Disco de Paul McCartney: “Chaos and Creation in the Backyard”

As a boy, I grew up with The Beatles. I felt the little hairs on my arms stand up when their first hit aired on the radio, went to see all their movies (yes, I believed The Beatles lived together in that big house with four doors), got stoned with Sergeant Pepper and even more with the second side of Abbey Road, worried when I saw how they grew apart in Let it Be, was heartbroken when the Fab Four finally split up.

I followed McCartney on his adventures as a solo artist and with Wings. Even though he wrote some of his best work during that period, his albums always lacked something, and often a lot - even Band on the Run had parts that I wanted to skip. Too many albums followed. I kinda lost interest after a while.

And then came Chaos and Creation. After playing it for the second time, I found that I was humming some of the melodies and riffs in my mind. I just had to play the album over and over. Then something weird happened. Tears started running down my face. Huh? This never happened to me anymore... not since A Long and Winding Road, anyway. But it did. And the album just keeps getting better.

History will have to prove if this is Paul's best album, as I suspect it is. It shows all he has to offer: great melodies, a voice that still lends itself to every mood and genre, lyrics that go from poetic to weird and from silly to corny. But hey, that is Paul. Honest and sincere, sometimes with a hint of irony, but never cynical. And the combination of those ingredients creates music that goes straight to the heart.

Much of the quality of Chaos and Creation is due to the excellent production. So, thanks to everyone who helped McCartney create this album. But above all, thanks to Paul for touching me again with his music now, just as he did when I was a boy.

Paul McCartney is the most successful songwriter in history, with more number one songs and albums (including the Beatles, obviously) than anyone else.* There's a very good reason for this -- he writes great music and melodies.

Unlike some, I have enjoyed almost everything McCartney has had to offer. They've ranged from not-too-good ("Wild Life," "Wings at the Speed of Sound") to good ("Off the Ground," "McCartney," "Back to the Egg") to great ("Tug of War," "Flowers in the Dirt," "Driving Rain") to classic ("Band on the Run," "Ram," "Flaming Pie"). This album ranks among the latter.

It's hard to say just how great this album is, but as I listened, I realized I was listening to an outstanding piece of art. It's a non-Wings, pure McCartney Beatles album, plain and simple. Many songs here could be on the "White Album" and "Abbey Road" -- most notably "English Tea" (sure, it's drivel, but sweet fluff that only McCartney can pen effortlessly), "Jenny Wren," (yeah, yeah, "Blackbird," blah blah) "Promise to You Girl," and "This Never Happened Before" (an excellent track reminiscent of "You Never Give Me Your Money" without copying it). Sure, "Friends to Go" sounds like a George Harrison song, much the way "Riding to Jaipur," off 2001's "Driving Rain," did. (Perhaps he's chanelling George). But the standout track on this unequivocal masterpiece is "Riding to Vanity Fair;" its slow, methodic melody, complimented by a plaintive toy glockenspiel, is a trance-inducing pleasure.

A great asset of this album is that its 13 tunes clock in at just over 40 minutes, which is rare in this day (with the "hidden" track(s) it's still only about 46 minutes). THANK YOU!!! Albums have gotten way too long these days. And the songs are an average 3 minutes apiece -- another nice touch, since songs have also gotten too bloated lately (most of the Beatles' songs were between 2 1/2 and 3 minutes long).

The only complaints I have is that the opening of "Anyway" sounds like either "People Get Ready" or the opening of "Under the Bridge," depending on how you hear it. McCartney usually never sounds like anybody but himself or Beatles. But the song transforms and redeems itself, becoming one of the most heart-wrenching and moving songs on the album.

Some people ask why an artist McCartney's age would even bother; others say that artists his age, such as the Rolling Stones, should just retire. That's like telling a painter at age 65 that he or she is no longer allowed to paint! McCartney made it clear in a recent interview that he enjoys recording -- it's his hobby. He doesn't need the money, but he pours his heart into it, which should let you know that it's authentic.

