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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Dance Tonight |
| 2. Ever Present Past |
| 3. See Your Sunshine |
| 4. Only Mama Knows |
| 5. You Tell Me |
| 6. Mr. Bellamy |
| 7. Gratitude |
| 8. Vintage Clothes |
| 9. That Was Me |
| 10. Feet In The Clouds |
| 11. House Of Wax |
| 12. The End of the End |
| 13. Nod Your Head |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
"Many years from now" must have seemed like an understatement to 16-year-old Paul McCartney, wondering if he'd still be needed or fed at the age of 64. As it turned out, all doubt as to the latter had ceased by his 22nd birthday (though few could have predicted he'd end up washing down those meals with the liquid pride of Seattle). As to the former? Now that McCartney, as of the date of this album's release, has reached that mythic age, his greatest work is 40 years behind him, his solo peak over 30 years gone. Does the world need a new Paul McCartney album? The answer is yes, at least as much as it needs anything else that passes for music these days. With Memory Almost Full, Macca is back. No, it's not Ram or Band on the Run. It might not even be Flowers in the Dirt--in 1989, he had a full band, the support of Linda, and Elvis Costello as a collaborator. Here, he's on his own. Literally: on the majority of the tracks, everything but the strings is multi-instrumentalist Paul. But the surprise is that it's one of his freest, loosest affairs in years, sonically reminiscent of the Tug of War/Pipes of Peace era with nods to Abbey Road in the album-closing medley, McCartney's gravelly tones on "Gratitude," and 2007's version of "Her Majesty," the palate-cleansing "Nod Your Head." It's a surprise because of the album's inescapable sense of retrospection ("Ever Present Past," "Vintage Clothes," "That Was Me") and even a bit of weariness. The next-to-last song is "The End of the End," after all, in which McCartney tells us about what he'd like to happen "on the day that I die." (He wants "songs that were sung/to be hung out like blankets/that lovers have played on/and laid on while listening to songs that were sung," and will likely get his wish.) But it never gets overwhelming, for McCartney mostly resists his tendency to get plodding and maudlin. In fact, Memory Almost Full must be the most sanguine album made during the dissolution of a marriage since...well, ever. "What went out is coming back," he sings in "Vintage Clothes," and from the sound of things, that may not be just wishful thinking. What's past is prologue; if we're lucky, what to come may be McCartney's late renaissance. --Benjamin Lukoff
Product Description
PAUL MCCARTNEY Memory Almost Full (Superb 2007 US 13-track CD album - the 21st solo studio album from Macca which includes the single Dance Tonight. This US edition is housed in a Super Jewel Box with Paul coloured photograph card pasted on theback + a limited edition credit card style Starbucks Gift Card which features a black & white image of Paul! HMCD-30348)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Right, let's be honest about things and get this Beatles monkey off our chests. Aren't we all guilty about trying to protect the sacred memory which is THE BEATLES and by doing so have unfairly criticized a great deal of Paul McCartney's post-Beatles music.
The number of times I have read a critical review of a McCartney product which contains such comment as ''Well it's all right but it's not 'Revolver''' and writes off the album without really giving an objective opinion.....well it's time to put the record straight!
'Memory Almost Full' is nothing less than a masterpiece of music by a man who quite clearly is not resting on his considerable iconic reputation, but clearly still feels that he has a point to prove to the doubters.
Music journalists from their cossetted offices write that McCartney has done little or nothing of note since the Beatles.......who split up all of 37 years ago!....I will give you a list of songs which would EASILY have graced ANY Beatles album,,,,,,,,yes, including Revolver' and I make no apologies for doing so........from this album 'Mr Bellamy' and 'The End of the End'.. from 'Chaos and Creation'.....'Anyway', 'Too Much Rain','Jenny Wren'
Young Boy, Another Day, Wanderlust, Maybe I'm Amazed, Tug of War, No More Lonely Nights, Back Seat of My Car, Silly Love Songs, Here Today, Junior's Farm,.......the list is endless.
My point is this.....by all means remember the Beatles with a deal of reverence, because I certainly do, but do not do a disservice to a former Beatle in the process by dismissing his post-Beatles music because of this obsession with keeping THAT group above all others.
The point is this new album deserves to be heard without any preconceptions and I hope the genius which is McCartney comes shining through.
The number of times I have read a critical review of a McCartney product which contains such comment as ''Well it's all right but it's not 'Revolver''' and writes off the album without really giving an objective opinion.....well it's time to put the record straight!
'Memory Almost Full' is nothing less than a masterpiece of music by a man who quite clearly is not resting on his considerable iconic reputation, but clearly still feels that he has a point to prove to the doubters.
Music journalists from their cossetted offices write that McCartney has done little or nothing of note since the Beatles.......who split up all of 37 years ago!....I will give you a list of songs which would EASILY have graced ANY Beatles album,,,,,,,,yes, including Revolver' and I make no apologies for doing so........from this album 'Mr Bellamy' and 'The End of the End'.. from 'Chaos and Creation'.....'Anyway', 'Too Much Rain','Jenny Wren'
Young Boy, Another Day, Wanderlust, Maybe I'm Amazed, Tug of War, No More Lonely Nights, Back Seat of My Car, Silly Love Songs, Here Today, Junior's Farm,.......the list is endless.
My point is this.....by all means remember the Beatles with a deal of reverence, because I certainly do, but do not do a disservice to a former Beatle in the process by dismissing his post-Beatles music because of this obsession with keeping THAT group above all others.
