McCartney

say you want about this album being half baked but fuck you it’s Paul McCartney you dumb fuck. these songs are perfect just the way they are. they don’t need anything else. AND this is the first indie rock album…show some respect!!!!

More like a sketchbook than an album

As one of the components that make up The Beatles you’d expect a lot from a solo album from Paul McCartney, especially considering the time this was released was just after their critically acclaimed record ‘Abbey Road’. However, you find this album to be nothing like that, as Paul takes on his own approach to an album which ends up feeling pretty muddled. This album is a weird mix of instrumental tracks along with some lyrical tracks. Considering this is a self titled album, it’s strange that it’s confused on what it wants to be. For the first half it seems like McCartney is trying to do his best Elvis impression and it just feels so out of character, this is especially seen in ‘That Would Be Something’ which resembles Elvia’ ‘Kentucky Rain’ with McCartney’s strange vocal inflections added in, which end up being a running theme in this album with him singing along to the instrumentals multiple times which makes this feel like a live recording. The best song here is ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ by a country mile as you can actually hear Paul put in some soul into this track, plus the guitar is fantastic. It’s then just a shame that the album ends on this unique drum solo and McCartney breathing which I don’t think he has a right to do considering he barely put any effort into the vocals throughout this album. I did just find this album a bit boring, the first couple of tracks put me off so much that the none of the rest of the album really made me feel like I would thoroughly enjoy this album. I’d come back to 1 or 2 songs but for the rest of the album I’d just listen to some Elvis instead. 2/5

mi amigo PAULO

This album isn't epic or earth shattering, but it does feel very intimate and casual, like you're just hanging out with Paul instead of The Legendary Beatle. It made me feel very happy listening to it.

I enjoyed this album a lot! It's impressive how this album really shows how much ahead of his time McCartney was in 1970. His first songs with more experimentalism mixed with some songs that still sounded Beatles-esque but included much more texture, which was really impressive. I hope to see more McCartney in the 1001 list because this is someone that deserves to be listened to.

This was an interesting album - lo-fi, homemade, pretty much just a jam session of an album from the early days of lo-fi music. It's an intimate peer into McCartney's musical life, fully produced by just him, and performed by just him with the addition of some harmony vocals from his wife, overdubbed onto four-track tape. Originally viewed very negatively and vilified for seemingly killing The Beatles, this record was eventually credited for its influence on DIY and Lo-Fi music. The story of this one is just as interesting as the album itself, and honestly I thought the album was great too. It's a nice and pleasant rock jam - It may seem rough and unfinished, like a collection of demos, but a lot of charm comes from that. It doesn't try to be anything more - at this point he didn't need to prove anything to anyone, besides proving to himself that he would survive in his post-Beatles future, and I think that's beautiful. Favourite: That Would Be Something

McCartneys first home-made album and it shows. Production is patchy and the drums in particular are plodding. But there are some wonderful highlights - Every night, Maybe I'm amazed, Junk, That would be something. Four-and-a-half stars.

This dude loved his wife I love this era of McCartney there’s just no fat on any song, in and out, all hooks

Not quite The Beatles, not quite Wings, but all Paul. Good good good.

Quite good actually.

Loved it. Sir Paul is amazing. Album is 54 years old and still great

Lately I've been thinking about how hard it is to figure out how to say goodbye and end cycles in a healthy way. Paul McCartney was really struggling emotionally after the Beatles break up, he ended up isolating himself living in "the heart of the country" and removing himself from public life. This album was born out of that situation, on him figuring out how to carve his post-Beatle path. Rather than get the greatest musicians possible to release a polished album with a huge budget, he instead recorded everything himself in his house. This gives it an early low-fi vibe, which was at once sounds wonderfully intimate but which veers sometimes into sounding unfinished. The critics hated the album when it came out, a feeling I differ with greatly but understand. After all it would be weird in real time to hear leader of the most popular band ever releasing something which sounds so raw and under-produced. I can imagine listening to on Valentine Day and being like "what is this half-assed shit. Some moments so demo-y it's almost amazing he put it to record. But it's also the rawness and lack of production which gives the album it's strength. You feel like you are there with him, songs like Junk are so warm/personal and understated in such a powerful way . It feels like someone singing to his friends, to the world around him. He also attempts some experimental stuff on this album, in a way that is very interesting but doesn't feel done to it's full potential. For example Hot as sun/glasses starts as a peaceful song that makes you feel like you are on vacation with people you love , and then segway's very strangely into "glasses" an experimental track that is played with actual glasses that is very dissonant and eeary. Then Paul abruptly begins playing and singing and up-beat song on the piano for like 20 seconds before moving on the very melancholic song "junk" Each individual section of these songs are really good and the contrasts make them even more interesting but it all happens so fast. It's like a snapshot rather than a cohesive thought-out idea. Which is what I think is what this album is. A snapshot of Paul McCartney in this moment, brilliant sometimes a bit indulgent. Beautiful pop melodies co-existing with rockers and odd tidbits. He no longer needs to edit anything out due to being a band, and he takes you with him as he throws ideas at the wall and figures out his path after a traumatic experience in his life (the beatles break-up)

