Poll: How do you rate Paul McCartney's "New" album?

I wouldn't suggest it to anyone. It sounds like it was recorded on a computer. Sounds like modern mechanical pop, not much musicianship on it or ingenuity as far as the arrangements and mix.
The songs are great, but the recording itself is quite bland.

 

Drek

Sounds depressed and morbid

 

"A pretty solid effort". It's a very good album, but it's not great. Paul comes up with 7-8 good songs per album these days, but he always puts a handful of clunkers in there that are only played once or twice; never to be played again outside the context of the album.

 

For me, easily one of the best of his solo career.
If this had come out in the 70's, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

 

I voted for lower tier. Only reason for that is that I bought the Target exclusive and the extra 3 tracks are the only thing worth revisiting on the album in my opinion. If I had bought just the regular version of the CD I probably would have put it with the worst McCartney album. Over produced and his vocals are just about shot on this album. Again, just my opinion. I would put this album in the lower tier with 'McCartney 2' as far as "Original" material goes. I would put 'Kisses on The Bottom' in the lower tier...but the majority of the album is cover songs. If it wouldn't create a hole in my Macca collection I would have probably asked for my money back. Been collecting Macca/Wings LP's/45's/promos/acetates/Test Pressings since I was 14. Would be a shame to screw up a collection of 30 + years (44 years old now)

 

To me, it may be his very best or close to it.

Level I:
Ram
Chaos
New
Complete Kisses
Band on the Run

Level II:
Venus and Mars
McCartney
Flaming Pie
Run Devil Run
Memory Almost Full
London Town
Tug of War
Back To the Egg

Level III:
Flowers in the Dirt
Red Rose Speedway
Press To Play
Electric Arguments
Kisses on The Bottom

Level IV:
Driving Rain
Off the Ground
Wild Life

Level V:
Choba b CCCP
McCartney II
Pipes of Peace
Broad Street
At the Speed of Sound

 

I went with pretty solid but I have a rough time remembering the songs once they're over. So maybe I'm being a little generous.

 

I do not care for it...

 

I voted one of his best. First album I liked by Paul from start to finish since Give My Regards...I Love the New album.

 

Clearly one of his best solo works - essential listening for Paul fans

 

For me a level 1 album in Maccas career.
Taste differs -Early days and Hosannah are imho two of the real outstanding tracks on the album-those two are called "real dogs" by another poster.

But honestly-do we need NEW thread dealing with NEW.

 

As much as I "want" to like it (Macca fan for more than 4 decades) I think it's his worst pop album ever. There isn't a single song on there that moves me. Even on his lesser efforts throughout the years there were always a few gems, but not on this one, for me. His voice doesn't help either... So for me it's a Clearly one of his worst votes.....

 

I was quite disappointed in this one. Filed it away quickly.

 

It just makes it into my top 10, but never in my 30 years of buying Macca releases as a just released product have i
put aside an album so quickly. Haven't played it this year i don't think ! Doesn't help that my vinyl copy sounds crap with distortion on certain tracks. In olden days new Macca albums would be played for months on end, Chaos was the last that got that treatment.

 

His dear wife Linda provided him with a magic that has yet to be replaced. Talk about true love!

 

I listened to it a couple of times when it was new and quickly forgot about it. It just didn't sound right.

 

4 half decent songs does not an album make!! I have a feeling Paul is going downhill fast. I've enjoyed all Paul's Post 1989 albums up till now (Despite the enormously bad "Driving Rain" and "Kisses") but after the stunning "Electric Arguments" and the awesome song he did with Nirvana I was kinda hoping for something equally impressive and I was stunned at how the majority of tracks lacked any sort of decent melody or arrangement and the lyrics were at times laughable. Just hope he still has one last great album in him cos lets face it in 10 years time (or even less) I doubt he'll be recording anything anymore especially the way his voice is going. Thank god for "Ram" and "Flaming Pie"!

 

He's a far cry from his heyday with the Beatles. If anything each bit he releases like this brings down his legacy a tiny bit.

Mind you, he could still release a dozen more albums like this and still be a legend for his catalog of songs.

Someone said it was dark and morbid. I felt similar (maybe not that strongly felt) feelings hearing it.

 

Funny, I got this out last week & gave it a few listens . I wondered if it was really as good as I thought, now that the surprise has passed. I still think I would list it in my top 5 of his solo albums. I think there's only 5 or so that I truly like every song, and this is one of them.

My (current) faves:

1. Band on the Run
2. RAM
3. Tug of War
4. New
5. Venus and Mars

Some of his others have songs I like more, but not the whole album.

 

I really enjoyed NEW. It wouldn't quite make my top 5 but then there is a lot of strong competition in McCartney's back catalog. and McCartney I, Ram, Band on the Run, Flaming Pie and Chaos are hard to knock off there perches, for me.

I would call it Pretty Solid and would definitely recommend it.

Save Us, Appreciate, On my Way to Work, Queenie Eye, Get me out of here, Early Days, Road and the title track New were amongst my favourites.

I didn't find it dark or morbid, and I sometimes like dark, but I just didn't really see it in this particular album. Perhaps the track Road has a darker vibe (and I like it a lot) but a few of the tracks are positively upbeat like New and Queenie Eye also Save Us & Turned Out have a great energy... but hey these things are subjective to each their own and all that.

I don't see this album as eroding his legacy in anyway as I've always considered McCartney the master of eclectic and I see this album as a great addition to that tradition.

 

Clearly one of his best solo works - essential listening for Paul fans

 

I went back and forth between clearly one of his best and solid effort giving in to "one of the best". Clearly for me, and perhaps this is because it's still fairly "New" to the canon, in terms of his recent work it's clearly up there. I'd put New, Electric Arguments and Chaos and Creation In The Backyard as my Top Tier recent McCartney releases. Then Memory Almost Full, Driving Rain.

The only track I get a bit bored with is the title track; lately that has been an autoskip for me when it comes on. Everything else - spot on. PS. Anyone know if the Japanese only track 'Struggle' is available for purchase on iTunes/Spotify/Mog etc?

 

Though I'm not a huge McCartney fan I keep going back to it. It's interesting and enjoyable.

 

"Clearly one of his best solo works - essential listening for Paul fans".

I must say that I was shocked by the quality of this album from beginning to end. Especially the Deluxe Edition. I don't usually feel this way about Paul's solo material. I can still listen to the album today and feel the same enjoyment I did on release day. It, along with the self-titled Dream Theater album was my 2014 Album of the Year.

 

It's okay.Not many throwaways(only everybody out there is a throwaway and a pretty embarasing one),but no really great songs either.Pleasant melodies but nothing that really stands out.

Overall slightly better than MAF but much worse than Chaos.
7/10 for me.