McCartneys new album reviews

maccafan

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maccaspan
review
This is a quick review on my first listen to the album.

Dance Tonight

Very simple, very clean, very fun. A great opener for what will be a great album. Paul learns YET another instrument for this one. I know a lot of Paul fans prefer a not so overproduced sounding Macca album and I think this is it. It's almost like Paul is announcing to the world that's he's getting on with his life with this song.
This song reminds me a bit of The Song We Were Singing cause it's the same idea, only now we're daning baby!

Ever Present Past

Already this album is more uptempo then the last albums. A great Beatle-esk sound but yet still compleatly Paul! Paul talks about his younger days, but which? As a kid? As a Beatle? Maybe as a Wing?
"No time to be a decent lover" almost sounds like an indirect shot at Heather Mills. Paul has been known for his hidden shots at people in his songs. "Dear Friend, Too Many People, ect.."
Sounds a bit like Getting Better with the driving one note guitar!

See Your Sunshine

A great 70's feel to this one. Very simple lyrics to this song but it fits. BUT if he uses an album track for a B-side, this is probably one of the weaker tracks on the album, BUT that isn't saying much as it's still a great song! The backing vocals are what gives it a very 70's theme. Listen to the bass licks in this song. Macca's can still slam on that thing!



Only Mama Knows

Well here's where David Kahne comes into play. A little strings intro kind of like English Tea only it's all done on a keyboard. But it doesn't last for too long before the guitars EXPLODE into a such a rocking Macca track that we haven't seen in a long time! A bit like If You Wanna but less southern rock and more DIRECT ROCK AND ROLL! WHOOT!!!

You Tell Me

Starts off with some backwards organ... Paul is dead?!? Just kidding! Paul stretches his vocals for this one. This album seems to be more guitar based unlike Chaos with it's mostly piano tracks.
This is a nice little uneasy ballad. This may be to Heather Mills. It sounds like Paul is asking we're we ever really happy? And if we were, what the HELL went wrong! A little sad sounding this song is too. It makes ya wanna give Paul a big hug at the end.

Mr. Bellamy

Wow. A very British intro into a very British tune. Mr. Bellamy is nothing like Paul has ever done. Who is Mr. Bellamy and what is he doing? Some people say it's David Bellamy but who knows. This song is by far one of the greatest songs on the album. It includes a nice little piano ending too. I guess it's the perfect length because I think it's too short! A great track from start to finish. Paul's piano is brilliant. For some reason this song reminds me a bit of Pink Floyds Comfortably Numb.




Gratitude

Almost sounds like Pauls "preaching to the choir" in this gospil like number. Paul sings a bluesy tune about showing his Gratitude. But to who? The songs highlight is when Paul screams PREY! Not much else to say except this may be one of the tracks that has to grow on you.

Vintage Clothes

A piano opener I recoginzed from another song but I can't remember, but a woman sings it. It sounds like a vintage song to match the vintage clothes. Very late 60's - early 70's feel. A very jazzy drumbeat during parts of it. This is a very "Feel Good" song with great harmony's.
This is also the first track the the medley which is pretty much just bridged by a little guitar riff.

That Was Me

Wow, I loved this song right away. Great sounding tune. A bluesy rocker almost a little Bob Dylan style. Paul sings about his life and when he was a kid and even when he was in the Beatles. No doubt in my mind right now this is my FAV song on the album. Paul starts screaming at the end and it's brilliant! I'm loving this rockers Paul!

Feet in the Clouds

Wow, did anyone else think the song sounds a bit like John's Beautiful Boy? It also sounds a bit like Beck's Beautiful Way. I great easy going track. Paul says VERY 6 times in the chorus. This albums is starting to turn out like Paul's Sgt Pepper of his solo years. David Kahne kicks in with his keyboards again towards the end. Great little tune.



House of Wax

One word to discribe this song... POWER. Paul uses the sound of thunder again, sort of like Uncle Albert.
Paul's vocals have echo and flange added on them. Paul turns a simple little poem into musical epic! The guitar work is great, I can only assume it's Rusty Anderson. The last minute and a half of this song will knock your socks off! BRILLIANT PAUL! Probably one of the best tracks on the album.

The End of the End

The first time I heard this song, I started tearing up. Paul talks about the day that he dies, and even though it's just a song, the very idea makes my eyes well up. It's not an easy song to listen to.
Paul sings about how he had a good life, and heaven must be really good cause it had a great time on earth. Damnit Paul, ya got me all emotional here. Paul even sings there's no reason to be sad, but COME ON!

Nod Your Head

Paul seems to be sticking these odd little rockers at the end of his albums. Driving Rain had Rinse the Raindrops, Chaos had I've Only Got Two Hands and now Nod Your Head. A rocking track that sounds a bit like his "That's all for Now" song he did on Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road. Throw away lyrics on this one. I guess he didn't want to end the album with such a downer like The End of the End.
 

Music Wench

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I really liked Chaos... and if the quality of this one is in the same ballpark (and the lyrics look like they'll be perhaps a little better or at least as good), then I'm sure I'll like it a lot.

