Luckiest Music Generation: Paul McCartney - Silly Love Songs

[Genki Hikari]

I loved this song for about two weeks in 1976. Then it got played so much that I actively hated it. Couldn't stand to listen to it, for over 10 years. If I had to hear it one more time, I would have smashed my stereo.

Around 12 years later, I borrowed some CDs from a friend to make some mix tapes on cassette (remember that?), and somehow McCartney got in there. I didn't listen to the tape with "Silly Love Songs" until I had to take a long car drive in California. This came on, and as I made my way along a twisty part of 680, a brilliant afternoon sun turning the hills and sky orange and gold, I remembered why I loved this song, once upon a time.

Pop.

Perfection.

I also find it amusing how the disco years of 1974-1980 had thumping bass lines everywhere, and McCartney always had to pop in at some point and say, "You call that a great bass line? Hold my beer."

His bass IS the instrumental melody, for most of "Silly Love Songs." And that is simply awesome.

[LakeArenal]

1. Sooo many songs that were overplayed are enjoyable now.

I really enjoy a lot of them.

In the Queen movie…. Oh I was so sick of some of them. Until I watched the movie.

[Genki Hikari]

2. I don't think people get how popular this song was

Or for how long. It seemed to go forever over the summer of 1976, so much that, whenever someone says 1976, or if I even think 1976, this song pops right into my head.

It literally defines that year for me.

[LakeArenal]

3. Yesterday too. Even the nuns loved Yesterday.

Also for me: I still may not like these….

Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog
Proud Mary
A Collective Soul Song
You Can Call Me Al
Kodachrome (love it now)
50 Ways to Lose Your Lover
Any Arrowsmith Song

[Hugh_Lebowski]

5. That first one's called Joy to the World actually :)

Also, it's Aerosmith

I never didn't love Kodachrome, one that never really gets old to me as long as I only hear it every few months

Even though I still love Zep, I never need to hear Stairway to Heaven again. Or Black Dog. Or Whole Lotta Love. To name a few.

[LakeArenal]

10. Stairway.... Yessss. It's so long and sometimes they play an extended version....

Loved it it first 10,000 times but now….. to

[LakeArenal]

11. I guess my bias shows in wrong names.

[Genki Hikari]

17. I don't have a problem with Whole Lotta Love like I do

With any of LZ IV. Never need to hear anything from that album again.

I'm more forgiving with LZII. Favorite song on that one was "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)." I like how it's a good old-fashioned smash-n-grab blues-rocker, the kind of stuff LZ was best at.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

19. Yeah, I still love LZII, first one I ever heard circa 1976

Just not Whole Lotta Love, I've just heard it too many times. Such a friggin great album though. Love Living Loving Maid for sho!

Agree on LZ IV but can sometimes still get into Battle of Evermore and When the Levee Breaks from time to time.

Edit: Also I'll listen to Whole Lotta Love from Song Remains the Same still

[Genki Hikari]

8. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

My stepfather bought the Still Crazy After All These Years album, so I got to hear it.

And hear it.

And hear it.

Can't forget any song on that album.

I think the only songs I could bear to listen to now would be "Have a Good Time" and "You're Kind." They were on the B side, so I didn't hear those as often as the famous A side tunes.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

9. My stepdad was also a big Simon fan, and I had the same experience circa 1977 (nt)

[Genki Hikari]

14. By 1977

I was ready to smash that album to smithereens. It had been out since late October, 1975, and my stepfather had bought it before Thanksgiving that year.

I thought things were bad when my parents got stoned and forgot to turn off the stereo when they passed out, which meant Bob Dylan's Planet Waves played for something like 9 hours. I finally couldn't take it anymore and took the 8 track out of the player. It was so hot, it nearly burned my hands.

Planet Waves was good enough to me that I didn't hold a grudge against it over my parents' stupidity.

[Genki Hikari]

13. And what is "a collective soul song?"

Does that have a more familiar/official title? If it's lyrics, I can't place them at all.

I remember a band called Collective Soul that was played to death in the mid-90s.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

20. Guessing it means any song by Collective Soul?

We used to play 'Shine' in my cover band in 1994 when it was new/on the radio. Fun to play actually and the crowd loved it.

We mostly played ... the 680 corridor. Lotta Walnut Creek (my hometown) and Danville gigs.

[Genki Hikari]

21. Oh, I agree that CS was (is?) a great group

But did that one album get overplayed!

I might be able to listen to it again after I burned out on them in about 1996.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. I have a Best of Paul McCartney/Wings playlist on Spotify

Matter of fact it's what I picked to play just last night ... in the boudoir, if you know what I'm saying.

Couldn't bring myself to put this one on the list. Not that it's a bad song, but I'm still sick of it.

K-FRC - San Francisco! killed it for me

Also ... the only part of the 680 I recall being twisty is around Sunol/Sunol grade down into Fremont.

[Genki Hikari]

6. Probably where I was

It's been a while.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. My faves now are mostly the ones I didn't hear so much back in the day ...

Hi Hi Hi, Junior's Farm, Let Me Roll it, Rock Show ... stuff like that.

Still dig the classics and all, but I've heard 'em a awful lot, esp. since my stepdad was a big fan when I'z growing up.

Doubt I'll ever tire of Maybe I'm Amazed though

[LakeArenal]

12. Saw PMac sing Let It Be.....Sigh....🎶❣️🎶❣️

[Genki Hikari]

15. Those are all right

My McCartney weaknesses are "Maybe I'm Amazed"--the live version from Wings Across America, "Goodbye Tonight," and "Jet."

There's another one, but my brain is too fried right now to think of its title. It'll come to me, at 3 a.m. a week from tomorrow. I'm at that age now.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

16. Maybe I'm Amazed may be schlocky lyrically but his vocals in the 2nd half totally redeem it for me

I also love Jet, think it's a really creative song even if it's basically nonsensical lyrically. Instrumentation/arrangement are great IMHO. Doesn't sound like any other song I'd ever heard at the time. Also, great, impassioned vocals. Definitely a Jet fan

[Genki Hikari]

18. Funny, I understand the lyrics of Jet

It's basically, "your uptight dad think we're too young to get married, so let's elope."

McCartney may not be the greatest lyricist at times, but he usually has a point, even if it's an inane one.