Paul McCartney - McCartney - Review

Songs: The Lovely Linda, That Would Be Something, Valentine Day, Every Night, Hot as Sun/Glasses, Junk, Man We Was Lonely, Oo You, Momma Miss America, Teddy Boy, Singalong Junk, Maybe I’m Amazed, Kreen-Akrore.

Comments:

On his first solo album, recorded at his London home studio, Paul sings, plays all the instruments and took care of the production, only assisted from time to time by the Lovely Linda with some harmony vocals. 

Rumor has it that there was simply not enough time to record in a professional studio as Paul wanted to be the first Ex-Beatle to release a solo album. One could also argue that Paul, like John, wanted to take a break from the rich Abbey Road and Let It Be production style and return to a more basic, almost home made concept. 

I’m sure Paul was a bit frustrated as well when the Beatles broke up. But, unlike John, he doesn’t seem to need a scream therapy to get even with things. He sounds very relaxed and down to earth on the album, not driven by commercial pressure but simply trying out some musical ideas.

Those ideas seldom mature into full songs. When they do, they are great. The best of them all is the well known rocker Maybe I’m Amazed, a song that should have done credit to the Let It Be album. But Every Night, That Would be Something and Junk are little jewels as well with simple but beautiful melodies.

Mostly however the songs are fragments of ideas, often instrumentals. That does not make them all bad, mind you. Henry Mancini would have been proud to have written Singalong Junk as the main theme for a romantic movie. And Valentine Day holds his own easily. Only the overlong Momma Miss America and the drum experiment Kreen Akrore are below par.

There are two catchy songs Hot as Sun/Glasses and Man We Was Lonely that could have been big hits if they would have been recorded by a pop group like New Seekers or Brotherhood of Man. It’s a pity that Man He Was Lonely has a Country & Western/Drinking Song Chorus because I love the verses and Paul’s guitar on the song.

Besides Maybe I’m Amazed there’s one other rocker on the album that could have been part of the Let It Be sessions. It’s called Oo You and it reminds me of Get Back.

Paul’s music on McCartney sounds just as honest to me as John’s statements on his debut album. They are just two very different kind of guys. The only thing they seem to share is musical talent and even there they are completely different. That makes the Beatles music as good as it is. It’s also the reason why a lot of their solo work is less stunning. Without Paul, John gets too serious. And without John, Paul gets to cheesy. Not so on this, his first solo album. Despite the raw home made character or maybe thanks to that, McCartney is a great listen that does not get boring easily

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Although some of the songs are below par on an individual basis, they do not break the flow of the album. 

Who should buy this Record: This is Essential Paul McCartney. Highly recommended.