Search - Paul McCartney :: Flowers in the Dirt

Damned by the past

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 02/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The curse of Paul McCartney is the music he created with the Beatles. What every fan seems to forget is that the comparison isn't quite fair. The Beatles albums were created by four individuals two of whom were among the top songwriters of the 60's. It would be more apt to compare Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr's solo albums collectively and compare them to the Beatles legacy.Living in the past would have been the easy way out for Macca. Instead, he forged ahead and tried to create a new musical identity and sound for himself independent of the Beatles. That's where things get sticky. Flowers In The Dirt received quite a bit of praise for the songwriting and production when it was first released. In hindsight some of that praise was overwrought. The album has a number of songs that musically equal the best material Macca's done. My Brave Face compares well to Paperback Writer, Elenanor Rigby or any number of Macca's classics. While FITD isn't able to sustain that quality for the length of the CD, it is still fairly consistent. Even on lyrically weak songs like We Got Married, McCartney invests the music with considerable effort and imagination. WGM is a rich musical soup that wouldn't be out of place on a Beatles album. While WGM and a number of other songs could have used Lennon's lyrical wit, one can't find fault with the musical portions of the album. The Elvis Costello-McCartney collaborations work extremely well. That Day Is Done quotes liberally from gospel music (in fact Elvis Costello re-recorded this song with the Fairfield Five to great effect), while You Want Her Too thrives on the lyrical conflict that made McCartney's best work with Lennon soar. Put It There captures the tender emotions so often unexpressed between father and son. The import has three strong bonus tracks including the minor McCartney-Costello classic Back On My Feet. This terrific song was originally released as the b side of Once Upon A Long Ago and easily outclasses the A side of the original single. Flying To My Home is a back to basics rocker demonstrating McCartney's imaginative flair as an arranger. Again, this b side (the A Side was My Brave Face) would have been a highlight on any of McCartney's solo albums. FTMH recalls Junior's Farm but with a sharper, more imaginative arrangement.The Loveliest Thing at first glance appears to be a by the numbers love song. Closer inspection reveals a lyrically interesting and off beat love paen to Linda. It's one of McCartney's more affecting love songs. The original version of FITD dserved a 3 1/2 star with the inclusion of these strong single b sides this album now deserves a 4 star rating. This album signaled a willlingness on McCartney's part to compete with his past and reclaim it."

The Loveliest Thing I've Seen All Day

Tom Emanuel | Deadwood, SD USA | 07/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As for most other classic artists, the 80s were a tough time for Paul McCartney. Starting with McCartney II in 1980 things had only gone downhill for him both artistically and commercially, with the exception of Tug of War and a few hit singles in the early part of the decade. Add to that the fact that he hadn't toured in ten years and you can see why, by the time 1989 rolled around, Paul needed to reassert himself in the public consciousness. He needed a comeback. And a comeback he had indeed, releasing his best album in years and embarking on a record-breaking world tour. The album was 1989's Flowers in the Dirt.



As I've observed elsewhere, Paul has a disposition to benefit from collaboration. Over the past decade he had tried on a number of collaborators - Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Eric Stewart to name a few - but they pale in comparison to his partnership with Elvis Costello which debuted on Flowers in the Dirt. Playing a role similar to John's in Lennon-McCartney, Elvis provided a pessimism and edge to Paul's innate upbeat tunefulness. This is nowhere more apparent than on You Want Her Too, a Getting Better-esque duet that sees a romantic Paul go it head-to-head with a bitter, sneering Costello. And the instantaneous, hook-laden My Brave Face may be THE highlight.



But don't think for a moment that Paul wasn't competent on his own. His collaboration with Elvis not only produced some great tunes but fuelled his individual songwriting fire, inviting him to square with the results of this synergy. Whether in communion or on his own, Flowers in the Dirt features both some of Paul's most accessible and most mature song-craft, particularly in the lyrical department. Supported by the band that would accompany him on his world tour the record is meticulously arranged, with dense layering of guitars and keyboards. So saying, it's admittedly tied to its time - there are a few places where a, well, less "80s" take would have benefited the material favourably. In addition, it also runs out of steam toward the end, closing UNfavourably on the experimental Ou Est le Soleil.



In spite of all complaints however Flowers in the Dirt remains polished, professional, and one of Paul's very best. And quite apart from objective quality, it is very special to me for personal reasons I won't elaborate on here. So Flowers in the Dirt may not be the best or most significant album in Paul's catalogue (though it's definitely up there); but for me it may be his most important.



NOTES FOR THE REMASTERED PAUL MCCARTNEY COLLECTION:



Flowers in the Dirt has the best bonus tracks of any PMcC edition I've yet seen. The McCartney-MacManus Back on My Feet, soaring (pun intended) Flying to My Home, and romantic Loveliest Thing are every bit as good as, even better than, anything on the album proper."

Flowers Grow

Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 06/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Flowers In The Dirt was a rebirth for Paul McCartney. After tripping through most of the 80's, he came back strong in 1989 with his best album since 82's Tug of War. He also formed a songwriting partnership with Elvis Costello. Though on the surface it may have seemed like an odd paring, but Mr. Costello's acerbic, snarky writing style is similar to another writing partner of his, John Lennon. Their three songs, the single, "My Brave Face", "You Want Her Too" a fabulous duet between the two and "That Day Is Done" are great songs. Mr. McCartney seems to be reinvigorated and the rest of the album is first rate. "Rough Ride" is a good pop song, "We Got Married" (with some good guitar work by David Gilmour) is a powerful song, "Put It There" is a tender song about his late father, "Figure Of Eight" is a keyboard workout (played by ex-Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes) and "How Many People" is a reggae flavored song about world unity. Flowers In The Dirt was his biggest seller in years (although it only peaked at number 21 on the charts) and Mr. McCartney used it as the basis for his first US Tour since 1976.

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