Rock and roll springtime take 4 (LP 3161 - 3166)

Paul McCartney  Driving Rain (CD, Parlophone Records, 2001) ****  

Paul McCartney  Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (CD and DVD, Parlophone Records, 2005) ****  

Paul McCartney  Memory Almost Full (CD, Hear Music, 2007) *****  

Paul McCartney  Kisses On The Bottom (CD, Hear Music, 2012) **  

Paul McCartney  New (CD, Universal Music, 2013) ***

Paul McCartney  McCartney III (CD, Capitol Records, 2021) ***

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Fopp, HMV, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Only Mama Knows, The End Of The End (Memory Almost Full)

Gear costume: Jenny Wren (Chaos and Creation in the Backyard)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: It's been a good idea to group these albums together in decades because the 2000's produced a rejuvenated Macca, with a different sound.

First and foremost, his vocals began to change. For the first time they are showing signs of wear and tear. Not surprising given he'd been stretching them in concert and elsewhere for most of his life. Musically, the theme of the last two decades has been an attempt to embrace a tougher sound that aims to be current.

After Run Devel Run, Driving Rain is the second pop album he made after Linda's passing in 1998, and the first that has songs for his second wife - Heather Mills (they married in 2002). He was also busy with other projects, classical and otherwise, as well during this period. Music is his stillness.

Driving Rain's a good effort for the most part. Rinse The Raindrops is my favourite on the album. He stretches out and jams for a bit on various riffs. A welcome sign!

Chaos And Creation In The Background came out during his marriage with Heather, they would separate in 2006. It continues the late career flourish that began with Flaming Pie. There is a nice intimacy to the album and I like the more personal bent to the lyrical content. Highlight: Jenny Wren.

Memory Almost Full is a wonderful album. Even though it came out from a time Macca turned 64, it's bright and hopeful and positive right from the off (Dance Tonight kicks off things brilliantly). His marriage to Heather had ended in divorce, but this is no breakup album. There are some hints of mortality (the wonderful The End Of the End) but there are also some out and out rockers (Only Mama Knows).

Kisses On The Bottom breaks the streak from Flaming Pie to Memory Almost Full. It's a collection of standards, mostly songs from his parents' era, with help from Diana Krall (Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder also guest). 

I struggle with this type of album, even if it's Ringo (Sentimental Journey) or this one from Macca. It's just not my cup of (English) tea. The one song he writes for Nancy in the same style is a good one - My Valentine, but the album, as a whole, sags when the concentration is largely on his vocals.

New is an interesting title. It must be hard for someone with a huge back catalogue to come up with something new. Seeking out younger producers and collaborators is one way to look for freshness. Generally, from the cover to the songs and the delivery, he achieves a bright and sparkling relevancy on New.

For some reason I've already written about his next studio album - Egypt Station. I think it was because I had bought it while I was living in the UK and was reviewing albums as I bought them. So that just leaves McCartney III for this post.

Even though he's been the main contributor to a few of his other solo albums (i.e. Chaos And Creation In The Backyard), this album completes the McCartney, McCartney II, McCartney III trilogy. It was eagerly anticipated in 2020 and went to the top of the album charts (I'm not sure that means too much in the digital/ Spotify era though).

 
It's similar to those other two albums in that he reacted to a potentially negative situation, in this case Covid 19 lockdown, by picking up a musical instrument (an acoustic guitar if III's songs are anything to go by). Very McCartney. And so is the album. He's been comfortable in his own skin for a long long time. Favourite track: Long Tailed Winter Bird.

You will need to adjust to his now fully weather-beaten vocals but there are plenty of rewards on this album. Don't bet against him doing another studio album!

Where do they all belong? Odds and sods, then Live albums to come.