London Town - PAUL MCCARTNEY***

London Town/Cafe On The Left Bank/I'm Carrying/Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link/Children Children/Girlfriend/I've Had Enough/With A Little Luck/Famous Groupies/Deliver Your Children/Name & Address/Don't Let It Bring You Down/Morse Moose & The Grey Goose

Critics agree that London Town was one of Paul McCartney’s weaker albums, not helped by the inclusion of songs from his backing band. Features the US No.1 and UK No. 5 hit With A Little Luck, which proved that he could still write decent material. (US:2 UK:4)

“Pretty lightweight and wimpy even for Wings but there are some nice tracks here. It’s McCartney going folk and a conscious step towards simple melodies, acoustic sound and memorable refrains.”

“Make that sleepy London town. This is Paul's 70s nadir, almost nothing going on. A lot was made at the time of the album's long playing time, but when over six minutes of that is the excruciatingly embarrassing Morse Moose, to say nothing of Famous Groupies or the two appalling Denny Laine songs, more is definitely less here. The best track worth salvaging is the single release With A Little Luck.”

“London Town kicks off the album with a fantastic, reserved ballad that manages to discuss London without being as cloying as the song could have been. The mini-medley of Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link is also an unexpected highlight, with a great snippet of melody followed by a surprisingly funky instrumental.”

“The most notable experiment is Morse Moose, a six and a half minute monster, which needs to be heard to be believed. A combination of disco, folk, hard rock and sea-shanty, with sirens and backwards guitar. There is nothing else like it in Paul's catalogue and it serves as an appropriately messy ending to a messy album.”

“By any stretch of the imagination London Town isn't a great album but it is reflective of the fact that McCartney felt more comfortable working with a smaller band and that there was still plenty of life in the old dog.”

“This is a vastly under-rated album, and often overlooked. There are a wide variety of musical flavours here, all presented with a slick pop veneer. McCartney is the consummate craftsman, although some of the songs here are perhaps a little thin. Though this album is generally considered rather weak, it is actually an exceptional record with many catchy Paul songs.”