Ja, ik vind dus leuke muziek. Geinig dat dit eerste post-Beatles-album meteen al klinkt als een solo-Paul McCartney-plaat. De kenmerkende samenzang is weg en in plaats daarvan horen we Paul lekker aanklooien in zijn huisstudio, en af en toe komt Linda hem een kopje thee brengen. Ik ga (denk ik) niet alle McCartney-platen vijf sterren geven, maar ook deze keer kan ik het niet laten.

I appreciate his down to earth, self recorded lo-fi approach. He didn't need to prove anything to anybody at this point, and instead we get a more intimate view into his musical life - just jamming with himself - playing all the instruments like it's no thing.

Some great songs and some okay. Overall really enjoyed

Très cool ! Je n’avais jamais écouté de chansons de Paul McCartney jusqu’à présent mais je savais que ça me plairait bien !

This is the sound of a depressed man missing his friends and figuring out what to do next. It's not the greatest thing McCartney ever produced, but he's so immensely talented that there are still masterpieces on here. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is wonderful.

It's Maca what's not to love

A personal favorite. Such an easy album to listen to. A perfect album to play on a Sunday. I like how loose it is. It feels unpretentious. It’s got that feeling of a friend playing you half a song on guitar or tinkering with some little melody that’s stuck in their head. I also think it’s romantic in a quiet, simple way. That’s how I think of romance anyway — small gestures and little moments. I don’t usually think of romance and love in terms of grand gestures and big moments. For me, it’s the daily domestic life and the inside jokes no one else would understand. Something about “The Lovely Linda” and “That Would Be Something” capture that feeling for me. But if you’re looking for the big grand gesture, the album does have “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which is a classic. A number of years back Dree and I got on a kick with this album and played it a ton. So I’ll always associate this music with us. I love this album cover too.

I have this one on vinyl! It's a good one :)

5 easy, je connais et jadore, j'ai réécouté souvent et c'est dans ces meilleurs.

Hard to argue with the positive reviews here. Yes it's not perfect. That's the point. He's just doing what he wants, all on his little own. Some absolutely perfect pieces of music here though, and the whole album is just a pleasure to listen to. Very much also worth checking McCartney 2 and Ram, and I am a little surprised to see they aren't also in the book. Still, there's lots of Beatles of various shapes.

5 stars. Great stuff.

It was a joy to listen to!

Loved the more avant-garde nature of some of the tracks.

A knockout lofi album, which came as a bit of a shock.

Freed from what had been becoming the confines of the world's most famous band, this album is a sketch of what is to come on McCartney's own. Playing all the instruments and helped only by backing vocals by Linda on a home 4 track machine, this started as a decidedly lo-fi affair with the the first track The Lovely Linda a test for running the new equipment. But even his doodles have the potential for a top 40 hit. For me this just reinforces the brilliance of his songwriting and arranging. And for being a stripped down affair with minimal effects, it's still pretty damn polished. The mix of instrumentals and sung songs is a demonstration of someone stretching his wings, proving what we already knew: Hands down he is the best pop songwriter of his generation (I'll be biased and say he's the best songwriter out there, but I won't be alone in that assessment). Maybe I'm Amazed (seemingly appropriate towards the end of the album) remains my favorite, but if I had to pick a couple of standouts, Man We Was Lonely and Oo You would be it. But there truly isn't a weak one on here. Just an incredible album.

I really enjoyed this album. I have always been in the John Lennon camp but did remember the easy & fluidity of Paul’s vocals. Listened to this on a hike through the redwoods, just perfect.

