Mike McGear is a McCartney, meaning he's the younger brother of Paul. He was in a band called The Scaffold, which was a Liverpool super group that consisted of Poet Roger McGough and comic talent John Gorman. "McGear" is Mike's second solo album, and it's produced and co-mixed (with McGear) by Paul. The album is pretty much co-written with Paul as well. "McGear" is also the best Paul McCartney related project outside the Beatle or solo Paul world. Perhaps, the best Paul record of all time!
"McGear" is backed by Wings circa 1974, which includes Linda (of course) as well as Denny Laine and Jimmy McCullogh (Thunderclap Newman). Perhaps due to Mike's input, these songs are superior to anything recorded by solo Paul. "What Do We Really Know?," "Have You Got Problems," "Norton," and the beautiful "The Man Who Found God On The Moon" are songs that fell through the cracks of Beatleolgy. McGear is just as good as a vocalist as his big brother, and they even do a fantastic (Beatlesque) version of Bryan Ferry's (Roxy Music) "Sea Breezes." Why this record is not more known is beyond my comprehension.
There's a whole category of an album that seems to be throw-away or second-thought recordings. The essence of the b-side of a 45 rpm single. I find these records either unusual or exceptional. "McGear" I suspected was recorded in a downtime for Paul and Wings. Still, "McGear" is an intriguing piece of music making. I strongly suggest for all Paul or Beatles' fans to check out "McGear." And why this hasn't been re-released is beyond the ability to think.
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