THERE'S always been an unfair theory perpetuated that John Lennon was the innovative heart of The Beatles. Lyrically he was without peer, but many of the Fab Four's boldest musical steps were taken by Paul McCartney, the supposedly more commercially-focused member of the songwriting duo.
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McCartney was the mastermind behind Sgt Pepper's. He also explored avant-garde sound collages before Lennon's polarising Revolution No.9.
McCartney II (1980) is arguably the most experimental solo Beatles album. It's also one of the most criminally underrated. Forty years later the 78-year-old McCartney has again been experimenting and expanding his boundaries.
McCartney III follows two years after his 17th solo album Egypt Station. Stuck in COVID lockdown after his tour was cancelled, McCartney began working alone on a new batch of songs on his Sussex farm.
Lockdown obviously found Sir Paul is a whimsical mood. Long Tailed Winter Bird begins with a classical acoustic guitar riff before emerging into a booming march of drums and synths.
Find My Way has the most commercial melody, but it's dressed up in psych instrumentation to keep it interesting. Slidin' sees McCartney turn up the distortion and channel the bombastic rock of UK band Royal Blood.
Vocally McCartney doesn't possess the strength he once did. But the character of age serves as a positive on the after-dinner piano ballad Women and Wives, where McCartney reflects on his past loves and his almost 60 years in the public eye with, "What we do with our lives/ Seems to matter to others."
Lavatory Lil is a silly McCartney story in the vein of Lovely Rita. However, the eight-minute Deep Deep Feeling is a thrilling exploration of multiple time signatures, rhythmic patterns and brooding synths. Perhaps Paul's been listening to Tame Impala.
McCartney is in select company. Of his '60s peers only Bob Dylan is still releasing quality music and approaching 80. While Dylan mines the glory years of the American songbook, McCartney is living in the present. May that continue.
4 stars