Customer Reviews

Chaos And Creation In The Backyard

5 star:		(249)
4 star:		(83)
3 star:		(41)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(50)

 

 

As a boy, I grew up with The Beatles. I felt the little hairs on my arms stand up when their first hit aired on the radio, went to see all their movies (yes, I believed The Beatles lived together in that big house with four doors), got stoned with Sergeant Pepper and even more with the second side of Abbey Road, worried when I saw how they grew apart in Let it Be, was heartbroken when the Fab Four finally split up.

I followed McCartney on his adventures as a solo artist and with Wings. Even though he wrote some of his best work during that period, his albums always lacked something, and often a lot - even Band on the Run had parts that I wanted to skip. Too many albums followed. I kinda lost interest after a while.

And then came Chaos and Creation. After playing it for the second time, I found that I was humming some of the melodies and riffs in my mind. I just had to play the album over and over. Then something weird happened. Tears started running down my face. Huh? This never happened to me anymore... not since A Long and Winding Road, anyway. But it did. And the album just keeps getting better.

History will have to prove if this is Paul's best album, as I suspect it is. It shows all he has to offer: great melodies, a voice that still lends itself to every mood and genre, lyrics that go from poetic to weird and from silly to corny. But hey, that is Paul. Honest and sincere, sometimes with a hint of irony, but never cynical. And the combination of those ingredients creates music that goes straight to the heart.

Much of the quality of Chaos and Creation is due to the excellent production. So, thanks to everyone who helped McCartney create this album. But above all, thanks to Paul for touching me again with his music now, just as he did when I was a boy.

Sir Paul McCartney's previous album, 2001's Driving Rain, was awarded almost unanimous critical approval. Interestingly enough, I loved it at first but slowly grew out of it, instead of the other way around. Pundits across the board are now giving their even more fervent blessings to Paul's newest effort. But will Chaos & Creation in the Backyard (2005) prove a repeat performance?

Well, let's see. At the recommendation of legendary Beatles maestro Sir George Martin, Chaos & Creation in the Backyard is produced by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame. Not surprisingly, he was an excellent choice. Godrich had a much greater hand in the creative process than most of Paul's former producers - it was at his behest Macca's touring band was dismissed, forcing the ex-Beatle to provide almost all the instrumentation himself ala his homemade solo debut. But Chaos & Creation is anything but homemade; with tasteful, layered arrangements and a crisp, glossy sound, there's a sense of craftsmanship and professionalism here that was lacking in the 1970 record. And if it wasn't directly his doing - Paul's own age and resultant maturity probably had some effect - Godrich's quality control was more than likely a factor in Chaos & Creation's moody, introspective tone.

Indeed, this record often finds Paul in or striving for a darker humour than his wont. To mixed results: Riding to Vanity Fair sags beneath its self-conscious malaise, but the rainy-day Jenny Wren is evidence Macca can still do damn fine melancholy. Which is not to say C&C is a gloomy album: this is Paul McCartney after all, a lover and an optimist at heart. So the LP has its share of romantic ballads and feel-good "uppers", even if there IS a conspicuous dearth of Sir Paul's trademark stylistic diversions. Both lyrically and tunefully Chaos is a marked improvement on Driving Rain. It's still hit-and-miss - witness the simplistic rhymes of Follow Me and This Never Happened Before, or How Kind of You's melodic meandering. But they're none of them BAD, and the pastoral tableaux of English Tea, pensive melancholia of At the Mercy, and Top 20 (!) single A Fine Line, among others, atone amply.

Because even when the material doesn't entirely work, the McCartney/Godrich partnership manages to salvage whatever charms a tune may possess and bring them to the fore. Whether it will ultimately turn out to be an encore of Driving Rain, I can't say; but as far as I can see Chaos & Creation in the Backyard is a respectable addition to a legendary oeuvre.

Paul McCartney is the most successful songwriter in history, with more number one songs and albums (including the Beatles, obviously) than anyone else.* There's a very good reason for this -- he writes great music and melodies.

Unlike some, I have enjoyed almost everything McCartney has had to offer. They've ranged from not-too-good ("Wild Life," "Wings at the Speed of Sound") to good ("Off the Ground," "McCartney," "Back to the Egg") to great ("Tug of War," "Flowers in the Dirt," "Driving Rain") to classic ("Band on the Run," "Ram," "Flaming Pie"). This album ranks among the latter.

It's hard to say just how great this album is, but as I listened, I realized I was listening to an outstanding piece of art. It's a non-Wings, pure McCartney Beatles album, plain and simple. Many songs here could be on the "White Album" and "Abbey Road" -- most notably "English Tea" (sure, it's drivel, but sweet fluff that only McCartney can pen effortlessly), "Jenny Wren," (yeah, yeah, "Blackbird," blah blah) "Promise to You Girl," and "This Never Happened Before" (an excellent track reminiscent of "You Never Give Me Your Money" without copying it). Sure, "Friends to Go" sounds like a George Harrison song, much the way "Riding to Jaipur," off 2001's "Driving Rain," did. (Perhaps he's chanelling George). But the standout track on this unequivocal masterpiece is "Riding to Vanity Fair;" its slow, methodic melody, complimented by a plaintive toy glockenspiel, is a trance-inducing pleasure.

