Flowers in the Dirt

Paul McCartney | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002UUM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,095 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. My Brave Face

2. Rough Ride

3. You Want Her Too

4. Distractions

5. We Got Married

6. Put It There

7. Figure Of Eight

8. This One

9. Don't Be Careless Love

10. That Day Is Done

11. How Many People

12. Motor Of Love

13. Ou Est Le Soleil

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Enlivened and challenged by his songwriting collaboration with Elvis Costello, who cowrote three songs here, McCartney made one of his best albums of the 1980s with Flowers in the Dirt. The Costello tracks, "My Brave Face," "You Want Her, Too," and "That Day Is Done," are complex and acerbic, qualities rarely applied to songs penned by McCartney alone. Yet Sir Paul rises to the occasion on "Put It There," a touching remembrance of his father, and some of his best pop-rockers in a while, such as "This One," "Figure of Eight," and "Rough Ride." --Daniel Durchholz

Product Description

Enlivened and challenged by his songwriting collaboration with Elvis Costello, who cowrote three songs here, McCartney made one of his best albums of the 1980s with Flowers in the Dirt. The Costello tracks, "My Brave Face," "You Want Her, Too," and "That Day Is Done," are complex and acerbic, qualities rarely applied to songs penned by McCartney alone. Yet Sir Paul rises to the occasion on "Put It There," a touching remembrance of his father, and some of his best pop-rockers in a while, such as "This One," "Figure of Eight," and "Rough Ride." --Daniel Durchholz

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Comeback Album for Paul McCartney September 10, 2005

By L.A. Scene

Format:Audio CD

While all of the Beatles had successful solo careers following the breakup of the band, it was Paul McCartney's career that would prove to be the most successful. With the bar set high, McCartney often found himself trying to measure up from a critical standpoint to what the Beatles had done. In the 1970s, McCartney's band Wings - while not the apple of the critics eyes, continued to sell records. Things would change in the 1980s when McCartney would dissolve Wings. Although McCartney would start the decade out with two successful solo albums in "Tug of War" and "Pipes of Peace". In 1984, things would drastically change - "Give My Regards to Broad Street" would be the soundtrack for a film he would write. That film would prove to be a box office bust and the album would have moderate success. In 1986, things would get worse as his album "Press to Play" was for all practical purposes a flop. As the 1980s would close, McCartney would turn to an unlikely source to try to revive his legendary career - and he would succeed with the 1989 release "Flowers in the Dirt". This would prove that McCartney was back.

Many attribute McCartney's problems in the 80s because he would often have trouble focusing. While McCartney is a great musician, it was obvious that he would often require that "voice of reason" to push him when it came to songwriting or producing. John Lennon and George Martin would fill these roles, but even Martin couldn't stop the train wreck that occurred with "Give My Regards to Broad Street". Following the disaster of "Press to Play", McCartney would start a long songwriting partnership with one of the most unlikely musicians - Elvis Costello. No doubt, Costello is a different artist than McCartney, but he would also provide the stimulus needed to recharge McCartney's creative juices. The duo would begin to write songs for "Flowers of the Dirt" and Costello's album "Spike". Costello would use his real name Declan MacManus to credit the songwriting on four songs included "Flowers in the Dirt". Costello would also participate on three of the four tracks from a musician standpoint - including the duet "You Want Her Too".

At the same time, McCartney brings in a team to help out with the production duties. This team includes longtime Beatles producer George Martin, Elvis Costello, acclaimed producers Chris Hughes and Neil Dorfsman, and former Yes member and producer in his own right Trevor Horn. These producers would work on producing McCartney's efforts on a track by track basis. Combining this approach with his new alliance with Costello would result in some of the freshest material by McCartney since his Beatles days. It found McCartney exploring new avenues as well as revisiting old ones.

Here is a track by track breakdown:

"My Brave Face": This is a McCartney/Costello collaboration and is a very well written song. You can hear sounds of the old McCartney sound as well as the new Costello influence. This is a song that talks about someone putting on a "brave face" after losing a love. (Kind of takes a new spin when McCartney's wife Linda would pass away almost a decade after this song).

