Standing Stone (album)

For information on solitary stone megaliths, see Standing stone.
"Crystal Ship" redirects here. For the song by The Doors, see The Crystal Ship.
Standing Stone
Studio album by Paul McCartney
Released 25 September 1997 (US)
29 September 1997 (UK)
Recorded 30 April – 2 May 1997
Genre Classical
Length 74:46
Label EMI Classics
Producer John Fraser
Paul McCartney chronology
Flaming Pie
(1997)		 Standing Stone
(1997)		 Rushes
(1998)
Paul McCartney classical album chronology
Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio
(1991)		 Standing Stone
(1997)		 Working Classical
(1999)

Standing Stone is Paul McCartney's second full-length release of original classical music (coming after 1991's Liverpool Oratorio) and was issued shortly after Flaming Pie's release in 1997. The world premiere performance was held at The Royal Albert Hall on 14 October 1997.[1]

History

Following up on 1991's Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, the Standing Stone project was composed out of a long poem McCartney authored[1] and was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Lawrence Foster at EMI's Abbey Road Studios. Unlike Liverpool Oratorio, this new project is not an operatic performance of a story, but an instrumental one, though it employs the use of a choir.

The cover for the album is actually one of the many photos taken by Linda McCartney during late 1969/early 1970 that would initially be seen on the inside gatefold cover of Paul's first album McCartney. Incidentally, this project was her husband's last release before Linda died of breast cancer on 17 April 1998, having been diagnosed almost three years earlier.

Release

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
MusicHound[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Released on 25 September 1997 in the US,[1] and 29th in the UK,[6] Paul McCartney's Standing Stone topped the classical music charts, and managed a one-week stand at number 194 on the US pop album listings.

Track listing

All pieces by Paul McCartney.

Movement I – After heavy light years
  1. "Fire/Rain" Allegro energico – 4:30
  2. "Cell Growth" Semplice – 8:30
  3. "'Human' Theme" Maestoso – 3:36
Movement II – He awoke startled
  1. "Meditation" Contemplativo – 3:57
  2. "Crystal Ship" Con moto scherzando – 2:02
  3. "Sea Voyage" Pulsating, with cool jazz feel – 3:39
  4. "Lost at Sea" Sognando – 4:37
  5. "Release" Allegro con spirito – 1:54
Movement III – Subtle colours merged soft contours
  1. "Safe Haven/Standing Stone" Pastorale con moto – 4:11
  2. "Peaceful Moment" Andante tranquillo – 2:09
  3. "Messenger" Energico – 3:35
  4. "Lament" Lamentoso – 2:26
  5. "Trance" Misterioso – 5:32
  6. "Eclipse" Eroico – 4:57
Movement IV – Strings pluck, horns blow, drums beat
  1. "Glory Tales" Trionfale – 2:40
  2. "Fugal Celebration" L'istesso tempo. Fresco – 4:25
  3. "Rustic Dance" Rustico – 2:00
  4. "Love Duet" Andante intimo – 3:43
  5. "Celebration" Andante – 6:15

References

  1. 1 2 3 White, Timothy (27 September 1997). "Paul: 'Standing' in the Shadow of Love". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.).
  2. ↑ Tilland, William. Standing Stone (album) at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th edn). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 1257. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  4. ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 730. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  5. ↑ "Paul McCartney: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Calkin, Graham. "Standing Stone". Jpgr.co.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
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