Electric Arguments
Paul McCartney's 2008 album with producer Youth. Each track written,recorded and sung in the space of one day with Paul McCartney, playing all instruments. 'The album's opener is classic rock and an instant attention grabber. A heavy guitar riff with loud drums and souring vocals, it's like nothing The Fireman have ever done before.' The Fireman are back after a ten-year break. Electric Arguments is their third and brand new studio album and it's not the album people might expect from the mysterious duo.'
2008-12-28 -- 4/5:: What's That Sound?
Paul McCartney has produced an experimental-sounding set with each track focused on its musical ideas. The packaging is unusual with a book with disposable pictures and little information about the recordings. No songwriter credits are listed; although one assumes that since the copyright is by Paul's MPL Communications that he must be the composer. The website announces "Paul is the Fireman." Many of the tracks seem like song sketches, but are very interesting. "Sing the Changes" is one of my favorite tracks with its driving rock beat and echo chamber vocals, "Feel the fire; feel the thunder." "Traveling Light" begins with atmospheric keyboards before Paul's esoteric haunting vocals, "I swim in the blue sea. I walk on the sand. I fly through the blue sky to wherever you land." "Highway" rocks with a chorus of thousands of background vocals, "Everybody's wondering what's that sound!" "Sun Is Shining" bubbles like a cheerful morning. "Lifelong Passion" has Beatlesque echoes on a track that floats in one ear & out the other, "Give me love love love love, Be my lifelong passion." "Is This Love?," "Lovers in a Dream" & "Universal Here, Everlasting Now" seem like sonic experiments. "Electric Arguments" is a good disc because it puts the emphasis on the music, rather than on clever song ideas. Paul shines with much of this effort and is always fascinating. Enjoy!
2008-12-26 -- 5/5:: Definately magic from Sir Paul
I recommend this as the BEST cd I have purchased this year of 2008! I bought this on the premise of loving the most recent of 2 of his 3 cds cds "Driving Rain", and "Memeory Almost Full". This is different,of course, but none the less exceptional! Blues, Psychodelia, drony, even a touch of his comrade George H.on track 9,"Lifelong Passion". But I must say for me, Track 8,"Dance 'Til We're High" is the EPIDOMY of a Paul track!. Beautiful melody of chord changes, yet still a straight subtle rocker in 4/4 time. At 66, Sir Paul has lost NOTHING musically!!!, and deserves the accolade of: one of, if not 'THE' songwriter in music history! PLEASE!,just >>>Buy it!
2008-12-26 -- 5/5:: The Fireman frees McCartney to be McCartney without the baggage of his career
It must be hell being Paul McCartney when it comes to creating a new album. Alwasys in the shadow of The Beatles, John Lennon and his own prolific body of work. His latest collaboration with Youth The Fireman's "Electric Arguments" frees McCartney from being McCartney and allows him to create one of his best albums.
Mixing elements of ambient, bluesy rock with a tad of influence from Brian Eno, Moby and other artists allows McCartney in collaboration with his Fireman cohort Youth to create one of his most compelling albums. Every song here from "Sing the Changes" to the blues infused vocal of "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight" are a terrific change of pace for McCartney allowing him to create some of his most unique music of his solo career.
Take a listen to the samples. I should warn you this sounds very little like Wings, very little like the music that McCartney made in from the 80's through the 90's. That's a good thing. It's McCartney rediscovering his muse and tackling the type of stuff he really hasn't tried since the White Album.
Highly recommended.
2008-12-24 -- 5/5:: I hate the beatles
Wow - if I didn't hear it on NPR I would never have bought the CD. Track #3 is worth the cost of the whole thing. F'n brilliant.
2008-12-22 -- 5/5:: Electric Arguments
No arguments here! McCartney and Youth have combined for probably their best collaboration to date. #3 in the Fireman collection, this album far outshines the first two albums.