New

New got good reviews on its released but how good was it? I find it very average compared to his best and almost like he's trying too hard to be relevant

I agree it was average. I liked Queenie Eye and a couple others but overall it's not an album I listen to much. Paul writes okay songs these days but rarely anything memorable. I hope he proves me wrong and comes out with a really good one next time. He's very prolific, but it's been awhile since he had a truly great song.

Like Zimmerman said, I too think Paul seems to be trying too hard, and too often, to sound "modern", going out of his way to force himself out of his "zone of comfort", ect...

He also seems to hace lost a bit of his composing and musical touch and direction, ever since he lost his muse... almost twenty years ago now.

The last album he did that I really liked was "Flaming Pie", and even that was pieced together from songs and sessions over a three or four year period...

... so the last true "album" that I really liked from him was "Off the ground", and he didn't exactly release that "yesterday"

Heck, my favorite tracks of his, since "Flaming Pie" are probably "Partial to your abracadabra" and "Heel the pain"... two covers...

Hard to believe, and it's a matter of taste, but, for my liking, Ringo's actually had a better output since 1997 than Paul had

Both "Vertical man" and "Ringorama" were very good, almost down to the last tracks and even "Choose love" and "I wanna be santa claus" had a few songs well worth replaying...

... where as, again, for me, "Run Devil Run", nope, a few songs on "Driving rain", one or two on "Chaos"... and nothing that I can think of since... and that's ten years and a few CD's ago

... just get in there and rip out a plain old basic rock n' roll album !

Well, I don't agree Paul hasn't done a worthwhile album since Flaming Pie. Electric Arguments came in 2008 and it's both good and different. Not in a 'trying to be modern' way but in the true spirit of experimental joy. One of my favorite Paul albums all eras.

As to Ringo, the guy's so incredibly up and down. Despite corny title, Y Not is a great Ringo album, while 2012 wallows in the mire at the bottom of the barrel and then some. Don't think Paul's ever done a truly awful album but goodness knows Ringo has!

Originally Posted by ABCKO

... just get in there and rip out a plain old basic rock n' roll album !

That would be perfect!

Paul McCartney is an inveterate entertainer and an extraordinarily talented artist and he can rock his Beatle boots off! I liked "New" and I liked the majority of Paul's solo work with "Freedom" being the exception. I have said many times that I think "Freedom" was not commensurate with Paul's vast talent and impressed me as a hastily dashed off effort presented the night before it was due.

Originally Posted by hibgal

Don't think Paul's ever done a truly awful album...

You're a REAL fan.

Paul couldn't do an awful album any more than a bulldog can fly and sing an aria.

Originally Posted by beatlebangs1964

Paul couldn't do an awful album any more than a bulldog can fly and sing an aria.

Rose tinted glasses there! Paul has recorded a few stinkers

Don't think I'm as big a fan as all that. Maybe we need to qualify 'awful'? I'm not saying every song Paul has written is a winner, some are mediocre too and a few are downright awful. Not surprising from somebody with such a large production. But I wouldn't call any of his albums 'awful', that is pretty much filled with songs which are on the whole unbearable. Ringo's 2012 however is closer to awful than any other description I can think of

Most of the stuff from Paul that I don't like comes from the 80's and I don't think he had released a truly awfull album since "Give my regards to broadstreet". Not to turn this into an discussion about that album, but man what an uninspired album that was. Remakes that weren't really needed, non of which were an improvement over the original. The only hightlight being "No More Lonely Nights". "Press to Play" was only slightly better.

Imo all his recent albums are of an higher quality then his 80's output. I like "New" and I don't agree that he's trying too hard to be current, at least not on these recent albums. I can only applaud that he is trying out different styles, and that his albums sound different from each other. "New" is different from "Chaos and Creation". "New" is more varied and has plenty of more uptempo rock songs. "Chaos" is more laid back, quiet ballads. Both have many great songs on them. I like this period of Paul's output. The 70's will remain my favourite period tho but since "Flaming Pie" Paul has released good to excellent albums. Varied enough for any fan to get something out of it.

It's a matter of taste but no I don't think Ringo's recent output is better.

I think the mastering is too LOUD. A problem with many albums these days.

Originally Posted by ABCKO

... where as, again, for me, "Run Devil Run", nope,...

... just get in there and rip out a plain old basic rock n' roll album !

Which was "Run Devil Run". What do you consider a plain old basic rock 'n roll album then? A normal pop rock album he has been releasing all the time with "New" being the latest. Don't you think a song like "I can bet" is rock. "Turned Out" is a fantastic song or "Highway" from "Electric Arguments".

Originally Posted by Legs

Remakes that weren't really needed, non of which were an improvement over the original. The only hightlight being "No More Lonely Nights". "Press to Play" was only slightly better.

I was actually thinking of Paul's own songs. Most are at least melodious, which is more than one can say about everything out there. But, then again. I didn't listen that much to Paul during the 80's. He just didn't seem interesting then or maybe it was simply so much other music that interested me more.

Originally Posted by Zimmerman The Gnome

Rose tinted glasses there! Paul has recorded a few stinkers

You are right! "Helen (Hell On) Wheels" and "Freedom" stink worse than dead, rotten, fetid feet. I don't much care for "I'm Down" either, but "Freedom" stinks something fierce.

Originally Posted by hibgal

I was actually thinking of Paul's own songs. Most are at least melodious, which is more than one can say about everything out there. But, then again. I didn't listen that much to Paul during the 80's. He just didn't seem interesting then or maybe it was simply so much other music that interested me more.

Yes those as well apart from "No More Lonely Nights". Don't like the production on those, to clinical, the songs unremarkable. "Only Mamma Knows" and " I can bet" are much better rock/pop songs then something like "Not such a bad boy".