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| From | "Gary Littleton" <gary@garylittleton.com> |
| Subject | Re: McCatney: I Like It! |
| Date | Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:05:39 -0400 |
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Excellent review... Thanks Josh.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: audities-owner@smoe.org
> [mailto:audities-owner@smoe.org] On Behalf Of jchasin@nyc.rr.com
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 10:40 AM
> To: audities@smoe.org
> Subject: McCatney: I Like It!
>
> I decided midway through the third listen that I really like
> Memory Almost Full. Here's what I told the good people at Amazon:
>
> Among McCartney's work from 1980 on, it is generally accepted
> that the two best records are Tug of War (1982) and Flowers
> in the Dirt (1989).
> Memory Almost Full deserves a place beside these two
> later-period works; it is certainly his best since Flowers in
> the Dirt.
>
> When Linda McCartney passed away, clearly a part of Paul died
> with her, and his post-Linda records (Run Devil Run, Driving
> Rain, and Chaos and
> Creation) all sounded fragile, brittle, old, lonely. This
> from an artist who is all about whimsy, playfulness, who had
> a number one hit with the wry and self-aware "Silly Love
> Songs." Somber and mortal don't sound well on Paul, cute
> doesn't age well, Peter Pan should never grow up.
>
> At first I thought this record was going to fall into that
> cluster of recent records that just didn't work. But some
> time during my third listen, it all snapped into place. The
> melodies had worked their way into my brain, and I am happy
> to announce that Memory Almost Full is a solid return to the
> musical DNA of his best work. And especially after the moody
> downbeat experimentation of Chaos and Creation, I say, hallelujah.
>
> This is not to say he's repeating himself, or rehashing old ground.
> Rather, I think that Paul sounds quintessentially like Paul
> here, and if you've gone for that over the years, you will
> find this a welcome revelation.
>
> "Dance Tonight" is an infectious if innocuous ditty of the
> sort he's been pulling off and tossing off for years; "Ever
> Present Past," the single, grows on you and works better in
> the context of the record than as a standalone. It is the
> first of several songs here in which Paul looks back on his
> life and legacy; talk about a guy who can't escape his ever
> present past, eh? "See Your Sunshine" is a winning
> arrangement, lush with gorgeous backing vocals; it harkens
> back sonically to Tug of War, I'd say.
>
> "Only Mama Knows" is one of those rockers of his like "Junior's Farm"
> or "Girls School." Some have said that this record is
> reminiscent of the Wings stuff, and I think it is-- and
> what's wrong with that, I'd like to know "You Tell Me" is a
> gently loping, somewhat haunting ballad built around acoustic
> guitar. "Mr. Bellamy" most certainly bears at least a passing
> acquaintance with a Mrs. Vanderbilt. "Gratitude" is a winning
> vampy tune with an exquisite and chilling ascent on the
> harmonies of the refrain that make it sheer ear candy.
>
> Then "Vintage Clothes" begins a 5-song medley which looks
> back at the artist's life (its OK to wear old clothes, but
> don't live in the past); the song segues into "That Was Me,"
> a nice upbeat number (or "noom- bah," as Paul would say) that
> sees him owning up to, embracing his past ("That was me on
> the river, Mersey-beatin', with the band... that was
> me.") Later in the song he sings, "If fate would decree that
> all of this would make a lifetime, who am I to disagree? That
> was me." Another neat segue into the pretty "Head in the
> Clouds," then the more somber "House of Wax," more great
> vocal arrangements, and nice lush orchestration, then some
> tasty minor key guitar work.
>
> The medley ends with "The End of the End" (the title a wink
> at the final track on Abbey Road?) which is the most maudlin
> thing on here; Paul talks about what he wants at his funeral.
> But then he, literally, goes whistling past the graveyard.
>
> Then a coda of a sort, the hard rocking "Nod Your Head."
>
> The singing--and especially the backing vocals--is
> outstanding throughout, but more than anything else, with
> only a couple of exceptions, the moroseness is gone and the
> whimsy is back. The melodies are memorable, burrowing into
> your brain and setting up camp there, so that as you play the
> record you're thinking, "Oh yeah, I like this one!" as each
> tune rolls by. The songs exude the combination of seductive
> playfulness combined with seeming total effortlessness that
> marks his best work. And as always, the musicianship is first
> rate, especially the old fella on bass.
>
> But hell, don't take my word for it--go to Starbucks and give
> it a listen.
>
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