Classic Rock Review Logo
Skip to content

6 Comments

  1. Panther
    February 9, 2015 @ 8:22 am

    I largely agree with the underlying points of this review. By the way, ‘Wanderlust’ (which for me is easily the best song on this very listenable, if slightly calculated and over-syrupy album) is named after Paul’s ship of the same name. And the marijuana bust occurred in Toyko (where I live) in 1980, not 1979.

    Reply

  2. B J Conlee
    November 28, 2015 @ 8:58 am

    Couldn’t disagree more with this reviewer. Like every track and many like Take It Away, Someone Who Cares, Here Today, Ballroom Dancing, Wanderlust, Pound is Sinking and the title track are on a level of PM’s best with the Beatles. Tug of War is right up there with Band on the Run, Ram, Flaming Pie, Chaos, Memory Almost Full, Venus and Mars, and Flowers in the Dirt. Macca’s post Beatles career is grossly underrated.

    Reply

  3. B J Conlee
    January 17, 2016 @ 7:28 am

    This is a terrible review because you can tell from the 1st 2 paragraphs that the author has an agenda and is anti-Paul. End result is not an objective review. Just listen to the melodies, the singing, the lyrics etc and you have one of the best Post Beatles’ albums from any of the 4. To get an objective review, just go to Amazon’s customer reviews where you have objective music lovers. Almost 90% of a huge poll had Tug of War at either 4 or 5* out of 5. 68% had Tug at 5 stars. There is where you get the real answer of the quality of an album.

    Reply

    • J Jess
      November 16, 2017 @ 8:12 am

      I agree with you, BJ. Seems some reviewers just have something against McCartney – maybe because his records sold in their millions they felt the need to take him down a notch? Anyway, this is an excellent album with a very moving tribute to John Lennon and some wonderful songs and production. Don’t let a muppet reviewer put you off!

      Reply

  4. Brian
    April 27, 2020 @ 6:47 pm

    This review is overly critical and trying too hard to be clever. I have never heard anyone shoot down Here Today. Definitely an agenda…..This is arguably Paul’s best album even better than BOTR. It’s just my opinion.?

    Reply

  5. jerry
    July 7, 2021 @ 1:09 pm

    Paul’s solo career can be wildly up and down, that’s just part of the Paul package, a good album if followed by a bad one and there are plenty of “self indulgent” fluff songs scattered about. But Tug of War is one of the good ones. However, this is Paul M. so along with one of his most consistent writing efforts, he also includes “Ebony and Ivory”, a trite, treacly ode to racial harmony that is regularly, and justifiably, derided as one of the worst hit songs in history by a major artist. Once you get past that, it is a terrific album. It does have a bit of a potpourri feel that the reviewer here seems to think is a negative but the stylistic departures (funk, dance hall boogie, rockabilly) make for an interesting variety usually not present on a Paul album. Plus, the songs are all actually quite good. Let’s put it this way, if “What’s that you’re Doing” appeared on a Stevie album would the reviewer be putting it down? I don’t think so, it’s catchy, funky and fun. The collaboration with Carl may seem like a throwaway but it’s a heartwarming and catchy one, not a bad supporting track at all. Take it Away is one of Paul’s best post classic period hits, though a minor one, with a breezy effortless melody that deserved more radio airplay than Ebony and Ivory did. Maybe there is a bit of artifice here but when Paul’s melodic sense is on, most criticisms are just quibbles, then his albums are always great effervescent pop music.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *