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Top ten Paul McCartney post-Beatles songs

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Yep, sorry, another list, and yep, sorry, another Beatles thread.

Look away now if these things offend you and somehow you still clicked on the link.

So down to business…

I’ve grown more interested in Macca since I saw/heard his brilliant show in Sydney last year, and then I loved the James Corden clip. In the spirit of “yeah, the lad’s alright”, what are his best post-Beatles songs?

I was going to start with 5, but then I found I could stretch it, to ten, but only just.

So here’s my Top Ten Paul McCartney post-Beatles songs (in alphabetical order)

Another Day

Band On The Run

Coming Up

Every Night

Live And Let Die

Maybe I’m Amazed

My Love

My Valentine

No More Lonely Nights

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

Very happy to be reminded of songs I’ve forgotten

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Comments

  2. Little argument with those choices.

    Maybe add Hi Hi Hi and Juniors Farm from the Wings days.
    And New, Early Days and On My Way To Work from 2015s New are worthy contenders

  3. For me the greatest song from him since The Beatles is “This One”.
    Great melodies, fabulous lyrics (which drift into some psychedelic fun for a bit, too) and a great down to earth recording.

  4. Glad to see Maybe I’m Amazed in there because that could be his greatest song.

    Can’t argue with much of that list. I quite like C Moon though. And I’ve a lot of love for his quirkier stuff like Momma Miss America.

  5. The whole of “McCartney.”
    And early b-sides, “Oh Woman, Oh Why,” “Heart of the Country,” “Little Woman Love,” “Country Dreamer” – all of which sound like outtakes from the “White Album.”

      • It’s lovely, a perfect pop song, a snug fit into its two and a half minutes with a hook rather than a chorus. It’s a real band performance. Linda, Paul & Denny share the lead vocal, each having a solo spot. Even the roadies get to sing backing vocals. Tony Visconti’s brass and string arrangements add a touch of class, but, frankly, the guitar parts don’t really need any elaboration.

        It’s the best song on his best album.

  7. Yeah Junior’s Farm – he did that live in Sydney last year – obviously he likes it! Catchy chorus but the song never really got to me. Same with Helen Wheels – catchy pop but meaningless, to me anyway. Needed John to say “how about this…?”

  8. 10 is impossible, here is a bash in order of release, no more than one per album:

    Maybe I’m Amazed (McCartney)
    Dear Boy (Ram)
    Single Pigeon (Red Rose Speedway)
    1985 (Band on the Run)
    Listen to What the Man Said (Venus and Mars)
    Goodnight Tonight (single)
    Take It Away (Tug of War)
    No More Lonely Nights (Give My Regards to Broad Street)
    Souvenir (Flaming Pie)
    Riding to Vanity Fair (Chaos and Creation in the Backyard)

    I really good pick 50 though, the 4 disc Pure McCartney set is recommended.

  11. Macca’s solo career is the gift that keeps on giving. Great songs hiding in nooks and crannies: Tomorrow, Arrow Through Me, Wanderlust etc etc. And this:

  12. I think Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey is possibly single handedly the point at which Paul prejudice peaked, certainly mine.
    (Yes, yes, I know I shouldn’t be reading.)

  13. In no particular order, except for the first one:

    Silly Love Songs
    Calico Skies
    Sing The Changes
    Listen To What The Man Said
    Junk/Singalong Junk
    No More Lonely Nights
    Back Seat Of My Car
    This One
    Jet
    Arrow Through Me

    • Cant believe it has taken this far down the replies to get a vote for Silly Love Songs.

      Aside from this and bearing in mind my unfamiliarity with much of his solo outfit I would add:

      Maybe I’m amazed
      Another Day
      Let em in
      Band on the run
      Coming up
      My Brave face
      Jet
      Listen to what the man said
      No more lonely nights

  14. I’m generally of the opinion that very little of his post Fabs work can hold a candle to the Beatles recordings (see also Lennon), but I bought Memory Almost Full, the newspaper freebie one, from a charity shop and was very taken withk this when it came up on shuffle one day.

    • Don’t compare him to the Beatles then. It’s a different thing. It took me years to get into solo Macca because of putting him alongside the Fabs. Compare him to the other men who were starting their solo careers about 1970 and he’s streets ahead of everyone: Elton, James Taylor, and Lennon…only Paul Simon comes close. Memory Almost Full is full of tunes, not an ounce of fat on this:

  15. I’ve been listening to ‘Flaming Pie’ a lot recently and I’m amazed (maybe) that I didn’t really rate it until now. I was moving home and job around the time I bought it, so it didn’t really register. Fantastic album – I’d almost certainly have ‘The World Tonight’ in a top ten if I had time to think about one. Love ‘Used To Be Bad’ and ‘Calico Skies’ as well.

