Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)
Give My Regards to Broad Street is certainly a controversial album. Boy, is it ever. This album is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, starring Paul McCartney himself. I’ve never seen the movie, but from what I hear, it’s awful and indefensible. Maybe it’d be a fun one to “hate” watch? Like a cult classic along the lines of The Room or The Rocky Horror Picture Show, though I find Rocky Horror utterly unwatchable.
The album itself is a mix of original songs, reimaginings of popular Beatles songs, and a few of Paul’s solo hits. I’ll keep this one short-ish and not go into a big detailed breakdown of every track. All of the reimaginings are fine. There’s nothing about them that’s offensive or unlistenable. In fact, some of them are pretty cool and creative.
The hit single, No More Lonely Nights (Ballad), is an absolute smash. Before reading a single detail about the song, I could immediately tell David Gilmour was all over this track. That trademark, iconic David Gilmour guitar solo lifts this song to unreachable heights. I love it. Perhaps some Pink Floyd bias there… sue me.
Now, a few of the following tracks are “updated” versions of Beatles and Paul solo songs that, frankly, aren’t bad, they just feel emotionless. It sort of feels like Paul is walking through these classic hits in an ever so slightly lackluster way.
There really aren’t many differences in the arrangements, but the energy and the heart feel missing. After releasing Silly Love Songs with Wings a few years prior, Paul caught a lot of criticism. I’m a massive defender of that song. I think it’s great. It’s a silly little love song, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a wonderful track that makes me feel joyous. The rearrangement of that same song shows up on this record with a slightly altered bassline. I prefer the original, but the new one is just as fun, especially with the new bass, guitar, and horn solos worked in. I wouldn’t take it over the original, but I’d gladly have both.
Then we get two more originals written for this soundtrack, and they’re fantastic: Not Such a Bad Boy and No Values. They’re killer rock songs, and they were sadly overshadowed by the criticism of the film. After those two, things start to get weird… but I kind of like it. McCartney turns the ever so short and iconic Eleanor Rigby into a ten-minute, pretentious, self-indulgent classical composition. It’s truly one of a kind, and you just have to applaud his creativity and his willingness to even attempt it. It works. It really does, and it’s beautiful.
If you don’t like it, then I am so sorry for you. You clearly don’t enjoy most things in life, and you are boring.
Right after, we get a totally different arrangement of the sensational The Long and Winding Road. Show of hands… who here likes smooth jazz? Who here likes to sit in a coffee shop on a rainy day and listen to some soft jazz? Well, I do. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine. This album features the doctor’s-office, elevator, coffee-shop smooth jazz rendition of The Long and Winding Road. Is it better than the original? Absolutely not. Is it fun and creative, and are you glad it exists, just for fun? Hell yes, I am.
The oddness of this album then comes to a close with a new, upbeat version of No More Lonely Nights, the same song that kickstarted the record. It’s meant to play out the end of the story, and we’re finally greeted by the sweet Goodnight Princess. It’s a wonderful palate cleanser to the bizarre trip we all just embarked on. Definitely memorable.
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Highlight Songs:
No More Lonely Nights (Ballad)
Not Such a Bad Boy
No Values
Eleanor Rigby/Eleanor’s Dream
The Long and Winding Road
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Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?
Probably best to avoid the film, but I say go for owning the record. Why not? It’s fun. Will you play it more than his other albums? No, probably not. Will you enjoy the trip listening to it every now and then? I did, and I hope you would too.
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Overall Rating:
3 Stars
