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Rating: "Flowers In The Dirt" was received by critics, at the time of its release, as Macca's most enjoyable and convincing album since "Tug Of War", seven years earlier. The album contains a series of moderately successful singles inspired by rock'n'roll, family memories, the Beatles spirit of yesteryears, and its consistent production makes it a direct and compact record.
The much-talked-about collaboration of those years between McCartney and Elvis Costello produced a series of unique and particular tracks. "You Want Her Too" is a song with sixties flavors where Costello's voice accompanies McCartney's in pure Lennon-esque style, "That Day Is Done" is a touching gospel ballad, the lively "My Brave Face", the first single released from the album, is rich with nostalgic Beatles echoes while "Don't Be Careless Love" is just a weak filler. However, it should be noted that the best composition by the two great artists remains the track "So Like Candy", which appeared in 1991 on Costello's ambitious album "Mighty Like A Rose". The most significant and interesting tracks, however, bear only McCartney's signature. The superb "Distractions" is a sumptuous love song rich in atmosphere, "Put It There" is a simple acoustic vignette with a percussive arrangement borrowed from Buddy Holly, while "Motor Of Love" is a classic broad ballad endowed with a good melody part, perhaps just overly arranged. "We Got Married" is a rock-tinged piece with David Gilmour as a guest, while "Figure Of Eight" and the well-known "This One" are two pleasant, catchy pop-rock tracks that are anything but trivial.
The funk detours of "Rough Ride" and the light reggae of "How Many People" fit nicely and are appealing within the work. Much of the credit for the overall success of "Flowers In The Dirt" goes to Macca's new solid and cohesive band comprising Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Chris Whitten, Paul Wix, and naturally his wife Linda. The first regular group since the days of Wings. The album achieved great success everywhere and was praised by both critics and the public, enthusiastic to have found a musician reborn, convinced, mature, and nostalgic. An absolutely optimistic McCartney on the eve of one of his greatest triumphs ever: the 1989/90 World Tour.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 My Brave Face (03:16)
My brave, my brave, my brave face.
I've been living in style,
Unaccustomed as I am
To the luxury life,
I've been hitting the town
And it didn't hit back.
I've been doing the rounds
Unaccustomed as I am
To the time on my hands,
Now I don't have to tell anybody
When I'm going to get back.
Ever since you went away
I've had this sentimental inclination
Not to change a single thing,
As I pull the sheet back on the bed,
I want to go bury my head
In your pillow.
Now that I'm alone again
I can't stop breaking down again,
The simplest things set me off again
And take me to that place
Where I can't find my brave face,
Where I can't find my brave face,
My brave, my brave, my brave face.
My brave face.
I've been living a lie
Unaccustomed as I am
To the work of the housewife,
I've been breaking up
Dirty dishes and throwing them away.
Ever since you left I have been trying to
Compose a 'baby will you please come home' note
Meant for you.
As I clear away another
Untouched TV dinner
From the table I laid for two.
Now that I'm alone again
I can't stop breaking down again,
The simplest things set me off again
And take me to that place
Where I can't find my brave face,
Where I can't find my brave face,
My brave, my brave, my brave face.
My brave face.
02 Rough Ride (04:43)
I Needed Loving, Needed A Friend
I Needed Something, That Would Be There In The End.
On A Rough Ride To Heaven
Want To Get Inside, What Will I Do?
On A Rough Ride To Heaven,
I Want To Get Inside To Be With You.
I Knew You'd Help Me, I Knew You Could.
You Knew I Didn't Want To Be Misunderstood.
On A Rough Ride To Heaven
Want To Get Inside, What Will I Do?
On A Rough Ride To Heaven,
I Want To Get Inside, To Be With You.
I'm Not Asking For An Easy Passage,
So I Hope You Understand,
I'm Not After Any Special Treatment,
But I Wouldn't Mind A Hand.
On A Rough Ride, On A Rough Ride,
On A Rough Ride, On A Rough Ride,
On A Rough Ride To Heaven,
Want To Get Inside, What Will I Do?
04 Distractions (04:38)
WHAT IS THIS THING IN LIFE
THAT PERSUADES ME TO SPEND TIME AWAY FROM YOU?
IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, YOU CAN HAVE THE MOON.
THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE,
ANYWAY YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOVELY VIEW.
WHY ARE THERE ALWAYS SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO DO?
DISTRACTIONS,
LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD,
WHEN I'M ALONE, I THINK OF YOU
AND THE LIFE WE'D LEAD IF WE COULD ONLY BE FREE
FROM THESE DISTRACTIONS.
UH, UH, UH, UH.
THE POSTMAN'S AT THE DOOR,
WHILE THE TELEPHONE RINGS ON THE KITCHEN WALL.
