c or d: paul mccartney, "coming up"

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'So who wants to start a McCartney II viral revisionist campaign? It's only a matter of time before MOJO picks up on it'

Search ILM for 'Coming Up' and see how many times I've mentioned it, and how far back these mentions go. Absolute classic
-- dave q (scrape10...), February 28th, 2003.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 15 November 2004 05:37 (twenty-one years ago)

this song (along w/ "admiral halsey" and "jet") justifies mr. mccartney's solo career. the studio version is irresistable -- those tinny lead macca vocals, those helium-sucking background vocals (paul as chipmunk or linda?), said silly vocals & tinny musical doo-dads w/ a full stereo funky-ass bass, and enough background noodling to remind you that this is indeed the same dude who spent too much time in a studio w/ lots of pot.

the live version ain't as good.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 15 November 2004 05:41 (twenty-one years ago)

uh-huh, classic.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 15 November 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

The video, featuring a studio full of about 50 musicians playing all the funny instruments, all of them, through the magic of special effects, played by Paul McCartney himself in various getups, including a Hofner violin-toting Beatlemania Paul, makes it a classic.

For another excellent Paul with a musical doo-dad appearance, see the kazoo solo (or air kazoo? comb kazoo?) on Ringo's "You're Sixteen."

For more solo career justification: listen to Silly Love Songs again and you will see that it has a killer bass part.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 15 November 2004 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

For all the fussing and harping I do about Macca's solo CRAP, "Coming Up" makes me feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world. It's everything that I hate about his other solo stuff all balled up into one infectious and poppy MOTHERFUCKER.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 15 November 2004 07:25 (twenty-one years ago)

McCartney 2's SO overdue for love from all, Eno/TLC fans esp

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 15 November 2004 07:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I wouldn't go that far, and I'm a big McCartney apologist. But it does have some really cool songs on it (Coming Up, obv, completely classic. I still have the 45! Maybe I'll go play it right now!): One of these Days and Waterfalls are probably his best post-beatles ballads.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 15 November 2004 07:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Not with "Coming Up" specifically, but with lotsa songs from Macca II I've managed to (pleasantly) surprise several people half my age, in the past few years... :)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 15 November 2004 08:07 (twenty-one years ago)

'Coming Up' is a classic! Eisbär and dave q are heroes for reminding us of this great Macca moment.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 15 November 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I liked this video when I was 8, haven't seen it since. Still remember the chorus, which is probably a good sign.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 15 November 2004 08:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Hated it when it came out. Don't mind it as much now, actually. The video with him and Linda playing all the parts was interesting....ish.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 November 2004 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

"Coming Up" is dud. Doesn't sound like Macca at all, which is of course a negative thing. He should have stayed away from disco.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 November 2004 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Does "Coming Up" qualify as disco?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 November 2004 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

it sounds more like a talking heads kinda track to me.

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

He was "thumbing up" Talking Heads at the time.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

That's for that image.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks, I mean. Ugh. Ignore me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

he never went punk, did he ? if not, weird as he's always been so much into "doing" every genre of music he could put his hands on.

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic. Loved it at the time and still do.

I especially liked the way the instruments are mixed. It's all "wrong", but it works a treat.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic all the way. Max Tundra used to do an awesome cover of this as part of his live set too.

― cosmarabbit, Monday, 15 November 2004 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

listening to the album right now after reading this thread. forgot how fresh and "unMacca" it was. some talking heads, some kraftwerk...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

McCartney 2's SO overdue for love from all

I wrote an review of McCartney II for Lost in The Grooves, a book that should be out any minute...

― mike a, Monday, 15 November 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I want to know what the hell that solo is played on. It sounds like a Mellotron tape of someone blowing through a trumpet mouthpiece. I have no fucking idea what it is.

Classic. And "Summer Day Song" is Macca channeling Before and After Science-era Eno like crazy.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

The only decent track on "McCartney 11" was "Waterfalls".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i wouldn't say "decent"... just more usual to what you'd expect from macca...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I like what I usually expect from Macca. He has been lousy at doing atypical stuff ever since "I'm Down"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

err...if you start with "i'm down", what do you consider "expected" from him... or what was "lousy" and "atypical" afterwards ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

It's the only good Wings song there ever was, imho.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

donut, what do you mean by "Wings song"?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

what wings song ? there are no wings song mentioned here !!

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

When did Wings break up again? You mean, this was a solo McCartney song? I just remember my mom playing the 7" for me when I was young.