"Rough Ride": This song was co-produced with Trevor Horn. It features synthesizers and drum programming as well as trademark Linda McCartney background vocals. Not a bad song - but it's average when you compare it to the remaining tracks.

"You Want her Too": This is the McCartney - Costello duet. Once again, McCartney and Costello bring the best of both worlds. The song opens with an East Indian-influenced melody - going back to the days of the Beatles. McCartney and Costello then trade vocals - and Costello's unique sound really works in the vocal exchange. Great track.

"Distractions": This song has a classic Beatles feel. The Orchestral feel to the song really gives it a good dimension. McCartney's vocals are right on target.

"We Got Married": This song also has a classic Beatles feel, but also you can hear some of the classic McCartney solo sound. No doubt, McCartney's own relationship with his wife played into this song's story. This song features David Gilmour on guitar.

"Put it There": This is McCartney's tribute to Fathers and Sons. I assume this song is a tribute to his own father Jim as well as his own son James.

"Figure of Eight": This song really blew me away. This has a slight Blues influence to it at times. McCartney's vocals a right on the money as well. This is one track where I wouldn't change a thing.

"This Time": Another great sounding song. This one is a very catchy song, but well-written as well.

"Don't Be Careless Love": Another McCartney-Costello collaboration. Once again this is a terrific way of the bridging between McCartney and Costello. There are some terrific harmonies in the chorus.

"That Day is Done": This is the final McCartney-Costello collaboration on this album. Same message as for all of these collaborations as you hear the best of both of these musicians. This song sounds very different than anything McCartney has done before - good stuff.

"How Many People": McCartney's creativity is in high gear as he assembles a reggae influenced track. Paul pulls this off beautifully.

"Motor of Love": I heard almost a (very light) R&B influence at the beginning of this track. Although it's not one of the stronger tracks, I give McCartney credit for trying something new.

"Ou est le Soleil": What a great wrap-up song. McCartney always liked to have fun in his music and this song wraps it up perfectly. The lyrics are basically three lines in French (Where is the Sun?) and has a terrific Euro-Pop beat.

The liner notes contain all of the lyrics as well as songwriting and musician credits. This album proved that McCartney was not washed up in the 1980s. It brings the best of old and new together. Highly recommended.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Where I can find my brave face... September 28, 2003

By Daniel J. Hamlow HALL OF FAME

Format:Audio CD

In the middle of my Beatlemania back in the 80's, I instantly honed in on Paul McCartney, whose videos were on constant rotation on MTV. 1989 saw him releasing his followup to Press To Play, Flowers In The Dirt, a title mentioned in the song "That Day Is Done" but also borrowed from a line in the Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen", altering "flowers in the dustbin."

The catchy opening song and first single, "My Brave Face" is one of my favourite songs by him, telling of a man living alone after his loved one has gone, died probably. When I hear some lyrics, "As I pull the sheet back on the bed, I want to go bury my head in your pillow", and "Now that I'm all alone again/I can't stop breaking down again/The simplest things set me off again", I eerily think of Linda McCartney's death died 9 years after this song.

The trials of life in a marriage are recounted in "We Got Married" whose sound is a distant cousin to "Things We Said Today." Dave Gilmour's trademark guitar crunches along as if to affirm the gladness of being together despite hardships. A lyrical triumph, especially this: "I love the things that happen/When we start to discover who we are/And what we're living for/Just because love was all we ever wanted/It was all we ever had." Marriage, says Macca at the end, "It's not just a loving machine/It doesn't work out/If you don't work at it."

One of the standout cuts is the bouncy, sweet acoustic "Put It There" of a tender assurance from a father to son that he's there to help him: "If there's a fight, I'd like to fix it/I hate to see things go so wrong" It's reminiscent of "Blackbird", except sweeter, with string orchestration by George Martin.

