Top ten Paul McCartney albums

Isn’t it strange how the best albums also have the best artwork? Ram’s gatefold cover has photos by Linda and artwork* by Paul, including a ‘hidden’ message: L.I.L.Y., halfway down the cover on the right hand side, apparently meaning ‘Linda I Love You’.

1. Ram (1971)
2. McCartney (1970)
3. Band on the Run (Wings, 1973)
4. Venus and Mars (Wings, 1975)
5. Tug of War (1982)
6. McCartney II (1980)
7. London Town (Wings, 1978)
8. Flaming Pie (1997)
9. Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005)
10. Give my Regards to Broad Street** (1984)

Also quite good is Memory Almost Full (2007) and Electric Arguments (2008), recorded under his moniker The Fireman. If you’re not a big fan you could probably make do with a Greatest Hits... Wingspan (2001) does the job over two discs.

Whilst Paul McCartney/Wings LPs aren’t worth much at all, his CDs, many of which are out of print, are now fetching quite a lot on eBay (by quite a lot I mean £15 at the most). Band on the Run, McCartney and McCartney II have recently been given the full re-issue treatment with single CDs, deluxe editions and completely over the top box sets.

*In stark contrast to his dreadful ‘artwork’ forty years later on the Live in Los Angeles CD (also known as Amoeba’s Secret) giveaway with the Mail on Sunday. For once, the Mail were pretty diplomatic in their choice of words: ‘The distinctive sleeve artwork has been designed by Paul’.

**Let me explain! It’s good! I remember getting this on cassette when it came out; it was my first Beatles-related album. I have fond memories of it. I hadn’t had it or heard it for years until last week when I got it on CD in a charity shop. I’ve been playing it loads. Come on, it’s got sentimental value for me.

Related: Paul and Faul
We’ve all heard the clichéd conspiracy theories that dead rock stars such as Elvis and Jim Morrison are actually alive and well, but have you heard the one about the alive rock star who is actually dead? There are thousands of websites and forums stating Paul McCartney actually died in 1966 and a replacement, called Faul, has been his lookalike ever since. I’m all for conspiracy theories, but this one seems completely pointless.