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onosideboards
Oct 06, 2003, 04:28 PM
Well, here it goes, my very first beatleg review. I always seem to have a new favorite Paul bootleg, but this one has held up a few weeks so I thought I'd share.

Amazingly (for me anyway), this boot is mostly instrumentals. The songs are so smooooooth. Just real easy going and delicately played. Sound quality is excellent for every track. I should also add that I am not an expert at Paul's vast discography, so I could be getting excited about stuff that's very normal.

So here it goes, a review by moi of Strawberry Records' Macca Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 2 (and no, I don't have vol. 1). http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/378627/str003b.jpg

1. Bridge Over the River Suite (3:16, incomplete): One of those nice isntrumentals I was discussing.

2. Back Seat of My Car (5:18): Oh my gosh, lushous, gorgeous instrumental version. You can hear all the little piano and guitar dittys so much better without the voices. It works just as well as an instrumental. Superb composition. But I'm biased cuz this is one of my fave Paul songs.

3. Best Friend (4:12): Live, I dunno where (bootlegzone is down). Great rocker--Paul's voice is perfect. He's not screaming, he's not trying too hard, and it's a tad scratchy. The best. This sounds like a great, underrated band that had a couple hits in the 70s and were forgotten, but have a good cult following.

4. Mamma's Little Girl (3:45): Nice acoustic ditty, a la McCartney (the album). Some basic, soft drumming and light backing vocals surround Paul and his guitar.

5. Hey Diddle (3:50): Another nice acoustic masterpiece. Looks like Paul added those clever lyrics later, as this is an insturmental. images/icons/wink.gif

6. A Love for You (5:43): Fans of this unreleased-until-this-summer gem will adore the instrumental version heard here. It's so weird because again, this sounds like a different band! I guess, in a way, it is though. That neat little country-ish twangy guitar line is more apparent, and it's fabulous. Paul can be heard making yelping noises--this was probably meant to be a backing track.

7. I Would Only Smile (3:25): A Denny Laine song. Sounds like Donovan in a coma. Kidding. No, it's good. Paul's bass is very heavy--splendid. Kinda folky/rocky.

8. Tragedy (3:23): Gosh, this sounds like another Macca song, but I can't put my finger on it. Very slow, with a sitar.

9. Long Haired Lady/Love Is Long (6:01): This medley has very faint vocals, but the instrumentation is fine.

10. Sunshine, Sometime (3:21): An instrumental acoustic ballad with Paul's count in.

11. Rode All Night (8:47): Wow, what a rocker! It's kind of in the jam-band style, which I normally hate, but Paul's scratchy, screaming lead vocal does me in. The drumming is exceptional. Not much on lyrics, but is that anything new out of Macca? images/icons/wink.gif

12. Night Out (2:17): Another rocker, this time with a strange, very 70s sounding guitar effect. There's no real words, but there's vocals...something like, "na na na na" to the hook. It fades out.

13. Seaside Woman (3:59, written by Linda): Catchy, funky beat, kinda primative sounding. Linda and Paul share the lead vocal.

******

I give this boot 5 out of 5 stars. Each track is a good representation of Macca history, perhaps the best part of Macca history.

[ Oct 07, 2003, 09:34 AM: Message Edited By: onosideboards ]

FiendishThingie
Oct 10, 2003, 12:01 PM
OOoh yeah, Legs! I LOVE "Cold Cuts"! Probably my personal fave!

FT images/icons/wink.gif

Savoy Truffle
Oct 10, 2003, 08:27 PM
Originally Posted By onosideboards:

Oh, and the pic is from the back cover actually because I like that pic better. He looks so cool in that hat. images/icons/smile.gif .<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">That he does!

joelcrowservo
Oct 10, 2003, 09:44 PM
I'm not too familiar with Paul bootlegs, so this was interesting for me to read. I feel the boot reviews are really to let people know whats out there and turn them onto new things. So if like me you arent familiar with the stuff, then the review is your intro to it.
That said,theres several of these tracks I'd love to hear, so I'll be looking for it. Thanks Ono!

onosideboards
Oct 10, 2003, 11:39 PM
I'm gunna cry if nobody responds to my hard work. graemlins/sad1.gif *

Seriously, no Paul bootleg fans? I mostly listen to Paul bootlegs because I love his imperfections best. Nobody else?

FiendishThingie
Oct 10, 2003, 11:43 PM
I just got this one & haven't had a moment to listen to it ... YET images/icons/wink.gif

I'm sure it's great! I just love any alternate versions, outtakes... you name it! I've always enjoyed Paul's boots because he can just be so silly sometimes & it's great to know that he's really enjoying himself!

FT images/icons/wink.gif

Legs
Oct 10, 2003, 11:51 PM
Originally Posted By onosideboards:
I'm gunna cry if nobody responds to my hard work. graemlins/sad1.gif *

Seriously, no Paul bootleg fans? I mostly listen to Paul bootlegs because I love his imperfections best. Nobody else?<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">Aah now you know how I feel sometimes!
I love Paul boots, many of them have great songs not included on his official albums. "Cold Cuts" and "B Sides himself" are two of my favourites, but back to this one. I don't have the boot myself but the titles are not unfamilier, I might not have the same versions of the songs tho, the bootleg seems a good one, you can't go really wrong with a release by Strawberry.

I have a live version of Best Friend on Cold Cuts, and it's probably the same one. Recorded in Antwerp, Belgium August 22nd.

I would Only Smile is one the better Denny Lane numbers, should have been on the album.
As said I have these songs somewhere,many diferent versions of "A Love For You" to, another favourite song, finally released now on a soundtrack.

Savoy Truffle
Oct 10, 2003, 11:51 PM
Oh hey, onosideboards! images/icons/smile.gif I'm afraid I can't add anything here as I don't have this. In fact I've heard no Paul boots. But I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your review and it makes me want to hear it. images/icons/smile.gif

I know I'm not one of the 'knowledgeable' people here about this kind of thing but I just wanted to let you know that your review wasn't in vain. images/icons/smile.gif As I see others have done also! images/icons/wink.gif

I really like that picture of Paul on the cover too.

[ Oct 10, 2003, 12:53 PM: Message Edited By: Savoy Truffle ]

Legs
Oct 10, 2003, 11:53 PM
Well now I know what to do when no-one responds to a review or anything I have written, just whine about it.

Savoy Truffle
Oct 10, 2003, 11:54 PM
graemlins/laugh5.gif 'Whining' sometimes really works! Just ask any kid! images/icons/wink.gif

onosideboards
Oct 10, 2003, 11:59 PM
Originally Posted By Legs:
Well now I know what to do when no-one responds to a review or anything I have written, just whine about it.<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">I think it only works with girls though. Sorry, Rich. It obviously pulled you in anyway.

Oh, and the pic is from the back cover actually because I like that pic better. He looks so cool in that hat. images/icons/smile.gif .

Legs
Oct 17, 2003, 09:27 AM
Suspose you don't want to do one more trade Ono?
I just got volume 1 in from a trade, and I would like to have volume 2 to.

onosideboards
Oct 17, 2003, 09:38 AM
Maybe, Legs. Just may-be. images/icons/smile.gif Send me an email with your tradelist again. I might be able to get something together next week.