McCartney

It was April of 1970 when Paul McCartney announced the breakup of the Beatles and thus started a solo career for the band's bass player.Paul's announcement included the news about his first solo album,McCartney which was released two days ahead of Let It Be.

The Beatles' acrimonious split can be traced way back to the time when Brian Epstein,the band's manager,died of drug overdose.The band had always said that the death of Brian started the beginning of the end for the band for they felt like they lost guidance-though Paul kept on encouraging them to keep cool and concentrate on writing more songs and recording more new albums.After Sgt Pepper,the band embarked on a film project called Magical Mystery Tour in which the film was considered to bomb on the US market though the soundtrack album was highly praised by rock critics.More albums followed for the band,and it seems everything took its toll at the recording of the Beatles' self titled album THE BEATLES aka the White Album.People who witnessed on how the band argued and walked off each others songs during the recording sessions felt that the band is slowly moving towards disintegration.

They did,however,managed to create the last masterpiece Abbey Road in which was recorded with the discipline that they had during the band's earlier days.Bad business problems came along and Paul probably wanted to keep the Beatles together but he couldn't.The last album released by the Beatles called Let It Be reflected the signs of the times when the band had so many problems they believed they couldn't handle any longer.

It  is said that it was Paul who was badly hit by the split.He even recounted the time when he couldn't get out of bed and just did all these drinking.His wife Linda,sad seeing his husband depressed,encouraged him to write and record a solo album.Paul kept saying that he couldn't thank Linda enough for encouraging him that he was a very good musician during the time he felt that he was useless.

Paul got up from his stupor and recorded McCartney,his first solo album.He played all the instruments and was helped by Linda on the vocal harmonies.The album however,was held at the number two spot in the UK with Simon And Garfunkle's Bridge Over Troubled Water preventing it to reach the top spot.But it was quite different in the States where the album went to number one.

TRACK LISTING :

1.The Lovely Linda
2.That Would Be Something
3.Valentine Day
4.Every Night
5.Hot As Sun/Glasses
6.Junk
7.Man We Was Lonely
8.Oo You
9.Momma Miss America
10.Teddy Boy
11.Singalong Junk
12.Maybe I'm Amazed
13.Kreen-Akrore

Paul played all the instruments in the album and has described his debut as kind of a throw away during one of his interviews with Rolling Stone.Among the instruments he played was bass,guitar,drums,piano, and toy gockenspiel.The album was hailed as a masterpiece not only by McCartney fans but the whole rock music industry as well.The album was made at home where Paul had set up an eight track recording unit which is considered at the time as state of the art.With the album's lo-fi recording,many people see it as a precursor to those of indie rock bands of today where most of them were known to record their albums at the convenient of their very own homes.Well contrary to popular belief,the album wasn't really made entirely at the family household,though most of the tracks were recorded at Paul and Linda's house,they were polished at Abbey Road Studios where McCartney was seen working alone.

One song from the album called Maybe I'm Amazed stands out as one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.Paul wrote it for Linda at the time the Beatles' scene was getting heavy.The song was later rearranged and re-recorded by Paul and his band Wings with the live version taken from the concert LP Wings Over America reaching the top 10 of the US charts in 1977.

 (photo left:McCartney back cover CD,with Paul and his baby daughter Mary)

McCartney the album topped the US charts which is pleasing and very therapeutic for Paul.He eventually went on and released more solo albums and formed a band called Wings which is regarded as one of the greatest bands of the seventies and made him the most successful Beatle on his own solo career.Perhaps he realized to himself,in everything you do and things get a little messy,theres always a bright future ahead.