"This is really a Wings album with Paul's brother Mike on lead vocals and it's quite good! Sea Breezes, a Bryan Ferry songs, sounds dull partly because Mike has a weak voice and he emits very little emotion as a singer - it's as if he's singing nursery rhymes at school. Leave It - a Paul song with Paul's trademarks melody and trite 70's lyrics. Have You Got Problems features Wings vocals, a cynical view at politics isn't bad and Rainbow Lady is my favorite partly because of its McCartneyesque melody. Many of the songs here were written by Paul and brother Mike and Mike does manage to add a little wit to what was becoming at the time Paul's increasingly vapid, empty lyrics. This was recorded after Band on the Run so the band is in good shape. But just where Mike Macca thought he was going with this who knows -- it's obvious that without his brother's help he couldn't have produced an album like this. Perhaps the album will stand as a testimony to the close relationship of these two brothers. It's fun and if you're a Macca fun you must have this."
Could've been the best Wings B-sides ever
R. Blazak | Portland, OR | 03/19/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This is the record that got Jimmy McCullough into Wings! A great hidden treasure for Paul McCartney fans. Brother Michael brings his crafty wit from The Scaffold. Paul, Linda, and Denny sound great. Why this wasn't a hit in the middle of Band )n The Run-mania is beyond me. "The Man Who Found God On The Moon" is incredibly innovative for 1974. A must for Paul fans who loved his 70s stuff!"
SONGS McCARTNEY GAVE AWAY
Richard | Blackpool England | 12/20/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There's good stuff on here.The Man Who Found God on the Moon,which features the voice of Buzz Aldrin-a brilliant song which could have easily found a place on Ram.
Think of this as a Wings album with a different voice and,unlike some of the ones heard on mid period Wings albums,an already known one which had been at No.1 in the late 60s.
Another great track is have you got problems-and a favorite trick of tempo changes and 2 songs in one.
Norton reminds me of that great Napolean 1V hit of the 60s.
Only cover is of Brian Ferry's Sea Breezes,otherwise all McCartney and members of Wings in the backing"
A hidden McCartney related gem...
John Tabacco | Stony Brook, NY United States | 06/11/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This disc is teaming with a bunch of wonderful Paul McCartney melodies and plenty of witty lyrics by his brother Mike. Mike sings most of the tunes but Paul contributes his iconic vocal here and there along with his typically bouncy bass parts. P.M. is also at the helm of production with Denny Laine and Linda joining in on the fun. Tracks that stand out are two numbers penned just by Paul, the catchy "Leave It" and "What Do We Know About Music?"(tasty, concise soloing on that one). There's also the wonderfully melodic, bipolar Bryan Ferry composition "Sea Breezes" which opens this collection and a few co-written songs the McCartney brothers collaborate on: The spacey, arcane: "The Man Who Found God On The Moon", The Monty Pythonesque "Norton" , The rhapsodic "Have You Got Problems?", the poppy "Rainbow Lady" and the semi groovy, slightly new wave sounding : "Giving Grease A Ride".
The album cover is also a hoot; a clever take on Gulliver's Travels with many of the "small people" who contributed to the record hiding amongst a crowd of hundreds. That's Paul peering at us on the back cover, (this only applies to the vinyl version).
It's sad that McCartney never put money into promoting this album. It would have been a big seller right along with "Band On The Run" which came out around the same time.
It's interesting to note that when Sir Paul is challenged with a talented lyricist like his brother or a great song writer like John Lennon or Elvis Costello, he does some of his most brilliant work. He only allows his best assets to come to the fore front. In this case his melodic genius shines through.
If you're a McCartney fan this CD should be in your collection. This Ryko Disc release contains two pieces that were not on the original vinyl record. They don't really add anything special to the collection just some forgettable fast food fun for your ears.
"
Lost Wings album
TheBandit | SEA-TAC | 10/17/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Not surprised that this is Out of Print, but it is unfortunate because it is a worthwhile album for Paul McCartney enthusiasts.
Along with Denny Laine's Holly Days, I consider this a "lost" Wings album. Mike McGear is a stagename for Mike McCartney, Paul's younger brother, who didn't want to be known solely for his family name. This was no nepotistic one-off project: McGear had already acheived some degree of success in the U.K. with a comedic musical group called Scaffold. He also had already released a solo album, Woman, though he was admittedly quite obscure in the U.S.
With this album, Paul really went all-out to help his brother with a mainstream pop/rock album. The two brothers co-wrote 7 of the 10 tracks, with Paul contributing two of his own compositions. Paul produced the album and played bass, keyboards, and guitars throughout - along with other members of Wings (and - so I've read - members of 10cc, at who's studio much of the album was recorded). On top of all that, Paul's backing vocals are laced throughout as well - sometimes quite unmistakably.
To say the result is McCartneyesque is a great understatement - most of it has the sound of a mid-70s Wings, only with a different lead vocalist. Mike's voice is quite bland - not only in comparison with his brother, but just in general. He carries a tune effectively, but he is no great shakes as a singer. Still, evidently the co-written songs are indeed joint efforts - as by all accounts I've read (finding detailed information about this album is difficult), many of the lyrics are largely Mike's. It's hard to imagine a song like "Norton" being on a McCartney release (reminds me a bit of Ray Davies).
One of the solo-written Paul songs, "Leave It" is fantastic in every way - I am stunned that he didn't save it for one of his own releases. It's a great pop hit that never was - catchy as all get-out, great lyrics (a bit on the sexy side, for Paul at least: 'Peeling off her underwear/She makes me think of daisies shedding their/Silver metal pedals in the air'), and great sax playing. Really great stuff.
My other favorite track is "The Man Who Found God On the Moon" - very unusual lyrically. There are two main ideas: 1) an astronaut who has a religious epiphany while walking on the surface of the moon, and 2) an encouter with a young girl named Anette, who is a Hare Krishna devotee. It's a bit oblique, but still somehow manages to pack an emotional wallop. Towards the end, the song becomes vintage McCartney, as Paul harmonizes with his brother: "Anette made me happy, baby/Anette made me smile/Brought a breath of truth into this mad world for awhile."
The other songs - which includes the Bryan Ferry song "Sea Breezes" - aren't nearly as arresting, though there is good material there. "Givin' Grease a Ride" is a fun T Rex knock-off. "Simply Love You" could have easily been on Paul's "Red Rose Speedway" (not necessarily a compliment, just that it is one of the most Paul-sounding songs). "Have You Got Problems" is another highlight - taking a few surprising twists in tempo and atmosphere.
Ultimately the "McGear" album is a curiousity - mainly of interest to McCartney completists, of which there are many. If you count yourself among them, don't pass up the opportunity to hear it."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1