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Post by Joe Karlosi on Apr 2, 2012 5:45:54 GMT -5
Play this song if you don't know it! Comment and/or Vote on this Solo Song
4=Great 3=Good 2=Average 1=Crap
"Cafe on the Left Bank" - Paul McCartney, LONDON TOWN (1978)
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Apr 2, 2012 5:47:30 GMT -5
4 -- I can't tell you how much I adore this song. From the opening to the end, the guitar, Paul's voice, the lyrics, the theme. A really nice mood. This is one of my very favorite songs from LONDON TOWN.
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Post by ursamajor on Apr 2, 2012 6:24:34 GMT -5
I love this song and also one of my faves from London Town too.
Paul should throw more of these types of songs into the setlist.
A4 4 me !!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 7:14:54 GMT -5
I was on the Left bank when i was in Paris, i thought of this song when i was there....it's Ok but that's about it....
A 2 is all i can give it...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 7:21:22 GMT -5
Here are the lyrics...
CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, ORDINARY WINE, TOUCHING ALL THE GIRLS WITH YOUR EYES.
TINY CROWD OF FRENCHMEN, ROUND A TV SHOP, WATCHING CHARLES DE GAULLE MAKE A SPEECH.
DANCING AFTER MIDNIGHT, SPRAWLING TO THE CAR, CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST IN THE BAR.
ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE, DRINKING GERMAN BEER, TALKING FAR TOO LOUD FOR THEIR EARS.
WOH OH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH.
CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, ORDINARY WINE, TOUCHING ALL THE GIRLS WITH YOUR EYES.
UH, UH, UH, DANCING AFTER MIDNIGHT, CRAWLING TO THE CAR, COCKTAIL WAITERS WAITING IN THE BAR.
ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE, DRINKING GERMAN BEER, TALKING WAY TOO LOUD (way too loud) FOR THEIR EARS.
OO, OO, OO, OO, OO, OO, OO, OO.
CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, - ORDINARY WINE, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK, CAFE ON THE LEFT BANK.
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Post by mikev on Apr 2, 2012 7:42:08 GMT -5
something went wrong with my vote on McCartney's albums, but I had London Town either at 1 or 2 (with Ram). I had that cartoon guy that looks like he escaped from South Park pop up, then I guess I lost it.
This was a first generation LP for me, so there is a lot of sentimental value. I did the 8 track then LP, before cloning someone's CD- sorry not paying for it a third time.
Anyway, this song is a 3- not my favorite. The only song I don't like (but also don't HATE) is Girlfriend.
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Post by ursamajor on Apr 2, 2012 7:42:26 GMT -5
I think it's Cocktail waitress waiting in the bar - arh- arhhhhhhhh
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Post by John S. Damm on Apr 2, 2012 7:52:13 GMT -5
I'll give it a 3.5 and I believe it is a great number 2 song on LT or any other album. The lyrics aren't particularly special but it is the entire sound of the recording that makes it a very good album cut.
Unfortunately, after the great 1-2 punch on the album London Town, it starts to go awry in my opinion. Yes there are some other good songs throughout but songs 1 and 2 promise something so much more.
The second song on any album is important because an artist usually puts something really strong as song #1. Among great #2 songs from ex-Beatles are: "Crippled Inside," "Rock Show," "Don't Know a Thing About Love" (Ringo, Time Takes Time) and "That's What It Takes."
It is that second song that gives me the first big hint about the rest of the album. Not always though. Sadly, "Cafe On The Left Bank" is a great second song but it gave me a false hope about the rest of the LT album.
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Apr 2, 2012 8:30:18 GMT -5
LONDON TOWN is a frustrating album for me. I like the following songs:
London Town Cafe on the Left Bank I'm Carrying Backwards Traveller I've Had Enough With a Little Luck
The problem is that it's not consistent enough; there's too much on there that doesn't work. I'd really like to enjoy the entirety of LT way more than I do. In some ways, LONDON TOWN is the very first solo Beatles album I remember getting when it was "brand new". I was 16 at the time, and vacationing at Seaside Heights in New Jersey one summer. There were boardwalk games and I won a copy of LONDON TOWN when I picked the right number on a "spin the wheel" game. So like mikev, I have fond memories of the LP.
