'm Getting Closer" bombed on the singles' chart and even WLS-Chicago didn't play it and they were very pro Ex-Beatles(although by then Ringo had tested their patience to the limit).

"Reception" is so damn pretentious although I see the need to soften the abrupt start to "I'm Getting Closer" or maybe that would have been just fine! Maybe an abrupt start was just what the doctor ordered. We'll never know as Paul gets to make his funny voice in some melodrama that is lame.

The "my salamander" kills IGC. Paul should have written something like:

"Say you don't need him, my slutty dancer."

That would have been rougher, naughtier and more rock and roll. Lost cause.


"Spin It On" is twee too. It thinks it rocks but it does not. Contrived to the max!

I really like everything else! "Again and Again and Again" may be my favorite Denny Laine sung song. It has an authentic feel to it on an album that often sounds uber-forced. Same with "Old Siam Sir" although the lyrics are better left unexplored.

The song that I really like now that embarrassed me in 1979 is "Arrow Through Me." Yikes, I had to fight my way through the hallways of a large suburban high school because of Macca songs like this. My then high school was still full of "Heads" or "Stoners" who worshiped heavy metal and my fondness for The Beatles and solo Paul was well known and I had to get tough or die. Testosterone fueled teenage boys once fought over things like music and cars. The good old days!

JoeySelf has a theory on the lyrics to "I'm Carrying." I have a theory on the lyrics to "We're Open Tonight" and that it was about wild sexual parties in the McCartney's own household! Paul would turn the red light on and invite his rock star friends over for smoke and......

It is a very sexual feeling song, I mean come on:

Were open tonight for fun
So bring all your friends come on.
Were open tonight come one come all.
Were opening all our doors
Were clearing back all the floors.
Were open tonight come one come all.
Ooh. whoo.
Come one come all.
Were open tonight.


We know both Paul and Linda had huge sexual appetites. Just my theory of course.

BTTE-1 gets my vote rather handily.

[JCV]

BACK TO THE EGG, Side 1

JCV

[Joseph McCabe]

Jan 4, 2011 5:59:58 GMT -5 vectisfabber said:

------------------------Wonderwall is incidental music for a movie. Nothing wrong with that, but the key word is "incidental" - all the love in the world doesn't hide the fact that there are no themes, leitmotifs, or other major characteristics of dramatic scoring here, just snippets/tunes to go with particular scenes.

Have you seen the film, vectis? The Wonderwall album doesn't match the film in sequence, or length of music for a given scene. Some of the pieces are much shorter in the film, and some are repeated (leitmotif!). The album itself stands on its own as a work that melds aspects of the music of "east" and "west", and presents largely with a strong psychedelic vibe.

Perhaps you and others really do need to listen to Wonderwall with help ...

McCabe

[vectisfabber]

No, I'd quite like to see it, but have never spotted it on video or DVD, and I don't recall it ever bring broadcast in the UK

[anyoneanyhow]

BTTE, top form Macca. One of his bests, good rockers, good variety...solid.

I break out WW occassionally, still don't love it, its background music to me.

[ReturnToPepperland]

That one was easy. George's album is underrated but BTTE beats it.

[stavros]

Wonderwall is interesting but Back to the Egg is the last album Paul really experimented on whilst still keeping a pop sensibility to it.

"Spin it on" is a bit fake new wave but the rest of the album side is solid and even Denny's track "Again & Again & Again" ain't too bad. The forgotten man of Wings.......

[vectisfabber]

I've just had a look at the top line of Joey's first post giving the track listings...

[joeyself]

Jan 5, 2011 18:56:45 GMT -5 vectisfabber said:

I've just had a look at the top line of Joey's first post giving the track listings...

Whooops. I'll fix it, but so this note doesn't look strange, I copied and pasted the BTTE 1 track listings from its first round, and it was against SJ 1. I didn't edit it before posting here, but now have. Thanks!

JcS

[theman]

BTTE-1

Frankly, I loved this album back in the day, but maybe have a little bit less of an enthusiastic opinion, now. I like Side-2 better.