Rank Macca's Albums!

[Kylenz]

This is excluding his live albums and side-projects (like Thrillington, Twin Freaks, Rushes etc). Red Rose Speedway always has been a sentimental favourite of mine. The only question mark for me is where to put McCartney II as it is such a unique album, yet I enjoy it so much; that's why you see it ranked higher than the likes of Tug of War, Ram etc. The other thing to consider is.. where to place Memory Almost Full? It's certainly among the best things he's ever done. It's light years away from being a Pipes of Peace / Off The Ground etc.. so how far up would you put his latest album? I think Ram still deserved to be ranked higher, but Memory is certainly better than anything else on there below it. Chaos and Creation was hailed by fans as his best album since Band on the Run, and I still feel that way too. Apart from my 2 old favourites up the top, BOTR and CACITB are definitely his best.

Feel free to post up your lists! 

1. Red Rose Speedway
2. Back to the Egg
3. Band on the Run
4. Chaos and Creation in the Backyard 
5. McCartney II
6. Tug of War
7. Ram
8. Memory Almost Full
9. McCartney
10. London Town
11. Flowers in the Dirt
12. Venus and Mars
13. Press To Play
14. Wings at the Speed of Sound
15. Give My Regards to Broad Street
16. Wild Life
17. Run Devil Run
18. Driving Rain
19. Pipes of Peace
20. Flaming Pie
21. CHOBA B CCCP
22. Off The Ground

[mervap]

"Ram" and "Band" are in a perpetual battle for mastery...this sort of list is quite fluid except for the two at the top, but the ones near the bottom tend to stay there....from 3 through about 15 is ever changing.


1.Ram
2.Band On the Run
3.Tug of War
4.Red Rose Speedway
5.Flowers In the Dirt
6.Memory Almost Full
7.Back To the Egg
8.Chaos & Creation In the Backyard
9.Venus & Mars
10.Run Debbil Run
11.Press To Play
12.McCartney II
13.CHOBA B CCCP
14.Flaming Pie
15.Pipes of Peace
16.McCartney
17.London Town
18.Wild Life
19.Wings At the Speed of Sound
20.Off the Ground
21.Give My Regards To Broad Street
22.Driving Rain

[Kylenz]

Yeah I agree with that list too.. there's a lot of similarities - similar rationalising going on. 

I like how you've given ole Choba and Run Devil Run a bit of prime time. 

[chris]

i can give this a shot. but keep in mind that this may be my list today...tomorrow's may be a wee bit different.

1. band on the run
2. ram
3. tug of war
4. memory almost full
5. run devil run
6. flowers in the dirt
7. flaming pie
8. back to the egg
9. chaos and creation...
10. venus and mars
11. mccartney
12. press to play
13. red rose speedway
14. driving rain
15. speed of sound
16. off the ground
17. CHOBBA
18. london town
19. mccartney II
20. broadstreet
21. wild life
22. pipes of piece

the only thing i am sure of...is the top three spots are firmly in their place. immovable, unless of course he has yet to release his masterwork.

and...the last four sort of intermingle at the bottom of crapdom. each one completely able to overcome the bottom spot at my whim and fancy.

[2 of 3]

I can't play this round, since I don't own 7 of the 22 listed.

[Kylenz]

16. off the ground

I see you've given OTG a higher placing than it probably got in the charts! 
Again, good to see more love for Run Devil Run.   

I can't play this round, since I don't own 7 of the 22 listed.

No problem, have a go with what you've got!

[Stewy]

I think Paul hit a crap patch when Wings split.

Apart from very occasional good tracks, all albums from and including
McCartney 2 to Off The Ground were, in my own opinion, frankly
lamentable.

How could this great,great composer have sunk so low, creatively speaking?

He was rescued by the almost-as-gifted Elvis Costello, who seemed to inspire him to better things
- although this minor improvement was slow to show itself...only Back On My Feet, Distractions and
Figure Of Eight were fab Macca quality - at least there were signs of improvement, at LONG last.

Then the entire Anthology thing seemed to pep him up, and suddenly, after seventeen years of pap
and filler live albums, we had the real thing - Wings-quality, classics albums, one after the other.

WONDERFUL.

Flaming Pie is sensational, and just about everything
that has followed it too...Working Classical was delightful, melodic and mature.

So I'm not going to list the albums...I just wanted to say what I've said.



  Ram, Red Rose Speedway and Band On The Run are the best of the solo years, for me.

    And what about those fabulous 45's and b-sides?
   Great songs...I Lie Around, Sally G, Country Dreamer, Zoo Gang, The Mess....


I'll go and have a lie down now!

- Regards from Stewy  (UK)
stuart.jones40@ntlworld.com

PS!  Some rare Paul stuff at my blogs:
http://superseventiesounds.blogspot.com/
and:
http://mrobscure.blogspot.com/
But only for the remainder of October 2007, so hurry!

 

[mervap]

There is a saying in sports when great teams inexplicably almost get beaten by, or DO get beaten by, inferior opponents. It's called "playing down to your competition". Do you all think that may have happened in the 80's?

Having said that, I like "Tug of War" a bit more than it seems you do...though I do agree that when it comes to his songcraft, Macca did snooze a bit during the eighties...I believe he was looking for a place where he fit in, struggling to find a spot where he felt relevant. And, as you pointed out, the Anthology may have reminded Paulie that he was forever relevant due to the enormous contribution he, along with the other Lads, made with the Beatles....and putting together "Wingspan" probably helped, too.

[2 of 3]

It should also be pointed out, that the guy has written a ton of songs...and he very rarely repeats himself. I mean, I can't really think of a macca song, that sound just like another macca song. I can't say that about Costello, or Elton John , or Billy Joel, or Paul Simon or other song writing contemporaries.

[EddieV]

This is bloody hard 

1. Band On The Run
2. Memory Almost Full
3. Ram
4. Flaming Pie
5. Flowers In The Dirt
6. Tug of War
7. Chaos And Creation In the Backyard
8. Back to The Egg
9. Red Rose Speedway
10. McCartney
11. Venus and Mars
12. Driving rain
13. Press To Play
14. McCartney II
15. Off The Ground
16. London Town
17. Wings at the Speed of Sound
18. Run Devil Run
19. Wild Life
20. Give My Regards to Broad Street
20. Pipes of Peace
21. CHOBA B CCCP, Run Devil Run
 

[Kylenz]

Wow, it's really cool to see Memory Almost Full at #2, Eddie V! 

[2 of 3]

Yeah Kyle, I was going to say the same thing. It IS a goody isn't it.

[EddieV]

Wow, it's really cool to see Memory Almost Full at #2, Eddie V! 

It so great that album too me!!

[RickStark79]

Ooh, tasty topic!  I love me some rankings!!   

Here it goes:

1. Tug Of War
2. Ram
3. Back To The Egg
4. Band On The Run
5. Venus And Mars
6. Pipes Of Peace
7. Flaming Pie
8. Flowers In The Dirt
9. Red Rose Speedway
10. Memory Almost Full
11. Chaos & Creation In The Backyard
12. Press To Play
13. McCartney
14. London Town
15. Off The Ground
16. Wings At The Speed Of Sound
17. Wild Life
18. Give My Regards To Broad Street
19. Run Devil Run
20. Driving Rain
21. McCartney II
22. Choba B CCCP

[Kylenz]

Good to see the classic Macca / Wings up the top of your list, Rick!