Little wonder Macca’s collaboration with Nigel Godrich - the serious muso’s knob twiddler of choice - on 2005’s Chaos And Creation In The Backyard proved so fraught. With a place in the musical and social history of the twentieth century secure, further self-immolation must seem about as attractive as a career appraisal from Scroobious Pip.
The upshot, then, is Memory Almost Full. Played and written entirely by Macca and produced by David Kanye, it comes, like their collaboration on 2001’s Driving Rain, with a breezy determination not to take itself too seriously.
Opener “Dance Tonight” (“Everybody’s gonna dance tonight/Everybody’s gonna feel alright”) is a jaunty two-fingers to introspection; ‘Ever Present Past’ a good-natured Beatle-esque nod to ‘the weight’.
It’s not all tea and biscuits over at Fab FM. “Only Mama Knows” sees him growling cryptically about “this godforsaken place” amidst smoking amps, whilst a brooding “House Of `Wax” is a cryptic puree of nightmare images and howling, clifftop guitar solos.
Yet a quiet humanism prevails throughout. McCartney is no longer striving to satisfy a Lennonesque foil, a quest which began with 1989’s Costello collaboration Flowers In the Dirt. Instead, he downloads random memories in his journey from Speke to superstardom with warmth and more than a dash of wry humour.
“That Was Me” finds him leafing through his photo albums (“That was me/ Merseybeatin’ /With the band”), before exploding “It’s pretty hard to take it all in!”; ‘Vintage Clothes’ is a cheeky reminder not to get too lost in the past. Divorce lawyers for Heather Mills, meanwhile, will take succour from ‘Gratitude’ (“I should stop loving you/ Think what you put me through/ But I don’t want to lock my heart away”).
Above all comes a sense that McCartney has finally come to terms with his own legend.
“I had it my way” he says in “Feet In the Clouds”, as if we were ever in any doubt.
As boisterously sentimental as The Cavern at closing time, Memory Almost Full is a reminder that, in the long run, the least serious albums often say the most.
PAUL MOODY
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Stirling
After such a quality album in 2005 with Chaos and Creation in the Backyard I was a little worried that this would be another Pipes of Peace compared to Tug of War but its not so its ok.
Macca seems to be having a very good 10 years musically if not personally. This album compreises some og his best qualities from all the era's of his career.Its like a modern wings album without Linda. There are echos of McCartney II as well in the form of Ever Present Past. Mr Bellamy is kind of in the same vein as Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsay and his voice for Gratitude and Only Mama Knows proves despite nearing the age of 65 hes still a rocker and a good rocker at that.
Paul McCartney is still an important song writer and musician and we still need him. Although there may be elements of other songs of his or influences its still something we have never before heard of him and is really modern.
As a fan of his music this last 10 years has been a great time to be a McCartney fan
Denmark
2 Billion albums sold, 2 Billion singles sold, the most # 1 hits as well as albums in music history, the beholder of the world record of world records apparently still has something to prove - and so he does.
An intimate, still up-beat album with lyrics still becomming better through the years. There is a fine line from the masterpiece "Tug of War" via "Flowers in the dirt", "Flaming Pie" and Chaos and Creation in the backyard" to "Memory Allmost Full".
Macca is back at his best !
Antrim
The bass-playing on this album is notable for pulling out the latent uberbassist of old especially the storming performance of 'See Your Sunshine'.
It's just a great album. No filler, all killer and the buzz around it has been phenomenal particularly in my local Starbucks today which was full of 20-something musicians reading the NME interview (by Kaiser Chiefs) and playing air-bass.
Sales remain to be seen but this one has recaptured McCartney's influence and put it back on the wheels of now.
GA
In a world where cds don't sell and radio is boring and insipid, this album will shine. The best music is downloaded by word of mouth. Few people care about top forty or air play any more. The music worth hearing is NOT on the radio. Paul's genius in this marketing move will prove as stellar as his music on the new album. It sounds totally fresh and ripe for download.
