First released: 1975
Jimmy McCulloch was an interesting person. He seemed to have no other life than music and drugs as this song from Paul's "Venus and Mars" and "Wino Junko" from "Wings at the Speed of Sound" attests. It's sad, but true, and Jimmy died too soon in 1979 from an overdose, despite the lyric of this cautionary tale. A live version was performed and released on "Wings Over America" in 1976.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Meat City by John Lennon – ***
First released: 1973
A song that seems somewhat out of place in comparison to the rest of the material on John Lennon’s "Mind Games" album since it is louder and faster than any other tune on the album. There is an alternate rarity that most books don’t even mention. On the b-side of the "Mind Games" single is this song. Somewhere in the middle of the song is a brief backwards statement. Back in the days when you could wind your turntable backwards, you could figure out what these types of messages said. On the single version, the backwards statement is “Check the album”. On the album version, the backwards statement in its place is “Fuck the pigs”. A third version appears on the 2002 CD reissue that’s a demo.
A song that seems somewhat out of place in comparison to the rest of the material on John Lennon’s "Mind Games" album since it is louder and faster than any other tune on the album. There is an alternate rarity that most books don’t even mention. On the b-side of the "Mind Games" single is this song. Somewhere in the middle of the song is a brief backwards statement. Back in the days when you could wind your turntable backwards, you could figure out what these types of messages said. On the single version, the backwards statement is “Check the album”. On the album version, the backwards statement in its place is “Fuck the pigs”. A third version appears on the 2002 CD reissue that’s a demo.
Mean Mr. Mustard by The Beatles – ****
First released: 1969
Originally written separately, but soon coupled with "Polythene Pam" as Lennon's contribution to the "Abbey Road" medley took shape. Originally Pam was Shirley as evidenced on the demo version from "Anthology 3" in 1996.
Originally written separately, but soon coupled with "Polythene Pam" as Lennon's contribution to the "Abbey Road" medley took shape. Originally Pam was Shirley as evidenced on the demo version from "Anthology 3" in 1996.
"McCartney II" by Paul McCartney – ***
First released: 1980
Frustrated with Wings after "Back to the Egg", McCartney borrowed a tape recorder he explains in "The McCartney Interview" and starts noodling about with different musical styles, a little more New Wavish than normal for him. Friends assumed that this was his new album and after realizing he had a couple dozen tracks agreed. Originally it was conceived of as a double-album, but admittedly there is a lot of crap, so some of the stranger tunes were left off, or relegated to b-sides.
I think now that enough time has passed and McCartney really doesn’t have to prove anything, that the complete original album should be released, even the awful "All You Horseriders".
Do I like it? Well, originally I hated it, save for the "Coming Up" single. Over time, it has grown on me, but it is a stretch to really like this album that is truly experimental.
Frustrated with Wings after "Back to the Egg", McCartney borrowed a tape recorder he explains in "The McCartney Interview" and starts noodling about with different musical styles, a little more New Wavish than normal for him. Friends assumed that this was his new album and after realizing he had a couple dozen tracks agreed. Originally it was conceived of as a double-album, but admittedly there is a lot of crap, so some of the stranger tunes were left off, or relegated to b-sides.
I think now that enough time has passed and McCartney really doesn’t have to prove anything, that the complete original album should be released, even the awful "All You Horseriders".
Do I like it? Well, originally I hated it, save for the "Coming Up" single. Over time, it has grown on me, but it is a stretch to really like this album that is truly experimental.
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