Customer Reviews

Off the Ground / Cosmically Conscious

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'll be the first to admit it: I'm a Maccamaniac. I have McCartney, Ram, all the Wings albums, Tug of War, Flowers in the Dirt, Flaming Pie, Driving Rain, two live double-albums, and assorted classical and instrumental projects. I've got more Paul than I do John, George, and Ringo combined and doubled. So when I made my latest purchase, 1993's Off the Ground, I figured I had reached the lower echelon of the man's catalogue and was simply rounding out my collection. Suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Flowers in the Dirt from 1989 and the monstrously successful world tour that accompanied it were viewed as a comeback for Paul after his mid-80s slump. Off the Ground might be considered "Flowers in the Dirt, Part II". Again collaborating with Elvis Costello on a handful of tracks and playing with his touring band, the albums have a similar feel to them; and yet not so similar. For one thing this disc is less produced than its predecessor, while still maintaining a crisp, clean sound comparable to Steely Dan - a few cuts even sound a bit like the Dan (Peace in the Neighbourhood, for instance). It has fewer highs (and lows) as well, but it compensates in overall consistency.

Off the Ground may be Paul's most socially conscious outing to date. Several songs are pleas for peace and animal rights, including the epic closer C'mon People/Cosmically Conscious (orchestrated by the one and only George Martin, no less). Two more McCartney-Costello collaborations grace the record, - Mistress & Maid and The Lovers that Never Were - both of which would have felt quite at home on Flowers in the Dirt. Toss in a few love ballads and one of Paul's punchiest rockers (Get Out of My Way) and you get more than the usual McCartney fare - you get one of Paul's most impressive, balanced offerings. The only downer is Biker like an Icon, a bland bit of the character-sketching Paul is usually so good at, and Winedark Open Sea may be just a minute too long. But apart from that, it's great.

For being such a fine album Off the Ground sold pretty miserably - it is, to the best of my knowledge, Paul's least successful outing commercially at any rate. It deserves better. After being woefully overlooked for years I'd say it earns the dubious distinction of "Most Underrated McCartney Record", and if that means anything to you Off the Ground is well worth a listen.

It's true that this 1993 album came at what could be considered McCartney's commercial nadir: I remember reading somewhere that '97's Flaming Pie sold more than his previous three or four albums combined (take this stat with a grain of salt). Plus, much has been made out of Paul's "rejuvination" after the Beatles Anthology project. All of this may be true, but OTG is miles above many of Paul's other albums in terms of melody, inspiration and pure listenability. The centerpiece is "Hope of Deliverance," one my all-time favorite Macca tunes. Most of the songs qualify, at worst, as pleasantly catchy. As with any album, there are other assorted peaks ("Mistress & Maid" and "Peace in the Neighborhood"), valleys (mainly lyrical: the words to "Biker Like an Icon" and "Golden Earth Girl"), and all points in between. In retrospect, this album represents Paul at his most relaxed and domesticated, focusing mainly on ecological issues and the benefits of love and family. It's worthy to note that two of the best songs on "Flaming Pie" (the acoustic "Great Day" and "Calico Skies") were actually recorded during the OTG period but deemed to "solo"-ish for a band-based album. They both exude peace and optimism and would have fit in perfectly!

The biggest problem occuring with reviews of McCartney's solo material is that it inevitably gets compared to the Beatles. Off the Ground is an underrated album because of this. People say, Why doesn't he write "Hey Jude" again? (For an example of formulaic rock, one need only look at the Rolling Stones.) Off The Ground is a feel good album, it is music existing for the sake of music. Nothing subliminal here, and the content is varied; from rockers like "Biker" and "Looking For Changes" to ballads like "Winedark Open Sea" , and downright mystical songs like "Owe it all to you" and "Golden Earth girl". If you want the Beatles, go buy Sgt. Pepper. If you want a fine Paul McCartney album, give Off The Ground a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised.