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Post by vectisfabber on Apr 2, 2012 8:35:01 GMT -5
I think I'm at about 3.5 as well. I like the melody, and it is delivered with polish. I also like the lyric - constructed with care, and harking back to his jaunt to Paris with John, maybe, in the early days. But, for some reason which I can't quite put a finger on, something doesn't quite jell. It's so nearly there, but not quite.
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Post by coachbk on Apr 2, 2012 8:39:40 GMT -5
3 I liked this when it came out and I still like it! LONDON TOWN is one of those albums where I would give just about every song a 3, maybe a couple 2's. No 1 rating for sure, but probably not any 4 ratings either. This song typifies the album for me: good, but not great.
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kc
Beatle Freak
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Post by kc on Apr 2, 2012 18:11:40 GMT -5
3 (good). I think it's a good solid rocker. I always enjoy his better rock songs. The general public doesn't appear to aware of many of them, only fans like us. A Pity.
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Post by ReturnToPepperland on Apr 3, 2012 12:27:32 GMT -5
I think it's Cocktail waitress waiting in the bar - arh- arhhhhhhhh That's right. I don't think Paul ever swung the other way.
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Post by ReturnToPepperland on Apr 3, 2012 12:37:53 GMT -5
This is a 3.5 for me. Great guitar work by Jimmy. Its a standout track on that album which for me is underrated. Especially so with Mull of Kintyre and Girls' School added. I'm Carrying is great. So is Don't Let It Bring You Down. The only thing that mars it it is Morse Moose--a totally unnecessary cut that could have been a b-side. Children Children is a bit too twee. Paul had Waterspout sitting around. That would have been a great lead off single.
Side One
1. "London Town" 2. "Cafe on the Left Bank" 3. "Girls' School" 4. "I'm Carrying" 5. "Backwards Traveller" 6. "Girlfriend" 7. "I've Had Enough"
Side Two
1. "With a Little Luck" 2. "Waterspout" 3. "Famous Groupies" 4. "Deliver Your Children" 5. "Name and Address" 6. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" 7. "Mull of Kintyre" You could argue about eliminating Name and Address or Famous Groupies or even Girlfriend. But I like this lineup. This would have made a very strong album.
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Post by mikev on Apr 3, 2012 13:18:28 GMT -5
This is a 3.5 for me. Great guitar work by Jimmy. Its a standout track on that album which for me is underrated. Especially so with Mull of Kintyre and Girls' School added. I'm Carrying is great. So is Don't Let It Bring You Down. The only thing that mars it it is Morse Moose--a totally unnecessary cut that could have been a b-side. Children Children is a bit too twee. Paul had Waterspout sitting around. That would have been a great lead off single. Side One 1. "London Town" 2. "Cafe on the Left Bank" 3. "Girls' School" 4. "I'm Carrying" 5. "Backwards Traveller" 6. "Girlfriend" 7. "I've Had Enough" Side Two 1. "With a Little Luck" 2. "Waterspout" 3. "Famous Groupies" 4. "Deliver Your Children" 5. "Name and Address" 6. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" 7. "Mull of Kintyre" You could argue about eliminating Name and Address or Famous Groupies or even Girlfriend. But I like this lineup. This would have made a very strong album. You had to have Name and Address in there. Paul wanted Elvis to do it but he moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Post by acebackwords on Apr 5, 2012 14:49:29 GMT -5
2. Not bad. But not particularly good. Sort of a paint-by-numbers McCartney song. Get the feeling he could crank out this kind of stuff in his sleep.
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Post by ursamajor on Apr 6, 2012 6:59:56 GMT -5
This is a 3.5 for me. Great guitar work by Jimmy. Its a standout track on that album which for me is underrated. Especially so with Mull of Kintyre and Girls' School added. I'm Carrying is great. So is Don't Let It Bring You Down. The only thing that mars it it is Morse Moose--a totally unnecessary cut that could have been a b-side. Children Children is a bit too twee. Paul had Waterspout sitting around. That would have been a great lead off single. Side One 1. "London Town" 2. "Cafe on the Left Bank" 3. "Girls' School" 4. "I'm Carrying" 5. "Backwards Traveller" 6. "Girlfriend" 7. "I've Had Enough" Side Two 1. "With a Little Luck" 2. "Waterspout" 3. "Famous Groupies" 4. "Deliver Your Children" 5. "Name and Address" 6. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" 7. "Mull of Kintyre" You could argue about eliminating Name and Address or Famous Groupies or even Girlfriend. But I like this lineup. This would have made a very strong album. I think London Town is a great album but falls short of being in the pantheon of Paul's classic albums like BOTR. I think if it were a 12 song album with Mull of Kintyre and Girls School on there it becomes part of Paul's creme de la creme of albums. The only problem is I can't figure out which are the 12 best songs. The only one's I would definitely omit would be Name and Address and Cuff Link, I actually like everything else but think I've Had Enough is a little fake.