We should be incredibly thankful that in these troubled times this wonderful, beautiful man has blessed us with brand new, soul-soothing music to make us smile as he always has. Pray he will continue to do so.

Thank you, Sir Paul McCartney.

*Guinness Book of World Records, Billboard

I considered calling this review "McCartney's Most Honest and Restrained Album In A While" but was concerned that it may be interpreted as some sort of criticism rather than describing the two elements that make it his best in a long while.

Several songs in this album, which offer more breadth and depth that I've listened from Paul in recent albums, showed a more introspective and unsentimental view of life. I would not call this set solemn as much as restrained, avoiding a certain indulging of his cheerful side that, in my opinion, has accounted for uneven albums in the past.

Tunes like "Riding To Vanity Fair," "Jenny Wren," and "Anyway" are great examples of McCartney's extraordinary gift for tender melodies, yet manage to stop short from "precious Pop."

To this point, in addition to these songs being a very inspired batch, Nigel Godrich's production is a key factor. It seems, from what I read, that he was able to push back on Paul enough to reveal the best and most sincere these songs have to offer, the ones mentioned before -as well as "Too Much Rain" and "A Certain Softness, for the sake of additional examples.

That's, I think, a great producer's gift, to reveal -not to create- the inner beauty of music and words, to provide the sound and mood that makes them stand out -think Rubin with Cash, or Lanois with Emmylou Harris. He did not make this album better, perhaps, but as great as it should be.

So, for me, there is enough natural beauty and thoughtful craft in "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard," to give it album five stars.

Paul McCartney's songwriting is indeed a peculiar beast. It's hard to find albums in his sizeable catalog that are consistently great, but it does make for a treasure hunt trying to pick out the gems. The highest praise I can give Paul's latest effort is that EVERY track has something indelible about it that lingers in your head and rewards repeat listens. Therefore, I would like to briefly discuss each track.

1.) Fine Line - Paul's fine return to rocking form, opening promisingly with, "There is a fine line between recklessness and courage," which is probably not topical, but can certainly be interpreted as such. Imagine the stomp of "Flaming Pie" put to far better use.

2.) How Kind Of You - The one track that could be called "McCartney meets Radiohead" and also the most autobiographical. The song's melody seems to drift in space around Paul's precious vocal, as a harmonium and loops accentuate the story of a man finding love late in life. Genuinely touching.

3.) Jenny Wren - Most love it, but many have ripped this track for being a supposed xerox of "Blackbird". Well, that one was nearly forty years ago, Paul openly discusses wanting to craft something similar in feel, and Wren is quite a bit more complicated. The instrumental duduk passages are haunting, and the social commentary is simple but not too preachy.

4.) At The Mercy - A product of improvisation and simple lyrics and melody, Mercy nonetheless creates quite an atmosphere via the cinematic strings and a foreboding lead vocal. A definite mood-setter.

5.) Friends To Go - Paul has spoken of this song as if it was ghost-written by George Harrison, and the crisply-strummed acoustic, plain-spoken vocal, and contemplative lyrics bear that out. Would have made a great track for the Traveling Wilburys.

6.) English Tea - A silly but instant favorite, with Paul being unabashedly Brit as he invites you to join him and the quartet for a little refreshment. The song is short, sweet, and very hard to get out of your head. I had a friend who sang it all the way to a McCartney concert, until I finally succumbed to its charms.

7.) Too Much Rain - Gorgeous and moving. Paul makes a sincere attempt to reach out to the burdened and depressed segment of his audience, and the result is one of the album's finest melodic efforts. The chorus and piano melody are just lovely.

8.) A Certain Softness - Paul becomes Dennis O'Bell on this bossa nova lounge piece. But good lounge music it is, with playful lyrics and some lovely percussion work. One that Paul obviously had a blast recording.

9.) Vanity Fair - As with "Rinse The Raindrops" on Driving Rain, this track raises both your eyebrows as you ask, "This is him?!!" The DVD doc shows a glimpse of the early recording of Vanity Fair, where it was uptempo and probably would have ended up more a kin to "Too Many People". The relaxed, sublime treatment of the song turns it into something else entirely, with some rather pointed lyrics. Anyone who has hit a wall in communication with someone will identify with the track, and it's my vote for best of the record.

