Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.rock
Titolo: Farid! - Fireman!!

Electric Arguments - 2008
I really dig this album a whole lot, but I'm not as sure if it was a good 
idea to release this as an album by the Fireman. It has more than enough 
great moments to have warranted a regular release. Though this is still a 
somewhat more experimental album, it's also one that deals with more 
traditional song contexts than the previous Fireman efforts. This certainly 
isn't like when "Memory Almost Full" followed up "Chaos & Creation In The 
Backyard" though. I admire what he's achieved here almost as much as what he 
achieved with those two great albums, & I now like this one at least in the 
same class with those two...which is to say that this would make my top ten 
Macca solo albums list. This one it is a very different bird indeed, and I 
admire and enjoy that difference immensely. These songs are, to their great 
advantage & credit, a bit more raw performance wise, and maybe a little bit 
more rudimentary structurally (though I feel that less & less with every 
listen)...hey they were made in nothing flat remember. That driving creative 
process of fast work was a very useful spark here. What isn't shortchanged 
is the amazing layered modern era psychedelic Fireman feel to the production 
of the tracks. It is quite different to hear for folks who aren't familiar 
with The Fireman project. I LOVED "Rushes" the second Fireman album and hope 
that this one helps people give that one a listen. It's all instrumental but 
amazing. The first Fireman album, I'm not so crazy about. All three are 
quite different from each other. To be honest I think he should have someday 
recorded another instrumental album as The Fireman, and made this a wild new 
Paul McCartney album that just happened to have produced by Paul McCartney & 
Youth; wherein each track was laid down in one day.
As far as the sort of departure type of feeling I guess it's not unlike when 
"Abbey Road"/"Let It Be" got followed up with "McCartney" actually. And even 
that doesn't quite explain it. I mean "McCartney" had almost half an album 
of pretty varied instrumentals, but it also had 7-8 songs that could've been 
on a Beatles album. Here we might be able to count even more songs that 
could've made it to a regular Macca solo album, so there is some thread, but 
it's a much weirder one, and farther from previous songwriting efforts and 
performances than the regular stuff on "McCartney" was. This does border on 
feeling like a follow up to his last two albums because we are dealing with 
songs & vocals and all, so it is the side project that most closely 
resembles his more standard/traditional output. It is, at the same time, 
most certainly a progression for The Fireman, and a serious one at that. The 
other album it recalls is most likely "McCartney II", but not in it's sound, 
more in it's aesthetic and origins. McII was him playing around at home 
(just like "McCartney") and it ended up becoming his next album; unplanned 
at the time, & the end of Wings as well. This is him going in and throwing 
it down on the spot (a la his tutorial on the Chaos & Creation at Abbey Road 
special when he shows the overdubbing process to the audience). But the 
difference in sound & feel from his last two albums to, well, a Fireman 
Youth collaboration production, is even more radical than where "McCartney 
II" came from after "Back To The Egg" & "London Town". I should add that 
this is a much, much better album than "McCartney II" ever was; but then 
again I think "McCartney II" is his 3rd poorest effort ever.
All that said this is one truly great album, with some really very 
extraordinary high points, no matter what lens you are viewing it with. It 
is a great progression in BOTH The Fireman works (remembering that I LOVE 
"Rushes"), and also in the larger musical/artistic career of Paul McCartney. 
Although it's experimental, it HAS to be viewed as an essential part of his 
continued high level of excellence over the last 20 years running. Because 
it deals with traditional song context as well, and it does it so so well, 
it stands out in that sense as a much more important and realized effort 
than a number of his earlier, less realized regular album efforts. I think 
this will sell pretty well, and that it'll get a great amount of praise from 
many quarters for it's courage, Spirit, & breadth, but...I think it'll just 
be too downright weird for many folks who like there Macca more middle of 
the road/accessible/poppy.
If we look at the texts of what was written by McCartney, & what transpired 
in various interviews surrounding previous Fireman releases, we really see a 
whole lot of mysticism & idealism within a very well considered, free form 
and deliberate artistic aesthetic. These threads/themes are all still quite 
present, but are now being expressed the context of actual traditional songs 
with lyrics (as opposed to sonic landscapes/no lyrics, or even any vocals at 
all, instrumental pieces) and with that leap what Macca accomplishes here is 
pretty impressive. I still think that "Rushes" was a real landmark in his 
career, but I have to say that I think this is an even greater one. There 
are quite a few non-traditional Macca projects that I am a very big fan of, 
but this one really just tops them all, by far. On every level possible, 
it's just a GREAT album!
