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Rating: And ten years later, Paul does it again, recording a solo album in his home studio. A lot has happened in the meantime since the release of "Back To The Egg," the 1980 Japanese tour was canceled, as Paul was busy personally trying out the Japanese prison system, "No More Lonely Nights" he will write in memory, while Laine will soon shed "Japanese Tears," Lennon has not yet been killed by the idiot of the moment. To recover, Paul decides to revisit a tape he had recorded to keep in his car, working on a piece already brought on tour the previous year, "Coming Up," and other bizarre synthetic compositions, mostly harsh to the ears of purists but interesting. There is a lot of material, so much so that McCartney wants to release a double album, but EMI balks, considers the work heavy and unappealing, and the album is cut in an obscene way, losing much of the experimental side but retaining some very high moments. This is the album where Paul records a song even more poignant than "Yesterday," "Waterfalls" is a composition boasting beautiful music, just acoustic guitar and keyboards, with a voice that best interprets the melancholy of the lyrics "Don't go jumping waterfalls / Please keep to the lake / People who jump waterfalls / Sometimes can make mistakes / ... And I need love ... / Like a second needs an hour / Like a raindrop needs a shower", this song is a high point, perhaps the highest, of McCartney's entire career from the Beatles to today. "Coming Up" is a pleasant little song, with immediate appeal, dictated by unoppressive electronics, even Lennon will be amazed when he finds himself singing it in the car, the following "Temporary Secretary," is a heavy nursery rhyme, too repetitive and confusing in its monotonous progression. The album also includes pleasant rock-blues diversions, like "Nobody Knows" and "On The Way," but electronics take center stage in the beautiful melody of "Front Parlour" or support Paul's fragile voice in "Summer's Day Song." "Frozen Jap" is pure experimentation, between synths and drums played in a bathroom to impressively amplify the echo of the skins, high cymbal sounds are removed (Gabriel will do the same for his third work), for a hypnotic and cold instrumental; a heavy and almost irritating track is "Bogey Music" while "Darkroom" opens another window on Paul the experimenter, a song with a good bass and drum rhythm over which Paul overlays sounds from various sources and a monotonous singing where McCartney's counter-vocals are curious vocalizations. The closure is entrusted to another poignant song, "One Of Those Days," acoustic, with good filtered singing by Paul and Linda's counter-vocals, one of her very few contributions on the album. Those interested in the complete version, it exists on Bootleg, but it is very harsh, just listen to "Check My Machine" or the ten-minute electronic lullaby of "Secret Friend" on the remastered version to get an idea of what Paul recorded. A work therefore very experimental, but resized by imposed cuts, an album boasting excellent compositions, but it is not ideal for starting to explore McCartney's solo career.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Coming Up (03:57)
You want a love to last forever
One that will never fade away
I want to help you with your problem
Stick around I say
Coming Up, coming up, yeah
Coming up, like a flower
Coming up, I say
You want a friend you can rely on
One who will never fade away
And if you're searching for an answer
Stick around, I say
Coming Up, coming up
Coming up, like a flower
Coming up, yeah
You want some peace and understanding
So everybody can be free
I know that we can get together
We can make it, stick with me
It's coming up, coming up
Coming up, like a flower
Coming up for you and me
Coming Up, coming up, I say
Coming up, like a flower
Coming up, I feel it in my bones
You want a better kind of future
One that everyone can share
You're not alone, we all could use it
Stick around, we're nearly there
Coming Up, coming up everywhere
Coming up, like a flower
Coming up for all to share
Coming up, yeah
Coming up, anyway
Coming up, like a flower
Coming up
02 Temporary Secretary (03:19)
Mister Marks Can You Find For Me
Someone Strong And Sweet Fitting On My Knee
She Can Keep Her Job If She Gets It Wrong
Ah, But Mister Marks I Won't Need Her Long
All I Need Is Help For A Little While
We Can Take Dictation And Learn To Smile
And A Temporary Secretary Is What I Need For To Do The Job
I Need A
Temporary Secretary, Temporary Secretary
Temporary Secretary, Temporary Secretary
Mister Marks Could You Send Her Quick
'Cause My Regular Has Been Getting Sick
I Need A
Temporary Secretary, Temporary Secretary
Mister Marks I Can Pay Her Well
If She Comes Along And Can Stay A Spell
I Will Promise Now That I'll Treat Her Right
And Will Rarely Keep Her 'Til Late At Night
I Need A ..
She Can Be A Belly Dancer
I Don't Need A Need Romancer
She Can Be A Diplomat
But I Don't Need A Girl Like That
She Can Be A Neurosurgeon
If She's Doin' Nothing' Urgent
What I Need's A Temporary, Temporary Secretary
I Need A, I Need A
Temporary Secretary. Temporary Secretary
Temporary Secretary, Temporary Secretary
Temporary Secretary, Temporary Secretary
Now Mister Marks When I Send Her Back
Will You Please Make Sure She Stays On The Right Track
Spoken: Well I Know How Hard It Is For Young Girls These Days In The Face Of Everything To Stay On
The Right Track
What I Need's A Temporary, Temporary Secretary
Temporary Secretary I Need A /
Temporary Secretary, Temporary Secretary,
Temporary Secretary I Need A
Temporary Secretary. Temporary Secretary,
Temporary Secretary.
04 Waterfalls (04:48)
Don't Go Jumping Waterfalls
Please Keep To The Lake
People Who Jump Waterfalls
Sometimes Cam Make Mistakes
And I Need Love, Yeah I Need Love
Like A Second Needs An Hour
Like A Raindrop Needs A Shower
Yeah I Need Love Every Minute Of The Day
And It Wouldn't Be The Same
If You Ever Should Decide To Go Away
And I Need Love, Yeah I Need Love
Like A Castle Needs A Tower
Like A Garden Needs A Flower
Yeah I Need Love Every Minute Of The Day
And It Wouldn't Be The Same
If You Ever Should Decide To Go Away
Don't Go Chasing Polar Bears
In The Great Unknown
Some Big Friendly Polar Bear
Might Want To Take You Home
And I Need Love, Yeah I Need Love
Like A Second Needs An Hour
Like A Raindrop Needs A Shower
Yeah I Need Love Every Minute Of The Day
And It Wouldn't Be The Same
If You Ever Should Decide To Go Away
Don't Run After Motor Cars
Please Stay On The Side
Someone's Glossy Motor Car
Might Take You For A Ride
And I Need Love, Yeah I Need Love
Like A Castle Needs A Tower
Like A Garden Needs A Flower
Yeah I Need Love, Said I Need Love
Like A Raindrop Needs A Shower
Like A Second Needs An Hour
Every Minute Of The Day
And It Wouldn't Be The Same
If You Ever Should Decide To Go Away
Don't Go Jumping Waterfalls
Please Keep To The Lake
10 Darkroom (02:22)
Got A Place We Can Go
Lights Are Low
Let Me Show You To My Darkroom
Came A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
Come A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
Come A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
Come A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
Come A Come A Come A Come A Come A
Come A Come A Come A Come A Come A
Got A Place We Can Go
Lighting Low
Let Me Show You To My Darkroom
Come A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
Got A Place
Come A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
We Can Go
Got A Place We Can Go
Lighting Low
Let Me Show You To My Darkroom
Come A Come Along With Me To My Darkroom
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By masturbatio
The album is special to me, I don’t deny it’s embarrassing, possibly the worst of the Albion Paul, but it contains magic that only a fab four could secrete.
Maybe Ringo composed this album and Paul put his face on it, or maybe the real Paul who had been replaced composed it. I don’t care, I put it on today and it made me want to cry.
