Zack: I have, in the past, criticized much of the
Beatles’ output for being boring. It turns out that this album has routinely
been panned by critics for being too boring. I say these two things to frame
the hypocrisy I’m about to spew. I really liked McCartney. It is a very rough
album by design, and that gives it a sort of homespun charm that Beatles
albums, where every note and melody has clearly been pored over, simply lack.
There isn’t anything particularly challenging about McCartney. Other
made-at-home classics we’ve run into like Nick Drake have combined the
threadbare ethos with deep introspection. McCartney doesn’t really have that.
There aren’t many grand statements built into the music. It’s just sort simple
and direct and uncomplicated. Like a slice-of-life album. I can see why others
would find that boring, but that’s so different from so many other things that
I’ve heard that even if it’s simple it’s at least not repetitive.
Favorite Tracks: Maybe I’m Amazed; Junk; Momma Miss America
Emily: McCartney is the first post-Beatles release by Paul McCartney, and I think that shows through on the album. It seems like, once broken free of the creative sharing and conflict that came with the band, McCartney took the opportunity to make the kind of album he wanted without anyone else's influence or fingerprints on it. The result is slightly Beatles-esque, but with some of McCartney's quirks on more prominent display. As Zack noted, the music and lyrics are fairly simple and straightforward, but they're executed well so as to make them classic rather than boring. There's also a few instrumental-only rock tracks, plus some long instrumental breaks, which I wouldn't really expect from the Beatles. McCartney may lacks the experimentation of the late Beatles work that preceded it, but it is fully grounded in Paul McCartney's authentic sensibilities.
Favorite Tracks: Maybe I'm Amazed; Hot As Sun/Glasses; Junk
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