While I agree that McCartney has put out drivel throughout his career, and I 
agree that Martin was also able to reign his self-indulgent side in, I still 
think that his work has been strong throughout his solo career, if 
intermittently.  And I think Driving Rain is a good record, not a bad one. 
Again, these things are a matter of taste, not absolutes.  I didn't like it 
at first, but I think one has to remember it is a deeply sad record, 
redolent of his loss of Linda, and he really works better happy-go-lucky 
(although Tug of War, recorded right around Lennon's assassination, was one 
of his strongest.)  There are very few Macca albums where even on the worst, 
I can't find a song or two that is salvageable.  To wit:

Give My Regards to Broad Street: "I'm Not Such a Bad Boy"; the live 
"Ballroom Dancing"

Off the Ground: "Hope of Deliverance," "II Owe it All To You"

Pipes of Peace: "So Bad," "The Man," "Sweetest Little Show"

Press: "Footprints"; the "bonus track "Its Not True"

I thought Flowers in the Dirt was actually a particularly strong effort.


----- Original Message ----- >
To: <audities@smoe.org>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 9:24 PM
Subject: Re: Elton used to have it..
> At Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 17:34:43 Miguel Motta wrote:
>>I think I shared this here once, but George Martin also had that authority 
>>with McCartney... During >the "Tug of War" sessions Martin actually stood 
>>up to the Macca ego and after auditioning the >songs he had slated for the 
>>album indicated which ones were good and which ones weren't...