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Memory Almost Full (including Limited Edition Folded Booklet)


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

"Many years from now" must have seemed like an understatement to 16-year-old Paul McCartney, wondering if he'd still be needed or fed at the age of 64. As it turned out, all doubt as to the latter had ceased by his 22nd birthday (though few could have predicted he'd end up washing down those meals with the liquid pride of Seattle). As to the former? Now that McCartney, as of the date of this album's release, has reached that mythic age, his greatest work is 40 years behind him, his solo peak over 30 years gone. Does the world need a new Paul McCartney album? The answer is yes, at least as much as it needs anything else that passes for music these days. With Memory Almost Full, Macca is back. No, it's not Ram or Band on the Run. It might not even be Flowers in the Dirt--in 1989, he had a full band, the support of Linda, and Elvis Costello as a collaborator. Here, he's on his own. Literally: on the majority of the tracks, everything but the strings is multi-instrumentalist Paul. But the surprise is that it's one of his freest, loosest affairs in years, sonically reminiscent of the Tug of War/Pipes of Peace era with nods to Abbey Road in the album-closing medley, McCartney's gravelly tones on "Gratitude," and 2007's version of "Her Majesty," the palate-cleansing "Nod Your Head." It's a surprise because of the album's inescapable sense of retrospection ("Ever Present Past," "Vintage Clothes," "That Was Me") and even a bit of weariness. The next-to-last song is "The End of the End," after all, in which McCartney tells us about what he'd like to happen "on the day that I die." (He wants "songs that were sung/to be hung out like blankets/that lovers have played on/and laid on while listening to songs that were sung," and will likely get his wish.) But it never gets overwhelming, for McCartney mostly resists his tendency to get plodding and maudlin. In fact, Memory Almost Full must be the most sanguine album made during the dissolution of a marriage since...well, ever. "What went out is coming back," he sings in "Vintage Clothes," and from the sound of things, that may not be just wishful thinking. What's past is prologue; if we're lucky, what to come may be McCartney's late renaissance. --Benjamin Lukoff


Revolver Years Rock at 64!
Review date: 2008-11-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

Macca takes us back to that dream 1965-68 period with some magical Beatles quality numbers and as a bonus we get some vintage 1973/4 Band on The Run Wings thrown in. If "Chaos and Creation" was a return to song writing form then the down side was it was a bit too easy listening for me but here Macca gets the Rock guitars out again and the result is memories of the great years in music.
"Only Mama Knows", "End of the End" and "That was Me" are pure Revolver whilst the quirky "Mr Bellamy" is pure Sgt Pepper and "House of Wax " and "You Tell Me" the "White Album".
Wings kick off the Album with the single "Dance Tonight" and the superb harmonies of "See Some Sunshine" and they come back at the end a for a punky "Nod of the Head" but in between it's Beatle heaven. "That Was Me" is perhaps double magical with it's guitar riff and sentimental return to the Cavern "With the band" whilst "Only Mama Knows" is "Day Tripper" meets "Hi Hi Hi" - a superb driven rock number. "House of Wax" is "Helter Skelter" territory and it would have made a superb soundtrack to the horror movie of the same name.
"End of the End" reminds me of "You Never Give me Your Money" harmonies and the Quirky "Mr Bellamy" seems to be about a cat stuck up a tree refusing to come down and there have been suggestions it was called Heather! Still it's a superb piano riff and one of his all time catchy chorus's of "I'm not coming down - no matter what you do"
All in All not a filler in sight. When I'm 64 I'll make the finest post Beatles album! Update 28/11/08 - Until the Fireman Electric arguments that is! What's this guy on - I want some?

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Reviews


14 brilliant swansongs
Review date: 2008-06-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

I love this record. You should have it for Dance Tonight alone. Macca has changed. I saw him last week in Liverpool and was stunned by his rendition of George Harrison's Something and John Lennon songs. Not my favourite Beatle in the past (and we don't have many left), but I am now firmly convinced we would never have had Sgt Pepper, the White album without his leadership and vision. So we really owe him everything. If you get this album you will not be disappointed it is superb. There are shades of the genius of those landmark records in this latest offering. The deluxe package with the bonus interviews gives insight into the song writing process. On reflection that is why I got it - you could do worse than learning song-writing from Paul Mccartney. Anyway, you can tap your foot and think at the same time with this record. Although it does sound like 14 swansongs - I hope they do not prove to be the last, the world has far too few (ex-)Beatles in it. One song is about Paul passing on - I hope he doesn't have any immediate plans as I'd like to see him tour this record.

