Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)
| Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) | ||||
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| Live album by Paul McCartney | ||||
| Released | 20 May 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 25 January 1991 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 58:29 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| Producer | Joel Gallen (TV producer for MTV) Recorded by Geoff Emerick |
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| Paul McCartney chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) is a live unplugged performance by Paul McCartney, recorded and released in 1991. Following the vastness of his world tour recently captured on Tripping the Live Fantastic, McCartney relished the opportunity to strip back his songs and appear on the newly-launched acoustic-only show. Consequently, McCartney was among the first in a long line of artists to release an unplugged album.
Unlike other artists who appeared on the acclaimed show with acoustic instruments plugged into amplifiers (producing the sound heard), McCartney's instruments were 100% unplugged. Microphones were carefully placed close to guitars, pianos, etc. to pick up the sound (this can be seen on the album, where a large rectangular microphone can be seen in front of McCartney's acoustic guitar).
Using the same line-up that recently backed him (save for Blair Cunningham who had replaced Chris Whitten), McCartney used the opportunity to dust off some of his rarer tracks, including three from his 1970 debut album McCartney, alongside some obscure covers amid a helping of familiar Beatles hits.
With McCartney in a loose and carefree context, critical response to Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) was very warm.
Initially released in a limited edition run in 1991, Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)—with artwork that recalls Снова в СССР's—was reissued in a more permanent fashion in the late 1990s. Upon its original issue, it reached #7 in the UK and became McCartney's highest peaking US album in almost ten years, reaching #14.
This recording was one of the first in the famed MTV Unplugged series. Several tracks performed in the show were not included on the album, as follows: "Things We Said Today", "Midnight Special", "Matchbox", "Mean Woman Blues" and "The Fool". Among numbers rehearsed by the band but not performed at all, include: "Mother Nature's Son", "Figure of Eight", "Cut Across Shorty", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Heart of the Country", "She's My Baby", and "Mrs Vandebilt".
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Paul McCartney except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Be-Bop-A-Lula" | Gene Vincent (music) Tex Davis (lyrics) |
Cover of Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps (1956) | 4:04 |
| 2. | "I Lost My Little Girl" | The first song McCartney composed at the age of 14 | 1:45 | |
| 3. | "Here, There and Everywhere" | Lennon–McCartney | First live performance by McCartney | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Blue Moon of Kentucky" | Bill Monroe | Cover of Bill Monroe and The Blue Grass Boys (1947) | 4:21 |
| 5. | "We Can Work It Out" | Lennon–McCartney | 2:48 | |
| 6. | "San Francisco Bay Blues" | Jesse Fuller | Cover of Jesse Fuller (1955) | 3:29 |
| 7. | "I've Just Seen a Face" | Lennon–McCartney | 3:01 | |
| 8. | "Every Night" | 3:24 | ||
| 9. | "She's a Woman" | Lennon–McCartney | 3:39 | |
| 10. | "Hi-Heel Sneakers" | Robert Higginbotham | Cover of Tommy Tucker (1964) | 4:08 |
| 11. | "And I Love Her" | Lennon–McCartney | First live performance by McCartney | 4:17 |
| 12. | "That Would Be Something" | First live performance by McCartney | 4:02 | |
| 13. | "Blackbird" | Lennon–McCartney | 2:09 | |
| 14. | "Ain't No Sunshine" | Bill Withers | Cover of Bill Withers (1971). Features McCartney on drums - the first time ever on a Wings or solo show. |
4:05 |
| 15. | "Good Rockin' Tonight" | Roy Brown | Cover of Roy Brown (1947) / Elvis Presley (1954) | 3:42 |
| 16. | "Singing the Blues" | Melvin Endsley | Cover of Guy Mitchell (1956) | 3:46 |
| 17. | "Junk" | First live performance by McCartney, actually "Singalong Junk" | 2:26 |
[edit] Personnel
- Paul McCartney: Acoustic guitar, drums, vocals.
- Linda McCartney: Piano, Indian harmonium, percussion, vocals.
- Hamish Stuart: Acoustic bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals.
- Robbie McIntosh: Acoustic guitars, piano, dobro, vocals.
- Paul "Wix" Wickens: Piano, keyboards, accordion, percussion, acoustic bass guitar, vocals.
- Blair Cunningham: Drums and percussion.
[edit] References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) at Allmusic
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