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This album was a reunion for McCartney and the Beatles' producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick, and includes McCartney's ballad to the late John Lennon, "Here Today". It also includes 2 collaborations with Stevie Wonder, "What's That You're Doing?" and the number 1 hit, "Ebony and Ivory".
Chartwise, TUG OF WAR was McCartney's biggest post-Beatles moment, and, not surprisingly, it found him reunited with Beatles producer George Martin for the first time since their ABBEY ROAD heyday. Yet, the album was also an artistic triumph, showing off McCartney's wide range as songwriter and performer and his ability to incorporate an incomparable supporting cast (Ringo, Carl Perkins, Stevie Wonder) into a variety of roles. After nearly a decade in Wings, all too often structured as a (semi-) democratic vehicle, McCartney flexed his superstar muscle and came up with a smash.
TUG OF WAR is most remembered for "Ebony & Ivory," a harmonious pop duet with Wonder that, even upon first inspection, sounded like part wondrous natural meditation, part brilliantly calculated songwriting. Of course it's both, and, as such, stands next to "Every Breath You Take" and "With or Without You" as a great pop standard of the '80s. But take note that the album's other Paul-Stevie duet, Wonder's funky "What's That You're Doing?," is the most groove-ridden song McCartney ever recorded. And the album's other big hit, "Take it Away," is vintage McCartney in reminiscence mode (ala Ray Davies' "Come Dancing"), with possibly the last great chorus he ever wrote.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Keith Harvey; Campbell Maloney; Andy Mackay ; Philip Jones; Jack Brymer .
Arrangers: George Martin; Paul McCartney.
Personnel: Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, bass, drums); Carl Perkins (vocals, guitar); Stevie Wonder (vocals, synthesizer); Peter Marshall (spoken vocals); Denny Laine, Eric Stewart (guitar); Jack Rothstein, Bernard Partridge (violin); Ian Jewel (viola); Keith Harvey (cello); Adrian Brett (pan pipes); Jack Brymer (clarinet); George Martin (piano); Andy Mackay (lyricon); Stanley Clarke (bass); Steve Gadd, Ringo Starr, Adrian Sheppard, Dave Mattacks (drums); Campbell Maloney (percussion); Linda McCartney (background vocals).
Personnel: Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Spanish guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocoder, drums, percussion, background vocals); Denny Laine (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar synthesizer); Eric Stewart (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Carl Perkins (vocals, guitar, electric guitar); Stevie Wonder (vocals, electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, percussion, background vocals); Bernard Partridge, Jack Rothstein (violin); Ian Jewel (viola); Keith Harvey (cello); Adrian Brett (pan flute, pipe, panpipes); Jack Brymer (clarinet); George Martin (piano, electric piano); Andy Mackay (lyricon); Campbell Maloney (drums, snare drum); Dave Mattacks, Adrian Shepard, Steve Gadd (drums, percussion); Ringo Starr (drums); Linda McCartney (background vocals).
tug of war I bought this (record!) when it first came out, I have the album in storage and wanted to hear the music from it... from so long ago. I love this album, I bought it when I was 14 and I still love it today!! Submitted by Nancy (Elkridge, MD) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 2 of 2 found this helpful.
best album ever This is masterpiece.Every Mccartney album is great but this is my favourite.Melody on this album is great. Submitted by dubravko.spoljar ("Slavonski Brod,CT,Croatia) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
What Paul does This is my favorite McCartney album .It does everything you expect from Paul . There are no fillers here .I always want this in my record collection . When this first came out . It was in heavy rotation with Prince ,Madonna & everyone else during that time frame . But to me it is better than alot of that....that was out at the time . Submitted by benkojam (Athens , GA. u.s.a.) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
A creative breath of fresh air Sometimes, when you're working at something, you just have to step back and let it sit. After a decade of his work with Wings, he still made music, but this album sounds like he just laid back and made the stuff during a coffee break. It is so easy to listen to and like that you forget that Paul must have been going through a lot at the time (John Lennon's assassination and the breakup of Wings). But this whole album was so fun and bright and wonderful that you never get a chance to even think about what the artist must have been thinking when you listen to it. It is that nostalgic, and that good. Sir Paul did anything and everything on this record, and it sounds great even today. I don't think that Paul could have made a better album than this one. Forget about "Band on the Run" or "Flaming Pie". "Tug of War" beats all of them with sheer musical muscle and easy listenability. This is the definitive Paul McCartney record. If you liked him with the Beatles, you'll like him on this record. Submitted by Galen (Anchorage, Alaska.) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
The Toppermost of the Poppermost! This album, more than any other, has earned Macca a reputation for meticulously-crafted pop. Teaming up with Beatles producer George Martin, Paul returned from the home-grown experimentation of "McCartney II" to present the world with this unbelievably enjoyable collection of songs. As you so often read in reviews, the big hit from this album, Ebony and Ivory, is by far the weakest song on the disc (other than the throw-away What's That You're Doing). Don't think that I'm not a Stevie Wonder fan...love him. He just didn't really add anything to this work.
If you want a great collaboration, how about the legendary Carl Perkins. Their track together, Get It, is classic Perkins, right up there with Blue Suede Shoes or Movie Magg.
Standout tracks include Take It Away (ultra-cool, fern-bar groove), Here Today (Paul's tribute to the recently-assassinated John Lennon), and Ballroom Dancing (a cool 50's dance tune).
There's not really a weak track on this album, and its one of those rare discs that you'll love the first time you hear it as well as the thousandth time. Next to Flaming Pie, this is my favorite Macca disc. Submitted by Keith (Paris, TX, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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