The State of Sound : A commentary on recent musical efforts by the great Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney.

Few are the people who don't recognize that name. FYI, if you're one of the people who don't know that name, just stop reading and go buy "Flaming Pie" at your local record store. Seriously, I'm not wasting my time on you until you're a little more educated.

He is arguably one of the greatest, most innovative, and most influential musicians of our time, and more. Lennon and McCartney were the songrwriting legends that singlehandedly started a musical revolution spanning the entire globe. In his solo career, McCartney constantly explored new avenues, redefining his style and defying expectations at every turn. It would be impossible for anyone to escape from the shadow of the Beatles, but he came the closest by far, making a more than respectable name for himself as a solo artist.

So, the question begs to be asked..."what happened?"

Now before the true believers stone me for my sacrilegious words, let me clarify. This will in fact be a commentary on the declining quality of Sir McCartney's musical offerings, but that is not to say that these recent cd's are "bad", per se. The only reason they seem lacking is because the man who wrote these songs didn't just set the bar higher than anyone before him, he invented the freaking bar and placed it in the heaves to glisten down upon us mortals like a shimmering star. Just because he fails to reach such great heights with his latest efforts doesn't mean that they're not still far better than most music out there. So there, all I'm saying is that, compared to his earlier music, Paul's work has gone downhill.

I'm speaking primarily of "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" (the album he was promoting on his "Back in the US" tour) and "Memory Almost Full" (his recent release exclusively available at starbuck's coffee). The songs are enjoyable, fun, and still very obviously "Paul". He has a quality that it's easy to pick out in music. I've personally purchased both and don't regret either choice. However, there aren't really any gems on either album. Some songs stand out from the pack as more catchy, and some fall short in the "Sing-Along-Ability" category.

I think (and I hate to say this) that the real reason this cd leaves me wanting for some more of the old Paul is that...well, he's trying too hard to be Paul. I don't wanna say he's trying to relive the glory days, or he's trying to channel the Beatles, but well...sometimes it seems that way. Allow me a few specific examples. If you've heard the albums at all, you're probably familiar with a track called "Jenny Wren". It's a simple piece with minimalistic acoustic guitar and vocals. It's astonishingly similar to another piece he's written as an analogy comparing women to birds, "Blackbird". The picking style is similar, rhythmic strum/picking between the low and high strings, with some interesting switches from major to minor in mid-song. Very Very similar to blackbird. Oh well, blackbird was a good song right? So what's wrong with that? Well, it just seems evident in all the tracks an these new cd's that, even if he's not trying to emulate his earlier style, he's not really trying anymore to innovate.

Another example is "English Tea". And incredibly cute, fun, enjoyable listen. The more you hear it though, the more it starts to seem like maybe Paul is trying a little too hard to be Paul. The nonsensical lyrics, the bouncy/poppy rhythm and melody, it's all just dripping Paul, almost a little too much. "Nod Your Head", a track on "Memory Almost Full" goes back to the more rock and roll style tracks evident on albums like The White Album. It's especially reminiscent of Helter Skelter.

While I hate to speak poorly of such a great man and artist, I feel like Paul has realized that he doesn't have to try anymore. We'll still buy his cd's, and I definitely will still enjoy his music. But he's not revolutionizing anything anymore. He's done more than his part, but I still feel like he could have more to offer if he wanted to.

Thank you for your music, Paul, please don't stop caring!

Thanks for reading,

loren