Rock n roll springtime take 5 (LP 3167 - 3171)

Paul McCartney  Oobu Joobu - Ecology (CD, Best buy/MPL Comms, 1997) ***  

Paul McCartney  The Family Way: Concertantes, Op 1 (Variations.) - Carl Aubut/ Claudel String Quartet (CD, Phillips Records, 1996) **  

Paul McCartney  Working Classical (Cassette, EMI Records, 1999) **  

Paul McCartney  Liverpool Sound Collage (CD, EMI Records, 2000) ***  

The Fireman  Electric Arguments (CD, MPL Comms, 2008) ***  

Genre: Pop, Alt-pop, avant-garde

Places I remember: Amoeba Records, The Warehouse, Record club for the cassette, Kings Recording, Abu Dhabi, for LSC, Fopp for The Fireman.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sing The Changes (Electric Arguments)

Gear costume: Two Magpies (Electric Arguments)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Given he's been at this music lark for decades, there are a lot of odds and sods that Macca has been associated with. Here are some (I'm not a completist). BTW: I did have a copy of Thrillington, a muzak version of Ram, but I lost it along the way in a house move; I haven't bothered to replace it. 

The Family Way was his first go at providing music for a film in 1967 (The George Martin Orchestra produced the music). 

This version of The Family Way and additional classical pieces comes from 1996. It's a new recording of The Family Way love theme as a classical suite for guitar and flute. It's a nice piece of music, but not an essential item by any stretch.   

Oobu Joobu - Ecology is a CD put together as a promo. It features the fifth show of Paul’s award-winning U.S. radio series – an episode he designated an environment special, so we get Looking For Changes from a soundtrack and various other rare items. Linda McCartney's Cow doesn't work, no wonder it's unreleased, but her vegie burger recipe is fun.

His classical work doesn't appeal to me much. That said, Working Classical displays his talents as a composer. So, if Junk and other songs done with LSO and chamber music is your jam - jump aboard. He must have a touch of ADHD - his fevered brain jumps all over the shop from project to project. He never appears to sit still.

The avant-garde and wildly experimental side to his work can be found in these last two albums. The Liverpool Sound Collage gives Lennon's Life With The Lions a run for its money. 

It uses some old Beatle studio chatter along the way and creates five soundscape collages. It's not a million miles away from Revolution #9 on The Beatles, although that was really only George, John and Yoko's work. If you like that (as I do) you will be able to tolerate this, although 60 minutes is a harder prospect. It should be stressed - Liverpool Sound Collage is not a long lost Beatle album!

The Fireman is a project Paul has taken on with Youth. They'd already done a few experimental electronica albums, Electric Arguments being their third and latest to date. It's the only one with vocals.

Right from the first track (Nothing Too Much Just Out Of sight), it's notable for Macca getting loud and messy. And trying things out in a collaboration with someone (I have no idea what Youth brings to the party, I think it's a vibe thing like Eno). Favourite tracks: Two Magpies, Sing The Changes.

Where do they all belong? Next time out - a clutch of live albums rounds out the McCartney collection.