10.) Follow Me - Simple and anthemic, this is probably the most conventional song, but heartwarming nonetheless, and will probably inspire lots of hand-held sings in the crowd at future Paul concerts.

11.) Promise To You Girl - Some more relaxed piano chords as Paul looks "at the backyard of my life". Then a Bohemian Rhapsody-like harmony section. And then the song comes to rocking life, showing that Paul can still take you by surprise. All in all, a fine abbreviated nod to Paul's fascination with pop suites.

12.) This Never Happened Before - The straight-forward love song on the album, given a little extra character by the subtle beat-box that runs throughout. Definitely a candlelight song, as we see Paul recording it on the DVD.

13.) Anyway - Is that "People Get Ready" I hear? Paul does ape Mr. Mayfield's melody, but puts it to great use as a springboard for a terrific closer. This is the track that really grew on me, as I had first dismissed its simple words and arrangement. But it's power arises from its simplicity, wherein Paul pleads with a disconnected love to "please, please, please get in touch." For anyone who's been there, this song is great therapy as you try to wait it out for the one you love.

The album doesn't quite end with the closing strains of Anyway, as we have a few more minutes of Paul noodling, first with a moody piano piece, then some silly stomping rock, then a sound-effect laden fadeout. Nothing earth-shattering, but its inclusion isn't offensive.

My short-hand description of this album to fellow Paul fans is "Flaming Pie without the filler." Chaos & Creation shows very much the home-made intentions of that album, but benefits immeasurably from producer Nigel Godrich's quality control. Paul no doubt played Godrich several songs that past producers would have allowed for albums that are among his lesser works. By having a producer willing to say "No," every track has at least a sparkle of true McCartney magic. And the producer's insistence that Paul play nearly everything means that the sparkle shows in the performance as well as the songwriting. It is also a moody album as well as a meaty one, a true rarity in the McCartney catalogue. Not to say that Chaos & Creation is especially dark or depressing, but there are more minor chords used here than on just about any three other Macca albums combined.

Even the recorded tracks that didn't make the album are worthwhile, and you should find them however you can. In fact, their omission from the deluxe package of the CD is my only disappointment. "Comfort Of Love" is a great energetic piece, and will help placate those who think the album should rock more for some reason. Then there's "Growing Up Falling Down". The song is very simple, with a slight oriental feel around two chords, but it features the absolute spookiest McCartney vocal ever put on tape.

That exhausts most of what I have to say about Chaos & Creation In The Backyard. Suffice to say, it was honestly better than what I was expecting at this point in Sir Paul's career, since I thought Driving Rain was a fluke, emboldened by his then-recent losses. It's comforting to see that Paul can be just as inspired by his joy, and channel it into an album that REALLY will be counted among his best.

Paul McCartney's new album, Chaos & Creation In The Backyard is an oddly titled album that is not what you would expect from Sir Paul. Instead of the filling the world with silly love songs, the new effort is probably the most introspective and reflective album of his illustrious career. The approach to recording the album is much like his first two solo works (McCartney & Ram) with Mr. McCartney playing virtually all the instruments, but he employs Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame as the producer. The songs find a quieter vein and are less hook-filled than his usual fare, but they aren't without melody. "Fine Line" and "Promise To You Girl" contain the kind of melodies that Mr. McCartney tosses around in his sleep and most musicians would kill to write. It is the reflective lyrics in songs like "How Kind Of You" (which is about meeting his new wife Heather Mills) and "Jenny Wren" that make for an interesting listen. Other standout tracks include the string laden "Riding To Vanity Fair", the sprightly "English Tea", "Too Much Rain" and "This Never Happened Before". Mr. McCartney said he was thinking about John Lennon quite a bit during the recording sessions and introspective was one of his trademarks. Chaos & Creation In The Backyard isn't the best album of Mr. McCartney's career, but it is certainly his most challenging.