The point is this new album deserves to be heard without any preconceptions and I hope the genius which is McCartney comes shining through.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It's a great album. The songwriting is great again, as it was with Chaos (Driving Rain's flaw was that the songs were just not that good). The production is great too. Some songs I think are better than others, but overall they rate among his best. I was recently wondering what I thought were his best albums. They were McCartney, Ram, Red Rose, Band on the Run, London Town, Back To the Egg, McCartney II, Flowers in the Dirt, Flaming Pie, Chaos and I think I'll have to add this one to the list. It's an honest and open album with no trickery or attempt to be contemporary. It's really great. The harmonies are wonderfull, like on See your Sunshine. Mister Bellamy is a bit odd, but because of that very appealing. The End of the End is extremely gripping and Ever Present Past is the kind of tune you can't get out of your head. They only ones that are a bit below par are Gratitude and Node your head. Just sit back and enjoy.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Vinyl
I agree with most of the reviews so far in saying this is largely a great album which with Nigel Godrich in the Producer's chair would be an even greater one.
But I sense that working with Godrich on 'Chaos....' was too much like hard work for Sir Macs who maybe wanted a comfier ride with his old mate David Kahne, someone who wouldn't say 'no' to the simplstic Dance Tonight or the rather pointless Only Mama Knows, which seems to go nowhere and has no real theme. That said it's an enjoyable song when you switch off from the lyrics, but then what's the point?
Highlights for me are Ever Present Past, Mr Bellamy, House of Wax which is fantastic and Nod Your Head for it's oddness. The last of these I at first thought was the weakest, being a mere ditty he could have made up in his moments of half slumber but it's so charged with an infectious energy that it can't help but rock the song forward and the album to a close. The End of the End is a great track and an unfamiliar theme for Macca, but the thoughtfulness and poetic imagery shows he really can pull something special out of his locker when he wants to.
The bonus disc with the cd is worth having but for me the overall production values and the sound of the vinyl are what give this format the edge. The sounds are more resonant and rounded but the sleeve it's housed in is very substandard and certainly unusual, made as it is of glossy paper with the record folded inside what seems to be a giant poster, (yes really.) One to be stored carefully.
But I sense that working with Godrich on 'Chaos....' was too much like hard work for Sir Macs who maybe wanted a comfier ride with his old mate David Kahne, someone who wouldn't say 'no' to the simplstic Dance Tonight or the rather pointless Only Mama Knows, which seems to go nowhere and has no real theme. That said it's an enjoyable song when you switch off from the lyrics, but then what's the point?
Highlights for me are Ever Present Past, Mr Bellamy, House of Wax which is fantastic and Nod Your Head for it's oddness. The last of these I at first thought was the weakest, being a mere ditty he could have made up in his moments of half slumber but it's so charged with an infectious energy that it can't help but rock the song forward and the album to a close. The End of the End is a great track and an unfamiliar theme for Macca, but the thoughtfulness and poetic imagery shows he really can pull something special out of his locker when he wants to.
The bonus disc with the cd is worth having but for me the overall production values and the sound of the vinyl are what give this format the edge. The sounds are more resonant and rounded but the sleeve it's housed in is very substandard and certainly unusual, made as it is of glossy paper with the record folded inside what seems to be a giant poster, (yes really.) One to be stored carefully.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
" I don't like the Beatles"???? and I don't like lager!
Totally brilliant album. Anyone giving this any less than 4 stars should see a doctor and get new ears. Read more
Published 1 month ago by gerald
Good one Macca !!
Excellent cd by McCartney with at lseat 7 excellent songs as good as anything he'e written . Check out some of the songs on youtube. !
Published 3 months ago by John Morgan
Sad
I think that this album is simply a case of "I'm Sir Paul McCartney, I'm a famous musician, so it's gotta be good O.K.! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Bruce Rogerson
fantastic vinyl
Need I say more, why buy the Cd's when you can get it on vinyl, the sound is great, the packing is great!!
Published 16 months ago by poul
Another case of massively overrating old guy with big name (see Bob...
This album starts really promisingly with 'Dance Tonight', a lovely tune infused by a feeling of joy. Later on there is 'Gratitude', a powerful thank you despite adversity. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Simon Turner
Beatles now?
I grew up listening to the Beatles actually waiting in line to buy "She Loves You".
Once the split came I never thought that the individual was better than the whole. Read more
Once the split came I never thought that the individual was better than the whole. Read more
Published on 3 May 2010 by L. Tannette
Memory more than Almost Full of these songs.
There are several versions of this album; there is the standard CD, the CD with a 3 track bonus CD and then there is the CD with the 3 bonus tracks and a bonus DVD. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2008 by Guitar Heroine
Possibly best McCartney Album since The Beatles?
Just my opinion - but I believe this is the most consistent album from McCartney since the Lennon/McCatney split. Great tunes, great production. Read more
Published on 4 July 2008 by Sean O'Brien
Great
This album really grows on you the more time you play it. "Gratitude","Vintage clothes","that was me"and "the end of the end" are especially good. Another great album from Paul. Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2008 by Mr. Cl Hetherington
Seriously Good
Hats off to Macca - he's sounding as fresh as a daisy as he works through his mid-sixties, and vocally "Memory Almost Full" sounds as strong as anything he's done in a while. Read more
Published on 29 May 2008 by Jl Adcock
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