Flaming Pie by Paul McCartney
Ram - Band On The Run - Flowers In The Dirt - Flaming Pie - Memory Almost Full
Just when everyone has given up on Sir Pauls ever releasing another
decent pop song, he turns around and surprises us all with his best album
since the mid-70s. After working on the Beatles Anthology series, he was
reminded of the standards of music hed long forgotten and was pressed to
meet them. Even Jeff Lynne, who helped on much of it, kept himself very
much in the background, and let Mac do the right thing, playing and
singing most everything, with some help from Ringo and guitarist Steve
Miller, whose presence was a mixed blessing. Even if the songs dont scale
the heights of the Glory Years, they remind us of the true talent that was
McCartney once again. A pleasure to the ears. --Chris Nickson
Personal Review: Flaming Pie by Paul McCartney
For those of you who thought Paul McCartney was fallow fr om Band On
The Run until Memory Almost Full, and that Memory was a "new" work of
art, you must have missed Flaming Pie along the way. Actually, Flowers In
The Dirt was the first remarkable "comeback" album and released in '89
was pretty much Paul and Linda's only great piece of work in the 80's.
Other albums from the late 70's through the 80's had memorable moments
but as a whole the albums were rather unremarkable. Flowers In The Dirt
was helped along primarily by way of the hand Elvis Costello lent to
production, invoking the spirit of John Lennon, and also with signature
guitar work of David Gilmour. In '97, Linda's health was waning (she would
pass away in the spring of '98) and this would be the last album for the
McCartney's as a couple.
Paul says of Flaming Pie "The Beatles Anthology project reminded me of
The Beatles standards and the standards that we reached with the songs.
So in a way, it was a refresher course that set the framework for the
album." Now if you are asking about the title of album, just in case you do
not know, in 1961 John Lennon was asked by reporters how they got the
name "Beatles" and John said "I had a vision that a man came unto us on
a flaming pie and he said `you are beatles with an A' and so we were!"
Incidentally, Flaming Pie is Paul's first return to working with George Martin
in Abbey Road since the 70's. Flaming Pie is Paul and Linda working with
son James McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Steve Miller, and Ringo Starr. The
album is an "emotional" one and filled wi th music most McCartney fans
had not heard before. Now if you hear it after Memory Almost Full, you
can see where this latest work got its roots. Maureen Starkey had recently
died of cancer and Ringo and her had not only remained close but Ringo
was at her bedside when she died, and Paul and Linda had remained very
close friends with Maureen and Ringo's children. Linda was slipping away.
The Anthology project had resurfaced all the Lennon love. So Flaming Pie
was an album of love and devotion chocked f ull of dedications and
memories. Steve Miller and Jeff Lynne were "Beatle" friends and had
worked on the production side for all four Beatles at various times.
Remember, at the same time that Linda was passing away, George was
as well.
A highlight reel:
The Song We Were Singing is a lovely tribute to and remembrance of the
times John and Paul spent writing together. Unapologetic of the bad times
they had, the song wrings nothing but the love they held close between
each other. Paul and Jeff Lynne recorded and produced.
The World Tonight is a light rocker by Paul and Jeff which evokes Wings
and Beatles flourishes throughout. Released as a single, the song is
perhaps the only song that will be enjoyed by everyone who listens to this
album.
If You Wanna is Paul and Steve Miller rocking together. Miller fills the
lyrical gaps with some of his best leads since the classic Steve Miller Band
era.
Somedays is a beautiful acoustic memory performed by Paul and George
Martin with wonderful orchestration. This is perhaps Paul's last love song
to Linda.
Young Boy, Paul with Steve Miller again. Features vocals from Steve as
well as guitar work.
Calico Skies is an acoustic piece with George Martin again. The title and
"feel" of the song come from Paul's being stranded with a guitar on Long
Island when Hurricane Bob made landfall there in 1991.
Flaming Pie is a modern minimalist McCartney work harkening back to his
experimental Beatles compositions and early pre-Wings workings, yet
forward looking to Memory Almost Full. Jeff Lynne produces and assists
with instruments and vocals.
Heaven On A Sunday is a family affair, both in style and content and in
production. Paul and Linda and James McCartney with Jeff Lynne. James
plays electric solo during the breaks.
Used To Be Bad is the result of Steve Miller urging Paul to do some Texas
Blues. Paul and Steve trade lead vocals and play all instruments.
Souvenir, Paul and Jeff reproduce a Beatle-esque multi-track recording,
complete with Lennon style effects and coda.
Little Willow is made in memory of Maureen Starkey and is dedicated to
the Starkey children. A very loving tribute song with help from Jeff Lynne.
Really Love You is a Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr blues rocker with
electric guitar leads from Jeff. This song is the first ever credited as a
McCartney-Starkey composition. There are shades of Rolling Stones to
the song.
A Beautiful Night is as close to a true Beatles recording as you could get in
1997. Recorded at Abbey Road under production and engineering and
orchestration by George Martin, the song features Paul and Linda and
Ringo with Jeff resulting in a work worthy to sit alongside Free As A Bird
and Real Love. Ringo plays an actual replica of his own Beatles drum kit
(purchased by Paul for the Anthology series).
One of Paul's first ever compositions as a solo artist, the album closer is
actually a McCartney family opener. As they used to sit around the kitchen
in the early 70's, with the kids dancing, Paul would play this little acoustic
piece for the family. Now the song "Great Day" closes Flaming Pie as the
last Paul and Linda McCarney recording.
Last Note: another reviewer on this album hinted at the fact that Paul often
seemingly needs a certain amount of stress in releasing his true works of
art. Written before Memory Almost Full came out, that review now seems
a little prophetic. I'd have to agree in retrospect. Flaming Pie released
shortly before Linda's death, Run Devil Run shortly after, and Memory
Almost Full after the Heather divorce debacle, all seem to meet the
requirement under the theorem. Ram was released during the height of
the Lennon-McCartney wars. The only failures to this rule are the artistic
and commercial successes of Band On The Run and Flowers In The Dirt,
perhaps those two can be called "inspired" out of love, eh? These titles
are the essence of any McCartney collection. They deliver the best of a
musical legend, bar none.
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