For Week Ending:
11 November 2023

Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie (1997)

[Classic Rock]

By his own admission Paul McCartney was left feeling nostalgic when he began working on Flaming Pie, coming off nearly 2 years of working on Beatles focused music for the Anthology project. In particular he noted that The Beatles were always fast and loose when putting albums together, and never spent too much time overthinking things. He used that approach here, and the results are immediately noticeable. As one of the greatest song writers of popular music history McCartney has still managed a large number of stinkers sitting alongside his zingers, but for the first time in a long time fans agreed that Flaming Pie somehow managed a level of consistency throughout - and it was quickly elevated to the status of one of his best ever albums very soon after release. The production is modern and crisp, and after quarter of a century still holds its vitality, but more importantly - it's the songs that matter. 'The Song We Were Singing' starts the album on a slow note, but before long the big chorus kicks in, and it's the song we were all then singing. 'The World Tonight' and 'If You Wanna' have some great rock punch, reminding us that McCartney was once in the rock 'n' roll game. 'Young Boy' is the single only a member of The Fab Four could write, but we are also reminded of just how great McCartney always was at the gentler moments on tracks like 'Calico Skies'. Jeff Lynne of ELO is on board here to give the album a lift, but we also see old friends like Ringo Starr and Steve Miller helping out, and Paul's son James even plucks a guitar string or two. and just to really bring back that nostalgia - the fifth Beatle himself, George Martin, even scores some orchestra. All in all, the albums strength isn't what it is - but what it isn't. It doesn't try too hard to be anything in particular, giving it a wonderfully organic and natural feeling. But what is a Flaming Pie? Only John Lennon could tell you that.

Arist Information
Sir James Paul McCartney [CH MBE] (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with The Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history. McCartney has had sales of 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the U.S. His honours include an appointment as a Member Of The Order Of The British Empire in 1965, and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he is one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of ?800 million.

Release Information
'Flaming Pie' is the tenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney. His first studio album in over four years, it was mostly recorded after McCartney's involvement in the highly successful 'The Beatles Anthology' project. The album was recorded in several locations over two years, between 1995 and 1997, featuring two songs dating from 1992. It peaked at number two in both the U.K. and the U.S. and was certified gold. The album, which was well-received by critics, also reached the top 20 in many other countries. From its release up to mid-2007, the album sold over 1.5 million copies.

The Meanies - 10% Weird (1994)

[Alternative Rock]

Press play, immerse yourself for 29 minutes, and at the end you will be asking the number of the train that just hit you! Forming in the late 80's, they cut their chops in those early years on numerous Big Day Out appearances and even clinching a support gig for Nirvana. Their 'commercial success', if you can call it that, getting airtime on Triple J, resulted in a leap in their audience base and the release of 10% Weird in 1994 and hit the mark perfectly for where they were on their musical journey at the time. Some raw Alt/Punk Rock with in your face 2 or 3 minute songs. They shared the limelight with the likes of Tumbleweed, early Spiderbait and Magic Dirt to some extent - however these guys were always the ones causing trouble at the back of class while those bands were shining. I certainly don't have a problem with that. Uniquely, the band don't take themselves too seriously on this release. Apart from '10% Weird', there are catchy tracks like 'Conan', 'Smack Bottom', and 'Corpse In Love'. Essentially a very catchy record to sing along to after a few listens if you like this type of music. What was the number of that train again?