Paul McCartney’s “Flaming Pie” verges on the new styles that he's incorporating and some of the old that still remain. It sounds like a soundtrack to the summer. It was indeed my soundtrack for the summer of 2009 or 2010. Picture “If You Wanna” blasting out of your hi-fi stereo speakers on a hot summer day or Heaven on a Sunday cooling your temper or your fingers in the bay.
This album came right after the three remaining beetles decided to do the anthology project capturing the three main periods that the Beatles had. They just put out two or three new tracks using some of John Lennon's demos from 1980 and mixed it with the old outtakes of earlier's songs. In his own way, the anthology total story. It was the story of the Beatles themselves. After they got done with this project, McCartney wanted to produce a brand-new album of music. He teamed up with Jeff Lynn and George Martin to score and record an eclectic album full of rock'n roll gems.
“Flaming Pie”—it’s a crazy track, but it's good. This song was inspired by John Lennon’s statement in the early 60s where he said, “I had a vision of a man that came to us on a flaming pie and said, ‘you our Beatles with an A and we are.” It's a fabulous statement.
“Somedays” is a particular favorite of this reviewer’s due to Martin’s short orchestral score backing the guitar tracks up. This is followed by some poignant lyrics, “Somedays I look, I look at you with eyes that shine…” It’s really a sad song that has some bittersweet elements. “Used To Be Bad” is a blues number that really gets down and dirty with a former songwriter and performer Paul met in 1960.
“Young Boy” is a great up-tempo rocker that was written when his wife Linda had a cooking engagement. He went into another room and composed this song that’s really cool. “Beautiful Night” was a song that was perhaps written during the Beatles era, but saved it for this “Flaming Pie” album. Other songs like “Song That We Were Singing,” is inspired by a friendly conversation of sorts between friends or family. It’s a piece about reflection. “Little Willow” talks about friends dying and the memory of them or perhaps the trials by his wife’s cancer during this period. The whole album is very inventive as is with most McCartney albums.
