The recent rumours all appear to be true. On Friday, teasers began to appear for a new Paul album, McCartney III, assumed to be a fully solo, everything played by Macca, lockdown special. The date is expected to be Dec 11th.
To see the teaser, go to Spotify and pull up the album artwork for any track on the McCartney or McCartney II albums and you should see a dice rolling a 3.
There’s also a website: www.mccartneyiii.com.
I am looking forward to this.
Am I the only one who read that as McCartney ill? Never a good sign in a pandemic climate
Let me check that for you baby. Yep. It read as three to most of us.
My first reading too
If he gets his weird on the way he did with the other two vols, this should be fun.
That would be something.
That really would be something.
That would really, really be something.
Next…
His voice is completely gone based on the lockdown performance of Lady Madonna, could be interesting but painful listening. Last album Egypt Station has it’s moments however. Neither “McCartney” album is a masterpiece, but each has a few instrumentals which may be the way to go at this stage.
“McCartney” is bloody brilliant if you ask me. I much prefer his more informal, sketchy style to the more slick, professional, commercial stuff. Is there a solo McCartney masterpiece? Not sure there is and I include Wings when I say solo because it is. Ram is often touted as his best. Could well be. Mind you I’m not so interested in anything much of his after the seventies. On “McCartney” he’s licking his wounds, a little off his head and anguished. Suits him I think, from an artistic standpoint. Tones down the chirpyness a bit. His singing is great too.
The key thing on McCartney is the drumming. It was funky enough for A Tribe Called Quest to sample, after all.
Well, of course he was singing well in 1970! I go with 3 great songs, Maybe I’m Amazed, Junk and Every Night. The rest are fairly disposable, albeit enjoyable. He had bigger hit rates on most subsequent albums. I do think Maybe I’m Amazed could be the best song he ever wrote though, and that includes the other group he was in.
Best 3 “solo” (inc Wings), all magnificent.
Ram
Band on the Run
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Honourable mentions to
Back to the Egg
Tug of War
Flaming Pie
Then we are into Red Rose Speedway, McCartney, Venus and Mars, maybe McCartney II etc.
Seconded on Maybe I’m Amazed.
Thirded.
Yes, three great songs. My favourite being ‘Every Night’. His drumming was always a bit heavy handed and he was never the lead guitarist he wanted to be but you can’t fault his bass playing, his piano skills and (back then anyway) his voice. He went on to make better albums. ‘McCartney 2’ wasn’t one of them.
Altho I would respectfully point you in the direction of the Taxman guitar solo
Yes. Did he want to be a lead guitarist? I find his solos to be perfectly fine from my, non musician, point of view. Everything he does is pretty musical.
He wanted to be lead guitarist, and was (or at least co-lead with George).
He got the job of Bass when Stu Sutcliffe left (as long as he was allowed to play piano and do his Little Richard impressions)
Not sure they had a guitarist playing solos at that time. I knew he switched to bass.
He is reputed to have taken over on bass rather reluctantly. But curiously he became, alongside Squire and Entwistle, one of the finest exponents of the instrument in a broadly ‘rock/pop’ context. Yes, of course I’m aware of Taxman and one or two others and his solo albums have some lovely twiddly bits. But- huge Macca fan that I am- I would still argue that it’s not his greatest strength. But hey. As we all probably agree he wrote and co-wrote some of the best songs ever committed to tape and, at his peak, was arguably one of the greatest singers too.
From Rubber Soul onwards he belatedly falls in love with playing the bass, probably from his listening to contemporary r’n’b where the bass was crucial (in both the literal and Delbert Wilkins sense). The rivalry with Brian W. probably helped too.
Ironically as George discovers the sitar and has less interest in playing the guitar.
Good Morning Good Morning’s is allegedly Macca too.
Rather spiffy, whoever it is.
Yeah he definitely ups his bass game around ’65 – I think he’d been checking out the likes of James Jamerson on those Motown 45s coming out around then (That snappy funk on The Word & Drive My Car!) He also got his Rickenbacker bass in ’65 or ’66 which must have been like driving a Ferrari and then yer tech bods at Abbey Road with their direct injection and ADT etc etc etc
If his voice is gone, it’s of no consequence with a new album.
All sorts of polishing-up can be done in-studio that can’t be done onstage. The vocals will be fine, as will be the musicianship. The songs, arrangements and production are where any question marks could appear.
We shall find out in December.
Which may not be done for a more basic completely solo, self produced lockdown album which is waht the “McCartney” albums are about”
I can’t see Macca releasing anything that sounds ropey. He has all the time in the world to record his stuff and the money to buy the best home-studio gear there is. The result might sound homespun but it won’t sound ropey.
Personally I think he will use untreated vocals, we shall see.
Having recently listened to the playlists compiled by @Dai the thing that stuck out was how good everything sounded , like everything. He knows his studio.