Same here. That's saying a lot for someone who has been terribly unimpressed by anything Paul has done in his solo career.
 

maccafan

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Wow Music Wench that's really sad to hear, you've really missed some amazing music.
 

Reverend Rock

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Yes, she's missed some amazing music...but she's also missed some really mediocre lyrics. That's what I've found most frustrating about being a McCartney fan over the years. A lot of the time I've had to tune out the lame lyrics to enjoy the music.
 

maccafan

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You know I've never in my life heard a song that I liked and said wow did you hear those lyrics!

The lyrics complaint is just ridiculous to me because the average person isn't thinking lyrics when they hear a song, that kind of complaint only comes from someone who is super analyzing every aspect of a song, and the average person just doesn't do that.

A person either likes a song, or they don't and that's 99% based on the simple fact of does it sound good.
 

Reverend Rock

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Well, I've known for many years that I'm not the average person when it comes to music. When I compare McCartney's work as a solo artist to his work with the Beatles, a lot of it comes off as very lame in comparison, and a big part of the reason is that the lyrics are embarrassingly trite. I'm a fairly huge McCartney fan in spite of this, but as far as I'm concerned he should have the daylights kicked out of him for being such a lazy lyric crafter considering the genius that he is fully capable of when he half tries.
 

Music Wench

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You know I've never in my life heard a song that I liked and said wow did you hear those lyrics!

The lyrics complaint is just ridiculous to me because the average person isn't thinking lyrics when they hear a song, that kind of complaint only comes from someone who is super analyzing every aspect of a song, and the average person just doesn't do that.

A person either likes a song, or they don't and that's 99% based on the simple fact of does it sound good.

Well, I know I'm not average because I do analyze my music. Lyrics are important to me in conjunction with the music. If music were the only thing then I might have found Disco to be more palatable.

Generally I wanted to like McCartney's music but it just never did anything for me. I'm just glad he finally put out something I could get behind.
 

Reverend Rock

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Well, I finally got my copy of Memory Almost Full today. I got the limited edition, and I'm really glad I did. For one thing, the comments Paul gives about the songs are the most substansive and revealing I've ever heard from the man. And one of the album's best songs is in fact on the bonus CD (that being "Why So Blue").

This is the first album from Paul McCartney about which I've ever been able to say what I'm about to say. There are at least two songs on this album which sound like they could have been Beatles classics. They are the aforementioned "Why So Blue" (which, if someone had played to me and said it was a magnificent lost track from the White Album, I would have completely believed) and "House of Wax" (which may well be the greatest lyric McCartney has written, ever, Beatles work included--and the music is every bit as satisfying, one of the most impressive compositions of his already very impressive career).

I've listened to this album twice now, more enraptured the second time than the first. Honestly, I think if McCartney had chosen to call this album Beatle, he would have done no injustice to his old bandmates. But it wouldn't have been an appropriate title, because what McCartney does on this album is just as much a legacy to his solo and Wings work as it is to his status as one of the Fabs. His background vocals are especially reminiscent of his work with Wings at their very best, and much of his lead vocal work is also more "solo McCartney" than has been the case on recent albums.

Among my other favorite moments on Macca's Masterpiece (this album is truly that) are:

*"Mr. Bellamy" (which, I think, can best be described as "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" done one better and then some)
*"See Your Sunshine" (Paul's amazing sense of harmonics is usually understated, but here he ventures into the rich territory of peers such as Brian Wilson and Todd Rundgren, with perhaps his most effective ever foray into what I would call "sunshine pop"--pure ear candy, and of the gourmet variety, at that!)
*"Gratitude" (a worthy sequal to "Maybe I'm Amazed", no less)
*The closing medley in general--what's not to love?--especially "House of Wax" (which would have fit just fine on either Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road) and "The End of The End" in particular (yes, it had me in tears as well as many other listeners--what a precious sentiment, and what a great attitude towards both life and death!)
*"Nod Your Head" (OK, this might surprise some, but I think this bizzare rocker is the perfect foil for the reflections upon mortality that dominate the closing medley, and Paul hasn't done avant garde rock this convincingly since "Helter Skelter"--I think it's fabulous; I can't keep from grinning when I hear it)
*"222" [from bonus CD] (When I hear this track, I realize that Paul still has the ability to do music that is completely outside of the norm. If he wants to, he is still capable, in his mid-60s, of creating works that have no parralel in the musical universe. To quote what a friend of mine once said about Joni Mitchell: Sir Paul, you stand alone; I stand amazed.)

In all honesty, I can only say that I am so very thankful I lived to see this album released and to have the joy of hearing it.
 
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Reverend Rock

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I've been listening to this album constantly over the last several hours. Four times through completely, and then repeat listenings to individual favorites, and I'm just about ready to decide that this is the very best ever album by Paul McCartney. I'm actually surprised that I'm this blown away by it. As with virtually any release by McCartney, the reviews have been decidedly mixed so far, (of course, that would be the case no matter what this particular artist came up with). All I can say at this point is that I haven't been this totally overwhelmed by an album since Brian Wilson's SMiLE back in 2004.
 

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