1979]
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PARLOPHONE: CDP 7 48200 2

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY'S LIVERPOOL - QUATUOR "LA FLUTE ENCHANTEE"
1. The Family Way: Love in the Open Air: I. Samba
2. The Family Way: Love in the Open Air: II. Waltz
3. The Family Way: Love in the Open Air: III. Rondeau
4. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: I. War
5. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: II. School
6. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: III. Mary Dee and Shanty
7. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: IV. Spanish Lesson
8. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: V. Father
9. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: VI. Crypt
10. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: VII. Wedding
11. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: VIII. Mr. Dingle
12. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: IX. Lullaby
13. Liverpool Oratorio Suite: X. March
14. A Leaf: I. Andante semplice
15. A Leaf: II. Poco piu mosso
16. A Leaf: III. Allegro ritmico
17. A Leaf: IV. Andante
18. A Leaf: V. Allegro ma non tanto
19. A Leaf: VI. Moderato
20. A Leaf: VII. Andant semplice
21. Distractions

AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW:
In specially commissioned new arrangements for flute quartet, all authorised by Paul McCartney himself, the Montreal-based Quatuor la flûte enchantée have seized upon the ex-Beatle's great gift for creating simple but memorable melodies. First up is a lightly handled transcription into three miniature dance forms--by turns playful, wistful and elegiac--of the "Love in the Open Air" theme from the 1966 film The Family Way. More substantial fayre is provided by the autobiographical Liverpool Oratorio, McCartney's first "classical" composition proper. Co-written in 1991 with the composer-conductor and fellow Liverpudlian Carl Davis, its full dramatic scale and impact seems rather diluted by instruments as light and airy as flutes. The most satisfying work is A Leaf. Originally composed for solo piano, its pleasing details and sultry atmospheres are all beautifully picked out on flute. The setting of Distractions from the 1989 Flowers in the Dirt pop album provides a diverting conclusion. One for McCartney completists certainly, although be warned: an hour of flute music can sound considerably longer. 

LABEL: ATMA B00004T6WY

The remixes that have been released of Paul McCartney tracks over the years are a good example of this phenomenon. Frankly, I can't think of one of his songs that has benefited from this treatment (possibly with the exception of 'Deliverance', based on excerpts of tracks from the 1993 Off The Ground album). As an ardent Beatles/McCartney fan I therefore greeted the news earlier this year that a remixer had been let loose on his entire canon with skepticism and a shrug of the shoulders. However, after seeing the track listing I was a little more curious. At least they didn't go for the most obvious hits, I thought. This could actually be mildly interesting.

The remix album in question, Twin Freaks - named after a 1990 painting by McCartney - turned out to be much more than that. The remixer, The Freelance Hellraiser aka Roy Kerr, is most well known for 'A Stroke Of Genius', his unauthorized "mash-up" of Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' and The Strokes' 'Hard To Explain'. Paul McCartney got wind of Kerr's mash-ups and asked him to remix a selection of tracks from the McCartney catalogue to be used as a 25-minute warm-up before shows on his 2004 tour. Apparently, Kerr was let loose in the archives and given the opportunity to choose exactly which tracks he wanted. Moreover, he was granted access to the original multitrack tapes so that he could really create new mixes from the ground up. McCartney liked the results so much that he decided to release them as a vinyl double album. Thus, the Twin Freaks album, which was released about a month ago.

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