Music Review: Paul McCartney New

By Jon Nagle, '15

 

Album cover: credit rollingstone.com

       Sir Paul McCartney is at it again with a brand new album, New released on October 15^th, 2013 in the U.S.   Paul’s band consists of Rusty Anderson (Backing Vocals, Electric/Acoustic Guitar), Brian Ray (Backing Vocals, Electric/Acoustic Guitar, Bass, and Tambourine), Paul Wickens (Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Harmonica), Abe Laboriel Jr. (Backing Vocals, Drums, Bass, and Percussion), and last but certainly not least, Sir Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Electric Guitar, and Ukulele). The first single off the album “New” was released August 28^th, 2013. This album is the sixteenth studio album and his first since 2007 with the album “Memory Almost Full” consisting of entirely new compositions. McCartney has said that the album would be "very varied. I worked with four producers and each of them brought something different." The title track, "New", is a "love song, but it’s saying don't look at me, I haven't got any answers. It says I don't know what's happening, I don't know how it's all happening, but it's good and I love you." The most Beatles-ish track is "On My Way to Work," whose daydream-y commuter narrative recalls "A Day in the Life"; the boldest is "Queenie Eye," a glam-rockish stadium sing-along. But the head turner is "Early Days," a wistful; mostly acoustic memoir-reverie is echoing George Harrison's "All Those Years Ago".

            The track list for the album is as follows:

1.     Save Us

2.     Alligator

3.     On My Way To Work

4.     Queenie Eye

5.     Early Days    

6.     New

7.     Appreciate

8.     Everybody Out There

9.     Hosanna

10. I Can Bet

11.  Looking At Her

12. Road

13.  Turned Out

14. Get Me Out of Here

15.  Scared

       Now that Sir McCartney is 71 years old, I think the younger generation of people are starting to appreciate the music of the Beatles/Paul McCartney, old and new, because people don’t seem to realize that some of the artists from the past used The Beatles as role models for their musical inspiration such as Oasis, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, and Queen. Paul McCartney has had some great hits in the past like: “Band on The Run,” “Jet,” and “Live and Let Die” and has made to the top of the proverbial “Rock N Roll Ladder” and will go down forever in the Rock/Pop history books as a solo artist AND as ¼ of the famous Fab Four.

      We as the community of Beatles/Paul McCartney fans would like to thank Sir McCartney for yet another great album to add to the list. Thanks Paul for the music you have provided us with. We hope to hear more music from you in the years to come.