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Paul McCartney's music driven by march of time |
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Written by Martin Bandyke, MCT
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Tuesday, 05 June 2007 |
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 PAUL MCCARTNEY
"Memory Almost Full"
4 stars
Those expecting "Memory Almost Full" to be Paul McCartney's divorce album, a la Marvin Gaye's "Here, My Dear" or Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks," might be disappointed by the lack of dishy songs obviously aimed at his soon-to-be ex. Beyond the speculation about his personal life, the real news is that the ex-Beatle is alive and kicking, artistically speaking. He's delivered a mature, poignant statement, thankfully short on lightweight material. And a ton of it really rocks.
McCartney began work on the album in 2003 during halcyon days with Heather Mills - their only child was born that autumn. He put it aside to make "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Recently, McCartney revisited the older tunes, re-recording parts while coming up with new ideas. Beautifully crafted, "Memory Almost Full" greatly benefits from the extra time spent on it, easily incorporating rock and orchestral arrangements without sounding overly clever.
Lyrically speaking, McCartney looks back at his past, driven by the urgent march of time - he turns 65 this month, believe it or not.
"You Tell Me" is the only track that could be about Mills. It's a melancholy lament recalling lost, blissful moments with a loved one, but even that may be an interpretative stretch. There's no doubt about the meaning of "Gratitude," a scintillating song of appreciation that bursts with emotion and conjures "Here, There and Everywhere."
"Ever Present Past" and "That Was Me" are also major achievements, both of them evocative trips back in time. Dense with images that move from playing childhood games to playing in the Fab Four, McCartney doesn't even approach drippy sentiment. Both songs are propelled by their spiky rhythms and brightly colored melodies.
"That Was Me" is the most exceptional section of a five-song medley that is sure to draw comparisons to the medley on "Abbey Road," especially with McCartney finishing his with "The End of the End" as opposed to the Beatles closing with "The End." McCartney's message in this stately, piano-driven track is a startlingly clear-eyed acceptance of death, or as he says, "the start of a journey to a much better place."
Just as the "Abbey Road" medley is followed by one more song ("Her Majesty"), "Memory Almost Full" also finishes with one more. It's the astonishing "Nod Your Head," a pulverizing rocker out of the "Helter Skelter" school that shows McCartney is not ready to go down quietly. | Only registered users can write comments.
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