Give My Regards To Broad Street (soundtrack album) by Paul McCartney

From indieshins 05/25/2023 21:46

Plan to watch the movie, but I haven't yet. On its own merits, this soundtrack album isn't bad. I mean, it's McCartney playing some of his Beatles highlights, some recent solo highlights, and a couple of new songs. Can't really go wrong with that. But it also feels a bit pointless because the new versions of old classics sound pretty similar to the originals, with the exception of The Long and Winding Road. I have to say, that one's baffling: Paul supposedly hated Phil Spector's lavish orchestration on the Let It Be version of the song, yet the version here feels almost as schmaltzy. It serves a different purpose, I suppose - this isn't an album designed to get back to basics, and to have no overdubs. It's part of a soundtrack for a mid-80s semi-autobiographical film. So, okay. But it's odd. I don't mind this version, actually, but it wouldn't be my go-to (which would be the Naked version).

The few new songs are good-great. No More Lonely Nights was actually one of, if not the first, McCartney songs I ever heard. Solo McCartney songs, I mean. I heard it on Australian Idol, of all places. It's a great tune, certainly a highlight of his post-Beatles career, for me. Not Such a Bad Boy is also pretty fun. I almost would have preferred a Yellow Submarine-type deal here, though - the new songs on an EP and then an original score by someone else. Or Paul, with assistance from George Martin. Oh well... onto Press to Play.

From Brad1770 03/14/2023 13:46

So I did it. I actually watched this movie in its entirety and the bad reviews were warranted as we spend a day with Macca having various dream sequences and playing seemingly random performances unconnected to the “plot” (ha ha) which is something to do with a missing master tape which (spoiler alert) is ultimately found at a train station situated on . . . . Ta Da Broad Street. To demonstrate just how bad this movie is there’s a scene which has Macca driving a car (remember this is 1985) and whilst doing so he’s talking to his agent on an actual Telephone, one of the really old ones with dials. Telephones in cars 1985 - I don’t think so. But its not all bad - seeing Macca was pretty cool, as was the many Ringo and Linda scenes. And the movie gives us full versions of the soundtrack songs, unsurprising considering how wafer thin the plot is

But I digress - this soundtrack is really great and highly recommended, especially a 10 minute reimagining of “Elenor Rigby” worth the price of admission alone

This is actually a very enjoyable Paul McCartney album. Sure, the film was awful, but that shouldn't deter you from listening to this LP. The most controversial aspect of this record is the fact that McCartney covers himself, or the Beatles anyway. Surprisingly, these are great, the medley of, yesterday, here,there and everywhere, and, wanderlust,(originally on, tug of war), is beautiful. For No one, good day sunshine, and, Eleanor Rigby, don't work so well, but they're certainly not bad. No more lonely night's, basically the theme song, is one of McCartney's great 'latter day' recordings, featuring a nice guitar solo from David Gilmour. McCartney also 'covers', the long and winding road, on which he does exactly the same thing that Phil Spector did that made him so irate all those years ago, in fact McCartney makes it even more sickly. There are some enjoyable rockers here on, no values, and, not such a bad boy. All in all, nothing great(apart from that medley), but thoroughly enjoyable for any McCartney fan.