Paul McCartney is 71. He should have his feet up in the Hamptons, or the south coast of England, enjoying his retirement. Instead he keeps on going. NEW is some title for a man who has been recording album after album for fifty years. Yet, working with four hot younger producers (Mark Ronson, Glyn Johns, Giles Martin and Paul Epworth) and a band that has energised him on and off stage for 12 years (Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray and Abe Laboriel Jr) the title is making a statement as this is fresh, contemporary, relevant... NEW! NEW is inventive, intriguing and when it does nod its hat at The Beatles it is 67 era Beatles which still sounds more contemporary today than today’s contemporary. The record rocks out, pops it up and changes gears more seamlessly than four different producers might suggest. It is dirtier, tougher and moodier than Sir Paul has been in many a long year.
The album title might also be a hint at the fact that this is McCartney’s most spiritual album ever! On the opening track (Save Us) he is seeking out salvation and another songs has him singing Hosanna (Hosanna). The Road has him on a journey through storms and darkness toward the light. Most preachy of all is Everybody Out There: -
“There,
but for the Grace of God go you and I
We're the brightest objects in the sky
There, but for the Grace of God go you and I
Do some good before you say goodbye”
This is a remarkable lyric in a song that is obviously written with a stadium full of tens of thousands of fans to sing it to. Christianity’s brightest precious stone Grace is right there in the heart of it, the Biblical idea that humans are the pinnacle of creation is declared and then the altar call of doing something with your life!
Of course McCartney is the most passively spiritual of The Beatles. Lennon went through confirmation and though he got in trouble for saying The Beatles were popular than Jesus and declared he didn’t believe in God in the song God off Plastic Ono Band, he saw himself as a bit of a Christ figure in his revolutionary ideals and the way the public treated him – “Christ you know it aint easy/They’re gonna crucify me” (Ballad Of John and Yoko). Ringo Starr recently spoke of Christianity and had a song Oh My Lord was clearly directed to God. Macca on the other hand has always been a little vacuous in his God belief. Let It Be that might have been seen as a Gospel song was directed towards his own mother Mary, not the mother of Jesus. In more recent years he has nodded at the Divine on the classical work Ecce Cor Meum, particularly the song Sanctus and the reflection on eternity on The End Of The End from Memory Almost Full but though NEW is about a rebirth of sorts that impinges on all of McCartney’s current demeanour it is not a religious conversion so much as a new wife to reinvigorate and heal an unhappy phase in his life.
These songs brim over in thankfulness to McCartney’s third wife Nancy Shevell. The salvation, cause for praise and his partner to see him up the road towards the light on the journey are all about finding love. It makes for a his best record in a long time and his deepest work in even longer. As a Beatles’ fan I will always be interested in the music McCartney releases but I have rarely been as fascinated or satisfied with his lyrical content. If McCartney should still be gigging at 90 we will see which of these songs can sit alongside Get Back, Hey Jude and Yesterday from the 60s or Live and Let Die, Band On The Run and My Love from the 70s. There might be few BUT then those songs are top company. NEW is a treat. Well worth hanging in with a Beatle for!
With you on this. A great listen, inspiring in places.
Posted by: DSimp | 09/11/2013 at 09:15 AM