What I plan to do is to both honor the artist by having a copy burned (I try 
not to play my original copies, just the burned ones) with the actual 
regular playing order (this I'll play more early on, & much less later), and 
then I'll make one that scrambles the playlist to put earlier emphasis on my 
fave tracks, and ending with the ones I'm less enthusiastic about. All in 
all I'd venture to say we get 7 absolutely great ones (1-7), 5 very good to 
great ones (7-11) and then 2 lesser, more also ran tracks (12 & 13), which I 
at least think are OK to good..
Soooo here we a-go-go...
1) Sing The Changes- This one is so good that he almost should have 
considered saving it for the next album, and using it as the lead off 
single. It's something that could easily have come from a traditional Macca 
album. There is this mystical aetheric & euphoric feel that runs through my 
favorite 4 tracks here (the first 4 that I list here & they feel great 
together) and it is a unique cohesive achievement on a very unique album. It 
is an interesting new and authentic voice that he bring to both writing & 
performing here and these tracks are like some strange combination of U2, 
Van Morrison & Peter Gabriel but VERY much McCartney & very much Fireman 
too.
2) Sun Is Shining- A totally infectious pop song, once again propelled by 
that particular aetheric feel. It begins a 4 song run that I'm glad to leave 
in tact in this review as representing the most vitally fluid part of the 
album (in it's own weird way tracks 6-10, adding "Light From Your 
Lighthouse" to the list, almost work a bit like the side 2 pseudo medley on 
MAF).
3) Dance Til We're High- Another part of the quartet of the greatest 
achievements here. Any of these 4 are so great that, for me, they would be 
absolute highlights of any regular Macca album. This is probably my 
sentimental favorite track on the whole album, but again any of the first 
4-5 songs listed here are just amazing. I do really LOVE this one though.
4) Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)- The first track we heard from this work 
carries on in the techno-Celtic mystical space that he occupies in a way 
that combines the best Spirit of The Fireman ethic, and his previous more 
traditional songwriting pursuits.
5) Is This Love- This gives us a track wherein we veer farther back towards 
the previous feel of "Rushes", but again we're here and now working with 
vocals, lyrics, and more song structures. It is dense and dreamy, and 
beautiful. I placed this here to get a earlier taste of more Fireman fare, 
and to retain that 4 song run.
6) Light From Your Lighthouse- A weird cousin to "Midnight Special" and 
totally successful as very REAL gospel type number. It really leads off the 
great run from tracks 6-10. One of three more R 'n' B flavored numbers and 
my fave of those three.
7) Traveling Light- A more atmospheric ballad, but quite beautiful with fine 
lyrics too. This is something like very good to near great.
8) Two Magpies- A unique acoustic number with a jazzy undertone/feel to it. 
This again is at least a very good track.
9) Highway- This is really fine little rocker. It's certainly better than 
the two lesser R 'n' B efforts from the wonder that is/was "Flaming Pie", 
as it's more raw, and quite a bit catchier too. All in all it's still a more 
standard regular roots based rocker song (especially in relation to anything 
else here), but it is lifted up by a pretty darn inspired performance. And I 
should mention that this one is continuing to grow & grow on me.
10) Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight- A truly great gutbucket swampy 
stomper. I like this as much as I didn't like "Nod You Head" (the only track 
on MAF I didn't like, but to be fair I didn't absolutely hate it,and I do 
absolutely dig this). Where most British blues is 2/3 modern & 1/3 old true 
blues, this is more like 2/3 real old true blues & 1/3 modern British feel.
11) Universal Here Everlasting Now- Heading back to The pure Fireman 
territory of old ("Is This Love" is a border line very Fireman, but still 
makes it in the more trad. section- as the most Fireman like out of the lot) 
we have a real dreamscape/sonic landscape. The psychedelic smorgasbord here 
is rich, & varied here. This is bookended by a haunting piano bit, and while 
it has vocals, they serve as just another instrument in the wash here.
