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After the creation of "Press To Play" ('86), a complex and not very successful album, McCartney goes through a mysterious period in his career. In 1987, he secluded himself in the studio with producer Phil Ramone to shape a series of ideas put together the previous year. Rumors of these sessions started to circulate, with Paul working hard but nothing coming to light until after 1989 and the release of "Flowers In The Dirt" (a completely different story), when news began to emerge about a mythical "Lost Album" titled "Return To Pepperland".
"Return To Pepperland" includes some songs recorded during the collaboration with Ramone, and despite the auspiciously titled, Beatles-inspired name, it is probably the worst work recorded by McCartney. Luckily, it was never released, although some songs were later recovered by Paul and transformed into something significantly better, such as the ballad "Beautiful Night", which was publicly released later on "Flaming Pie" in '97. The period between '86 and '89 saw McCartney at a historic low in terms of his creative drive; if some had already turned up their noses at "Press To Play", listening to this work would have left them deeply disappointed. There's almost nothing of interest; the fact that Paul always worked with an unfixed band and spread the recordings over too long a period makes the album a collection of poorly matched songs, suffocated by lifeless sounds.
The instrumental "Big Day" is disarmingly heavy, with electronic drums that lack a synth melodic line worthy of the name. "Love Come Tumbling Down" is a terribly bad song, the title track does not refer to anything Beatles-like, beginning with a drum machine reminiscent of "Waterspout" (an unreleased Wings track from '78) only to evolve into a dismal march. With "Love Mix" and "Atlantic Ocean", Paul adds more dead weight to the album, and the Beatles mix "PS Love Me Do" is merely irritating. Some ideas are salvageable, "Christian Pop" is an enjoyable instrumental with a joyful melody, "I Love This House" is one of the less bad songs, and then there are the initial versions of "This One" and "We Got Married" later recorded on "Flowers In The Dirt".
This lost album only holds historical value, helping to better understand a very chaotic and inadequately creative period in the English composer's career. In fact, the '80s were extremely difficult for McCartney; the death of his friend Lennon and the end of Wings took their toll in the long run.
Tracklist and Lyrics
03 My Brave Face (00:00)
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.
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