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Post by theman on Apr 6, 2012 10:04:07 GMT -5
You know, I look at the songs of London Town and think, its a pretty darn good album. Of course, I haven't listened to it in years.
Cafe on the Left Bank is a borderline 3 for me. Lyrics are pretty good overall, but we always have to have an awkward moment..."talking way too loud for their ears", just always seemed weird and forced.
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Post by debjorgo on Apr 6, 2012 23:58:02 GMT -5
With a Little Luck Aparently it's soft rock now, but it was pretty happening at the time. 4.0 Morse Moose and the Grey Goose "When Out Upon The Open Sea, The Admiral, The Mate And Me, Prepared to Face Eternity, But the Grey Goose Flew Away." 4.0 Name and Address "Maybe I'll Hate To Think Of You With Another Man", what is that a line from an Elvis song or something? 3.5 I've Had Enough A cool rocker. And there's the Kenny Everett video. 3.5 Girls' School Another rocker, odd lyrics, but it rocks. 3.5 London Town As I said somewhere else, Penny Lane era Paul. 3.5 Backwards Traveller (Explaining the RRS era? Sailing songs and wailing on the moon.) Another song in the rock column. I down with that. 3.5 Cuff Link This rocks out Backwards Traveler. I tshould be one song. 3.5 Girlfriend Another falsetta Paul. The best part, the play out, Michael didn't even do. 3.0 Cafe on the Left Bank Interesting guitar work, nothing else grabs me. 2.5 I'm Carrying Not my bag, man. 2.0 Famous Groupies I'm not really in to novelty songs. 2.0 Children Children Delivering children, what is this about, childbirth? Oops, wrong song. 1.5 Deliver Your Children See above. 1.5 Don't Let It Bring You Down What?! I...!? Is this an early run at Somebody Who Cares? 1.5 Mull of Kintyre I don't know what a Mull or a Kintyre is. You lost me here Paul. 1.5
2.8
Cut and paste curtesy of Songmeanings.com.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2012 0:08:17 GMT -5
The thing with Mull of Kintyre is how much of it is Paul and how much of it is Denny, albeit Denny sold his share to Paul for reasons best known to himself.....
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Post by ursamajor on Apr 7, 2012 5:32:51 GMT -5
The thing with Mull of Kintyre is how much of it is Paul and how much of it is Denny, albeit Denny sold his share to Paul for reasons best known to himself..... I don't like that Denny loses crediting of the song. He still co-wrote it with Paul so it should remain McCartney-Laine even if he doesn't make money from it anymore. It's abit hypocritical of Paul to be so protective of his part of the Beatles legacy but at the same time push Denny out of the Wings legacy like that.
