Pipes of Peace
Released in late 1983,Pipes of Peacepeaked at No. 15 on theBillboardalbum charts, thereby becoming the first Paul McCartney LP to run out of gas before reaching the U.S. top 10. Which is not to say that it deserved better--despite the well-meaning title track and the duet withMichael Jacksonon "Say Say Say,"Pipes of Peacemarked a definite artistic low for Sir Paul. Coming on the heels of 1982's effervescentTug of War,Pipes of Peacesounded surprisingly sleepy and uninspired, and the few half-decent songs ("Keep Under Cover," the unfortunately titled "So Bad") didn't stand a chance against the album's bland, state-of-the-'80s production values. "Say Say Say," a big improvement over "The Girl Is Mine," Macca and Michael's previous collaboration, easily outclasses the album's other tracks. Happily, you can also find it onAll the Best, where it gets the company it deserves.--Dan Epstein