PRETEND WE'RE NOT AT HOME AND THEY'LL DISAPPEAR - UH-UH -.
I WANT TO BE WITH YOU,
TELL ME WHAT I CAN DO, NOTHING IS TOO SMALL,
AWAY FROM ALL THIS JAZZ WE COULD DO ANYTHING AT ALL.
DISTRACTIONS,
LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD,
WHEN I'M ALONE, I THINK OF YOU
AND THE THINGS WE'D DO IF WE COULD ONLY BE THROUGH
WITH THESE DISTRACTIONS.
AH -
AH -
I'LL FIND A PEACEFUL PLACE
FAR AWAY FROM THE NOISE OF A BUSY DAY.
WHERE WE CAN SPEND OUR NIGHTS COUNTING SHOOTING STARS.
DISTRACTIONS,
LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD,
WHEN I'M ALONE, I THINK OF YOU
AND THE THINGS WE'D DO IF WE COULD ONLY BE THROUGH
WITH THESE DISTRACTIONS,
LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD,
WHEN I'M ALONE, I THINK OF YOU
AND THE LIFE WE'D LEAD IF WE COULD ONLY BE FREE
FROM THESE DISTRACTIONS
05 We Got Married (04:55)
Going Fast, Coming Soon
We Made Love In The Afternoon.
Found A Flat, After That
We Got Married.
Working Hard For The Dream,
Scoring Goals For The Other Team,
Times Were Bad, We Were Glad
We Got Married.
Like The Way You Open Up Your Hearts To Each Other,
When You Find A Meeting Of The Minds.
Just As Well Love Was All We Ever Wanted,
It Was All We Ever Had.
Further On In The Game,
Waiting Up Till The Children Came.
Place Your Bets, No Regrets,
We Got Married.
We Got Married.
We Got Married.
Nowadays Every Night Flashes By
At The Speed Of Light,
Living Life, Loving Wife,
We Got Married.
I Love The Things That Happen
When We Start To Discover
Who We Are And What We're Living For,
Just Because Love Was All We Ever Wanted
It Was All We Ever Had.
It's Not Just A Loving Machine,
It Doesn't Work Out
If You Don't Work At It.
07 Figure of Eight (03:23)
(Well) You've Got Me Dancing In A Figure Of Eight,
Don't Know If I'm Coming Or Going, I'm Early Or Late.
Round And Round The Ring I Go,
I Want To Know, I Want To Know,
Why Can't We Travel A Continuous Line?
Make Love Reliable Covenant All The Time.
Up And Down The Hills I Go, I Got To Know, I Got To Know.
Is Is Better To Love Another
Than To Go Go For A Walk In The Dark?
Is It Better To Love Than To Give In To Hate?
Yeah We'd Better Take Good Care Of Each Other
Avoid Slipping Back Off The Straight And Narrow,
It's Better By Far Than Getting Stuck In A Figure Of Eight.
(Well) Figure It Out For Yourself Little Girl,
It Don't Go Nowhere At All,
It's Nothing More Than A Tape Loop In A Big Dance Hall.
You've Got Me Running ...
You've Got Me Running ...
08 This One (04:10)
Did I Ever Take You In My Arms,
Look You In The Eye, Tell You That I Do,
Did I Ever Open Up My Heart
And Let You Look Inside.
If I Never Did It, I Was Only Waiting
For A Better Moment That Didn't Come.
There Never Could Be A Better Moment
Than This One, This One.
The Swan Is Gliding Above The Ocean,
A God Is Riding Upon His Back,
How Calm The Water And Bright The Rainbow
Fade This One To Black.
Did I Ever Touch You On The Cheek
Say That You Were Mine, Thank You For The Smile,
Did I Ever Knock Upon Your Door
And Try To Get Inside?
If I Never Did It, I Was Only Waiting
For A Better Moment That Didn't Come.
There Never Could Be A Better Moment
Than This One, This One.
The Swan Is Gliding Above The Ocean,
A God Is Riding Upon His Back,
How Calm The Water And Bright The Rainbow
Fade This Swan To Black.
What Opportunities Did We Allow To Flow By
Feeling Like Like The Timing Wasn't Quite Right?
What Kind Of Magic Might Have Worked If We Had Stayed Calm,
Couldn't I Have Given You A Better Life?
Did You Ever Take Me In Your Arms,
Look Me In The Eye, Tell Me That You Do?
Did I Ever Open Up My Heart,
Let You Look Inside?
If I Never Did It, I Was Only Waiting
For A Better Moment That Didn't Come.
There Never Could Be A Better Moment
Than This One, This One.
The Swan Is Gliding Above The Ocean,
A God Is Riding Upon His Back,
How Calm The Water And Bright The Rainbow
Fade This Swan To Black.
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