Maybe I'm amazed that this album is on this list. 1/5

Always good

McCartney This is very hard to work out how to score. In the context of all his solo work? In the context of the end of the Beatles? In the context of what he was intending it to be at the time? As a stand alone album? How influential it turned out to be? The fact he did it all himself? And, as we know, I’m also quite blinkered when it comes to Macca. The thing is I do love love this album, even though it is a bit inconsistent and loose - but it’s those inconsistencies and that looseness that gives it so much charm and so much appeal. The sum of its parts give it a vibe that carries the whole thing past any imperfections. Macca being Macca even the inconsistent throwaway tracks like Valentine Day, Hot as Sun/Glasses, Oo You, Kreen Akore have enough melodic inventiveness and musicality to be at the very least interesting and diverting. Also it has some of his best solo songs That Would Be Something Every Night Junk (one of my absolute favourite melodies of his) Maybe I’m Amazed (he did play an early idea of this at, I think, the Get Back or Abbey Road sessions - imagine if this had had the full Beatles treatment) Just those 4 songs would be enough peaks for most people in their whole careers and he just tossed them off on a farm in Scotland while the biggest musical act of all time that he was part of was disintegrating. That’s why it’s hard to rate it as a stand-alone album, devoid of context and personal bias. I enjoy it thoroughly each time I listen to it, and despite the slightly disjointed nature of it, I think it works brilliantly as a entire listening experience - it’s one of those albums that is best listened to in one sitting. It’s easily in my top 5 Macca solo albums. Although it has its flaws, it’s really appeals to me and always love and enjoy it when I put it on, so I think I can’t not give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fabulous! McCartney was/is a legend, like Gershwin and Cole Porter, etc.

4.8 - Paul McCartney in his prime. I feel like he's really letting himself flourish after leaving the Beatles. Loved the whole thing

I was really pleased to see this album come up, as I wasn't sure we'd be getting any non-Wings McCartney albums. While it lacks the full-band punch of something like Band on the Run, I feel like this album best showcases Paul's raw creativity better than practically anything else he has done. I think it also effectively puts to rest any ideas that Paul was somehow less innovative than his bandmates in the Beatles. There are songs on this album that sound 40 years ahead of their time. Yeah, some of the individual songs seem like fragments that he hadn't completely fleshed out, but that bare bones quality is what gives these songs their charm. When he gets it just right, it's stunningly beautiful, some of the loveliest songs of McCartney's career. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Maybe I'm Amazed, Junk/Singalong Junk, Every Night, Man We Was Lonely, Teddy Boy, Momma Miss America, Oo You, The Lovely Linda, Hot as Sun/Glasses, Valentine Day, That Would Be Something, Kreen-Akrore

Probably not as strong as the other McCartney's and can also understand how this may have had a less than favourable reception as his first post Beatles release but can't say the man hasn't done exactly what he wants, when he wants since day one. Interestingly I've been listening to a lot of Chuck Berry's San Francisco Dues at the same time as this and can hear a heaeeeaaapp of influence on McCartney's style.

Really good actually

This rules, I love it

LOVED this!

Paul McCartney is my #1 musician and I look up to him a lot. ANY album from McCartney is a good album, and McCartney I is no exception.

Standouts: Maybe I’m Amazed, Lovely linda, That Would Be Something, Every Night, Man We Was Lonely, Momma Miss America. 4.5/5

I think this album is underrated. Maybe I'm Amazed is a classic. Every Night is great, possibly the best on the album. Love the guitar tone in Momma Miss America. Swithering between 4 & 5, but I really enjoyed listening to this today, so I'm going with 5.

i love it i love paul -- so many ideas on here but also some great songs

Skipping from song to song, brings sunshine to my life, cohesive but full of little drops of sunshine

Hab das Album erst vor einer Woche entdeckt, lustiger Zufall. Habs nochmal durch gehört und meine Favoriten sind That Would Be Something und Maybe I'm Amazed. Ich finds sehr cool dass er es ganz alleine sehr primitiv aufgenommen hat

Paul’s first post Beatles album is nothing short of incredible. The dude played every instrument on this, you could tell he was bound for greatness from the first track

The album is so well balanced with some slow soothing tracks and then a Little Rock and roll stuff .. keeps you entertained

Short and sweet without fillers. Great album. I liked how blusey it was.

It made me feel very happy listening to it.