I wish I could’ve written McCartney II. “Come a come along with me to my darkroom.”
Which is exactly what Lord Snowden said to my mum once – and she refused
Good on him.
Re: McCartney.
Yes, Maybe, I’m Amazed is terrific (not Let It Be or The Long and Winding Road terrific, but terrific) but it just doesn’t fit on “McCartney.” It’s almost as though Paul has gone so far, and then pulls back at the last minute to appease the punters.
Maybe I’m Amazed is indeed not Let It Be or Long And Winding Road terrific. It’s better (possibly my favourite Macca tune). Mind, the Beatles songs do sound much better with the Spector bombast stripped away.
I agree it’s better. There’s no sugar coating, which he often employs, regardless of Spector. You could say it’s by the band The Beatles could have been.
See above. That “band” being the one you see in the “Coming Up” video:
Still would have been better as a stand-alone 45.
“McCartney” goes on its merry, “pleasing-no-one-but-myself” (and deramdaze) way, until it cuts in at the very point it’s achieved its objective to say, “Oh, by the way, it’s yer ol’ Beatle-mate Macca, don’t be scared,” before going back on “McCartney” mode with the final crackpot song.
The great thing about the album is the experimentation – and the question “What would you do if you’d been in the greatest act of all time?
The least experimental bit is “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and the least interesting way to answer the question is “Maybe I’m Amazed.”
I think the idea that albums should only contain tracks that ‘fit’ is overrated/overstated. Who cares if he chucks in a masterpiece single that sticks out a bit? The album is fine as a listening experience. It’s great, it’s sold, it’s the bloody McCartney album, shut up! Now Beatles albums, talk about jarring, out of place tracks.
I love Coming Up, despite that very creepy video. Who’s the drummer meant to be?
Coming Up is by some distance the best song on that album.
I thought McCartney was supposed to have played all the instruments himself? Surely that’s not him on the saxophone and clarinet (or whatever they are)? They’re too professional sounding. Maybe he recorded the basic backing track then got some session musician overdubs at Abbey Road?
This is bugging me now. Listening to the song again there’s definitely some kind of wind instruments, and I’m sure I hear a clarinet and/or trumpet or something. But although McCartney has always dabbled in many instruments, I really don’t think he can play as well as that.
Everything online just states he played all the instruments himself. And the wikipedia page for Coming Up lists:
Paul McCartney – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums
Linda McCartney – backing vocals
This is bugging me now. Listening to the song again there’s definitely some kind of wind instruments, and I’m sure I hear a clarinet and/or trumpet or something. But although McCartney has always dabbled in many instruments, I really don’t think he can play as well as that.
Everything online just states he played all the instruments himself. And the wikipedia page for Coming Up lists:
Paul McCartney – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums
Linda McCartney – backing vocals
I just had a quick listen and it sounds like a toy trumpet to me, augmented by a keyboard line. But there’s a lot of distortion, so it’s difficult to pick out what’s being played. Some of the ‘brass fills’ or whatever they are, do sound a bit technical, but it’s possible Macca could have conjured them in the studio.
I’m told by my sax playing pal that it is very easy to get a tune out of, once you learn how to blow. She has no formal music education but blows great horn*.
I’m a root-note-plodder bassisst, and even I can get a tune out of a sax.
(*) Morning, Moosey.
Lauren Bacall?
I’d always assumed it was an adjusted keyboard.
It must be, he was a bit fixated on synthesizers at the time.
I dunno. It sounds too good to be a keyboard from 1980. And there is proper bending of notes and dynamics and all that.
I wish I had a hotline to Macca and I could ask him about this.
At best it sounds like a toy trumpet to me.
He would have access to the best keyboards and have you heard The Human League? “Keep feeling fascination… Toot-toot, toot-toot-toot.”
Absolutely not, the only thing he doesn’t do is occasional Linda backing vocals (and she is also “McCartney”). Synths I think, not horns.
Waterfalls is also great and I love Temporary Secretary. I also like On the Way. Side 2 is less interesting, but non album tracks like Secret Friend are gratefully accepted on the deluxe set.
I know we’ve all heard these stories from Paul before but there’s new insight in this interview.
Up on amazon.com (or will appear soon)
Some more details over on SDE although it seems to be mainly a plethora of coloured vinyl editions – still no track listing.
What worries me most is this:
“built mostly from live takes of Paul on vocals and guitar/piano”
Bless him, his live voice is no longer his greatest assest.
Honestly, Paul, take as many overdubs as you need.
Some speculating that as he has done little live work in the last year then it may be in better shape. However the lockdown Lady Madonna version (nice arrangement notwithstanding) seemed to prove otherwise.
It does say “built”, which I assume means work of some sort has been done on them. We’ll see.
