#192
by Aaron Conte
May 16 1980
Paul McCartney
McCartney II
Genre: Rock
Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5
Aaron’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Allen’s Highlights:
Coming Up
Aaron’s Highlights:
Coming Up
Temporary Secretary
Waterfalls
Front Parlour
Before there were Snoop sized splifs, there were McCartney sized joints. "Macca" as he is known to his contemporaries and people of a certain age, was and is a proponent of the miracle drug; the wacky weed, the Mary G Wanna, dope, grass, sativa and indica, all of which make an appearance on this record. Calling it "McCartney II" already seems like a bit of a stoner move. Dude, you left The Beatles, made a self-titled solo album then released supposedly solo albums under the monikers "Paul and Linda McCartney" as well as "Wings", so...to call this your second solo album just makes me feel stupid and high. Wait... For anyone who knows some John Lennon solo stuff, this venture into new technological territory sounds tame. This is McCartney's first release of the eighties decade so I know it was highly anticipated as well as especially scrutinized. John had put his own primal scream therapy to vinyl! What would Paul do? A sound effects record that featured bong hits, coughing and sirens? Almost. Side one invites you in immediately with the classic sugary pop he does so well. "Coming Up" will always cheer me up, was the only song you would know, and I'll drop this in right here, is another instance where Paul plays every instrument on the record. So even if I hated this album, or even if you hate it, I think it must be respected as another great recording in Paul McCartney history. Just as the listener settles in after that lead off track, Paul pulls a hard left, careens off the road, throws a blindfold on you and blasts through the bumpy woods. "Temporary Secretary", the infamous mind bender that was never played live until 2017, starts off with computer beeps and boops, odd base notes, a drum machine, acoustic guitar and that familiar off-sounding vocal used in some later Beatle tunes. Seems as though he plays around with a fairytale/kid song style here. You can almost hear the record label people, and his public relations team shifting uncomfortably in their seats. "On the Way" begins with him counting off the tune. This is where you may settle back down as it sounds like very familiar "Ram" era McCartney territory. In fact, all of side one could be out takes from that time. Studio driven, analog tape, simple and basic song structures, him playing all the instruments in his bathroom or bedroom. Intimate, short and sweet. "Waterfalls" just breaks your heart in the classic lovely McCartney way. Rhodes piano, synth strings, no new tech here. Whatever you conjure up in your mind as you listen, he takes you for the most gentle floating let down. This song gets four out of five tissues. TLC circa 1994 most certainly knew this. "Nobody Knows" is another simple homemade track. Mistakes left in, background noise, not a thrilling piece of musical art, but if you're a fan, you recognize the familiar old-timey tricks here. More evidence that he may have been pulling from early seventies back log of unused material. B-sides on the A-side routine that only a Beatle can pull off. Side two is where I'm positive he worried people. It begins with "Front Parlour" (English spelling 'natch). Pure newfound techno here and not to be redundant but it's good. Paul's accountants may have marveled at the amount spent at Radio Shack, and Sam Goodie. Just simple programming. Let's honest, he knew about Genesis, Kraftwerk, and most certainly Eno by this time. He had a road map even if we didn't think so. "Summers Day Song" is next. If a song on this record could be called air-less, this would be the one. Almost like an exercise in writing a very British introduction to maudlin funeral music. Fake flutes don't help either. Lyric, "Someone sleeping through a bad dream.." could be a clue to what was going on here. "Frozen Jap". Curious title Paulie. Not sure I appreciate it. Drum machine beats with a slightly far eastern melody. No lyric. Note to self: he was banned from performing in Japan since 1966 and January 1980 was going to be the first time since then that he would be allowed back in to play. If only they found a better hiding spot for the half pound of weed he was carrying, maybe this would have been called "I Love Japan". "Bogey Music". Stoned. Seems McCartney had a tendency to "bogart" the joint. Nothing to see here. "Darkroom". A room where one develops material. Two and half minutes of waiting really, and then you step out of the black and red room wondering why anyone would want to do that to themselves when you can just have some one develop your film for you. "One of These Days" finishes this "second solo record". A touch of "Blackbird" acoustic guitar melody, a surprisingly candid lyric, "one of these days when my feet are on the ground, I'm gonna look around and see, see what's right.." My Beatleologist, insider family friends have told me they were "off" Sir Paul back then and that he wasn't being a very good person to a few choice employees. I don't pretend to know what he was up to but it sounds like he was beginning to see it for himself. Everyone is always looking to knock down the king of the hill, and Paulie wasn't always the king but he did make many trips to the mountain to wind up on top. This is not a fantastic album, but it is fantastic that he is a man who has always always always remained open to possibilities and ideas to the point that it took him and three of his friends to become game changers in an industry that is notoriously stiff and surprisingly conservative. Pop music was changed forever by his first band. This record didn't help change pop music nor did it emerge as an example to follow; in fact it probably was more an example of someone following rather than leading, possibly accounting for the backlash and venom that was thrown at him from his base. This album still went to number one in the UK and to number three in the US so...put that in your peace pipe and smoke it boomer.
