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| From | "Gary Littleton" <gary@garylittleton.com> |
| Subject | One more McCartney Review |
| Date | Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:00:36 -0400 |
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Terry Carolan (http://terrycarolan.com) who isn't on the Audities list wrote
this review which is quite thoughtful, so I'm posting it for him. Cheers,
Gary
June 21, 2007
Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full
After my earlier blurb on McCartney's new "Memory Almost Full" album, I
thought to myself "who the hell am I to even comment on Paul's new album".
Then I realized that who I am is one of many, many people who have watched
his truly amazing life and music unfold before our eyes, and a lot of this
new album is Paul's reflection on this incredible life, including the sad
reality that it can't last forever.
As much as I admire McCartney, I'm sometimes his harshest critic. I keep
waiting for another "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby", "Penny Lane", "Hey Jude"
or "Maybe I'm Amazed" to come out of him, but maybe it isn't fair to hold
him to those incredible tunes forever. "Memory Almost Full" doesn't have
another McCartney masterpiece on it, but it is a good album with several
really good tunes on it. Opening with the infectious ditty "Dance Tonight",
I'm reminded of the "Ram" album, and also Paul's ability to write a song
that sounds like a traditional tune that has been around for a long, long
time. Songs like "Ever Present Past", "That Was Me" and "The End Of The
End" are more beautiful in their message than their poetry. But then
there's that voice. it sounds great even when the lyrics aren't. On "That
Was Me" and "Nod Your Head" Paul belts it out nearly as well as his "Kansas
City" or "Oh Darling" days. With tunes like "That Was Me" and "The End Of
The End" Paul touches on some very mature topics, things that are on the
mind of many of our collective generation. And he does it with typical
McCartney grace, even if it is a bit trite in a few places. Over the years
Paul has gotten a little weak on some of his lyrics, and that is my opinion
for tunes like "See Your Sunshine" and "Gratitude", but he still has some
well written stuff here. "See Your Sunshine" is his most Wings sounding
piece since Wings and if listened to on the whole, even these tunes are
catchy and well performed, including some really great harmonies. "Mr.
Bellamy" and "Only Mama Knows" are McCartney novelettes. For some reason
"Bellamy" makes me think of Genesis circa Nursery Cryme, something like
"Harold The Barrel", very quirky pop. What can I say about "Only Mama
Knows"? It's a kick ass tune with weak lyrics telling a story about a
fictitious person. But with that said, "Helter Skelter" didn't exactly have
a story, so all in all "Mama" ain't too bad and Paul sings the hell out of
it.
One thing that has impressed me for years is Paul McCartney's view of his
amazing life. He's as big a fan of The Beatles as anyone else. In a 1996
interview Paul said; "I've always had this thing of him and me; he goes on
stage, he's famous, and then me; I'm just some kid from Liverpool.
Occasionally I stop and think, I am Paul McCartney, fuckin' hell, that is a
total freak-out!" This part of McCartney's personality comes through so
clearly on this album, so in that sense it is endearingly autobiographical,
philosophical and wistful.
No, there isn't the next "Blackbird" here, but each time I listen to "Memory
Almost Full" I'm more impressed. However critical I may be, to hear Paul
sing "on the day that I die." stirs as much emotion in me as any song he has
ever done. And isn't that what a songwriter should strive to do? I don't
want to think about a world without Paul McCartney. He's given me decades
of inspiration, and more of the soundtrack for my life than anyone else.
Somehow, as long as Paul is alive and singing, it will always be 1964, and
he will be forever young. And then, somehow, so am I.
Terry Carolan
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