Label: Unofficial Release (Russia), DLMPLCD 140802/76
Style: Rock
Country: Tyseley, Birmingham, England (29 October 1944 - 5 December 2023)
Time: 29:53
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 202 Mb
Musicians: Denny Laine, Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney.
Of
the myriad side projects and offshoots which occupied Paul McCartney
and Wings during the early to mid-'70s, it is regrettable that this is
the only one which came to full fruition - regrettable because it's also
the only one in which Fab Macca had any kind of vested financial
interest, thus opening the door for decades' worth of subsequent critics
to write it of as just another means of adding more cash to the
coffers. Of course, there's no denying that McCartney's acquisition of
the Buddy Holly songbook was a prime reason for this collection of,
indeed, Buddy Holly covers. But to dwell on that is to overlook the fact
that, alongside Wildlife, Red Rose Speedway, and two or three later
Wings 45s, Holly Days sounds more like McCartney's original blueprint
for Wings than anything else the group accomplished. Laine, Paul, and
Linda alone feature on the album, recording in the same Rude studios
(the appropriately named Rude Studio where McCartney banged out his
demos), and not sounding much more advanced. A note on the sleeve even
warns, "this album consists of monophonic recordings, electronically
reprocessed to give a stereo effect," and anyone familiar with any of
the Beatles' own early-'60s recordings will know exactly what that
sounds like. Holly Days is crude, ramshackle, and impossibly primitive,
then, but its naivete is its strength, its amateurism is its armor. It's
the sound of three musicians having fun with songs that they love,
eschewing effects, ignoring mistakes, and cherishing the lo-fi brashness
of it all. Laine's lead vocals are excellent, the McCartneys' harmonies
are spot-on, and the musicianship - mainly Paul - is supremely
slapdash. The result, for anybody wishing to seriously anthologize
McCartney's solo output, is an album as honest as any he's been involved
in, and a lot more fun than most of them. Holly Days - happy days!
(allmusic.com/album/holly-days-mw0000538847)
01. Heartbeat (02:35)
02. Moondreams (02:41)
03. Rave On (01:54)
04. I'm Gonna Love You Too (02:17)
05. Fools Paradise (02:46)
06. Lonesome Tears (03:02)
07. It's So Easy / Listen to Me (03:47)
08. Look at Me (03:11)
09. Take Your Time (03:38)
10. I'm Lookin for Someone to Love (03:58)
