I love this album. It's absolutely perfect for me. It's everything I hoped for. His strongest effort since the 70's for me, personally. Of course we're all different. There are people on this forum who loved Press to Play or Driving Rain or who adore one of the albums I would characterise as one of my 50/50s where I like half & I don't like half so I'm not expecting unanimity or consensus amongst us. That never happens. Spoiler Music is funny thing how do any of us describe with words what music means or how we hear it? I mean the opening track is pure celtic genius to me. I can see myself and dozens of little irish boys and girls dancing the reel perfectly synced to that track. I can see the pivots and the high kicks. I can feel something in that track that calls to my celtic heart. Others will not see, hear or feel what I do. These things are deeply personal and subjective. I doubt Paul intended it in the way I hear it but we are all musical magpies picking up bits and pieces for our own purposes. The album has a bit from the archives. There's a lot of good vocals here and sadly a few of them seem far too good to be recent. The last song is an obvious example but I would be really interested to know the age of different tracks here. Seize the Day sounds like it's from a few years ago and I love it. Women and Wives is probably recent and just a result of him using his "House of the Rising Sun" voice as I call it. I'm not sure. I think it's a great vocal and track. Kiss of Venus is clearly recent and his age shows on that song but his age makes me just about cry, as the melody is so beautiful and it's like a little old man singing of a love that was fate, that was written in the stars to his little old lady love - and it's just so precious. It achieves a level of beautiful that is rare. I would of course love to hear the voice that sang "we're so sorry Uncle Albert" sing it but this as a piece of art really does work. It's gorgeous. Lavatory Lil is a great straightforward rocker. I don't really like the first 33 seconds of Deep Deep Feeling that much and when I first heard it - I was thinking uhoh here comes the Kreen-Akrore but then the piano comes in and I grow to love it. Deep Deep Down makes me dance. I always dance to it. I love the groove on that track and the way he sings it. Just knock out. It's far better than the tracks on Egypt Station I suspect you were meant to want to dance too but I never did. I love pretty boys, the melody and the lyric and Find My Way is a perfect piece of Paul Pop. Slidin' is probably my least favourite but it still has enough vocally to keep me listening along and then the solo kicks in and I really like that section of the track. I like the last track, it's grown on me as I've listened to the album at least a dozen times. However, I hate the way the word scarce sounds sung. Who knew! What a weird thing to have a reaction too but hey we're all weird folks. I must say I think the song has a vibe that makes me feel like this could be the last album - but I hope not. It just feels like a good bye somehow. I suppose if it was, it would be a hell of a final artistic statement. Anyway I love it. Not everyone will but it's my turn and man am I happy
Thanks Some great write up. I agree on most everything even though I personally was floored by the opening of Deep,Deep Feeling the first. time I heard it. The way you describe the music and your reaction to it is beatiful and well thought out. Guess we ll never know if some of the vocals apart from Winter are earlier takes. Given what Paul himself has said in interwiews I somehow doubt it. The vocals on the album are one if the reasons it s such a good one Thanks again for a very rewarding read
Like some said, it’s still too early, and I really love all of them, but here’s my ranking of Paul’s 21st Century albums right now: 1. Egypt Station 2. New 3. McCartney III 4. Chaos and Creation 5. Memory Almost Full 6. Electric Arguments 7. Driving Rain
And for me, it’s wildly different: 1. Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (by a mile) 2. Memory Almost Full 3. Electric Arguments 4. New 5. Driving Rain 6. McCartney III 7. Egypt Station
New interview of Paul with a special question for "Bip Bop" lovers Paul McCartney Is Still Trying to Figure Out Love Q: Something that has been a constant for you musically is your ability to keep coming up with melodies. It’s there on the new album — the melodies all flow. Is your facility for writing a catchy melody ever an obstacle to getting the songs to be more than just catchy? Because a good tune by itself is not always enough to make a good song. “Bip Bop” A nonsensical ditty from “Wildlife,” McCartney’s 1971 album with Wings, that keeps getting stuck in my head. would be an example of that. Do you know what I’m saying? A: No, I know. “Bip Bop” is not lyrically stunning. I was always embarrassed about that song. Literally, it goes, “Bip Bop / take your bottom dollar.” It’s inconsequential. But I mentioned that to a friend, a producer, a few years ago, and he said, “That’s my favorite song of yours.” So you don’t know what people like.
