Paul McCartney – McCartney (1970)

[Album 51/1001]

McCartney would have been great as an amuse bouche; a collection of home recordings to whet the appetite for a proper solo debut.

Alas…this was the solo debut, released less than a fortnight after he announced his departure from The Beatles.  Though commercially successful, it was anything but a critic’s darling.

For his efforts here, I would give Mr. McCartney the Alex Kovalev award.
(If unfamiliar with the late 90’s/early 00’s hockey reference, this award recognizes the recipient as easily the most talented of his generation at his trade but also the most frustrating)

Sir Paul is playing all the instruments here, clearly no shortage of skill.  Maybe I’m Amazed is one of the best love songs ever written, just brilliant.  Unfortunately, he often forgets that he’s capable of writing such timeless music; most of McCartney doesn’t come anywhere close to the author’s potential.

The idea of this album is admirable: 4-track recordings, a deliberate move away from the ‘wall of sound,’ having fun making music again.  Had it been released during happier times (and more appropriately packaged as perhaps a ‘rarities & b-sides’ collection), the reception would have been much different.