Flaming Pie (1997) 

 


  1. The Song We Were Singing
  2. The World Tonight
  3. If You Wanna
  4. Somedays
  5. Young Boy
  6. Calico Skies
  7. Flaming Pie
  8. Heaven on a Sunday
  9. Used to Be Bad
  10.Souvenir
  11.Little Willow
  12.Really Love You
  13.Beautfiul Night
  14.Great Day

 

Released in 1997, Flaming Pie marked McCartney’s first proper studio album since the Beatles Anthology project reignited global Beatlemania just a couple of years prior. With the ghosts of the past freshly dusted off and placed back in the cultural spotlight, expectations for McCartney’s next solo effort were unusually high. Wisely, Paul leaned into that legacy—but with a sense of maturity and restraint that had eluded many of his previous solo ventures.

The production credits alone tell part of the story. With George Martin now semi-retired and suffering from hearing loss, Paul turned to Jeff Lynne—fresh from his triumphant production work on George Harrison’s Cloud Nine and his essential role in the Traveling Wilburys—to help shape the sound. Lynne had also proven himself more than capable with the two new Beatles tracks crafted for Anthology, and if the title “Fifth Beatle” were still being tossed around, he was fast becoming a front-runner.

Curiously, Lynne only produced about two-thirds of the album. The result is a record that, while musically strong, occasionally suffers from a split personality. It’s not so much a flaw as it is an audible shift in gears—had the material been weaker, the tonal inconsistency might have dragged the whole project down. But fortunately, McCartney brought songs this time—real ones. Strong ones. And for the most part, they shine.

The Lynne-helmed tracks have his trademark sheen: crisp, bouncy, and immaculately constructed. Flaming Pie, The World Tonight, and Beautiful Night all sparkle with a kind of retro-modern charm—instantly accessible, light on their feet, and refreshingly free of overproduction. Lynne’s sonic polish seems to unlock something in McCartney, giving him a sound he’d never quite landed on before.

Then there’s the quieter half—the heart of the album. Somedays is a stunner, and not coincidentally the one track with a lush George Martin string arrangement that brings a wave of Beatlesque melancholy. The Song We Were Singing, Calico Skies, and Little Willow round out this batch—gentle, acoustic-driven pieces that, had McCartney chosen to fill an entire album with them, might have produced his most intimate record since McCartney or Ram. They’re that good.

The wildcard entries are the songs recorded with Steve Miller. Their collaborations—Used to Be Bad, Young Boy, and If You Wanna—are perfectly fine in isolation, but sit a little awkwardly within the larger framework. They add a casual, bluesy vibe that may have worked better on a different project. Here, they break the spell somewhat, even if they’re musically competent.

Flaming Pie was McCartney’s first album in years that didn’t sound like it was trying to prove something. Instead, it embraced his strengths: melody, sentiment, craftsmanship. He simplified the sound, trimmed the excess, and allowed the songs to carry the weight. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it was quietly revelatory. A reminder that when Paul McCartney gets out of his own way, he still knows exactly what he’s doing.

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