Heart of the Country
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) |
| "Heart of the Country" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| A-side | "The Back Seat of My Car" |
"Heart of the Country" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney from their album Ram released in 1971.
Origins
The song has simple acoustic tune with a heavy bass chorus, and an unusually mellow sound to the acoustic guitar that was achieved by tuning all of the strings a full step lower than standard pitch. The song is about a man searching for a farm in the middle of nowhere. The song reflects Paul's heading for the Scottish countryside to escape the headaches associated with the Beatles' breakup at the time.[1]
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – lead vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar
- Hugh McCracken – electric guitar
- Denny Seiwell – drums (with brushes),
Reception
In a contemporary review for RAM, Jon Landau of Rolling Stone gave "Heart of the Country" a negative review, calling it the album's "lowest point", and the song that "most clearly indicates [RAM's] failures".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as "an effortless folk-pop tune that ranks among [McCartney's] very best songs".[2] Erlewine also praises its "imaginative and gorgeous arrangement".[3] In 2013, Rolling Stone rated "Heart of the Country" at number 26 in its list of Paul McCartney's best post-Beatles songs.[1] By contrast, in the same magazine's 1971 review of Ram, Jon Landau had dismissed "Heart of the Country" as "the lowest point" on an album that "represents the nadir in the decomposition of Sixties rock thus far", and he said that McCartney appeared to be "dying on the vine" as an artist.[citation needed]
Aftermath
McCartney and Elvis Costello re-recorded the song in 2013 for a commercial featuring his late wife Linda's vegetarian recipe book.
References
- ^ a b "Paul's 40 Greatest Solo Songs". Special Collector's Edition: Paul McCartney. Rolling Stone. 2013. p. 89.
{{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Wingspan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Ram". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
External Links
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