If Paul McCartney sang to me like he does to lovely Linda I don’t think I’d be a lesbian anymore. Teehee

My first paul solo project! The only one left to listen to is ringo now! Clearly the bluesiest and goofiest beatles of them all. Might be jumping the gun on this one, but it might be my favorite out of all the beatles solo projects so far. So warm, so fun, and Paul isn't afraid to get weird with it

Teddy Boy and Maybe I’m Amazed.

Exceptional album. Stripped down in complex simplicity. Either you get it or your don’t, the global rating is biased and should be much higher.

Beautiful! Reminds me some of the white album (with its mixes of electric, and acoustic). This is Paul for the first time exploring his craft alone, one review compared this to a sketch book, and I agree but I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

One of my favorite albums

Wel oké. Iets minder zweverig dan wat de Beatles zijn. En wat meer bluesrock achtig

Surprisingly I loved this.

moglo je i bolje, al opet...moglo je i gore. dobar 3.5.

Ramshackle, melodic beauty from the most melodic of the best band ever.

Un manifest a l'alçada d'un geni. Fotos familiars, so lo-fi i cançons que van des la magnificiència de 'Maybe I'm Amazed' a la solvència de 'Teddy Boy', passant per exercicis inacabats, esbossos i experiments. Res més allunyat de la grandiloqüència de 'All Things Must Pass' o l'ambició de 'Plastic Ono Band'. Demostra la seguretat en les capacitats d'un mateix i el compromís només amb la pròpia creativitat

Very charming and quaint listen. I've always been a fan of the McCartney sound and Junk and Teddy Boy are great examples of it. There's a lot of love and heart in these simple songs.

good

Mostly light and fun and tuneful. Charmingly rough around the edges and tossed-off, with some winningly greasy/honky bits (e.g., "Momma Miss America") -- one has never dug the sickly-sweet and perfectionist Paul. The more polished "Maybe I'm Amazed" has never sounded better, shining through like a sunburst at the end.

This is like a 3 or 3.5 for me. It has some really good songs and some really average ones too. Paul is my favorite Beatle so he gets a 4.

It sounds like an album of Beatles demos or unreleased tracks. McCartney is a legendary songwriter and can churn out incredible melodies with such ease. That's definitely the case here, but his worst songwriting tendencies are also at play here. The album lacks direction and polish, the finishing touch that made his songs with The Beatles so special. I spent most of the album waiting for Maybe I'm Amazed.

pretty similar to some of his Beatles stuff Maybe Im Amazed especially is among his best work

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Man we was lonely, Singalong junk, Maybe I’m amazed

pas son meilleur mais bon

Album de nice guy

dimi zegt echt fucking slecht maat ouwe rakker maar decent album hoor goed voor op het werk.

For some reason I always thought Paul's solo albums would be boring and I was so wrong. Loved it

Brilliant album! Maybe I'm Amazed may be my favourite solo Beatles song and it's definitely my favourite solo Paul McCartney song

Surprisingly, I liked McCartney more than I thought I would. I know Paul is talented, but I have had a hard time exploring his work post Beatles. "Maybe I'm Amazed" was the only track from this album that I've heard before, which felt like the most Beatles-esque of the tracks but not necessarily my favorite track on the album. I particularly enjoyed the instrumentals and the tracks that dipped into blues (e.g., "Valentine Day"). I rated side two higher than side 1, but the whole album consistently rose above good. "That Would Be Something" dipped down in to the "okay, I guess" range. I could probably come back to find out what I missed the first time.

This is really good. Some amazing stuff on there. Was a bit weird the wide range of styles on there, I kind of feel that an album shouldn't just be loads of random different styles but then again they are all great.

Honestly it isn't mad how many songs PM wrote, like its actually unbelievable this amount of stuff came from one brain. This was a wonderful album, some real highlights were Maybe I'm Amazed. A fantastic mix of warm styles

I rarely listen to McCartney albums but when I do I really love it! This is just one of those annual reminders to listen to his best albums again. This is a corker, classic McCartney song-writing story-telling and also just stringing nonsense together to make some nice art. The unique riffs, melodies, lyrics and sounds somehow all have a signature McCartney vibe which I can't put my finger on which brings it all together and makes it so clearly his. Love Man we was Lonely, Singalong Junk. A great time listening to this.

Pop rock blues. Interesante.

The great thing about this album is that it shows just how weird Paul McCartney is. He made an album that many saw at the time as unfinished that spanned multiple genres and wasn't afraid to lean into the saccharine. It is at times conventional and at times experimental and somehow remains so distinctly McCartney. His gift for melody is unmatched and I really like how homemade this album is. It's not his best work, but there is a lot of joy in this album that is hard to ignore.

