Off the Ground

Personnel: Paul McCartney (vocals, electric, acoustic & Spanish guitar, sitar, piano, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, bass, drums, celeste, ocarina, congas, percussion); Robbie McIntosh (electric, acoustic, Spanish & slide guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Hamish Stewart (electric, acoustic & 12-string guitar, bass, piano, percussion, background vocals); Linda McCartney (autoharp, celeste, Moog, harmonium, percussion, background vocals, train whistle); Susan Milan (flute); Gordon Hunt (oboe); The Midnight Horns (horns); Wix Wickens (piano, Clavinet, Hammond organ, accordion, drum programming, synthesizer, percussion, background vocals); Blair Cunningham (drums, percussion, congas, background vocals); Davide Giovanini, Maurice Ravalico, David Puttman (percussion).
Producers: Paul McCartney, Julian Mendelsohn.
When Paul McCartney finally released his first proper '90s studio album, it turned out to be his Greenpeace/Earth First statement. The songs on this collection reflect Macca's philosophy regarding ecological awareness ("C'Mon People," "Cosmically Conscious"), the evils of animal testing ("Looking For Changes"). There are also love songs for wife Linda, who shared Paul's beliefs ("Golden Earth Girl," "I Owe It All To You"). OFF THE GROUND also reunited the songwriting team of McCartney and Elvis Costello on the ocarina-spiced "Mistress and Maid" and the tale of unrequited love that is "The Lovers That Never Were."
As has been the case with most of McCartney's career, OFF THE GROUND has plenty of love songs to go along with the socially conscientious numbers. "Get Out Of My Way" is a gentle '50s rocker about an imminent reunion, and "Winedark Open Sea" is a more ethereal number that finds Macca opening himself up to a lover on several different levels.