One of my favourite Macca/Wings albums was - and still is - London Town. I thinks it's got a light, relaxed mood, far removed from the tensions of Band on the Run or the trying-too-hard-to-be-commercial At The Speed of Sound. The first thing that struck me on first hearing it (I bought it in 1985) was that it was a very acoustic album, hence its lightness and air of happiness!

Linda had her critics, but the title track would not be the same without her and Denny Laine's wonderful harmonies. I rate these harmonies as among the best on any McCartney album. It is a beautifully produced album. I too like Cafe on the Left Bank, particularly the line where Paul's vocal is single-tracked as opposed to double-tracked as on the rest of the song.

A typical McCartney ballad follows, but any musicians among you will probably note that it is more Harrison than McCartney. I'm Carrying contains a very Harrison key change, from E major to a diminished chord. Harrison was king of diminished chords. A lovely song. As one other Amazonn reviewer noted, Backward Traveller by itself could be a great song. Why then the two minutes of snyth rubbish tagged onto it? Sometimes this is McCartney's biggest problem: Self-indulgence. No Lennon to say 'That's not going on the album.'

I've always loved With a Little Luck, containing a great rock vocal toward the end. It's a good mix of late seventies rock and synthesiser. I like this extended version. Deliver Your Children sees Denny Laine in the vocal spotlight and this is a great song to play on the acoustic guitar. I don't know if such sexist lyrics would go down so well these days, though!

Girlfriend sees McCartney using his So Bad falsetto and he would give this song to Michael Jackson. To me it's just a pleasant track with nice keyboard work toward the end. The album soes contain a couple of knocked-off songs: Name and Address and Famous Groupies. The former is memorable only for its production and lead guitar solo, possibly the last thing Jimmy McCulloch contributed to this album? The latter is, well, not really memorable for anything...,

One of my favourite tracks is the lachrymose Don't Let It Get You Down, a beautiful slow track with Paul stooping the lower depths of his vocal register. The flanged twelve-string guitars really cut through the speakers.

And - on the original release - the last track is Morse Moose and the Grey Goose, an idea that doesn't quite come off. It's interesting but quickly grates. Maybe the album should have closed with Don't Let It Bring You Down?

Still, I do enjoy this album, and although I'd recommend it to everyone, I reckon if you are wanting to get into Paul's solo catalogue, I wouldn't buy this one first. Try Band on the Run or Venus and Mars. Or better still, the fabulous Flowers in the Dirt!


I have to be honest with you, I love this album   November 1, 2004
Tnahpellee (Australia)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I think this is the best Wings album bar Band on the run. Here he achieves songwriting depth by writing unusual, original melodies rather than blending several styles together. the whole album is very diverse yet all the tracks have something in common. This is his most folk-rock album with very Crosby-Stills-Nash vocal harmonies. I do not know why the reaction to it is fairly luke warm, it sounds like a brilliant album to me. The hgihlights are the particularly haunting 'Don't let it bring you down', which may have been the theme for a western, the ghostly disco-shanty number that harkens back to '1985', Morse Moose and the Grey Goose, the breezy big hit, With a little luck, with more great use of echo [on the synth] from Macca, a myterious synth-pop song Backwards traveller/cuff link that has a great atmosphere, and two brilliant folk songs from Denny Laine, children childrena and delievr your children. But the best song is girlfriend, a ahuntigly beautiful folk-ballad with touching lyrics and excellent use of echo added to the backing vocals to make them sound in the distance. Also, the title track is an excellent song no-one ever praises and Cafe on the left bank is an atmospheric euro-dance/rock track that has an air of excitement about it. I'm carrying is a nice lullabye and there's a couple of fun rockers, 'I've had enough' and 'Name and address', which is in my opinion his way of saluting the recenetly [in 1978] deceased Elvis Presley. The onyl song I'm not so entralled about is Famosu groupies but I can listen to it I suppose.

Okay, so this album isn't quite Band on the run or Ram, nor is it original as McCartney II, but it's probably the best of the rest, featuring a folky metallic shine, breezy feel and many interesting and highly original melodies. I love it, don't you?