Obsessions, Passions, Perversions

Behold! Tommy Keene's masterpiece, Based on Happy Times, power pop's holy grail of out-of-print CDs.

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10. Mike McGear, McGear (Warner Bros.). This 1974 flop has long been a head-scratcher for Beatlemaniacs. Why would Paulie take the time to produce this album -- playing and singing on every track, co-writing most of it, and even bringing in his Wings lackeys -- and not lift a finger to promote it? Obviously, the complexities of sibling rivalry defy rock-crit logic. This disc is not the classic some have claimed, but it reveals an intriguing Roxy Music influence that never appeared in McCartney's other work. For his part, brother Michael sings like a cross between Tim Finn and Eric Idle, if that's your thing. The album's highlight is a rollicking McCartney original called "Leave It," which surely would have brightened up any number of dud Wings releases. Go figure.