A review of Paul McCartney's McCartney III Imagined
"McCartney III Imagined" is a music album by Paul McCartney that is essentially a reissue of McCartney III from 2020. As the title suggests, it serves as a continuation of McCartney and McCartney II's solo works. The reissue includes new versions of songs recorded with guest musicians (including Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Josh Homme and others). Let's discuss this unique collaboration in more detail...
About the album...
In December 2020, McCartney gave fans an early Christmas present in the form of McCartney III! The album proved to be playful and upbeat: critics even described it as "a timely antidote to the suffocating existential mood of the Covid era..." The audience's enthusiasm was due to the fact that Paul McCartney was sticking to his old methods rather than creating new music: Thus, with unconventional folk-funk and quirky synth-pop, he transformed himself from a sentimental rock dinosaur into an eccentric godfather figure for a new generation of pop musicians... But while "McCartney III" had no shortage of inspiring, offbeat moments, unlike its predecessors, it didn't really showcase any new musical passions or curiosities that would allow us to see its creator in a new light... So in this case, the remix album is not just a matter of extending the record's shelf life: it's a matter of unfinished business!
"McCartney III Imagined", "curated" by himself, is a cool set of remixes from various studio alchemists: there are predictable hits (the danceable "Find My Way"), unexpected experiments ("Long Tailed Winter Bird") and startling successes ("Deep Deep Feeling")! On the album, Sir Paul presents a rearranged version of a record from an alternate universe, overseen by an eclectic cast of alt-rock icons, contemporary indie favorites and pop phenomena of our day... You could say that "McCartney III Imagined" is a talent summit.
About the participants and the tracks...
In just a few months, the record was ambitiously reworked by a carefully selected team of friends and artists that McCartney admired from afar... The musicians invited to work are well-known and respected personalities in the music world! For example, Damon Albarn and Robert Del Nye from Massive Attack already have an army of millions of fans, while Beck or Josh Homme are literally one step away... Sir Paul did not forget about his contemporaries: young, but undoubtedly ambitious Phoebe Bridgers and Dominic Fike were invited to work on the compilation. Many people are sure that it is almost impossible to perform somebody else's material in such a way that it touches the audience and the author himself. But McCartney III Imagined will shatter your stereotypes (if you have any, of course)!
So Beck turns "Find My Way" into a relaxation song, and singer Blood Orange rehabilitates the once tiresome synth-soul record "Deep Down" with his velvety harmonies and urgent piano arrangement reminiscent of the classic Wings composition "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five"... Equally charming is Anderson Pack, who transforms "When Winter Comes" from a rustic ditty into a breezy space-age bachelor dream that would easily fit into his new Silk Sonic project... There are also those guests who remake McCartney's work in their own image: Damon Albarn, for example, turns "Long Tailed Winter Bird" into a dope Gorillaz tune! In contrast, "Seize the Day" is essentially a cover version, with Phoebe Bridgers' vocals in the foreground and McCartney himself humming in the background. The co-writers can be divided into those who stayed true to the original songs and limited themselves to the little things, and those who demolished the whole building and rebuilt it from scratch.
Conclusion…
"McCartney III Imagined" is more than just a companion album. It is itself a compelling coming together of generations of pop music, as one of the greatest writers of his era joins forces with artists who have followed in his footsteps. In other words - it's the perfect cover project. First of all - Sir Paul provided the musicians with excellent material to work with (you can't even argue with that!) And the fact that the guests approached the matter with full dedication and passion, with respect and enthusiasm, is obvious. It seems that everyone, including McCartney himself, enjoyed the process. The beautiful, perfectly selected line-up also plays its part: a musician will definitely find something on "McCartney III Imagined" for himself. All the tracks on this compilation are unique in their own way! That's why you should listen to them separately, in the mood so to speak... Everyone has put into the work his emotions, feelings, energy... And that is what makes "McCartney III Imagined" a truly live album!