A great asset of this album is that its 13 tunes clock in at just over 40 minutes, which is rare in this day (with the "hidden" track(s) it's still only about 46 minutes). THANK YOU!!! Albums have gotten way too long these days. And the songs are an average 3 minutes apiece -- another nice touch, since songs have also gotten too bloated lately (most of the Beatles' songs were between 2 1/2 and 3 minutes long).

The only complaints I have is that the opening of "Anyway" sounds like either "People Get Ready" or the opening of "Under the Bridge," depending on how you hear it. McCartney usually never sounds like anybody but himself or Beatles. But the song transforms and redeems itself, becoming one of the most heart-wrenching and moving songs on the album.

Some people ask why an artist McCartney's age would even bother; others say that artists his age, such as the Rolling Stones, should just retire. That's like telling a painter at age 65 that he or she is no longer allowed to paint! McCartney made it clear in a recent interview that he enjoys recording -- it's his hobby. He doesn't need the money, but he pours his heart into it, which should let you know that it's authentic.

We should be incredibly thankful that in these troubled times this wonderful, beautiful man has blessed us with brand new, soul-soothing music to make us smile as he always has. Pray he will continue to do so.

Thank you, Sir Paul McCartney.


*Guinness Book of World Records, Billboard

I considered calling this review "McCartney's Most Honest and Restrained Album In A While" but was concerned that it may be interpreted as some sort of criticism rather than describing the two elements that make it his best in a long while.

Several songs in this album, which offer more breadth and depth that I've listened from Paul in recent albums, showed a more introspective and unsentimental view of life. I would not call this set solemn as much as restrained, avoiding a certain indulging of his cheerful side that, in my opinion, has accounted for uneven albums in the past.

Tunes like "Riding To Vanity Fair," "Jenny Wren," and "Anyway" are great examples of McCartney's extraordinary gift for tender melodies, yet manage to stop short from "precious Pop."

To this point, in addition to these songs being a very inspired batch, Nigel Godrich's production is a key factor. It seems, from what I read, that he was able to push back on Paul enough to reveal the best and most sincere these songs have to offer, the ones mentioned before -as well as "Too Much Rain" and "A Certain Softness, for the sake of additional examples.

That's, I think, a great producer's gift, to reveal -not to create- the inner beauty of music and words, to provide the sound and mood that makes them stand out -think Rubin with Cash, or Lanois with Emmylou Harris. He did not make this album better, perhaps, but as great as it should be.

So, for me, there is enough natural beauty and thoughtful craft in "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard," to give it album five stars.

There I was, listening the album, punching the button to the
next song to find something "good."
Silence. Nothing good(?) I decided to listen to every song
in their entirety. Boy was I hit in the head. This is great
stuff. But it is not rocking Paul. Nor is it soft Paul.
It is melancholy Paul. Each song has a sweet bitterness
of happiness and loneliness. Think of Mother Nature's Son,
Blackbird, The Lovely Linda, type songs. This is the kind of album you listen to on
a long drive by yourself on the way to a loved one.
Someone who you need tell "I love you" more often.
This is the kind of album to be listened to on the
way home from visiting a loved one. Someone that you
find dear and may not be near much more.
When I listened to this album on my long, lonely commute
home, boy it hits you hard. Especially the last 7 songs.
For someone my age, 45, it is uncanny listening to Paul
after 40 years. And still a big fan. I can say I have
been a fan since I was 4 years old. Paul has turned chaos
into creation.

Well,OK,I've listened daily to this for 5 months.I am not tired of it.My five year old is not tired of it.My wife is not tired of it.This may be the start of another McCartney renaissance.There is not a weak moment here.The pairing of Goodrich-McCartney was inspired(thanks George Martin!).Let's face it,this is a Beatle,folks-Lennon's songwriting partner-the man who co-wrote Eleanor Rigby,Sgt.Pepper's,Magical Mystery Tour,etc.Just think of the second side of Abbey Road,for crying out loud! So,this is not just his best since RAM or Band on the Run or McCartney 1-this is his best PERIOD!Quality like this doesn't come along very often.It's like Haley's comet!Buy it NOW-you won't be disappointed.

On his newest album, McCartney finally allows himself to write/compose songs the way he did at the time of the Beatles/ early 70's.

The quality control and production of Nigel Godrich result in an album that has atmosphere, depth, originality, integrity, good lyrics, great harmonies; elements that have often lacked on his albums. The album contains no fillers. In my opinion, the least interesting song of the album is the single Fine Line.

Although some songs could have been on Beatles albums (notably English Tea, Jenny Wren) or early solo albums (Promise to You Girl, A Certain Softness), you sometimes hear echoes of McCartney-inspired musicians like Brian Wilson, 10cc, Queen (Promise to You Girl) and Radiohead/Coldplay (How Kind of You).

