Various Artists – 'The Art Of McCartney' Album Review

The Art Of McCartney

Paul McCartney is an artist who divides stance quite greatly in the music earth. Mention the former Beatle's name on social media and there will ordinarily be either on outpouring of love or bile. However, you will unremarkably be able to prise one McCartney song they similar out of fifty-fifty the most ardent critic, such is the breadth and appeal of the songs he has written in a career spanning way over half a century. Personally, I have been a huge admirer of Macca's talents over the years and, although am not one of those fans who believe that every single song he has written is unadulterated genius, I genuinely honey the big majority of his catalogue. The human is ane of the greatest songwriters of his, and peradventure any, generation. Evidently, many of the greatest names in music share a high stance of Paul's work and this led to producer Ralph Sall gathering together an impressive bandage of musicians and, over the space of a decade, recording what tin can merely exist described as a star-studded declaration of love for McCartney'south music. With names such as Brian Wilson, Baton Joel, Roger Daltrey, Bob Dylan, Baton Joel, Smokey Robinson and Alice Cooper (just a handful of the nigh popular artists involved) recording some of Paul'south most loved songs, it'southward almost guaranteed to exist a fantastic album, isn't information technology?

Well, not entirely. There are a few undoubtedly first-class covers on "The Fine art Of McCartney" and I readily acknowledge that these songs are well worth buying the double album for. From the first CD, Steve Miller's "Junior's Farm" captures the spirit of the original brilliantly, Brian Wilson's "Wanderlust" is a work of beauty, Jeff Lynne's crafted "Junk" is just wonderful, Jamie Cullum's "Every Nighttime" has a audio specially true-blue to the original and wins me over with amuse lone and Paul Rodgers supplies an impressive vocal operation on his cover of "Let Me Roll Information technology". The highlights of the 2nd CD include Cheap Trick's Robin Zander & Rick Neilsen giving "Jet" a great conditioning, Center supplying a superb song performance against some gritty bluesy guitar on "Letting Go", an impressively unlike and winning version of "No More Lonely Nights" by The Airbourne Toxic Event and Alice Cooper's surprisingly tender "Eleanor Rigby". Other treats which only fall slightly short of greatness are Willie Nelson'due south "Yesterday", an energetic "Got To Go Y'all Into My Life" past Perry Farrell and a fun, ska version of "Come And Get It" by Toots Hibbert wih Sly and Robbie.

Mayhap the about disappointing contributions to this album come from Baton Joel. Information technology's not that they're terrible versions of "Perchance I'm Amazed" or "Alive & Let Dice", it's just that Billy is and so plainly out of his vocal comfort zone on the former that he sounds strained, struggling to give a convincing performance confronting the powerful instrumental performance backing him and the latter simply falls a bit flat. For an artist of Baton'south calibre, the fact that he doesn't ace these 2 songs is both a surprise and a pity. Of form, it could be worse; Bob Dylan'south vocal performance on "Things We Said Today" is utterly painful, whereas Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "My Honey" is dreary and Barry Gibb's vocals on "When I'1000 64" leaves him almost sounding like a parody of himself. Owl City's annoying rendition of "Listen To What The Human being Said" is particularly dreadful, with the heavily treated vocals sounding totally out of place compared with the feel of the rest of the anthology and Dion's "Drive My Car" is the concluding of the real duds, feeling laboured and non containing whatsoever of the energy or sparkle of the Beatles original.

The rest of the anthology is perfectly decent, if unspectacular, and if whatsoever particular comprehend version has escaped being singled out for my praise or ire, and then I enjoyed it just fine. I think, for a listener such every bit myself who is very familiar with Paul McCartney's back catalogue, I would have appreciated more of an adventurous choice of textile, whereas this whole project is almost a greatest hits, with a couple of curve balls. I suppose it is no surprise that I enjoyed the less obvious covers a great deal more than hearing yet another rendition of "Hey Jude" and "Let Information technology Be" for the gazillionth fourth dimension in my life. Even then, B.B. King's "On The Style" and Smokey Robinson's "So Bad" weren't obvious choices and neither of them specially improved on the originals. At that place are, however, lots of nice versions of McCartney classics to exist enjoyed here, but only a handful of songs peculiarly excel which, I suppose, balances out the handful of stinkers nicely. I'm sure that other people listening to the album will accept their personal favourites too as the ones which don't quite hit the mark, but "The Art Of McCartney" is a worthwhile purchase for anyone who loves Macca'south music, as well equally fans of the artists who take contributed.

Track Listing:

Disc 1:
  1. Maybe I'm Amazed – Billy Joel
  2. Things We Said Today – Bob Dylan
  3. Band On The Run – Heart
  4. Junior's Farm – Steve Miller
  5. The Long & Winding Route – Yusuf
  6. My Beloved – Harry Connick Jr.
  7. Wanderlust – Brian Wilson
  8. Bluebird – Corinne Bailey Rae
  9. Yesterday – Willie Nelson
  10. Junk – Jeff Lynne
  11. When I'1000 64 – Barry Gibb
  12. Every Night – Jamie Cullum
  13. Venus & Mars/Rock Show – Kiss
  14. Let Me Whorl It – Paul Rodgers
  15. Helter Skelter – Roger Daltrey
  16. Helen Wheels – Def Leppard
  17. Hello Goodbye – The Cure (featuring James McCartney)
Disc 2:
  1. Alive And Let Dice – Billy Joel
  2. Let Information technology Be – Chrissie Hynde
  3. Jet – Robin Zander & Rick Nielsen
  4. Hullo Hi Howdy – Joe Elliott
  5. Letting Go – Heart
  6. Hey Jude – Steve Miller
  7. Listen To What The Homo Said – Owl Metropolis
  8. Got To Get You Into My Life – Perry Farrell
  9. Drive My Car – Dion
  10. Lady Madonna – Allen Toussaint
  11. Let 'Em In – Dr. John
  12. So Bad – Smokey Robinson
  13. No More than Lonely Nights – The Airbourne Toxic Event
  14. Eleanor Rigby – Alice Cooper
  15. Come And Get It – Toots Hibbert with Sly & Robbie
  16. On The Way – B.B. Rex
  17. Birthday – Sammy Hagar
  18. C Moon – Robert Smith (Amazon version exclusive)
  19. Put It There – Peter, Bjorn and John (Amazon version exclusive)

"The Fine art Of McCartney" is available on Columbia Records now from all music retailers.  For more information, visit the projection's website.

Andy Sweeney, 17th November, 2014.

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