The breakup of The Beatles freed John Lennon, but it was much harder for Paul McCartney to accept. Having valiantly tried since 1967 to keep the band together, he was now taking the most important steps to break up the most popular band of the sixties. Legal battles with his ex-Beatles and his shocked reaction to the lousy final mix of ‘Let It Be’ (ignored by Lennon), McCartney cordoned off in Scotland with the one person who would possibly have a greater influence on his life than Lennon did. . : his wife Linda.
Standing by her side during the post-Beatles breakup (her determination was necessary at a time when alcohol played an unusually large role in her husband’s life), she would grace every one of McCartney’s records until her death in 1998. , his helper. camp during Wings’ colossal flight in the mid-1970s. The only other musician to appear on the record (although her contribution would be mostly relegated to backing vocals), Linda’s uncanny eye for her photography gave the record its cherry-laden album cover. McCartney would pay tribute to his partner in the premiere of ‘The Lovely Linda’ and in the magnificent ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’.
Although Lennon turned to Phil Spector to produce his somber 1970 release ‘Plastic Ono Band’, McCartney decided to take over production and recording duties, recording primarily at his Scottish farm (although he would record several overdubs at Abbey Road, under the pseudonym of Billy Martin). Although ‘Ono Band’ is the more celebrated of the two releases, ‘McCartney’ is the more intriguing record, a compilation of ideas, some brilliant, some not so brilliant, some hilariously inconclusive, but significantly more raw and honest than many of the previous. albums that Paul McCartney would release in the 1970s and 1980s. With ‘Let It Be’ marred by strings and choral singers, ‘McCartney’ may be as close to the original concept as ‘Be’ envisioned, a raw song for and for the listener. Complete with laughs, coughs and mumbles, ‘McCartney’ had the intimacy of a live concert, one that baffled contemporary critics with its unfinished feel.
The Beatles’ leftovers ‘Junk’ and ‘Teddy Boy’ showed the range of quality on the records, the former a song of lyrical beauty, one fitting nicely with ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘For No One’, the other a disconcerting throwaway, devoid of concept or rhyme. The bluesy “Valentine Day” showed McCartney’s penchant for electric guitar but little else, while “Every Night” proved to be one of the best pop songs of the year. Both inspired and unsure of itself, the album is a strong insight into the fractured and fragile mind of its author.
Although Lennon has long been recognized as the most experimental Beatle, it was McCartney who proved to be the most forward-thinking (he was the man who suggested the tape loops for ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and the chaotic orchestration of the band’s magnum opus ‘ A Day In The Life’), ‘Hot As Sun/Glasses’, the prototype of The Fireman records he collaborated on with Youth in the 90s, a great blueprint for future Cage-type compositions and esoteric melodies. ‘Ooh You’ and ‘Momma Miss America’ also played to the left of the musical field, ‘Man We Was Lonely’ their two thumbs up for 1920s blues singers, though the oddly titled ‘Kreen-Akore’ proved be an unnecessary indulgence to follow the best track on the album.
‘McCartney’s indelible strength would be remembered for a four-minute composition, McCartney’s best, second only to ‘Yesterday’, the incredible ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’. A low-key piano ballad brought to life by McCartney’s tender voice, the song would become a favorite among soul and rock singers Rod Stewart, Dave Grohl and Norah Jones, just three of the many who have put his stamp on McCartney’s love letter. Backed by an image of McCartney with first-born Mary under her coat, ‘McCartney’ was a family affair at large, Paul and Linda against the world.
Charmingly flawed, yet brutally imaginative and direct in his delivery, McCartney proved he could deliver without his Liverpudlian friends. As if to better explain his intentions, ‘McCartney’ was supplemented by a question-and-answer session that declared the end of The Beatles, much to Lennon’s fury. Such a decision may have been unfortunate, giving critics license to criticize McCartney and everything he stood for. Lennon labeled the album poor, McCartney would eventually come to agree with him. They were all wrong!