Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:52 am

I like "Chaos and Creation..." myself, it's lacking the variety a McCartney album usually has, being more of a mid tempo moody set of songs, but since that isn't really something that he's done before I'm down with it. In a lot of ways it's unlike any other album he's done.

When "Achtung Baby" came out I felt U2 pulled a "Sgt. Pepper", they totally changed their sound, and yet the sounded like U2. Not many bands can do that. "All that you can't..." and "How to dismantle..." sound like more of a retrenchment, though in a good way.

I can't see either McCartney or U2 getting the award though. Kanye West and the rest have certainly outsold them. It is nice to see them nominated imo.

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 6:53 am

U2 is a great live band. U2 studio records aren't that good, really, but they had the good sense to hook up with (first and then recently) Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

I think Edge as a player and performer progressed leaps and bounds beyond the other three guys over the course of their career; I call Adam Clayton the luckiest bass player ever.

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:32 am

I wonder how many "billionaire rockers" do charity work behind the scenes without our knowing it. And that's the way it should be, I think, because if we know about it, there will be endless questioning of their motives. I know the world has progressed (regressed) to the point that everyone suspects everyone else of disingenuosness, but sometimes people really are just plain good hearted. Ask yourself who has done more with his money -- Bono, McCartney or Michael Jackson. How much charity work could've been done with the cash MJ spent on Neverland?

britye · Post by **britye** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 4:36 pm

Is it possible to buy a Grammy nomination? A generous contribution to the Academy maybe. Is it even remotely possible. Chaos & Creation is very slowly growing on me. I've played it and put it away numerous times.Fine Line is catchy as well as Friends to Go. To much Rain is ok if you happened to be in a funk. the rest of it not crazy about.

stubby · Post by **stubby** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 4:52 pm

I try not to confuse somebody's public persona/work with their true character. Does anybody here really know him?

harley · Post by **harley** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:09 pm

Good point, Bill. From a "public persona" standpoint, I like Paul McCartney. He continues to work when he has no financial reason to do so. He's stayed involved with Liverpool, having set up the School for the Performing Arts there and, reportedly, now trying to help save the Art School that John Lennon, Stu Sutcliffe and Cynthia (Powell) Lennon went to. Those are all good deeds, at least on the surface.

And, I agree that Chaos and Creation is no Sgt Pepper but then again, I'm not real fond of Sgt Pepper anyway - now we'll wait a minute for the torches to be lit prior to Beatle fans everywhere hunting me down for blasphemy.

What I mean to say is, Sgt Pepper is an impressive work, but when I want to listen to the Beatles, it's one of the least likely for me to pop in the old CD player. I'm much more likely to grab the earlier stuff or some compilation pulled from The White Album and later.

I don't "know" why I prefer those over Sgt Pepper any more than I can claim to "know" McCartney or Lennon or Carl Reiner (really funny guy - can't play an instrument as far as I know, but REALLY funny in a warped for the times manner).

I like Paul, or at least the Persona that he presents through his music. Is he occasionally "over the top"? Of course, so was John, so am I (making me perhaps the 487th Beatle - at least in spirit).

Still, Paulie's a nice lad who takes good care of his Gandfather. I know, I've seen the movie.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:01 pm

"He's a very clean old man..."

beatcomber · Post by **beatcomber** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:43 am

I'm not much of a fan of McCartney's solo work after about 1976...

But I LOVE his new album, and have since the first time I played it. I think it's absolutely brilliant, and the best thing he's done since "Ram." My 5-year-old daughter is also obsessed with it, which is kinda cool.

It's a very unusual album for Paul. He's rarely gotten so introspective and "real" in his solo stuff. I even think that John would've liked it.

BTW, there are some import CD singles out there with 3 more tracks from those sessions as B-sides, and those songs are also quite good.

bottom4 · Post by **bottom4** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:50 pm

Bono of course is not a sellout with IPOD - right!

Take your sun glsses off and see the light!

JMO

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:58 pm

Our PBS station uses U2's "Its' A Beautiful Day" for some of their promotional spots...I sure hope permission to use it was freely given. I'd hate to think that some of the money I donated to be able to watch The News Hour with Jim Lehrer is going to pay for some zillionaire's blood-cleaning bill...

revolver · Post by **revolver** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:07 am

I have to agree with Glenn here. I think "Chaos" is a great album. Moody, great songs, brilliant production. Even some of the lyrics are okay! ("Driving Rain" made me cringe) I think Macca needs a rubbish detector and he found one in Nigel Godrich.

(taken from nigelgodrich.com)

Sir Paul McCartney came close to punching Nigel Godrich and sacking him when the outspoken music man told the rocker his tunes were rubbish as they worked on his new album.

McCartney thought working on new album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard with Radiohead's revered producer would be easy - but Godrich challenged him like no one had ever dared before.

The former Beatle recalls, "I was well p**sed - 'You don't like my songs? How dare you? Who are you?'

"There was one key moment when it all rose to the surface. I was in the studio, raring to go... I was in a good mood. I was just about to listen to the track (just recorded) and find my way through a bass part when Nigel said, 'You know that song you played the other day? I really didn't like it. I think it was ****.'

"I said, 'Oh yeah?' and I thought, 'What will I do now? Punch him or just spit at him? Tell him to f**k off."

McCartney reveals he then walked out of the studio and went home to nurse his hurt feelings. He addressed Godrich's insensitive comments the next day and the pair became better partners, insisting the producer was just what he needed.

He adds, "I realised he was looking for a vibe, so if one of my songs was a bit perky, maybe he didn't think we should do it this time around.

"It was good for me... It was like working with a great band member. It was similar to me and John (Lennon), back to when we were just kids."

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:26 am

"Rich God and Godrich in the Backyard"....

As mediocre as this material is, it's a bit frightening to imagine what it would have sounded like if there had been no one for Sir Paul to have to argue with...

In addition, there comes a time in every man's life (say, around the age of 64 if not sooner) when it's time to stop talking sh*te about punching people...

revolver · Post by **revolver** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:41 am

My money would be on Nigel. First round KO

(and it would have sounded like "Driving Rain")

beefandbones · Post by **beefandbones** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:09 am

Apparently English Tea got past the detector!

I like the rest of the album a lot, though.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:07 am

Hilarious, Ethan...I guess since his run-in with Japanese Customs he's learned something about getting 'tea' past a detector...