Paul McCartney Album: “Pipes of Peace”

Description :

Personnel includes: Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, bass); Michael Jackson (vocals); Eric Stewart (guitar, background vocals); Denny Laine, Hughie Burns, Geoff Whitehorn (guitar); Gavin Wright (violin); Jerry Hey (strings, horns); Gary Herbig (flute); Chris Smith (harmonica); Andy Mackay, Ernie Watts (tenor saxophone); Gary E. Grant (horns); Stanley Clarke (bass); Ringo Starr, Steve Gadd, Dave Mattacks (drums); James Kippen (tabla); Linda McCartney, Petalozzi's Children's Choir (background vocals). <p>PIPES OF PEACE--the 1983 follow-up to McCartney's TUG OF WAR album--was a more pop-oriented outing than its critically-acclaimed predecessor. Recorded with former Beatles producer George Martin and guest musicians like Ringo Starr and jazz bassist Stanley Clarke at Martin's studio on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, PIPES OF PEACE has a casual, laid-back feel that is perfectly suited to McCartney's breezy pop melodies. The album's best-known song, "Say Say Say," is a propulsive pop-soul duet with Michael Jackson that was McCartney's last single to reach #1 on the American charts. <p>PIPES OF PEACE also contains "So Bad," a beautiful, smoldering love song that is arguably one of McCartney's most underrated ballads. Though McCartney tries to deliver a big message on the title track, PIPES OF PEACE works best as a pop album and it features a fine mix of upbeat songs and earnest ballads that give McCartney ample opportunity to show off his incomparable voice and peerless musicianship.

This recording was quite different for Sir Paul. It is one of my favorite McCartney albums. Why others writing reviews for Amazon.com have given this album poor reviews is beyond me. Each album McCartney does, he explores a different musical avenue and a different side of himself - such is the case with this one. I am not one of those who thinks everything McCartney touches turns to gold or is a work of art. However, I am a true fan. This album has always lifted me up emotionally. To me, there is not one bad track on the album. Just listen to the lyrics of Pipes Of Peace - some of his best! And, does anyone remember the moving and excellent video for Pipes Of Peace? (Back when videos were good!) Pay no attention to the bad reviews. McCartney hit a home run with this one.

Like any major artist that has breaks away from their original band, their solo efforts will be judged against what made them legends. Any solo Beatle effort no matter how great or bad probably will have the worst of the criticsms. Paul McCartney's PIPES OF PEACE is not a great album. However, there are a few bright spots not to be forgotten. SO BAD is a pretty good McCartney love ballad with a good bass line and drums by Ringo. (The accompanying promotion video for the song with Paul, Ringo, and Linda is pretty good too). Then, there is SAY,SAY,SAY featuring Micheal Jackson which demonstrates that McCartney can still write a song to fit any style and performer (the song also had a great video for enhancement). Lastly, there is THE OTHER ME with some of his best thought provoking lyrics and melodies. The rest of the album is decent if not forgettable, however, the three gems mentioned above make up for the lackluster rest. This album was the followup to the classic TUG OF WAR. Maybe McCartney should have round out that album with the three outstanding ones from 'PEACE'.

Definitely a let-down coming off Tug of War, but still a sterling production job by George Martin. Granted he didn't have McCartney's strongest songs to work with, but, compare this to the thin-sounding Venus and Mars, and see which is truly a richer listening experience.

I'm not a Michael Jackson fan, nor a fan of McCartney's really "contempory pop" stuff, but, though Say, Say, Say has that 80's sound, it's still a very strong production effort by George Martin. It was Martin's production, not the strength of the song, that made it a month and a half long #1 hit. I agree with other reviews that this is a slick "contempory pop" effort rather than being a wonderful mix of rockers, appealing pop-rock numbers and heart felt ballads, which had all been McCartney's strengths in the past. But, it is far from his worst.

The title implies a sort of companion album to the more successful "Tug of War" album, but this nevertheless contains the classics "Say Say Say" and "So Bad," the latter being especially moving somehow. The others are well-produced as usual, if not always the most inspired.