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Volume 7 & 8 of What if the Beatles never broke up?

 With the commercial success of Band on the Run and Venus and Mars, Paul had all but erased the demon of being "merely" the cute Beatle.  He had his own success, with Wings, and could stand his own compositions up next to what he did in the Beatles.  

Wings at the Speed of Sound went to number one on the strength of "Let "Em In" and "Silly Love Songs," which I chose not to include because in this project the critique that lead to its creation may not have been an issue.  Instead, I include his great, "With A Little Luck" that came out in 1978 on  London Town and the great single "Mull of Kyntyre," which is so damn Scottish its easy to see why it was a hit in Great Britain but no where else.

I certainly don't agree with the contemporary critics who characterized George Harrison's Thirty Three and 1/3 as his "best release since All Things Must Pass."  In fact I think the earlier releases of Living In The Material World and Dark Horse are much better.  Such is the beauty of this project and I include two songs from Thirty Three and 1/3 regardless.

Ah Ringo!  Ringo's Rotogravature features him working with all the Beatles (once with John, once with Paul, and once with George).  Though, frankly, not that great they certainly hold up well to his work with them on various Beatles projects, so they obviously belong on this volume.

John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll was his last release of the 1970's.  Even that release was not original material and Lennon's absence is largely said to be because he was raising his son, Sean, who was born in 1975.  

Volume 7-43 Minutes

Albums:

  • Wings At The Speed of Sound
  • Thirty Three and 1/3
  • Ringo's Rotogravure
  • London Town
  • Mull of Kyntyre (single)
  • Ringo the 4th
Songs:

  1. Let 'Em In (PM)
  2. This Song (GH)
  3. Beware My Love (PM)
  4. Crackerbox Palace (GH)
  5. Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love) (RS)
  6. Warm And Beautiful (PM)
  7. Pure Gold (RS)
  8. I'll Still Love You (RS)
  9. With A Little Luck (PM)
  10. Mull of Kyntyre (PM)
  11. Can She Do It Like She Dances? (RS)

Though never a critical favorite, Paul was clearly the most commercially successful Beatle.  With Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, and Wings at the Speed of Sound, he'd scored a series of three #1 albums over four years.  But that streak wouldn't hold up with London Town (4 songs on Volume 7) and Back to the Egg (3 songs on Volume 8).  

Though pop was fully in the throes of Disco, none of the Beatles seemed to dabble in it.  In fact George Harrison's George Harrison, is entirely personal, albeit positive album that highlights his interest in formula one racing and his feelings on his newest relationship.  

John Lennon, who'd taken almost four years off from recording to raise his son, Sean, also released a very personal, almost domestic, release in Double Fantasy.  It's a great album, featuring many great songs.  

And then there's Ringo.  He is still, in my opinion, trying to figure out what exactly it means to be Ringo Starr and released an unheralded and flop of a release in Bad Boy.

Volume 8-45 Minutes

Album:
  • Double Fantasy
  • George Harrison
  • Back to the Egg
  • Bad Boy
Songs:

  1. Watching the Wheels (JL)
  2. Blow Away (GH)
  3. Getting Closer (PM)
  4. Who Needs a Heart (RS)
  5. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (JL)
  6. Faster (GH)
  7. Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette) (RS)
  8. (Just Like) Starting Over (JL)
  9. Arrow Through Me (PM)
  10. If You Believe (GH)
  11. Dark Sweet Lady (GH)
  12. Not Guilty (GH)
  13. Winter Rose/Love Awake (PM)



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