Ah, then never mind. Wings never had any good songs...

..imho.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Ever since he and John stopped writing together, and started writing all alone, Macca has always been best at either ballads ("And I Love Her" is a good example of early McCartney solo songwriting) or melodic mid-tempo pop ("Things We Said Today") His rock songs such as "She's a Woman" and "I'm Down" always turned out inferior to Lennon's more harmonically sophisticated faster songs (until Lennon himself put the same harmonic limitations upon himself writing "rock" songs that Macca had always done, but this was not until 1968).

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

OK...

http://www.mcbeatle.de/macca/45/coming_up.html

I think this explains my confusion. Paul McCartney & Wings would do a live version of the song in 1979/1980... this is what I always thought was "the song". And i remember a tinnier studio version, but i never thought it predated the live version that match.

(I never followed McCartney's career too much after the Beatles.. sorry guys)

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

..er, that much.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

no problem donut. you are forgiven by the church of pop !
geir, if by "atypical", you mean "fast", then maybe but that doesn't really apply to macca 2

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:33 (twenty-one years ago)

No, "Macca 2" was atypical in another way, in that he attempted disco. Didn't work out either. He is always best at sticking to whatever he is used to doing. The only experiment I can think of that has come out not too bad was his mock-reggae "Too Many People", which is one of the best tracks on "Flowers In The Dirt"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:35 (twenty-one years ago)

tut, tut, tut! doesn't "too many people" open ram?!

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

i wouldn't say macca 2 is disco but anyway, to me, there is not really one single kind of music he is used to do since..."i'm down" !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm.. That would be "How Many People" of course. My bad.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

another reason that "coming up" roolz -- it anticipates ween by a dozen years or so. puffy-clouds and all!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to put a word in for Back To the Egg. Thanks.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:11 (twenty-one years ago)

What word would that be? Is it something you can do with eggs?

While we're here, can someone sort out for me the various confusingly similarly named members of Macca's band in the early days, Jimmy/Henry M(a)cC(o)ullough and Geoff/Joe Britian/English?

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it something you can do with eggs?

Because if it is, I would like to put in the same word for London Town

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes -- but not Denny's songs.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:23 (twenty-one years ago)

the title track to that one (and with a little luck, of course) are great! the rest of the album is bah. famous groupies? oh no.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:30 (twenty-one years ago)

"Getting Closer" from Back to the Egg is a really awesome Urge Overkill song.

― st. uber, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, it's an Elvis Costello song from Armed Forces.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:34 (twenty-one years ago)

back to the egg is a pretty good record all around; arrow right through me, we're open tonight, after the ball? these are class songs for fucking wings! that record should get more respect. maybe it's dumb cover.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:34 (twenty-one years ago)

And that title. Agreed on all points -- I love how he rips off other people so shamelessly and still makes them his own: "Arrow Through Me" -- Steely Dan, "After The Ball" -- Ray Charles, "Summer Day's Song" -- Eno.

Oh, and "I'm Carrying" is pretty class on London Town, too...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Who's heard his ambient stuff with wosisname, is it Flood? Youth? Or one of those other mononsyllabic Pommie producers? And what was the name of the band? Fireman? Policeman? And is it any good?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Back To The Egg" isn't too bad. Still don't see the point in using an outside producer for the first time when his "production" was hardly evident at all though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Back To The Egg is a very underrated LP.

― mike a, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anybody made the joke about Back To The Ego yet? If not, I would like to.

― Henry A Blacktune, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"Coming Up" is fantastic, as is "Silly love Songs", as is "Let 'Em In", as is "C Moon", as is the splendid "Goodnight Tonight" which I managed to squeeze into a set at 333 a couple of weeks ago!

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

...All of a sudden I start feelin' real rotten for not picking up a used copy of Back To The Egg the other day! Saw it in a shop *in another town*. And now, in the dead of night at home, I'm thinking of calling a friend tomorrow, maybe, to go and get the darn Egg for me...
(Yeh I do have Macca II, thankyouverymuch)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 18 November 2004 01:50 (twenty-one years ago)

But you don't have "Getting Closer" or "Arrow Through Me" -- and you need them both. I suggest you get yourself some bus fare.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Bus fare, heh? ...The funny thing is, I used to own a vinyl of teh Egg (that ain't the funny part yet) but I *do not remember* whether I still have it somewhere!

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 18 November 2004 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

McCartney II is vastly underrated. I challenge anyone to hear Bogey Music without bopping.

