Press To Play

[The Big Guy]

Released in 1986.

[Kylenz]

Right from the opening strums of Stranglehold, I knew I was going to love this album. It's a tough, earthy, bluesy rock track with horn section and catchy hooks. Then it shifts to sequenced pop electronica with tight guitars (Good Times Coming) which crossfades into Feel The Sun - a singalong feel-good track. Talk More Talk is more of an experimental rock groove - fans either love it or hate it - I love it. Footprints is another beautiful song and so is Only Love Remains.

Side 2 kicks off with the 'radio hit' Press (got played a lot on our local radio station here in '86), followed by Pretty Little Head, which took me several listens to grow on me - it went from being one of my least fave tracks to one of the best! Busker was like a throwaway track to me - nowhere as good as say Not Such A Bad Boy or No Values off the Broad Street album. Angry however ROCKS! It kicks serious butt. It was one of my faves right from when I first bought the album in '86. However Absurd I was in two minds about initially. The 'absurd' lyrics did not wash with me. 'Breaking eggs in a dish' had no meaning in its context, I know it was like Paul trying to do a John 'I Am The Walrus' but they fell flat on me. The music however, was STUNNING, I was like 'wow this is just as magnificent as the best Beatles tracks'. Eventually I was able to reconcile the lyrics and the music and it became another favourite track of mine. Overall I think this is a very good album. One of Paul's most underrated albums. I remember playing it for someone once and they couldn't believe it was Paul, given the level of experimentation / production on it.

[mervap]

I am presently in a re-evaluation mode concerning several Macca albums. Listened to this one in it's entirety on the way home from work today, and I am again puzzled that so many Paul fans do NOT like this record...I know, I know, the production is so 80's...well, it WAS the 80's and Macca was coming off the critical drubbing he took for "Give My Regards To Broad Street". The general consensus among rock 'critics' was that Paul had to break out of the rut he'd fallen into, that working with George Martin was not pushing him hard enough to make interesting, modern and vital music. I don't know if Macca listens to these folks, but for this album, he brought in Hugh Padgham, who'd produced Genesis and a host of other successful acts. The resulting album was greeted with a fairly warm reception by these 'critics' at the time (Rolling Stone gave it 3 1/2 stars). Personally, I was put off by Padgham's production style, and judging by the posts I've read elsewhere, so were many of Paul's fans...I thought it sounded false and slick...I can handle slick, Macca's been doing that periodically for years. I put this one away shortly after release and did not re-visit it much. My ears have 'matured' somewhat in the ensuing years and I'm able to get past the Padgham Prints! There are quite a few good tunes on this album...side one is very strong...I think "Only Love Remains" would play very well live. Side two..."Press" is fun, but doesn't really sound like a Macca track, at least not to me, and so it was with "Pretty Little Head", which always reminds me of the Jean-Claude Van Damm movie "Bloodsport"...the backround music during one of the fights is a knock-off of this track. From there, every song appeals to my ears...some good rock, some psychedelia and the bonus tracks are a great...er....bonus. All in all, a much better album than I ever gave it credit for and proof that snap judgements are not always correct.

[chris]

this album takes me back to where i was at the time it was released. i recall having such fun with my friends, at the beach,with this cassette tape in my car stereo constantly.

i loved this album. it was paul being adventurous (and lets face it, he is not really an adventurous kind of guy.) the voice over beginning of talk more talk, while probably gibberish, is sort of creepy. he rocked on angry. however absurd was a most beatly album ender. the songs on this album seem to flow easily from one to the next.

much has been said of the production values of this album. i, personally, have no qualms about it. its a product of the 80's, so, it shouldn't be a crime to sound like it. and it was a much finer album than (the few) that were released directly before it. 

[Kylenz]

Yeah I've just been watching Jeepers Creepers on tv and the spoken words in Talk More Talk would fit right in.. perhaps throw in an alien abduction thing in with the horror element, a dash of Stephen King! Creepy stuff alright!

[chris]

...a master can highlight the phrases...

...half talked, half baked ideas...

...a spaceship flew off into the sky...leaving a trail of smoke behind it...

[Stewy]

I believe Paul's entire output between Mccartney 2 and Off The Ground was just dreadful,
and Press To Play is the worst culprit...in fact, it's the worst album of his long and fab career.

I re-checked it out recently and it was even worse than I remembered...totally characterless, tuneless
and charisma-free.

It's NOT simply the vile 80's production...it's so full of cliches, with not a single good idea or arrangement.

Only the song Press has anything going for it, although nothing special.

It was a long wait, but the great man finally got his muse back after working on the Anthology project,
and returned with guns blazing with the superb Flaming Pie.

Since then, it's ALL been great again.

Phew!

[Kylenz]

tuneless

C'mon there! It's cool to like or not like an album, but the record does have its share of decent melodies. Who could deny something like Footprints (the ancestor of Distractions) or Good Times Coming. The rock songs like Stranglehold and Angry have strong hooks. However Absurd is a good melody (not so keen on the lyrics). Maybe not the best we've heard from Paul, but far from horrible. 

[chris]

i agree kyle. compared to pipes of piece...this is side two of abbey road

[EddieV]

I have tried many times, but I´m not very fond of this album. Don´t know what it is, but it doesn´t work for me

Only a few good songs on this album... Stranglehold, Press and Only Love Remains are good songs the rest

[Kylenz]

I never liked the bonus tracks they put on the cd edition (Tough on a Tightrope, It's Not True, Write Away etc). To me, it brings the overall quality of the album down.

[lampie1970]

the great man finally got his muse back after working on the Anthology project

Maybe working on all that Anthology stuff sharpened him up a bit and reminded him to listen to the John voice that has to be rattling around in his brain when he writes. I believe they were a partnership long after they split, the competition to do well always makes you work harder.

Also, Paul's life was starting to have some tragedy in it, and there is nothing like hard times to get an Artist to creating on all cylinders. It makes you think about the present trials, the past good times and the future hopes...At least that is true for me...