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someone ’ s going to say something bad about it , which they will , and I KNOW that . And that ’ s fine . But it ’ s your baby , and you pore over it for months and months , and you work really hard on it , and you fall in love with it , and it ’ s basically your child that you ’ re sending to kindergarten , and then your kid comes back , saying , “ This person made fun of me , and this is what they were saying !” And you ’ re like , “ What ? You ’ re perfect ! Perfect in every way !”
IE : Like Milhouse on The Simpsons , going , “ My mom says I ’ m the handsomest boy in class !” BD : Exactly ! That ’ s what we say to our album when we send it out into the world . “ There ’ s no way that anyone could say anything bad about you — you ’ re absolutely perfect in every way , because WE made you , and we are great !” And then everyone kicks the shit out of it .
IE : I like your “ Clown Underground ” painting , because he ’ s lying in state , but he has his own little Raggedy Ann doll . BD : Yeah . That ’ s his viewing , the funeral viewing for Clown Underground . But I like the Trump Tower one — that was one of the only ones that made me sort of nervous to send out — I was like , “ This is really dark , so I don ’ t know . But okay …” And I promised myself that I wasn ’ t going to NOT do an idea , although there was one that I didn ’ t do because it looked kind of lame . I had an idea to do two clowns 69- ing as the 69th clown , but I did David Bowie instead because he was 69 when he passed away . I don ’ t know what the weirdest one is , though . You probably haven ’ t seen all of them , I ’ m sure .
But to be honest , I ’ m not sure if I have an unhealthy fascination with death . I think I have the same morbid curiosity as everyone does . But when I was young , my sister died , and I was so curious about what happened to her afterward . Did she have an autopsy ? And yeah , she had an autopsy . But what do they do to you ? I had no idea . Then I would pick out the casket and everything — I was 15 when that happened , and that whole summer , when my
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sister died , she was the last person out of many . I mean , I ’ d never been to a funeral before , ever , but I went to six funerals that summer because , over about two and a half months , all these people died . My friend Rob had a brain aneurism at a police station , and he was there because he was shooting off fireworks , and they brought him in . A week later , my eight-year-old cousin was hit by a drunk driver on the sidewalk in the afternoon , and she died . And then my mom ’ s best friend and her brother were in a motorcycle accident , and they died . So that was like a big Hell ’ s Angel ’ s funeral . And then my sister died , so there was just a lot of death . And I took a lot of acid that summer , too , so it was just a lot of very strange occurrences , a very dark , dark , dark time . And it just got worse . I went to my sister ’ s grave , and I took a hit of acid . My best friend and I broke into the cemetery after hours , and the dirt was still fresh on her grave . That ’ s
one of the lyrics for the song “ Oblivion ” — ‘ I tried to burrow a hole into the ground ’ — because I started digging down to see if I could get to the vault , ya know ? So that was probably the last time I took acid because I was like , “ I don ’ t think it ’ s a good idea to be taking acid for a while .” I wasn ’ t in the right headspace for it , so things were not good ; they were very bad , very depressing . So ever since then , I ’ ve had a fascination with casket funerals . And I guess I actively think about it occasionally , and I ’ ve watched many documentaries about death and dying , and the traditions that different cultures have . And it ’ s very interesting since it ’ s been a big catalyst for organized religion , basically , just trying to explain it . So it ’ s impossible for people to fathom that “ One day this will end for me , completely ” — for them or their loved ones . Because to date , there have been zero reports back from the other side .
IE : Noting how you ’ re worried about the reaction to your output , was there any pressure when you were commissioned to do a soundtrack song for the new Bill & Ted Face the Music flick ?