― Adamdrome Crankypants (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 18 November 2004 04:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"On The Way" is a fantastically slow and spaced-out blues.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 05:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"coming up" was a classic guilty pleasure for me. i told myself i was appalled by it, but whenever it came on the radio i turned up the volume and sang along ... while still believeing i was appalled. apparently it took a while after that to come to the stunning realization that it was ok to simply like what i liked.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 18 November 2004 06:22 (twenty-one years ago)

(I never followed McCartney's career too much after the Beatles.. sorry guys)

Tsk... db... We will have to rectify that.

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 18 November 2004 07:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I want to know what the hell that solo is played on. It sounds like a Mellotron tape of someone blowing through a trumpet mouthpiece. I have no fucking idea what it is.

So, does anyone know what that solo actually is?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

McCartney is vastly underrated...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Thursday, 18 November 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Sort of a funny statement when you think about it, but true.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

*to be on teh safe side, calls up friend in 'nother town in order that second-hand egg be gotten pronto

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 18 November 2004 22:43 (twenty-one years ago)

and voila: here's arrived my digitally remastered egg tonight.

okeh, let's get re-acquinted, then.

ho-hm.
after the radio-dialling "reception", that i don't mind at all actually, the first really good song is (track 7) "old siam, sir"... well yeh, the next one's (8) "arrow through me", right there (and whoever mentioned its steely-dan-ishness was rather spot-on). (i think when i first had the vinyl egg all those years ago, i was yet to hear any steely dan, ha)

..."rockestra theme" 's pretty so-so, as i remembered it to be.
"to you"? medi-macca-ocrity, or a mere half hair's breadth above ...mebbe.
then more medi-macca, imo ("after.../million...").
huh, "winter rose/ love awake" i used to quite like - until the very lame cover version in my mother tongue managed, is a weird way, to spoil that song for me muchly ...hearing now the original, after some twenty-plus years, it sounds better again. at least the *first* part does (never cared for the "awaken"ing section that much anyway).

(how the heck did "broadcast" sound?? ...oh, that piece ...'it is the game that matters', etc...)
oh, right, "so glad..." was a typische macca-roxer, how could i forget - ah! that 2:36-3:13 'we're open tonight' bit was rather good, yes...
"baby's request", eh, not the worst song on this rekkid by any means.

haven't heard two of the three bonus tracks before, i must admit.

still moderately glad that a friend cared to purchase teh egg for me.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 28 November 2004 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

this video still makes me smile

― Eisbaer, Friday, 31 August 2007 03:09 (eighteen years ago)

how have I not weighed in? classic!

― Dominique, Friday, 31 August 2007 03:20 (eighteen years ago)

giant fucking classic. McCartney II has gone from under- to over-rated but it's really good overall, good enough that the outtakes are worth seeking around for.

Back to the Egg, since the subject came up, is about how t't'tttttt describes it, although I would give a few more thumbs-up than (s)he does - "Love Awake" is lovely, "Getting Closer" is good fun. This is by NO means an essential purchase for the casual McCartney fan, but to the devotee who comes to appreciate the ins and outs and weird digressions, it's got some choice material.

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 31 August 2007 03:34 (eighteen years ago)

Oh shit, and "Baby's Request"! McCartney's always doing these old-timey pastiches but this is one of the good ones, with a tune that feels like it just must have been around all along.

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 31 August 2007 03:35 (eighteen years ago)

"Back To The Egg" is kind of up there with most of his later material. McCartney only occasionally releases classic albums, but at least he has stopped releasing stinkers such as "Wild Life" or "Wings At The Speed Of Sound".

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 31 August 2007 09:05 (eighteen years ago)

I like them two best.

― Mark G, Friday, 31 August 2007 09:10 (eighteen years ago)

Cool to see the love for this song--definitely one of the best from his solo career.

― Joe, Friday, 31 August 2007 12:35 (eighteen years ago)

I love the comments on that Youtube site: "Dude, Buddy Holly just gave the bird to Neil Young!"

― Pleasant Plains, Friday, 31 August 2007 14:08 (eighteen years ago)

BTTE has the luverly "Arrow Through Me," which Matthew Weiner once accurately described as Paul doing Steely Dan.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 31 August 2007 14:18 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks, Al -- "Black Cow" in particular.

― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 31 August 2007 14:48 (eighteen years ago)

It's certainly a nifty little song.

― PhilK, Saturday, 1 September 2007 22:07 (eighteen years ago)

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