12) Don't Stop Running- The album closer and it (like the "Lovers In A 
Dream") is a bit more minor chord groovy, spacey, pretty repetitive and 
ultimately a sort of also ran here. It's about 10 & 1/2 minutes, with the 
first 6 minutes being the track proper, then about about 2 minutes of 
silence, followed by some very spacey synth noodling, and finally some type 
of backwards spoken thing to end it all off. I prefer this one to "Lovers In 
A Dream" as it has a bit more to it atmospherically speaking, and it's a 
little less repetitive.
13) Lovers In A Dream- Pretty groove oriented and spacey, with vocals here 
as just part of the stew...less song oriented, and more towards the older 
Fireman feel, but again both a minor chord oriented to and dance styled 
repetitive to boot; adding up to probably my least fave, and the final kind 
of also ran track. A last plug for the great "Rushes" album here. That 
Fireman effort boasted tracks worthy of "Universal Here Everlasting Now" & 
"Is This Love", and superior to "Don't Stop Running", & "Lovers In A Dream"; 
just they were all instrumental.
What a wild ride! A truly all over the place, very modern, very psychedelic 
aesthetic that does the Spirit of The Beatles a proud turn indeed.
***As this album evolves for me (I finally figured out how to get a hardcopy 
CD out of the files I've got), I've changed my running order slightly. I 
love "Nothing Too Much Out Of Sight", but even more than "Helter Skelter" I 
think it is a jarring piece of music. It works well as an out of the gates 
opener, and I now use it to close the 10 more traditional songs section. 
It's kind of like the idea with "Nod Your Head", except that I didn't care 
for "Nod Your Head" at all (only track on MAF I didn't dig), and for me it 
ruined the perfect closer, "The End Of The End...and yes I know Macca didn't 
want to end with that and that's why he did what he did...all I can say, 
yeah he's a genius, and yeah it's his right, his album, his decision, and 
ugh! This one, however really works, and after the storm of "Nothing Too 
Much...", "Universal Here..." follows it in a great way.
Those first 5 tracks for me, feel like an EP, or a little bit like the 
medley on MAF or something...they just seem of a piece, an aesthetic, a 
sound & feel, that is something new and brave and beautiful here.
Tracks 6-8 gives us the more acoustic/ballad section of the show, but these 
are quite a varied trio of songs; all very different from one another.
We end the traditional song section with two rockers starting out more 
catchy & radio friendly, and ending with the swamp stomp storm.
To finish it's on to the one great, more "Fireman"ish, track (unless you 
count the as good, or I'd say even better, "Is This Love" as a Fireman 
number- it's borderline for me), and then our final two tracks as more of an 
afterthought.
My current favorite listening order is:
1. Sing The Changes
2. Sun Is Shining
3. Dance 'Til We're High
4. Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)
5. Is This Love
6. Light From Your Lighthouse
7. Traveling Light
8. Two Magpies
9. Highway
10. Nothing Too Much Out Of Sight
11. Universal Here Everlasting Now
12. Don't Stop Running
13. Lovers In A Dream
My personal choice for the best running order for the album, mixing it up 
stylistically as Macca did, but differently, would have been:
1. Sing The Changes
2. Light From Your Lighthouse
3. Sun Is Shining
4. Dance 'Til We're High
5. Is This Love
6. Two Magpies
7. Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)
8. Highway
9. Traveling Light
10. Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight
11. Universal Here Everlasting Now
12. Don't Stop Running
13. Lovers In A Dream
Blessings!! 

 Electric Arguments - 2008
[snip!]
Grazie della segnalazione :-) anche se spesso vi dimenticate che sono 
"francofono" e che il mio inglese è a livelli di mera sopravvivenza tribale.
Al riguardo ricorderò sempre una gita scolastica in Austria parecchi anni 
fa, con il personale maschile dell'albergo che apertamente mi irrideva (a 
quei tempi poi gli italiani erano piuttosto mal visti in Austria) durante 
una mia richiesta di informazioni per via delle mie difficoltà espressive. 
Innervosito, senza rendermene conto, cominciai a parlare velocemente in 
francese -lingua per loro assai più impegnativa dell'inglese- e vidi 
rapidamente queste infantili persone cambiare visibilmente atteggiamento nei 
miei confronti.
Che c'entra? Niente direi e intanto mi procurerò Macca.
Ciao Mantìn, a presto!