Friday, October 16, 2009

Paul McCartney 19: Tripping The Live Fantastic

Another tour, another three-record set. Paul’s world tour was a huge success everywhere it went, and Tripping The Live Fantastic was a natural souvenir for everyone who saw it. Like Wings Over America, it includes nearly every song performed on the tour, including some never performed before onstage, plus bonus soundcheck material of varying interest.

The band was basically set up like Wings—Paul plus two guitar players, a drummer and Linda, plus another keyboard player to help her out—so the songs are tight and professional. Surprisingly, few Wings or solo songs were performed, putting the emphasis on Beatle material and Flowers In The Dirt. As some of those Beatle songs were making their live debut, comparisons with the originals were inevitable. “The Fool On The Hill” is a nice surprise, even if the ending goes too long. “Back In The USSR” reminds us that he can rock. “Sgt. Pepper” is extended to include both versions and a three-way guitar solo. “Let It Be”, the final Abbey Road medley and “Hey Jude” grab the crowd by the heartstrings and don’t let go.

There are a few clunkers; “Ebony And Ivory” is torpedoed with Stevie’s part being sung by Hamish Stuart. (Even when he was in the Average White Band he didn’t profess to be funky.) “Coming Up” was done best with Wings. The excitement of hearing “Birthday” in a live setting depends on one’s opinion of the original. Some unique oldies are interspersed, like “Twenty Flight Rock” and the Ray Charles chestnut “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying”; all the selections are immaculately and lovingly performed to ecstatic audience response.

For those who saw the tour, the fun of actually being in the same room with a Beatle outweighed the music and talent. Much of the patter and “spontaneous” moments were clearly scripted, as all are reproduced here; one’s tolerance of Paul’s charm and cuteness varies from fan to fan. The packaging was especially nice if you bought the vinyl, with the CD photo booklet blown up to full size. (A single-CD distillation subtitled Highlights! was also made available shortly afterwards for those who didn’t want to spring for the double; most likely it only sold to collectors who had to have both.)

Paul McCartney Tripping The Live Fantastic (1990)—3
Paul McCartney Tripping The Live Fantastic: Highlights! (1990)—3

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