The Beatles - Starting Over (1980)

The Beatles - Starting Over (1980)

1. The Beatles - (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56)
2. The Beatles - Ebony And Ivory (3:48)
3. The Beatles - Cleanup Time (2:58)
4. The Beatles - Coming Up (3:52)
5. The Beatles - I'm Losing You (3:57)
6. The Beatles - Life Itself (3:50)
7. The Beatles - Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (3:26)
8. The Beatles - Tug Of War (4:06)
9. The Beatles - Watching The Wheels (3:29)
10. The Beatles - Take It Away (4:07)
11. The Beatles - Woman (3:31)
12. The Beatles - Wrack My Brain (2:21)
13. The Beatles - Dear Yoko (2:35)
14. The Beatles - Central Park Stroll (Dialogue) (0:17)


The Beatles: ‘Starting Over’ the Rolling Stone review

We all know the story of how this album came about; the shrewdness of Paul McCartney, when calling up Yoko Ono and telling her that he really wanted to produce the album she had started to write songs for. “Double Fantasy”, as it was to be called, spawned two big hits with “Kiss Kiss Kiss” and “Walking on Thin Ice”. It was indeed pure genius to blend Ono’s experimental side with the sweetness of McCartney, but of course more than that Paul rekindled John’s friendship after making his wife a star on her own terms. The timing couldn’t have been better; the lawyers had finished dealing with the mess that was The Beatles break up ten years earlier, Paul had disbanded Wings and John had started writing new songs after a five year hiatus. Ringo Starr’s career was going nowhere and even George Harrison was having problems with his new album; the record company plain wouldn’t release it, demanding that he should re-record it! Well thank god for that.

“(Just Like) Starting Over” is as Lennon always is self biographical, his own feelings about getting back into the music business, but also getting back into The Beatles and not least; getting back with Paul. It is a great song and sets the bar high for Paul to “answer” on the following track “Ebony and Ivory” about two friends living in perfect harmony although they are the opposites of each other, sounds familiar?

Slick and professional as these two tracks are John and Paul are quick to announce that this album is about having fun and follow them with “Clean up Time” and “Coming Up”. Two throwaway songs that balance on the whimsical, but without them the album would sound way too professional.

John adds some blues and edge with “I’m Losing You”, singing about how he tried to get in touch with Paul. George’s “Life Itself” is a step back and looks upon the things bigger than man, to which John simply replies that the most important person in his life is his youngest son, his “Beautiful Boy”.

Lennon’s songs are brilliant and it’s no secret that McCartney was threatened and soon realised that the songs he brought to the sessions weren’t up to par. But under the pressure to keep it from being a solo vehicle for Lennon he stepped up and quickly wrote the single “Ebony and Ivory”, “Take it Away” and the aptly titled “Tug of War” describing these two great minds battling it out for the best song on the album.

Harrison’s second track is “Wrack My Brain”, here sung by Ringo, showing the generous nature between the boys, well not boys anymore but grown men.

Sadly there would never be a sequel to such a promising start as Paul McCartney was shot to his death shortly after the release of the album. “Chap” Marksman a deranged fan was waiting outside the recording studio where Paul was working on some demos, asked for an autograph and then proceeded to shoot him in the back as he walked away. The demos would stay unreleased for almost twenty years until the remaining Beatles reworked them into proper songs for their “Anthology” project, having hits with both “Say Say Say” and “Pipes of Peace”. We can only guess what could have been had he had a chance to continue his work.

By Zane Buzby


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