Actually, I probably won’t see before you lot, as I have yet to own or have much interest in any of Macca’s post-fabs product.
Coloured vinyl on SDE? Surely not.
He’s hit the media with the official confirmation now; release is indeed 11 December
Sir Paul McCartney on his lockdown album: ‘I was just messing around’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54634191
“The vocals sound really raw.”
Uh-oh…
McCartney just can’t give it up and he doesn’t care because no matter what he does he will always be Paul McCartney.
Not for me he won’t.
You old-timers still call him Paul Ramone. Get with it, daddio – it’s the sixties now!
Four different versions of the CD in different coloured sleeves, each with one unique demo. Either he needs the money or he’s desperate for a (final?) number one album.
15 different versions in total apparently, vinyl (9), CD (5) and cassette (1).
Go on, tell us which is the most expensive. I’m already sitting down and have secured my hat so that it can’t fly vertically off my head in the manner of a DC Thomson character.
Wait…. CASSETTE??
…stupid cheap superglue…
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Paul-McCartney-McCartney-III-yellow-vinyl-Third-Man-edition/324376588909?hash=item4b8659f26d:g:bFsAAOSwIhFfsra5
I briefly had it in my cart for about $50. DOH!!
Yellow vinyl, lovely. What’s music for if you’re not being reminded of custard?
The Paul McCartney Project has the tracklisting –
https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/album/mccartney-iii/
Lavatory Lil is my favourite song on the album. Apparently he demo’d it as Shithouse Sharon. Great to see The Master has lost none of his touch!
Drop a penny in her plate
Run inside and don’t be late
Find an empty cubicle (give the seat a wipe)
Armitage Shanks and flush it down the pipe
[chorus] SHITHOUSE SHARON she’ll clean up your splash
SHITHOUSE SHARON’s not in it for the cash
(peek-a-boo, number two, ooh! peek-a-boo, number two)
[spoken – army officer-type voice]: If you run out of paper
Give Sharon a shout, she’s a game old bird, she’ll help you out!
[instrumental to fade – excerpts from Dam Busters March, bagpipes, piccolo obbligato etc.]
Sequel to his song cycle on the peregrinations of Dan Dan The Lavatory Man.
Part 1. The Trough of Dreams
Part 2. Beware the Logger
Part 3. Bummers are Deaf (controversial, that one)
Anybody listened to it yet? My copy arrived yesterday, and I’ve played it twice. I’m not sure I have much more to say than it’s pretty good. If I heard any of these tracks without knowing who they were by, I’d say they stand up pretty well, you don’t have to try to think of it in the context of his overall career, unlike Dylan. It doesn’t sound like the work of one person overdubbed, unlike his two earlier solo albums, but a proper band. I don’t know if I can think of a comparable living musician, who this late in his career is still this interesting. Maybe Wayne Shorter, who I was listening to the other day. Another endlessly inventive writer of melodies, who until his recent retirement from performing kept his individuality while absorbing new technologies.
Only 1 listen – like what I hear, but wouldn’t say it’s up there with his best work.
Pleased they are actual songs though, rather than sketches or experimental noodles.
My vinyl is delayed so listened in the car on Spotify. Pretty patchy is my assessment after 1 listen. Very rough vocals as was to be expected, wonder if he does in fact need a producer these days.
Some really nice moments, but based on one listen I would put it close to the bottom of his 21st Century work. To compare with any other era is naturally ridiculous. Once more I reserve the right to modify this opinion.
Yet another bird song, Long Tailed Winter Bird (with a sort of reprise). So now we have Blackbird, Single Pigeon, Bluebird, Jenny Wren, Two Magpies and the new one (or two), did I miss any? Answers on a postcard please.
McCartney 3 Tunes 0
Is my quick Spinal Tap style review.
Oh I say. That’s very good, Arch.
Indeed. Arch, have an up from me.
Well good joke, but I disagree, it’s fab. Full of those little McCartney touches, endlessly inventive even if his voice isn’t what it was. You should have seen Mrs thep capering round the sitting room when Long-Tailed W B was on. It’s my go-to washing up waxing now.
Much like his interviews Paul can’t seem to give too much away here. I love his ditties though. They’re fun but ultimately unsatisfying when you know he’s hiding from us. I still think he’s got a few classics within him.
He’s got his number one album (in the UK, Germany & the Netherlands at least), which is nice, as it seems to have been important to him…
https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/
No. 1… hurrah! … oh, wait, hmm … 2020 …
Remember when it was revealed in 2005 that, when those Elvis 45s were reissued, a no. 1 single could be obtained with a miserly 20,000 sales (who knew? – certainly not the record industry), and they then construed over the next two months that the following Elvis releases didn’t get to no. 1?
I do.
As you infer, a no. 1 in the 21st Century is the sum of the square root of Jack Shit.
Christ man, take a day off