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Willow ” offers comfort in the face of tragedy . “ Beautiful Night ” is a charming ode to simple pleasures and domestic bliss that is made more stirring by Martin ’ s elegant orchestral arrangement and the familiar pop swing of Starr ’ s drumming . Starr and McCartney return to pull additional magic from thin air with “ Really Love You .” The album culminates with the “ little upbeat song of hope ” “ Great Day .” Relying solely upon McCartney ’ s voice , acoustic guitar , and leg-patting percussion , the song was produced by Martin during the 1992 session that had also resulted in “ Calico Skies .” Separate discs collect home and studio demos . Longtime fans of the album will be drawn to a fourth CD of non-album cuts dubbed Flaming Pies . These songs include “ The World Tonight ” b-side “ Looking for You ,” a collaboration between McCartney , Lynne and Starr from the same sessions that produced the beatific “ Beautiful Night .” It ’ s a compelling glimpse into the creative process , but also demonstrates that even world-class artists must sometimes sift through some coal in order to find the diamonds . “ The Ballad of the Skeletons ” finds McCartney treading into the arena of class warfare as sung by Bob Dylan when backed by the Band . The politically indignant song is a collaboration with avant garde composer Philip Glass and features the Beat poetry of Allen Ginsberg , who passed away one month prior to the album ’ s original release . The relaxed groove of “ Broomstick ” is another acoustic blues-pop excursion featuring Steve Miller . Flaming Pies is rounded out with six tracks sourced from McCartney ’ s Oobu Joobu radio clips for Westwood One . One of these features McCartney in conversation with Starr about work on “ Beautiful Night .” There are glimmering jewels among the album ’ s ephemera . An hourlong audio documentary called “ Flaming Pie at the Mill ” offers a captivating snapshot of McCartney in his native habitat of the recording studio , casually visiting different workstations while providing candid anecdotes , improvisational demonstrations , and lighthearted remarks . For many fans , this glimpse alone will be worth the price of admission . A hardbound 128-page book documents the period with previously unpublished photos by Linda McCartney . There are essays and interviews with McCartney , high-profile Flaming Pie collaborators including Starr , Lynne , and Miller , and other key album personnel . A pair of DVDs include documentary film In the World Tonight , music videos , a peek-behind-the-curtain meeting with discussion of the album ’ s art direction , performance footage , and a David Frost interview . A dossier collects reproductions of McCartney ’ s handwritten lyrics , a newspaper section of clippings complete with crossword puzzle , and a Flaming Pie guitar pick . Another folder includes a reproduction fan club booklet from the summer of ’ 97 . A smaller hardback book includes handwritten notes from studio sessions , with 4x6 snapshots tucked into the pages .
The lavish Collector ’ s Edition will be essential for any Beatlemaniac with a turntable and deep pockets . This Deluxe Edition will delight devotees for hours while exploring the highlight of McCartney ’ s work as a solo artist . Standalone vinyl and CD versions are available for those who simply want to discover the essential elements of what they ’ ve missed for the past 23 years . Standing tall among McCartney ’ s most invigorated solo work , Flaming Pie is worth investigating in any of these formats .
– Jeff Elbel
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JOHN WESLEY HARDING The Man with No Shadow
( Yep Roc )
When Mammoth Records was shuttered weeks before the planned 2002 release of The Man With No Shadow , the album had furtively entered the world via promotional CDs . Reviews hailed the album as exceptional work and an evolutionary leap in an impressive stretch by Wesley Stace ( aka John Wesley Harding ) preceded by The Confessions of St . Ace . Although most of the material surfaced later as 2004 ’ s Adam ’ s Apple , Yep Roc ’ s lovingly-remastered Shadow shines on its debut vinyl release with Stace ’ s original vision intact alongside his balance of clever , erudite , and mature guitar-based pop . “ Only the naïve believe in love and other lies ,” sings Stace while nodding toward John Donne in “ Negative Love ,” with a flicker of hope among the song ’ s witty cynicism . The power structure is subverted in showbiz metaphor “ Monkey and His Cat .” A faithless but reformed cad meets his comeuppance in “ Sussex Ghost Story .” The shimmering “ Sleeper , Awake ” finds Prince Charming coming to welcome his reluctant Sleeping Beauty to a new day . The wry “ Protest ! Protest ! Protest !” was written nearly 20 years ago , but its sarcastic asides and inverse logic simmer anew in today ’ s climate . “ For the times , they have a-changed ,” sings the man who takes his nom de song from Bob Dylan . “ That negative attitude will get you nowhere .” The set includes new liner notes and demos of key tracks . ( wesleystace . com )
– Jeff Elbel
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FRANK LENZ Hot Painless City
( Velvet Blue )
Musical polymath Frank Lenz was introduced to many indie-rock fans as drummer with a string of genre-defining
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