Customer Reviews

Fine Line

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This might be his best single since 1989's "My Brave Face."

The "Lady Madonna"-style piano is clearly evident throughout the song. The quick shifts in the arrangment are clever, and the use of the strings at the end is quite effective, and harkens back to Beatles-era McCartney. (I know that comparison has been said time after time over the last decade or so, but this time he's really delivering it.)

"Fine Line" features lots of banging on the guitar and piano, but the structure is solid and the vocal strong. I hear remanants of BAND ON THE RUN-era McCartney here, maybe even late era Beatles. I really am hooked on the piano track in this song---and he's playing all the other instruments, too. Honorable mention to the use of the tambourine at the end as well!

It took me 10 listens to really like it, but that is usually the sign of a good tune. Why didn't he focus this much on some of his previous efforts? The samples I've heard from the album this song comes from---CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD---actually feature deep and personal lyrics all with a (non-wimpy) lush arrangement. What took so long, Macca, for you to deliver these goods!?

Worth it.

Honorable mention to the two great b-sides found here, "Comfort of Love" and "Growing Up Falling Down." The former track is a fully realized song that could have been at home on the new album, and the latter track features Paul experimenting with good results...yet another song that could have been placed on the CHAOS album.

Probably his best first single since My Brave Face. Fine Line is quite catchy and actually has pretty good lyrics. It reminds me of a cross between Flaming Pie and something from the Ram album. The other two songs(which won't be on the album) are pretty good as well, Comfort of Love being a nice rocker, and growing up and falling down an interesting experimental acoustic number. It's a shame it is only available as an import in America, as this obviously means the CD will be more expensive. For those who are just casual fans, you should probably just get the album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard when it comes out (if the single was cheaper I'd recommend it to anybody).

It has to be one of the greatest injustices of all time being Paul McCartney. Not only were you part of the most trascendental bands in all rock history, but also, you are one of the most succesfulls songwriters of all time, and because of that you are your biggest enemy of your own work. People always expect to hear 5 "Yesterday's", 3 "Hey Jude's", 2 "Long and winding road's" and one "Band on the Run".
For me, Paul is just an rock musician who writes in a way that makes me enjoy a greater part of his work. That way I can appreciate his new albums and thus give me the chance to learn to love them. Sometimes he makes deaf albums, and also makes bad single choices. This is not one of these times. "Fine Line" is a great uptempo song, with great melody, simple words and lots of "trinkets" here and there. The B-sides are good and surely will find a place in not few fans preferences.

On first hearing I was very disapointed, I expected something monumental from Sir Paul, however after hearing the song for 2wks its grown on me. I do like it and it sticks out like a sore thumb in today's highly overated clone induced, sample bled, un-original tunes that are over produced today. Even though it does'nt fit into today's market, Ex Beatle Paul(in his 60s) is having a blast maybe thats a good thing or maybe thats bad..Its a Fine Line! I'm certain it will make the top 20 in the UK. In the US it might do better. At least McCartney is doing his thing trying to create new material without losing his identity as an artist, he remains a bonofide original! I recommend all music lovers to purchase this and the album.

I hesitated on whether to give this a 4 or a 5, but I decided that the latter belongs to memorable anthems such as Maybe I'm Amazed. If you decide to measure Paul's songs by his lyrics you'll be disappointed...though the chorus is a good one on this song. If you listen for the melody and his voice you'll be taken away. And this song does this. The instrumentation, the driving piano, the use of his voice, almost feels like it belongs on Band on the Run. If this is the glimpse and is indicative of his new album, I suspect we'll have one of better ones in his 35 year solo career.

Fine Line is easily the best song on Paul's new CD. It is upbeat and catchy. Comfort of Love is a nice too, a rocker that is better than many of the songs on the Chaos and Creation CD. Growing Up And Falling Down is a rather dull song, not much of a tune. Paul's voice is uninspired. Since neither of these last two songs are on the Chaos and Creation CD, it is a must-have for McCartney fans.

BEWARE: This CD is copy protected. It played fine on my boom box, but required a special player to be installed on my computer (so I can't use any of my preferred players). The silly part is, you can still make a copy if you have the least knowledge of how to do it...which bootleggers have. So, why create a hassel for non-bootleggers (who spend the money)? Go figure.

Fine Line is well documented here and under the Chaos and Creation (C+C) site.

BUT the important news here are the out-standing B-Cuts - "Comfort of Love" (C/L and "Growing Up, Falling Down" (GUFD). Put them on C+C and they rise right along to the top of that stellar song list.

GUFD is a song out of Beatles 67-69 period, with strong John and George influences - even equal collaborators with Paul. Simutaneously, haunting, exotic, rythmic - yet melodic and accessable - well like a vintage Beatle song. It has strong lyrics that mesh well with the themes on C+C.

C/L is a rocker and has "Hooks", bells/whistles and a propulsive beat. A 21st century cousin in lyric to "Can't Buy Me Love" ! It's the missing link to C+C.

See my review of C+C (here @ Amazon.Com)to see where to place these songs in my revised song order onto C+C to make it a Masterpiece album.

The songs Comfort Of Love and Growing Up and Falling Down
should have been added as bonus tracks on Chaos and Creation in The backyard.The songs are good.

Even adding hipsters like Jason Falkner to his band can't hide the aging rocker's first love... 50's R&R. Fat's would be proud and anyone would like it [except those 23 and under]. Hey, Paul's worst is better than mosts' best! B-sides are cool, too.

Paul's best work in about 10 years. Working with his new producer was good for him. Congratulations, Paul, and your fans are looking for many more great songs & albumns from you.