  16. Dear Friend

    Didnt get Wild Life at all until I saw an article recommending listening to it as an audio diary of the band coming together.

    When you look at it that way it starts to make much more sense, i.e. early jams, work in progress lyrics, a warm up cover version, all gradually coming together until you reach the finished article on Dear Friend.

  20. I cn only get it down to 22 on my list – however 17 have been mentioned so far, leaving:

    Tug Of War
    With A Little Luck
    The Man
    Here Today
    No More Lonely Nights (Playout Version)

    • Love it. Especially the way he sings the same line (If I only had one love yours would be the one I’d choose.) 8 different ways at the end. Not sure when it was written but the album was released while Linda was sick, the year before she died:(

    • On the one occasion that I’ve seen McCartney live, he did a killer version of “Let Me Roll It”, playing guitar instead of bass. Very loud and abrasive.

  28. I doubt I’ll add anything to this list which wasn’t there before, apart from one, but my five are

    – Maybe I’m Amazed
    – No More Lonely Nights
    – Jet
    – Live and Let Die
    – We All Stand Together (I WAS A FUCKING KID WHEN IT CAME OUT. IT’S A GREAT KIDS SONG. THE LYRICS ARE LOVELY. THE WHOLE THING IS AN EXERCISE IN NON IRONY, ACTUAL SINCERITY. THIS WORLD NEEDS SINCERITY)

  31. There was a time – We were about 12, too young for the Beatles but right into
    ‘Ram’ and ‘Band on the Run” and waiting for “Venus and Mars”- when McCartney and Wings seemed to me and my mates to be the coolest band on the planet.

  34. It’s always nice to see some of your favorites that are largely unknown get some love from others, like Single Pigeon, Lifelong Passion and One of These Days.

    But others I love and haven’t seen mentioned:
    Anyway
    Mister Bellamy (very theatrical)
    Riding to Vanity Fair (ditto)
    The loveliest Thing (great vocal)
    Why So Blue
    Alligator
    My Brave Face
    Somedays
    Daytime Nightime Suffering (thinking of Cynthia?)
    Beautiful Night
    Heather (despite the unfortunate subject matter)
    Mull of Kyntyre (of course!)
    I’m a big fan of I what I think of as his quiet songs:
    Put It There
    Great Day
    Jenny Wren
    Summer’s Day Song
    Mama’s Little Girl
    I’m Carrying
    Warm and Beautiful
    Golden Earth Girl

    There are many other favorites but I’ve taken up enough of your time!

    • This is my favourite Fireman track and I would have it in my Macca top ten. In fact, this whole album hints at what Macca is capable of in the ambient field. I’m guessing he has reels of this stuff on tape, unreleased.

  38. Monkberry Moon Delight
    Back seat of my car
    Some People Never Know
    Love In Song
    Here Today
    Distractions
    Riding To Vanity Fair
    You Tell Me
    Another Day
    Juniors Farm

  39. The Macca top 10? Off top of head, I’ll remember another ten in a minute

    1. Rainclouds (The track that got me into McCartney and Beatles. Recorded the day after Lennon’s assassination, apparently)

    2. Coming Up

    3. Oh Woman Oh Why

    4. No More Lonely Nights

    5. Junior’s Farm

    6. Maybe I’m Amazed

    7. Another Day

    8. Let Me Roll It

    9. Wanderlust

    10. Every Night

  43. Hope I’m not too late with my modest contributions.

    In no particular order:

    My Love
    This One
    Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
    No More Lonely Nights
    Jenny Wren
    Sing the Changes
    No Words
    Put it There
    Band on the Run
    Silly Love Songs

  44. Great things about this thread

    1. Reminded me of songs I’d forgotten/missed for some reason – eg “Let ‘Em In”
    2. Reminded me of songs I truly dislike and am amazed that others do like – eg “Silly Love Songs” and “Mull Of Kintyre”
    3. Reminded me of songs I’ve heard and QUITE like but maybe need another listen – eg “Listen To What The Man Said”
    4. Suggested a whole new Macca listening experience for the ones I just don’t remember or recall, or, in most cases, haven’t even heard – thanks all! (Too many examples)

  45. FWIIW

    In no particular order

    No words

    Let me roll it

    1985

    Uncle Albert/ Admiral halsey

    Back seat of my car

    Smile away

    Let em in

    Old Siam Sir

    Live & let die

    Another day

    No doubt it will be a different ten tomorrow.

  46. While on holiday last month I read the McCartney biography by Philip Norman, has anyone read it? a very good read. Ive read Shout by PN a couple of times and didnt realise that McCartney got a bit of a kicking in it…anyway seems like he forgave Norman and gave him full access to associates which makes for a great read…..

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