Flowers In the Dirt

[The Big Guy]

Released in 1989.

[Kylenz]

This is Paul's excellent collaboration with Elvis Costello! I remember before this album came out, Elvis released the Veronica single which had me very excited at the time - it was a classic song and couldn't believe they were working so well together to make such a brilliant song with those aching, reaching harmonies.

So when Flowers in the Dirt came out, the songs that floored me most of all were the Elvis collaborations - My Brave Face, You Want Her Too, the adventurous Don't Be Careless Love. The songs My Brave Face and This One were both minor hits here and the videos featured regularly on tv, alongside hits such as Express Yourself by Madonna and I Want It All by Queen - that's what I remember about those days. Paul was back, and mixing / mingling with the chartbusters of the time, for the first time since No More Lonely Nights.

Figure of Eight was my favourite song on the album for a long time. The live version on the Tripping the Live Fantastic album was very good. The Flowers in the Dirt version featured a vocal that almost didn't feel in control, on the verge of cracking and searching for pitch. But it was that quality that I kinda liked about it - the loose vocal on such an otherwise very tight recording.

Distractions is a beautiful song, and Put It There is such a gem. We Got Married, with that sizzling Dave Gilmour solo. Overall it's still a very good album.

[2 of 3]

Yup, this is the last McCartney album that made me happy. I know, I know...what about what has followed since...but...this material seems to me at least, something Macca really worked on. A lot of his stuff since, seems rushed...and I;m talking about FP and DR here mostly.

[chris]

because of my tender young age...i did not appreciate tug of war when it was first released. it took several years for me to see what a fine album that was. the same thing, i am grateful to say, did not happen to me with flowers. it got a lot of publicity, and deservedly so. like kyle mentioned, with some songwriting help from sir declan mcmanus, i had high expectations for this album. and the album did not disappooint.

paul had an actual band again. parts of it were short lived, but that is not the point. he had solid songs. several got regular radio airplay. i was fortunate enough, for a while, anyway...to have heard my brave face, this one, and we got married (this last one still has meaning for me, as i played it to my wife, when we just met.)

it sounded like paul was happy to make music again. his collaborations with elvis were great (and had me still reeling for more.) till this day, the song that day is done is a classic. his music has been fairly solid since this release. there were a couple of bumps in the road with off the ground (although this album did contain a few more great mccartney/mcmanus collaborations) and driving rain (which is not as bad as some would have you think, it just isn't as good as the abums directly before and after)

[Kylenz]

Yup, this is the last McCartney album that made me happy. I know, I know...what about what has followed since...but...this material seems to me at least, something Macca really worked on. A lot of his stuff since, seems rushed...and I;m talking about FP and DR here mostly.

I too felt that way for a long, long time. After Flowers in the Dirt came out, there was the live album, then we had Off The Ground (which I tried to like but found too sappy for my newfound grunge and metal /punk / alternative tastes), then Flaming Pie and Run Devil Run.. Driving Rain I couldn't stand at all when it came out! I was now a guy into Korn and Slipknot! Go figure! 

The time after Flowers was where Macca and I drifted apart for a while. For a long time, I felt Flowers in the Dirt was the last best thing he did. To this day, I still think it's a fine album (though I'm still not keen on Motor Of Love).   

[Borris]

I have mixed feelings about this album and much against the general trend prefer the follow up Off the Ground which is more consistent and more Paul.

I like the Elvis Collaborations My Brave Face & That Day is Done. I also like Figure of Eight and This One.

But Rough Ride, How Many People, motor of Love & Ou Est Le Soliel seem like nothing songs. You want her too & Don't Be Careless Love are both OK but I find them a bit awkward. We got Married doesn't work for me. Put it there is a slight but nice song, although the line "if there's a fight I'd like to fix it" always annoys me as "fixing a fight" is a dodgy deal where you pay off a fighter to lose (clearly not the meaning Paul is intending).

Destractions is quite nice but again has a lyric that annoys me "Destractions like butterflies they buzz around my head", no Paul, butterflies flutter, bees and flies do the buzzing.

So i find this a really uneven album, I prefer many of his later albums Off the Ground, Flaming Pie, Chaos and Creation and Memory Almost Full.

[2 of 3]

although the line "if there's a fight I'd like to fix it" always annoys me as "fixing a fight" is a dodgy deal where you pay off a fighter to lose.

Interesting Borris...that never occurred to me..and still doesn't in the context of the song. That line to me says..."We can work it out" 

[Borris]

Interesting Borris...that never occurred to me..and still doesn't in the context of the song. That line to me says..."We can work it out" 

Yes, that's definitely what he means to say but "fixing a fight" is a commonly used expression and even in terms of a metaphor McCartney's version doesn't work, a fight shouldn't be fixed, it should be broken up.

[mervap]

Yes, that's definitely what he means to say but "fixing a fight" is a commonly used expression and even in terms of a metaphor McCartney's version doesn't work, a fight shouldn't be fixed, it should be broken up.

I've never heard this interpretation as pertains to this song...in context, "If there's a fight, I'd like to fix it, I hate to see things go so wrong". The theme of the song is one of warmth and understanding. Perhaps an ill-advised phrase is used, probably for the sake of meter, but I doubt Macca was talking about throwing a boxing match...

[Borris]

I've never heard this interpretation as pertains to this song...in context, "If there's a fight, I'd like to fix it, I hate to see things go so wrong". The theme of the song is one of warmth and understanding. Perhaps an ill-advised phrase is used, probably for the sake of meter, but I doubt Macca was talking about throwing a boxing match...

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear, I was agreeing with the 2 of 3's interpretation and yours on what Paul is trying to say. What i was saying is he used "an ill-advised phrase" and it bugs me. Although that particular song is one of the ones on the album I like. 

I have just added a little text in brackets to my original post to make my point clearer.

[mervap]

No harm done, bud, and thanks for the clarification. 

[Borris]

Writing about this album has been good in making me think about it again. I have reconsidered a little, I do find the album uneven, BUT there are damn good songs on it, that make it a really worthwhile album:

My Brave Face, That Day is Done, Figure of Eight and This One.

There is energy, excellent performances and really good song writing on these. It's just that they're mixed with some stinkers, I should give the album another listen making judicious use of the skip button. Maybe a bit of the problem I have with this album is that it suggests real greatness but doesn't quite deliver on it. Compare this to London Town which i think also has a few stinkers on it but I think of that album with fondness partly because it doesn't have a great reputation and i wasn't expecting great things from it. Maybe Flowers in the Dirt is very aptly named.

[chris]

i'd just like to add that a "fight" doesn't have to be a physical one. it can be an argument.

and remember he is writing about his dad. these terms/phrases can be from his father's generation. hense...the potential lack of complete understanding it.

my grandfather used to say "she was the bee's knees". who knew what in the hell those old timers were talking about?

hell...who knows what i'm talking about? 

[mervap]

Actually, Borris, it seems like Macca tends to work on albums in pairs, i.e. "Flowers In the Dirt" has a similar feel to "Off the Ground" and "Tug of War" is a sister album to "Pipes of Peace". What a lot of folks have done is combine albums that are similar and have some of their writing done at the same time. The result is sometimes what might have been a single KILLER album...

[2 of 3]

Yeah, Looking for Changes would have sounded amazing(er) with Costello singing too.