„Deep Down“ already has a special meaning for me, even if it’s a rather sad one. A good friend of mine was - just like me - a music enthusiast. He loved jazz, funk, soul. Some of his favorite artists were Prince and Steely Dan. But he also liked some of Paul McCartney‘s songs, like „Arrow Through Me“ or „Back In Brazil“. While I play keyboards for a hobby, he was a real professional. Listening to him playing his favorite keyboard, Fender Rhodes, was a delight. And I‘ve never jammed with anybody the way the both of us could play. He took even an average player like me to another level. Unfortunately he had been ill for the last few years, being diagnosed with severe depression. He was a kind and friendly person, with a good job, a loving wife helping him in any way possible and two great kids. Nevertheless he had increasing problems enjoying life, celebrating his love for music. The last year he often went to friends and said „I need to talk to you“ and spoke about his problems. We all thought that would help him and tried to be there for him whenever possible. But in the long run he remained „deep down“ no matter what his therapists and friends did. On December 18th 2019 he ended his life. He would have loved that special McCartney track. Musically and emotionally it would have been all him...
To each their own. I'm a big fan of the album, so I'm not just hating for the sake of it. I genuinely find the vocal to be awful. It's a very rough take where, in parts, he struggles to hit the low notes. And, given the subject - his reminiscence of meeting Linda - I really would hope for a very strong vocal. It affects my enjoyment of a song that I love.
Here's mine: 1) Chaos and Creation In The Backyard 2) Memory Almost Full 3) Electric Arguments 4) McCartney III 5) Driving Rain 6) New 7) Egypt Station Electric Arguments and McCartney III are a tie for me. The list is pretty similar to @rlj1010 really.
I do tend to agree. I quite like the fact that it's so overlooked. It's like a secret little corner of the McCartney canon. It's far from perfect but I agree, it has plenty of great little moments.
So sorry to read of your loss. And, if I may say, that was a beautifully written tribute to your friend.
My issue with Magic has never been the vocal. I just always felt it was a pretty weak song, a feeling exacerbated for me by the subject matter. I always much preferred a (seemingly much maligned around these parts) song like Tiny Bubble, which just works as a fun pop song for me. Funny how we all hear this stuff so differently, but fascinating too.
When I look at that list (I have not heard Mc3), I’m struck by how different each LP is from each other. No wonder there is no clear consensus on his best albums. We all look for different things from this great man’s work. Ex. Your #7 is my #1. Until ‘Mc3 comes along and I may have to re-evaluate. We’ll see.
Memory Almost Full, New, Egypt Station and even Chaos & Pie suffer slightly where the B sides are superior to some of the album tracks, have created alternative versions to all taken off some of the weaker songs and adding these in. Reckon there will be a couple of tracks with this that I will prefer to what was released.
My list, for what it's worth! Egypt Station New Chaos Memory Almost Full Electric Arguments Driving Rain McCartney III
Okay, well, I don't mind. I'll play whatever you want me to play. Or I won't play at all if you don't want me to play. Whatever it is that will please you, I'll do it.
And mine... 1. New 2. Memory Almost Full 3. Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (by a mile) 4. Egypt Station 5. Electric Arguments 6. Driving Rain I haven't heard McCartney III yet.
The songbook+CD is now available in Europe too McCartney III - Songbook (CD inclus) for 35€ so you might as well get the songbook on Amazon for 17€ and a the CD with a booklet.
1. Chaos And Creation 2. Egypt Station 3. Memory Almost Full 4. Electric Arguments 5. McCartney III 6. Driving Rain 7. New
1. Chaos And Creation 2. Egypt Station 3. McCartney III 4. New 5. Memory Almost Full 6. Electric Arguments 7. Driving Rain
