McCartney... Two!
I've talked before about another Paul McCartney album, RAM, which stands as one of my favorites for its proto-bedroom pop style and rough-around-the-edges production. I was at Electric Fetus records in Minneapolis one fine day when I saw a CD copy of McCartney II, styled like a Japanese LP with side card, lyrics and wax paper sleeve around the disc. It was an incredible bit of packaging design, one that often gets replicated for album re-releases these days, and I bought it for its charm despite it's rather high 30-dollar asking price. What the heck, I had a good internship, I could afford a CD that was odd-sized and didn't stack well on a shelf.
I popped it into my car's CD player on the way home down the I-394 and Minnesota Highway 100, and contemplated. By the time I got there I was on I think track five, and my opinions on the album were mixed to say the least. The one guaranteed winner, in my mind, was Temporary Secretary, which I often play on loop when I'm on a creative hot streak. Or I want to torture my friends on a voice call. That synth, pure madness!
But in writing this review I decided to have a critical listen to the whole album. Waterfalls goes on and on, but it has this ethereal organ sound that gives it a wonderful soundscape. Front Parlour has the melody of a song in the background of a YouTube video advertising an as-seen-on-TV product, ala old vat-19 videos. Summer Day Song sounds like a lullaby, while Frozen- uh-oh! You can't be saying that white baby!
So, thoughts on McCartney II? It's not a great album. It's fine, there are some good moments in there and McCartney's songwriting chops come through, but a lot of it feels rather malaise-y. Slow, sort of a fraction of the energy that carried RAM and late Beatles albums. Standouts are Darkroom, Blue Sway, the first track Coming Up, and hey Temporary Secretary is always a good way to torture yourself or others, just like Private Paul.
Shoot, do y'all know about Private Paul? He was an animatronic designed by the Showbiz Pizza folk, creative enginnering, that got sold to the US army as a test dummy for biohazard suits. He would dance endlessly and any imperfections in the suits would show after the extended strain. There's a link on that page to the Paul face model, it's hellish! Now, what horrors will McCartney III hold?