When you hear the name Paul McCartney, the most common connection is The Beatles. McCartney has done his best during his solo career to make you think of great music when you hear his name, and he proves his point on Off The Ground. The album's opening and title track is that of a relaxing nature. It calms the listener and prepares you for the melodic festivity that is yet to come. As you just about settle in, calm and waiting for melodic ecstasy, "Looking For Changes" smacks you in the head with it's distorted guitar and animal activist statement, driven by McCartney's scratchy vocal which gives the song that extra edge.
It's this juxtaposition of melodies that delights the listener for the remainder of the album. There are many acoustic gems in "Hope Of Deliverance", "I owe It All To You" and "Winedark Open Sea". And to all those people who say this artist has lost his rockout ability, check out "Biker Like An Icon" and "Get Out Of My Way". If it's witty and poignant lyrics you look for, "Mistress and Maid" and Peace in The Neighborhood" are classic, "maid" telling the story of a fed up wife, and "Peace" showing us a vision of a harmonious planet. But as usual, it's the piano driven tracks that make up the album's best tracks. The hushed "Golden Earth Girl", the hard "The Lovers that never were" opens with loud, brash piano chords, and never lets go. And most of all, a cry for help "C'mon People" is possibly the best track. It starts out with Just Mr. McCartney and a piano and slowly builds from there to a triumphant statement for peace. The album is not yet done, as the playful "and remember to be......Cosmically Conscious" soon follows "C'mon People" after a few minutes of silence.
To all those of you out there who say that the Paul McCartney of the 1990s is no match for the McCartney of the 60's 70's and 80's, Take another look at "Off The Ground"

I heard this album in high school and brushed it off as older McCartney fluff, preferring The Beatles and his 70's stuff. But now having just heard it again it has aged quite well, almost like a fine wine. I remember seeing the "OFF THE GROUND" video and that song was and still is the best one. But there are very few fillers here. "Mistess & Maid" and "The Lover's That Never Were"are two other highlights. "Flaming Pie" still is his better 90's album but this is a worthy predecessor. So put this album in your cd mix with "Flaming Pie", "Driving Rain", and "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard" and have a Good Time.

I just read AMG's review of this great album, and decided to write a much needed rebuttal. AMG's review paints this beautiful music as "mawkish sentiment" & "weak", and I've heard others refer to this music as "saccharine". The truth is, however, that these are well written, well performed songs about Love, joy, peace & understanding. Unfortunately, in today's world, these great qualities are sometimes written off as rubbish. Yet these are the very thoughts/feelings that make life worth living! I'm not going to review the album song by song because it is beautiful from start to finish. I consider this to be one of Paul McCartney's best albums since his days with Wings & certainly one of the best collections of songs by any artist to come out in 1993. If you like Paul McCartney's work on records such as "Tug Of War", "Pipes Of Peace" or just about anything he's released in the 80's-90's then I think you'll like this one as well. Highly recommended listening, and well-worth the money for a truly high-quality album from one of the most talented recording artists of the last 40+ years!!! 'Nough said.

P.S. Someone rated this album one star quoting the opening lyrics to "Golden Earth Girl...female animal" & put the song down, but if you read all of the lyrics it seems pretty obvious that the song is about a beautiful bird or other animal(not a human being) enjoying the wonders of nature. Anyway, I don't know any young women who live in a moss nest LOL :-) Are there not "boy" & "girl" birds, deer, etc...?? Another neat part of this song is the "in eggshell seas" part which sounds just like "In Excelsis" from Christian hymns. Plus, one must understand that a major theme of this album is the exhortation to treat animals well. One last thought...the Wings song "Bluebird" must be a weird song, too...eh? Nope, it's a beautiful imaginative song about being in Love! Don't take lyrics out of context :-)

The problem that Macca has which also plagues artists like Elton John is that they've been around so long, people just want to hear their favorites and usually aren't interested in anything new. Their catalogs are vast and with varying degrees of success, and let's face it, when you are one of these guys, when at their apex, were unparalleled, its hard to keep that standard going. They are competing with themselves, in essence. Macca's output has been sketchy over the years, he either hits a home run or puts out a so-so product. This album is a classic. "I Owe It All To You" is up there with some of his greatest songs. No small achievement. "Biker Like an Icon" is a 4 in the bar thumper that rocks. I saw someone criticize the song for its obscure lyrics, that's nothing new for Paul. Listen to "Junior's Farm" sometime and try to decipher that, and that song still kicks ass. The two aformentioned tracks from this album represent, ultimately, what the disc consists of: Solid rockers, and excellent ballads, and the musicianship and production is flawless throughout. Like anything new from an artist that you have heard for decades, it may take a little getting used to, but with quality like this, it doesn't take long. Highly recommended.

