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King Kamala

Classic Vinyl: McCartney

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I promised Cheech, I would revive this thread as a favor to him bumping my Demolition thread in General Wrestling so here it is. Doubt there's much interest in solo Paul McCartney but here we go...

 

Paul McCartney- McCartney

paul-mccartney-mccartney.jpg

 

In the Fall of '69 with The Beatles falling apart, McCartney headed to his home with his new family to his home in London and brought along with him his instruments and a four track recorder. He began to record songs, improvising them as he went along and overdubbing himself in the process. The album was targeted to be released mere weeks before what would be The Beatles' final studio album Let It Be A week before the release of his solo debut, McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles and it was far from amicable. Naturally, this propelled the record to the top of the charts on both sides of The Atlantic. Initially, the record received mixed reviews from critics. Detractors derided the album for being too slight, especially in the wake of McCartney's more ambitious recent work but it has grown to be one of McCartney's better regarded solo albums.

 

Side One

"The Lovely Linda"

"That Would Be Something"

"Valentine Day"

"Every Night"

"Hot As Sun/Glasses"

"Junk"

"Man We Was Lonely"

 

I think what strikes most listeners about this album is its simplicity. I don't think you could get any more different from Plastic-Ono Band than this album. I can see why critics were somewhat letdown by this album's minimalist, intimate feel after the second side of Abbey Road. This, however, is at the point where McCartney's whimsy was more cute than cloying. Every track on this side is relatively short so even the less memorable tracks don't really overstay their welcome. "Junk" (a rerecorded White Album reject) and "Every Night" are high up there in the list of great solo McCartney songs.

 

Side Two

"Oo You"

"Momma Miss America"

"Teddy Boy"

"Singalong Junk"

"Maybe I'm Amazed"

"Kreen-Akore"

 

Generally speaking, the instrumentals are kind of the low point on the album. Not actively bad or anything just kind of forgettable. "Momma Miss America" is an exception. "Teddy Boy" (another White Album reject) is a nice, little ramshackle slice of life song. Certainly better than some songs that made that particular album. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is the only hit on the album and the only one that really displays the typical bombastic McCartney sound. "Kreen-Akore" kind of ends the album on a flat note. Another generally forgettable instrumental with a weird Hawaiian feel to it.

 

Other notes

I may be the only one but I'd say McCartney's first two albums are in the same league as Lennon's much more talked about first two solo albums.

 

Also unlike a lot of people, I'm also a fan of this album's "sequel" McCartney II. Got to dig that synthesizer. Although it's nothing I can listen to more than once a month or so.

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I've never heard this particular album, but I've never cared much for the solo output from Paul McCartney. Maybe it's because his stuff was released in the shadow of All Things Must Pass and Plastic Ono Band, two albums I hold in extremely high regard, but it all seems very punchless. As a solo artist he never seemed to recapture the spirit and adventure he brought to his Beatles work.

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Hate to say it but as good as I think this album is, I don't think it'll win many converts. While it is stripped of a lot of the somewhat overproduced tacky schmaltz that would plague most of his Wings material, I think this album displays the laid back,devil may care attitude that a lot of people really dislike about his solo material.

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Yeah, "Junk," "Every Night" and of course "Maybe I'm Amazed" are all very good. This album is actually a pretty enjoyable late-night listen and could well be the highlight of McCartney's solo career.

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