"Don't Be Careless Love" is a poignant portrait of a worried man waiting the late hours for his girl, worried she got killed by some mugger, until he goes to bed. In the end, he finds her back in bed, and it's all right

"Figure Of Eight" is something to avoid ending up in. It's an affirmation of loving instead of hating and taking care of one another. An 8 is the infinity symbol on end, but infinity could mean an endless loop one can't get out of.

The upbeat electric guitar number "This One" reveals the downside of waiting for the perfect moment such as being open or affectionate. It's an explanation, an apology, that I found convincing.

The elegiac ballad "That Day Is Done" is of someone who's died and is sung from that person's point of view, with references to a woman in higher circles who's spurned him. I've felt this way during my dark moments: "That day is done, that day is done/You know where I've gone/I won't be coming back/That day is done."

The relaxing reggae-ish beat of "How Many People" is dedicated to environmentalist and Brazilian rain forest advocate Chico Mendes, who was murdered in 1988. This song answers questions philosophers and poets have asked for many ages. "How many people have died?" "How many people never make it through to the other side", "How many people have cried?" It's like his own "Blowin' In The Wind."

"Motor Of Love" is a very languid cousin of "My Love". It's ironic that given his closing remarks in "We Got Married", he sings here "I don't anything from you/Turn on your motor of love." Uh, what about the loving machine?

"Ou Est Le Soleil" is French for "where is the sun?" Accompanied by a backbeat of a programmed drum machine and various instruments, the lyrics go "Ou est le soleil/dans la tete/Travaillez", meaning "Where is the sun/In your head/Go work"

While McCartney writes most of the songs solo, he gets co-writing help from a certain DeClan McManus, a.k.a. Elvis Costello, who does harmony vocals on "You Want Her Too". The sound, while spright, is more mid-paced, far from the rock theatrics of "Band On The Run" or "Jet". Flowers In The Dirt is a sign of a legendary artist growing finer with age.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Damned by the past February 8, 2000

By Wayne Klein HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

The curse of Paul McCartney is the music he created with the Beatles. What every fan seems to forget is that the comparison isn't quite fair. The Beatles albums were created by four individuals two of whom were among the top songwriters of the 60's. It would be more apt to compare Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr's solo albums collectively and compare them to the Beatles legacy.

Living in the past would have been the easy way out for Macca. Instead, he forged ahead and tried to create a new musical identity and sound for himself independent of the Beatles. That's where things get sticky.

Flowers In The Dirt received quite a bit of praise for the songwriting and production when it was first released. In hindsight some of that praise was overwrought. The album has a number of songs that musically equal the best material Macca's done. My Brave Face compares well to Paperback Writer, Elenanor Rigby or any number of Macca's classics. While FITD isn't able to sustain that quality for the length of the CD, it is still fairly consistent. Even on lyrically weak songs like We Got Married, McCartney invests the music with considerable effort and imagination. WGM is a rich musical soup that wouldn't be out of place on a Beatles album. While WGM and a number of other songs could have used Lennon's lyrical wit, one can't find fault with the musical portions of the album. The Elvis Costello-McCartney collaborations work extremely well. That Day Is Done quotes liberally from gospel music (in fact Elvis Costello re-recorded this song with the Fairfield Five to great effect), while You Want Her Too thrives on the lyrical conflict that made McCartney's best work with Lennon soar. Put It There captures the tender emotions so often unexpressed between father and son.

The import has three strong bonus tracks including the minor McCartney-Costello classic Back On My Feet. This terrific song was originally released as the b side of Once Upon A Long Ago and easily outclasses the A side of the original single.

Flying To My Home is a back to basics rocker demonstrating McCartney's imaginative flair as an arranger. Again, this b side (the A Side was My Brave Face) would have been a highlight on any of McCartney's solo albums. FTMH recalls Junior's Farm but with a sharper, more imaginative arrangement.

The Loveliest Thing at first glance appears to be a by the numbers love song. Closer inspection reveals a lyrically interesting and off beat love paen to Linda. It's one of McCartney's more affecting love songs.

The original version of FITD dserved a 3 1/2 star with the inclusion of these strong single b sides this album now deserves a 4 star rating. This album signaled a willlingness on McCartney's part to compete with his past and reclaim it.