Pure McCartney | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

The biggest omissions seem to be Flowers In The Dirt songs. I know that’s up next in the archive reissue series, but it seems odd not to whet people’s appetites here.

Also, considering how often Paul slags off Bip Bop in interviews, it’s surprising how often it gets included in his compilations. Is it really the best song on Wild Life ? Why include that and We All Stand Together rather than Call Me Back Again, Hope Of Deliverance, Helen Wheels, or even C Moon?

Personally I’m hoping this is a Love/Twin Freaks -style mashup, or a bunch of re-recordings, rather than a conventional compilation.

Hmm, I’m a bit torn about this. On the surface it seems pointless for the loyal fans, but I can see value in it for the more casual listener who doesn’t own much McCartney or doesn’t know where to begin. He’s put out so much stuff that it’s not a bad idea to surface some lesser-known tracks from, say, London Town or Back To The Egg that people might otherwise never hear.

I always quite liked Wingspan: Hits and History, which had the second disc containing non-singles that McCartney liked and wanted to share. That album had quite a clear purpose, whereas I think this one doesn’t. I wonder if it would be a stronger album if it was divided into 2xCDs for hits, and 2xCDs for other songs, both presented in chronological order.

Here’s the press release from the official site. The quotes from McCartney really do make it sound a bit pointless and superfluous. “We were sitting around in the office chatting about putting out a compilation of some songs we quite like, so we did.”

Paul McCartney and his music need no introduction. Together with three of his friends, he changed the cultural landscape forever.

And Paul’s accomplishments since then as a member of Wings and a solo artist make for a staggering body of work that stands proudly alongside those eight sensational years with The Beatles.
 
‘Pure McCartney’, a new compilation of his solo, Wings and Fireman work, celebrates that fact, showcasing 67 highlights from one of the most-revered catalogues in music – from ‘McCartney’ in 1970, his debut solo album, right through to ‘Hope For The Future ‘, his 2014 track taken from ‘Destiny’, the most-anticipated video game of the last decade. Not only is ‘Pure McCartney’ a monumental mixtape of some of popular music’s most memorable moments from 1970 to the present day, it also features curios for the superfans and some of Paul’s personal favourites — all handpicked by the man himself..
 
“Me and my team came up with the idea of putting together a collection of my recordings with nothing else in mind other than having something fun to listen to,” Paul says of this project.  
 
“Maybe it’s to be enjoyed on a long car journey or an evening at home or at a party with friends? So we got our heads together and came up with these diverse playlists from various periods of my long and winding career.”

As a songwriter Paul has never stood still, dipping his toe in countless genres and styles. ‘Pure McCartney’ is testament to that fact. From the songwriting masterclass of ‘Maybe I’m Amazed ‘ and adventurous, three-songs-in-one of ‘Band On The Run ‘ to the irresistible groove of ‘Say Say Say’ and ahead-of-its-time electronica of ‘Temporary Secretary ‘, described by NME when compiling a list of the greatest ever songs as “not so much ahead of its time, but out of it altogether”, ‘Pure McCartney’ charts the unstoppable adventures of McCartney’s unique and eclectic songwriting talents and shines a light on his post-Beatles artistic achievements.

“The word ‘career’ is a bit misleading because to me it has been more like a musical adventure than a proper job,” says Paul, reflecting on the ‘Pure McCartney’ tracklisting. “It pleases me, and often amazes me, that I’ve been involved in the writing and recording of so many songs, each of them so different from the others.”

Paul’s unparalleled career has seen his music break global chart records, win countless awards, fill stadiums around the world and become the soundtrack to millions of people’s lives across generations.