Thank God I got it free
Review date: 2008-05-18 Rating: 2 out of 10

I suppose I should start by saying I'm not a McCartney fan. I like Live and Let Die, Band on the Run and one or two of his other solo songs but he just doesn't really do much for me.

I'd heard the first song "Dance Tonight" and it's a reasonable silly little pop song. So when I saw the album free in one of one of the national Sunday newspapers I thought I'd give it a go.

Quite simply: "Thank God I got it free."

There are a few songs that are inoffensive, but none of them really grab you and make you want to listen. There are one or two songs where you can hear the spark of something almost coming together, then it's ruined by either awful lyrics or embarrassing instrumentation.

Some songs, however, are truly awful. Genuinely cringe-worthy, where's my fast forward button, awful.

If you're a fan of his you'll maybe enjoy it. If you're not, stay well clear.

In other words
Review date: 2008-04-25 Rating: 10 out of 10

I watch sometimes Jool's Hollands LATER where all the new bands plastered over HMVs window are paraded on the stage and Holland is going "fantastic" but I hear-nothing.
I don't know who these people are or why they all have to be damn singer songwriters/
Odd times I hear one or other of them if they've done a Beatles cover.
Which brings me round to this new McCartney album.Why has nobody done a cover from it.
This is the same man who was half of Lennon & McCartney.He hasn't changed.The music buying public have and the question is would anyone even download songs from this new album?
I mean come on the Arctic Monkeys,the White Stripes,the Kooks-are these the future of music?
The fact remains that unless more people start covering the music of the 60s there's no future other than an endless collection of singer songwriter bands who all think they are the future of music.You only have to think the Beatles began as a covers band like the Stones
We saw it in the 80s when an American band called REM cut some excruciatingly boring music and cleaned up!
None of these people were even as good as any of those American bands who were influenced by the Beatles
This is never going to be among McCartney's greatest albums for the simple reason that the record buying public have decided the Arctic Monkeys are more important.
McCartney can't compete with that kind of reasoning anymore than he can write a hit song for Pete Best

Tank Almost Empty
Review date: 2008-01-24 Rating: 6 out of 10

I have played this album several times but found it difficult to rate. On the one hand, it has some of the positive featues of McCartney's recent output, such as a catchy but ultimately lightweight single 'Dance Tonight', some playing around with different styles from skiffle to comic opera ('That Was Me' and 'Mr Bellamy'), and some fine, consistent production and performances at times. On the other hand, it does not whet the appetite longer term, and an artist of McCartney's status and abilities deserves a better legacy than 'fast food' type music. Surely with what McCartney has to work with he can make more of a definitive statement in his lyrics than the sort of self-absorbed doodlings of 'Vintage Clothes' and 'The End of the End'. Again, you can admire McCartney for releasing material that most people would not be bold enough to release ('Mr Bellamy') - or is it more the case that they would not be bothered to ? Have we come to expect too much of McCartney because of his heritage, or should we expect little more from a man in his mid-60s who still employs the medium of youth to express his art ? Certainly he is guaranteed a level of sales by the many fans (like me) built up over the decades who have to keep updating their 'complete set' of albums, but it would be nice to hear something substantial again from his muse before it is forever silenced. At least McCartney knows his image needsw constant updating - from the youngsters engaged in his stage band to his release of this album via Starbucks - so we live in hope. But the dreadful prospect is that McCartney has simply tapped the well dry and is now incapable of releasing first class material anymore, frequently stepping into musical/lyrical cliches or tedious self-reflection. It may not be unpleasant to listen to, but nor is it hugely memorable, and I can't help but think Noel Gallagher was right about McCartney failing to write 'anything decent for the last 20 years'. It is true that we probably expect too much from any legend, but conceding chunks of your average by extending your career through a long sunset of mediocrity does not help preserve the myth.

Product Details/Specifications


Artist(s):
Paul McCartney

Recording label: Hear Music / Mercury Records (London)
Manufacturer: Hear Music / Mercury Records (London)
EAN: 0888072303577
Binding: Audio CD
Release date: 2007-06-04
Universal product code (UPC): 888072303577
Number of discs: 1

Disc 1 Tracks:
1. Dance Tonight
2. Ever Present Past
3. See Your Sunshine
4. Only Mama Knows
5. You Tell Me
6. Mr. Bellamy
7. Gratitude
8. Vintage Clothes
9. That Was Me
10. Feet In The Clouds
11. House Of Wax
12. The End of the End
13. Nod Your Head

Publishers: Hear Music / Mercury Records (London)

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