Tripping the Live Fantastic by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney's return to the stage in 1989 for the Flowers in the Dirt tour was heavily hyped, since it was not only his first extensive tour since the '70s, but also marked the first time he incorporated large portions of the Beatles' catalog into his set list. The double-disc, 37-track Tripping the Live Fantastic documents the tour, and it's a pleasant, if ultimately inconsequential, nostalgia trip that puts the weaknesses of Flowers in the Dirt in a little too sharp relief. In fact, most of McCartney's flaws are on display throughout the album, whether it's his excessive cutesiness (the album opens with Paul and the boys being told "heidy-ho, it's time for the show"), his fondness for oldies, and his persistent desire to charm the daylights out of the entire crowd. Nevertheless, he often does charm the crowd, whether it's through the effortlessly dazzling performances or his thoroughly winning catalog of pop classics. The new songs may pale next to the classics from his Beatles and solo days, and those classics may be delivered in versions that are a little too studied, but Tripping the Live Fantastic is a fine exercise in nostalgia.
Paul McCartney’s 1990 world tour consolidated his past successes, including 1989’s Elvis Costello songwriting collaborations (“My Brave Face”, “Figure of Eight”). The ornate orchestration of his studio creations with Wings and The Beatles (“Got to Get You Into My Life”, “Band On the Run”) are enhanced with familiar samples—brass, strings, the recorders in “The Fool On the Hill”—making it possible for pop’s ultimate hitmaker to create an ultimate live greatest hits.