Sweeter than expected and as much of an easygoing treat as I hoped. The record runs short, and within there's plenty of variation on short; Guitar solo's pretty nice; Melancholy tempers the effect just enough. Music's never finished, a recording-based project tends to obscure.

Every song is good, but as a whole, I think it could have better organization. Kind of feels like a collection of Beatles leftovers.

I was absolutely going to make a joke about how Macca Two better be on this list if you’re gonna include One and Ram. But Ram isn’t even on this list. Tug of War? Nope! What is this f-ing list without Ram?

I can see why this album was so hated when it came out since everyone basically expected another Beatles album and also blamed Paul for the breakup, but this was a really great standalone album. It’s admirable that Paul decided to go so far in his own direction with a lofi, one man production that still has the trademark Beatles songwriting but in Paul’s own way. Every night was the standout for me.

Maybe I’m Amazed is a great song but otherwise there isn’t much substance to this album. I could see myself listening to it if I was in the right mood but it’s not an everyday sort of album for me. 7/10

Kind of generic considering his other output but even generic Macca is still pretty boss

te quiero mucho paul mccartney 8/10

Instrumentalisierung groovy

This is a beautiful collection of strange mismatched songs that are held together by the fact they are all odd ducks. The songwriting feels easy, fun, and effortless while still remaining elegant. It’s really a great album, but there isn’t too much substance; some, but not enough for a fiver. 4/5

I don't consider myself a big fan of Paul McCartney, but I don't mind his music. So, listening to the debut solo album seemed like it is something worth doing. I was not amazed.

I really like the stripped down and raw kind of sound this album has. I have not listened to this before and found it enjoyable.

Despite all the talks that McCartney breaking up The Beatles, and that it sounds unfinished and using only basic and minimal equipment and mixing, this record is an amazing solo debut. Hailed as one of the pioneers of the Lo-fi sound, he brings a fresh take that I don't believe he could have achieved with The Beatles. Retrospectively he termed it as one of rock's first Indie albums - to which I don't disagree. Best: Every Night Worst: Kreen-Akrore

Classic post-Beatles McCartney, if you’re into it.

Tem umas músicas estranhas, mas em geral é muito bom

Very good, a few bits of ob la di-esque trite but overall it had solid Beatles energy.

great album, nice tracks

Je connaissais l'histoire derrière cet album mais pas les chansons de cet album, à part la plus connue "Maybe I'm amazed". Cet album est sorti juste après la séparation des Beatles et Paul McCartney a enregistré la moitié des morceaux chez lui sur un magnétophone et joue de quasiment tous les instruments de l'album donc c'est assez impressionnant qu'il ait presque fait tout de A à Z. En terme de ressenti, je ne sais pas si l'album est court mais je trouve qu'il est passé très très vite, j'ai été surprise par les sortes d'interludes instrumentals mais très agréable à écouter. J'ai beaucoup aimé, je pense que je le réécouterai car il y a de belles mélodies (une en particulier mais je ne me souviens plus du titre).

This is a good but not great album. Honestly surprised at the number of instrumentals given Sir Paul's songwriting ability. One all-time classic and the rest are fine, but nowhere near that level. I was impressed that he played all of the instruments himself. I would give it a 3.5, but that rounds it up for me.

Maybe I’m Amazing is a five star song. The rest of the album is very enjoyable, though not necessarily remarkable. Can’t really say a bad thing about it though.

For years I said George was my favorite Beatle (and I do like him quite a lot) but I was kidding myself, goofy bouncy Paul will always have my heart. I don't even know how to articulate what the difference is between his noodling and Da Capo yesterday, but for example more meandering, lyric-less tracks like Momma Miss America work for me where that album just never clicked. Even Teddy Boy has chord changes that force me to pay attention. Every song here is listenable, and Maybe I'm Amazed is the 'cherry' on top.

It's Paul, he's a Beatle. It's fine. But a bit uninspired.

HL: “Junk”, “Maybe I’m Amazed”, “Every Night”, “Man We Was Lonely”, Maybe some of the critical roasting of this 1st draft of an album is justified, but I love it still <3 Favourite song is “Junk”, an off-cut from the Beatles days (I’ll even forgive that they played it twice!) November 15, 2023