The last minute of this song features one of my favourite vocal performances of all time, rather inevitably from Paul McCartney.
A lot of cliches fly around about Macca, much as they do about Lennon, and one of the most persistent is that of Paul as the ever-optimistic upbeat feller with his thumbs aloft. While it's fair to say he's most known for turning a positive spin on difficulty, there's as much of a sardonic pessimist or melancholic side to him as anyone else; take 'You Never Give Me Your Money', 'Too Many People', "Waterfalls' and "Travelling Light' as a few examples of the darker side of his artistic output bubbling to the surface.
While, like anyone, there's a light and shade to McCartney's work, the song 'With a Little Luck' certainly plays into the optimistic camp, something which is matched perfectly by his vocal on it. I know it's anal in its specificity, but I'm particularly fond of how his voice sounded toward the end of Wings' career from 1978-79ish, with a grit far less likely to be there prior to that. It lends both London Town and Back to the Egg - and particularly the latter - a rockier, spikier edge.
It's this voice that McCartney puts to work with perfect affect on this eccentrically synth-led single, particularly at the very end; it's the dictionary definition of uplifting, displaying unbridled love and joy in its scratchy, rough way. I've said it before, but I think his voice is underrated, having lost no sense of passion or range until relatively recently. While he can still pull off a surprising amount for someone of his age, it's the effortless of his voice on songs like this that makes me green with envy, having always wanted to sing like that. And my reaction to this song isn't a new thing; I've been obsessed with it for years now, and think it's the perfect companion to a good mood.
A lot of cliches fly around about Macca, much as they do about Lennon, and one of the most persistent is that of Paul as the ever-optimistic upbeat feller with his thumbs aloft. While it's fair to say he's most known for turning a positive spin on difficulty, there's as much of a sardonic pessimist or melancholic side to him as anyone else; take 'You Never Give Me Your Money', 'Too Many People', "Waterfalls' and "Travelling Light' as a few examples of the darker side of his artistic output bubbling to the surface.
While, like anyone, there's a light and shade to McCartney's work, the song 'With a Little Luck' certainly plays into the optimistic camp, something which is matched perfectly by his vocal on it. I know it's anal in its specificity, but I'm particularly fond of how his voice sounded toward the end of Wings' career from 1978-79ish, with a grit far less likely to be there prior to that. It lends both London Town and Back to the Egg - and particularly the latter - a rockier, spikier edge.
It's this voice that McCartney puts to work with perfect affect on this eccentrically synth-led single, particularly at the very end; it's the dictionary definition of uplifting, displaying unbridled love and joy in its scratchy, rough way. I've said it before, but I think his voice is underrated, having lost no sense of passion or range until relatively recently. While he can still pull off a surprising amount for someone of his age, it's the effortless of his voice on songs like this that makes me green with envy, having always wanted to sing like that. And my reaction to this song isn't a new thing; I've been obsessed with it for years now, and think it's the perfect companion to a good mood.