Memory Almost Full REVIEWS.

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:33 am

I have now listened to Memory Almost Full a few times. Some tracks I did not appreciate in the beginning and I listened to them again to see if I would change my mind. I have not yet done so.

This CD is reminiscent of the Wings days on some tracks and also the early solo McCartney work. Then ending is a hodgepodge that is modeled after Abbey Road without the same success. I appreciate that these tracks have personal meaning for McCartney and that the lyrics as such reveal some meaningful history for him that may one day be important.

In the end, I find that there are three tracks that I appreciate and enjoy. Coincidentally, perhaps, they are the first three on the CD. I consider that they appear first to allow the listener to hang in there in the promise of better things to come.

1. Dance Tonight is a light number in which the idea of less is more appeals to me.

2. Ever Present Past is the best on the CD and I consider that the ultimate success of the total work will depend on it.

3. See Your Sunshine is vintage McCartney and makes great use of his outstanding vocal talents and bass work. This sounds to me that a five string bass is being used. I would love to hear from the bass players on this one.

The rest of the tracks may have redeeming features that I will later come to embrace at least in part. For now, my take on McCartney's Memory is that it is full by the end of track three.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:21 am

Could be his WAL 5 string.

325_fan · Post by **325_fan** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:55 am

Paul looks really stressed out in those included photos.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:38 am

I wouldn't say stressed. I would say he looks like a 65 year old.

expomick · Post by **expomick** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:08 am

Peter, I'm going to have to go back and listen to those three tracks with your comments-in-mind, which is why I always defend music/film/art criticism. The best critics open my eyes and/or ears to different avenues to approaching a piece of work.

Now, having said that, your critique of the new McCartney album was not an endorsement of it as a whole, rather it pointed out a few strengths that exist on a rather tepid album, and I may have missed these.

Of course, all critiques are personal, but that is their strength. Allow me to see/hear through your eyes/ears so that I may learn.

I will give those three songs another spin, or two, or three.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:12 pm

I think this IPOD commercial is a better video than the "official" one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD2mS4GAVBc

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:03 pm

I've been listening to this album for two weeks. Its taken a few listenings but there are some real gems here. Dance Tonight. Only Mama Knows. See Your Sunshine. They really jump out at you. I am thinking that if PM had released this as a double album with "Chaos And Creation", it would've been unbelievable!

MAF requires l-i-s-t-e-n-i-n-g. His maturity is showing...and I like it.

rickendelic · Post by **rickendelic** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:42 pm

i think he's turned a corner on MAF. imho since the release of the beatles anthology his albums to me have bounced between the white album and trying to be "modern".
i believe embracing the wings sound is a great move. and although a case can be made that he was the major contributing factor in the beatles, he was undeniably wings, and wings was a successful band.
the first time i listened to MAF i tried to take it all in, and on many occasions i thought the sounds i heard were satisfying. i didn't particularly like all of the string sections but have become used to it now. along with the other selections mentioned by others, i really liked "that was me". PM needs to take back his legacy, considering how we make saints of those who've passed on, as rich and as successful as PM is i still don't think paul recieves the accolades he deserves in general.

captain_jetglo · Post by **captain_jetglo** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:29 am

Well, that's for sure a peculiar record, I like it and I'm sure it needs to be heard patiently. Is not the same McCartney as ever, as Brian Simer said, he's a 65 year old guy, and he looks and sound like this. There's no more "Silly love songs" even if he plays it now that'd sound older. What I like of MAF and Chaos & Creationâ€¦ is the Lyric work. Macca sounds to me (always IMHO) more introspective and that's something I think he needed and, that all without any sacrifice to his musical geniality.
On iTunes I've red a post that made me think a lot, there was a guy who wrote something like he didn't like this record at all because there were no happiness or freshness on it just like in his earlier records. What the heck!, not only ordinary people changes or grows old, artists and our heroes also does. Well, cutting it out: The more I listen to MAF, the more I like it. Is just like a good wine :you gotta taste it little by little until you get the whole bouquet. John Williams, I agree.

mfb · Post by **mfb** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:16 am

I know a guy who cleans public lavatories. He has been doing it for about 35 years.

Basically, he gets up early in the mornings and goes to every public lavatory within his designated area and cleans them. You can imagine.

Anyway, he is one of the nicest, happy persons. I asked him how he can still do this after 35 years.

And he answered, quite seriously, that he actually likes doing it and because he feels it is important for at least some that appreciate entering a clean public lavatory. Most of course, couldn't care less seeing how they mess them up.

Just saying, he likes to do it. I imagine he makes a lot of people happy ... still, after all those years you'd think he'd retire.

Some people.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:47 am

Yes, I agree, Manuel...but in all seriousness, do you think he would keep doing it if he had become a multi-millionaire along the way?

Music and associated cultural elements are 'nice-to-have items', the validity of which is something not everyone can agree on. The maintenance of sewage facilities is something far more necessary to all than 'tunesmithing' that produces work like 'Silly Love Songs'. I applaud your friend the lavatory cleaner...the fact that he's a nice guy is even more impressive.

(As it happens, I'm qualified to discuss the importance of his profession: I have a lot of human waste on my resume...)

mfb · Post by **mfb** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:19 pm

He has actually made quite a bit of money along the way. That's the bit that's a little hard to figure out, he is not wanting for anything, as far as I can tell, and is still doing that job.

Seeing that it may be the only thing he can do well after all those years (and obviously likes to do it and may see it as a challenge), maybe he is looking for some sort of validation.

I don't know really, just guessing.

But back to PM. Didn't he do some sort of opera a little time back? Maybe he is happier doing the tunesmithing thing and finds there is still a big market for the tunes, and on top of that, at this stage he may not really care about what critics say?

On the other hand, Heather is going to take a heap of money ... a new album could do it, plus more maybe, his way of saying, "there you go, you're not even worth a disk". LOL.

lyle_from_minneapolis · Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:32 pm

It was an oratorio.

Oratorio: An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is musical theater, while oratorio is strictly a concert piece. There is little or no interaction between the characters, no props or elaborate costumes. The most important difference is their subject matter. Opera tends to deal with history and mythology, including age-old vices of romance, deception, and murder. The plot of an oratorio is often minimal and deals strictly with sacred subjects, making this form of entertainment acceptable and appropriate for performance in the church. Protestant composers took their stories from the Bible, while Catholic composers looked to the lives of saints.

mfb · Post by **mfb** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:17 pm

Yes, that's it. Some critics say it bombed, but he still won some sort of award for it I think.

lyle_from_minneapolis · Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:50 pm

I'm no expert on oratorios (got the definition from Wikipedia), but I know enough about them to be very impressed with his achievement. Back in the early 60's, Paul didn't know squat about written music other than what the chords were named. (Not that he wasn't a top-notch natural born musician...just that he didn't communicate musical ideas on paper with staff, key signatures, etc.) He learned a lot over the years.

It bombed because Beatles fans weren't interested in this sort of thing, and to oratorio fans, it was just okay. But not bad, by any means. I listened to the whole thing...and cannot remember a note of it.