This is a great CD-single, Off the Ground is a good song, but
Cosmically Conscious is a great song!
Style Style and Sweet Sweet Memories aren't half bad, either.
Soggy Noodle is a 1/2 minute, lightweight instrumental (filler, really)
All in all, a pretty good CD single, in spite of Soggy Noodle.

The mystery is, why isn't the full "Cosmically Conscious" on the Off the Ground album? (It fades out early in the song.)

Note: When looking for the 5 track single (or really any CD basically), make sure the seller doesn't have the 1-track promo CD of the remixed "Off The Ground" with the same front cover. Contact the Seller first, making sure their description (or lack thereof) is accurate.
Ask now, save yourself from later hassles.

The pundits who panned this album must have been drugged. Off The Ground is equal to Band On The Run and Chaos And Creation In The Backyard. This comprises the zenith of his career. Paul's vocals are vintage on several of this albums supreme songs including "Mistress And Maid", "Peace In The Neighborhood", "Golden Earth Girl", "The Lovers That Never Were" and "Winedark Open Sea". He rocks hard on the animal rights anthem "Looking For Changes" and the frenetic "Get Out Of My Way". Paul's Hippie Beatles era sound is recaptured on "Hope Of Deliverence" "C'mon People" and "Cosmically Conscious". None of Paul's solo CD's are as political and idealistic as Off The Ground. Ths is a must buy for anyone who loved "Band On The Run". Off The Ground showcases McCartney's impeccable brilliance with no silly love songs. I think Lennon would love and respect this utopian-themed CD.

I've been a Beatles/Paul McCartney fan since I was young (the first CDs my parents ever bought were the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" and Paul's first solo album, "McCartney"). My parents introduced me to Paul's and the Beatles' music when I was about six, and I've loved it ever since.

Unfortunately, I haven't, as yet, heard very much of Paul's work with Wings, except for "Ram" and the songs on "All The Best", but I have heard all of his late 80's and 90's work. This album is definitely a stand-out among his 90's stuff. It has a lot of great rockers (the title track, "Looking For Changes" which is Paul's and Linda's expression of their feelings about animal abuse, "Biker Like An Icon" which, though its lyrics aren't some of Paul's most creative, has a great beat and rhythm, and "Get Out Of My Way", which has slightly fluffy lyrics, but , like "Biker", is musically excellent) and several beautiful ballads. Paul's songwriting is pretty consistent, and the musical arrangements of the songs are great. There are a couple of weak spots here and there, but they do little to take away from the strength of this album.

My most favorite songs off the album are the ballads- "I Owe It All To You", "Golden Earth Girl", and "Winedark Open Sea". "I Owe It All To You" is a great love song in the same vein as "Maybe I'm Amazed", and some of the imagery is great ('I stood inside Egyptian temples, I looked into eternal gardens, Lay on the shores of distant islands, Listening to the sea birds song of joy')! "Golden Earth Girl" is, in my opinion, the most gorgeous song on here. Paul's lyrics are a veritable work of poetry, his vocals and piano work are excellent, and the instrumental solos at the end of the song are beautiful (I'm not exactly sure what instruments were used, but they really added a lot to the song's sound). "Winedark Open Sea" is another beautiful love song, and along with "I Owe It All To You" and the early 70's-era "My Love" & "Maybe I'm Amazed", is, I think, Paul's most heartfelt expression of his love for Linda.

I also really like the title track and the songs "Hope Of Deliverance", "The Lovers That Never Were", "Peace In The Neighborhood", and "C'mon People". The title track is a great, upbeat rocker. I love the fact that the guitar work on "Hope Of Deliverance" is completely acoustic; it gives the song a great sound. The metaphoric nature of some of the lyrics in "The Lovers That Never Were" ('All of the clocks have run down. Time's at an end. If we can't be lovers we'll never be friends') is very good; they're an excellent way to structure a warning to a significant other who is hesitant about becoming dedicated to forming a relationship. "Peace In The Neighborhood" is a great commentary on the way human society is. "C'mon People" has a hopeful, thought-provoking message that people need to take note of in this current day and age.

Musically, and in many cases, lyrically, this is a great effort from Paul. I would definitely recommend including this in a collection as one of his later albums.