McCartney's voice is better than ever. Playing almost all instruments on all tracks does make a coherent, intimate and sometimes experimental sound (like on McCartney I and Flaming Pie). Obvious drawback is that sometimes you miss the creative input of fellow musicians (like on Friends to Go; would have more groove if played with a good band). He is excused for not being the best drummer.

If you do not buy the album, be sure to get Jenny Wren, Vanity Fair and How kind of you.

I was not sure if McCartney would be able to make such an album at the age of 63. But he did.

Highly recommended!

Addendum April 2007:
This album got four Grammy Award Nominations: in 2005 Album of the year, Best pop vocal album, Best male pop vocal performance (Fine Line) and in 2006 Best male vocal performance (Jenny Wren).

Paul McCartney's new album, Chaos & Creation In The Backyard is an oddly titled album that is not what you would expect from Sir Paul. Instead of the filling the world with silly love songs, the new effort is probably the most introspective and reflective album of his illustrious career. The approach to recording the album is much like his first two solo works (McCartney & Ram) with Mr. McCartney playing virtually all the instruments, but he employs Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame as the producer. The songs find a quieter vein and are less hook-filled than his usual fare, but they aren't without melody. "Fine Line" and "Promise To You Girl" contain the kind of melodies that Mr. McCartney tosses around in his sleep and most musicians would kill to write. It is the reflective lyrics in songs like "How Kind Of You" (which is about meeting his new wife Heather Mills) and "Jenny Wren" that make for an interesting listen. Other standout tracks include the string laden "Riding To Vanity Fair", the sprightly "English Tea", "Too Much Rain" and "This Never Happened Before". Mr. McCartney said he was thinking about John Lennon quite a bit during the recording sessions and introspective was one of his trademarks. Chaos & Creation In The Backyard isn't the best album of Mr. McCartney's career, but it is certainly his most challenging.

I've noticed that this CD is getting 5 stars or 1 star - thus I am guessing most people either love it or hate it.
Let me preface by saying I am a dyed in the wool McCartney fan and own all the Beatles stuff together and solo.

On first listen, I thought this album was awful - boring as some other reviewers have stated. I didn't really like "Driving Rain" that much and was hoping for another "Flaming Pie". I was disappointed as this album didn't reach out and grab me - it was just there. So, I gave it to a number of other people to listen to (not real Beatle fans, but people who know good music) - I figured I wouldn't miss it for a few days. Well, the response from everyone was that the CD is outstanding. I decided to give it another "proper" listen - no distractions, just me and the CD, like the old days (and maybe a bit o' Jack and Coke).

So, I must say, I've changed my initial view. This CD is GOOD - not the best, but certainly not the worst. The production, while sparse, is outstanding, and the music has all the late Beatles trademarks. Paul's voice is bad? Well, "English Tea" has the same voice as "Lovely Rita", another song could have been taken straight from "Abbey Road" - certainly the voice is aged, but it's still the voice we all know and love. Most of these tunes would have easily fit on the "White Album" or "Abbey Road" especially with a bit of tweaking by John, not much tweaking mind you. Is the "White Album" great? Of course I think so, but in 1968 it would have taken a lot of getting used to. Come on, "Piggies", "Don't Pass Me By", not to mention "Revolution 9"... Is it "Band on the Run", "Ram" or "McCartney"? No, but remember the gems "3 Legs", "Teddy Boy", "Junk"? All songs I like, but I'm sure the general public wondered what was up.

In conclusion, McCartney has changed since Linda's death. He's who he is now, and it's obvious he's the same guy who penned and sang some of our most favorite later Beatles tunes. If you are a McCartney fan, you may need to warm up to this CD - if you are a casual listener I think you'll find this CD a great addition to your collection. If this is your first McCartney purchase, I'd suggest "Tug of War", "Flaming Pie", or "Wingspan"" as a better introduction.

Paul McCartney returns to the songwriting we've always known him capable of in Chaos. "A Fine Line" is a Lady Madonna-style uptempo piano track and a very effective opener. Paul builds on his greatest strengths here writing some amazing ballads with the effortlessly catchy melodies that we've found him, above all songwriters, most capable of. "Jenny Wren" is a wonderful guitar/duduk ballad in the tradition of Blackbird/Mother Nature's Son. When Paul's second verse begins "She saw poverty breaking up her home..." you know he has more to say than has been traditionally accused of. Other absolutely amazing ballads are "Too Much Rain" and "Anyway." "Laugh when your eyes are burning," begins "Too Much Rain" and we are once again reminded that this is an album on which Paul has something real and urgent to say. He brings out feelings that he had long learnt to bottle up though the great tradition of character songs Paul is legendary for. This is a darker album lyrically but still, do expect some romance from the man who wrote "Yesterday." He is still Paul McCartney after all and does not try to be soemthing that he is not- he just takes more care when saying it.
Look out for "Promise to you Girl"! It is an amazing song! This is the album I had been waiting for from Paul and I couldn't be more thrilled and proud that at 63 Paul is ever the master tunesmith.