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Post by coachbk on Apr 7, 2012 19:46:44 GMT -5
I listened to LONDON TOWN today. It is a good album. I actually think I would put it ahead of VENUS AND MARS if I redid my list of top 10 McCartney albums. I tend to think of the V&M songs as better, but much of that is because so many of them are done better live on WINGS OVER AMERICA. We never got the live Wings versions of the LT songs. I also like the fact that there are a lot of songs at a time when many albums were only 8 or 9 songs. Anyway here are my ratings and comments. I also included Mull Of Kintyre and Girls School: 4 Mull Of Kintyre-I didn't know what the "Mull" was when I first heard of the song. I say "heard of" because I never heard it on the radio. "Girls School" was the hit here. I think it is a great little folk ballad and I love the bagpipes. 3.5 I'm Carrying-a hauntingly beautiful ballad. Very well done. Lyrics are all that keep it from a 4. What is there is fine, could use a bit more work. But the music carries it! 3 Deliver Your Children-extremely good folk/rock. Again a sort of vagueness to the lyrics keeps it from getting a higher score. Name And Address-I had forgotten what a great Elvis sound-a-like this was. Paul didn't do his Elvis voice often, but this song shows he could do it quite well. I've Had Enough-a very good rocker. A bit too "by the book" to get a higher score. Don't Let It Bring You Down-a nice acoustic number with simple, but effective lyrics Backwards Traveler-short but very well done Cafe On The Left Bank-well sung and played. Some nice guitar work. This is one I think would have been stronger live. Girls School-loved this when it first came out. A good nonsense rocker. London Town-a decent opener. Again lacking a little something to get it to the "next level" Morse Moose And The Grey Goose-when the album first came out this was my least favorite, but now I kind of like the quirky sound. I prefer the "Grey Goose" part to the "Morse Moose" part. 2.5 With A Little Luck-this was a huge hit at the time of release. I still consider it the best #1 hit of 1978. But it was a very bad year for #1's (my choice for 2nd best #1 is Nick Gilder's "Hot Child In The City if that gives you any idea how weak a year it was). Viewed now With A Little Luck isn't one of Paul's best singles. It does have the nice synthesizer, but it goes on a bit long and doesn't quite fulfill the lyrical promise. Girlfriend-the first time I heard this I thought it would be a great song for Smoky Robinson to sing. I wasn't too far off as Michael Jackson ended up doing it. Paul does OK with it. Famous Groupies-a strange type of novelty. It is interesting the first time and less interesting on repeated listenings. 2 Cuff Link-it starts off good as a nice blend with Backwards Traveler, but then doesn't do much of anything after that. Children Children-starts OK with a nice folky sound, but then just gets so wimpy. That whole line about the "fairy and tea" is just a bit much.
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Post by anyoneanyhow on Apr 8, 2012 18:53:08 GMT -5
This is a 3.5 for me. Great guitar work by Jimmy. Its a standout track on that album which for me is underrated. Especially so with Mull of Kintyre and Girls' School added. I'm Carrying is great. So is Don't Let It Bring You Down. The only thing that mars it it is Morse Moose--a totally unnecessary cut that could have been a b-side. Children Children is a bit too twee. Paul had Waterspout sitting around. That would have been a great lead off single. Side One 1. "London Town" 2. "Cafe on the Left Bank" 3. "Girls' School" 4. "I'm Carrying" 5. "Backwards Traveller" 6. "Girlfriend" 7. "I've Had Enough" Side Two 1. "With a Little Luck" 2. "Waterspout" 3. "Famous Groupies" 4. "Deliver Your Children" 5. "Name and Address" 6. "Don't Let It Bring You Down" 7. "Mull of Kintyre" You could argue about eliminating Name and Address or Famous Groupies or even Girlfriend. But I like this lineup. This would have made a very strong album. Drop Waterspout (yuk) and Famous Groupies (yuk), keep Name and Address. Bring back Morse Moose! Change the running order, you don't want to close the album with two slow songs. London Town was ok as it was. I don't think Waterspout does anything for it, its a push with Children Children, which you dropped.
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Post by anyoneanyhow on Apr 8, 2012 18:55:04 GMT -5
The thing with Mull of Kintyre is how much of it is Paul and how much of it is Denny, albeit Denny sold his share to Paul for reasons best known to himself..... I don't like that Denny loses crediting of the song. He still co-wrote it with Paul so it should remain McCartney-Laine even if he doesn't make money from it anymore. It's abit hypocritical of Paul to be so protective of his part of the Beatles legacy but at the same time push Denny out of the Wings legacy like that. Hard to argue with that. People think that John was the rotter and Paul was so nice, but they were a lot closer on both fronts.
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Post by anyoneanyhow on Apr 8, 2012 18:57:01 GMT -5
Don't Let It Bring You Down What?! I...!? Is this an early run at Somebody Who Cares? 1.5 Yes! I thought I was the only one who noticed that (but I would still give it a 2.5)
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Post by anyoneanyhow on Apr 8, 2012 18:58:33 GMT -5
Cafe- it moves, it grooves, it's a good song, it gets a 3 from ne1.
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