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Rating: I'll say it straight away: this album is amazing. McCartney is certainly a monument of 20th-century popular music, and alongside Lennon, he perhaps formed the best songwriting duo in the pop-rock arena. But at the same time, it must be admitted that his solo career (except for a few good episodes) has been somewhat disappointing and not up to the numerous masterpieces written in the glorious '60s. Here comes the 2005 comeback: speaking with his old friend George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer, Paul accepts the advice to contact the talented Nigel Godrich (already directing for Radiohead and Beck) suggested by Martin as the one who could bring him back to his former glory. Due to their strong personalities, the collaboration would be filled with contrasts and confrontations: Godrich, for example, insisted that Paul play almost all the pieces by himself and thus give up his band; he also purged certain sentimental touches in the arrangement and production phase in favor of a more stripped-down and reflective sound. The result? Chaos And Creation In The Backyard is a fresh, inspired, and enjoyable album from the first to the last note, where the flair of one of the producers of the moment is clearly visible and crucial in the album's success. The standout episodes are numerous, but special emphasis must be given to the third track "Jenny Wren", a splendid acoustic guitar ballad that takes us back almost forty years, specifically to "Blackbird," one of the many gems of the legendary White Album. In the successful "A Kind of You", Godrich's touch is so evident that it sounds like listening to Beck's "Sea Change." Irresistible is the brief "English Tea" with its tempo that makes you tap your foot, while "Friend To Go" is a beautiful tribute to his friend George who passed away just four years earlier; "This Never Happened Before" brings us back to the atmosphere of "Abbey Road," but what's surprising is "A Certain Softness" with an unexpected Latin arrangement. It's a pity that with the subsequent "Memory Almost Full", lacking Godrich's contribution, our dear Paul won't recreate the magic, resulting in a less convincing album.
Oops... I thought there was only one review and a short one at that. I've just realized I was wrong. I hope I've at least added something. My apologies.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Jenny Wren (03:46)
Like so many girls, Jenny Wren could sing
But a broken heart took her soul away
Like the other girls, Jenny Wren took wing
She could see the world, and its foolish ways
How, we, spend our days, casting, love aside
Losing sight of life, day by day
She saw poverty breaking all the home
Wounded warriors took her song away
But the day will come, Jenny Wren will sing
When this broken world, mends its foolish ways
Then we'll spend our days, catching, up on life
All because of you, Jenny Wren
You saw who we are Jenny Wren
04 At the Mercy (02:37)
At the mercy, at the mercy
At the mercy of a busy road,
Who can handle such a heavy load?
At the mercy, At the mercy
At the mercy of a busy day,
We can think of nothing more to say
If you show me love, I won't refuse
I know you'd never make me choose
Between the love I've got and the love I'd lose
Sometimes I'd rather run and hide,
Then stay and face the fear inside
At the mercy, at the mercy
At the mercy of a busy day,
Who can bear to turn their head away?
At the mercy, at the mercy
At the mercy of a busy road
We can watch the universe explode
If you take me up, I won't say no
I guess you'd rather see me grow
Into a better man than the one you know
Sometimes my head is hanging low
It's time to get on with the show
At the mercy, at the mercy
At the mercy of a busy day
I can think of nothing more to say
06 English Tea (02:12)
Would you care to sit with me
For a cup of English tea?
Very twee, very me
Any sunny morning
What a pleasure it would be
Chatting so delightfully
Nanny bakes, fairy cakes
Every Sunday morning
Miles of miles of English garden stretching past the willow tree
Lines of hollyhocks and roses listen most attentively
Do you know the game croquet
Peradventure we might play
Very gay, hip hooray
Any sunny morning
[Solo]
Miles of miles of English garden stretching past the willow tree
Lines of hollyhocks and roses listen most attentively
As a rule the church bells chime
When it's almost supper time
Nanny bakes, fairy cakes
Every Sunday morning
08 A Certain Softness (02:41)
A certain softness in her eyes fascinates me
More than I ever thought it would (a certain softnesss)
More than I ever thought it could
A certain softness in her eyes
Got me hooked
Got me hooked
A kind of sadness in her smile captivates me
Surer than anything that's sure (a kind of sadness)
Surer than anything before
A kind of sadness in her smile
Got me hooked
Got me hooked
Got me hooked
If even can even find the words to tell
I wouldn't want to anyway
Cause that would only break the spell
And you know very well I couldn't betray her
The touch of wildness in her style haunts my memory
More than I ever thought it would (a touch of wildness)
More than I ever though
A touch of wind in her style
Got me hooked
Got me hooked
Got me hooked
A certain softness in her eyes fascinates me
More than I ever thought it would (a certain softnesss)
More than I ever thought it could
A certain softness in her eyes
Got me hooked
Got me hooked
10 Follow Me (02:31)
You lift up my spirits you shine on my soul
Whenever I'm empty you make me feel whole
I can rely on you to guide me through any situation
You hold up a sign that reads follow me.
You give me direction you show me the way
You give me a reason to face every day
I can depend on you to send me to any destination
You hold up a sign that reads follow me, follow me.
Down the track of loneliness down the path of love
Through the words of heartache to the end
On the shores of sorrow where the waves of hope crash in
The perfect place for me to find a friend (ahh yeah yeah yeah, oh)
You lead to places that I've never been
Uncovering secrets that I've never seen
I can rely on you to guide me through any situation
You hold up a sign that reads follow me, follow me,
Follow me, follow me,
Follow me, follow me
13 Anyway (07:22)
If you love me, won't you call me
I've been waiting, waiting to long
In my soul is, constant yearning
Always singing, singing this song
Only love is strong enough, to take it on the chin
When did I begin, to fall
Anyway, Anyway, you can make, that call
You feel free, to make yourself, at home - woh-oh, ahhhhhh, ohhhhh
If we could be, closer longer
That would help me, help me so much
We can cure each other's sorrow
Won't you please, please, please get in touch
If our love is strong enough, it may never end
Why would I pretend, to fall, woo-ew
Anyway, Anyway, you can make, that call
You feel free, to make yourself, at home - woh-oh, ahhhhhh
Anyway, Anyway, Anyway, at all
Anyway, you can make that call
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Other reviews
By primiballi
Paul McCartney is the greatest living songwriter. His 'sense of song' is incredible.
This is the pure singer-songwriter album of a great author who happens to be one of the inventors of pop songs in the latter half of the twentieth century.
By Torre Ste
"Fine Line" genuinely sounds like a new Beatles song in both duration and rhythm.
The Ghost Track best mixes Blues, Rock, and Songwriting with a crescendo finale, leaving you suspended in the cold air that characterizes these early autumn days.
By The Punisher
A flow of more or less pleasant songs, neither good nor bad, which most of the specialized press has praised as yet another masterpiece.
Much to the chagrin of those waiting for Lennon/McCartney-like tunes, unaware that that era has been dead, buried, and decrepit for ages.
