McCartney (Archive Collection) [Original recording remastered, Special Edition]

Paul McCartney | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 14, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered, Special Edition
• Label: HEAR MUSIC
• ASIN: B004WJRF6C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (261 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,168 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of the former Beatle's debut solo album. Heralded as one of the most beloved solo debuts of all time, McCartney, the smash #1 album, originally released April of 1970, yielded the timeless tracks "Every Night" and "Junk" along with the immortal classic "Maybe I'm Amazed." The bonus CD includes previously unreleased demos and live tracks.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Actual REVIEW.... June 15, 2011

By sirguitarist

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The audio of the McCartney reissue is more than I expected. This was essentially a home recording Paul made in the wake of the Beatles' break up - it just hadn't been announced yet. This remaster has wonderful dynamics compared to the original CD issue, and the 1993 remaster. The drums sound like they're in your room (first snare pop of "Every Night" floored me), the bass is strong but not exaggerated, the acoustic guitars are crisp (never enjoyed "The Lovely Linda" as much as this)

The bonus audio disc is rather short - but I'm glad it's on a separate disc, as the material is not up to the standards of the released album (as is usually the case with bonus tracks) The track that stood out for me was the in-progress backing tracks for "Oo You." The demo version of "Suicide" is only interesting because you can hear it in the context of the ending of "Glasses" from the released album. The bonus audio disc is the weakest part of the set, but still of interest to a McCartney fan (which I am.)

The DVD starts off with the EPK being shown on McCartney's site, and has several interesting "McCartney" album-related performances, most notably 2 performances from the 1979 line-up of Wings. Add in 2 more from MTV Unplugged (remember when MTV had music?) and it's a nice touch. The performance of "Suicide" leaves one wondering why it wasn't used instead of the demo on the bonus audio disc.

All I can say about the book is, THIS is what the extra money is for. Good quality, tons of pictures, very nicely done. A "coffee table" book just like this would easily sell for $30-$40. These issues are for the true fans, not the casual ones, and with that said - if you are fan, you will love this and it is a great value, considering you also get a digital 24 Bit download (and YES the CODES work) via Topspin with an included card. If you are a casual listener, stick with the basic version. As for me, it's all I could have wanted in a deluxe treatment of one of my favorite albums.

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars McCartney Debut November 27, 2000

By Thomas Magnum HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

When Paul McCartney released his first solo album and the first true solo studio album by a Beatle in 1970, it was almost universally panned. While it certainly doesn't matchup with any of the Beatles albums, it has aged better than alot of the music of the time. Mr. McCartney recorded the album at his farm and its greatest asset is the simple, down-home feel that permeates it. You can almost picture the newly married and new father just tooling around the house and living the country life and whenever the mood struck him, laying down a new track. He plays all the instruments and other than some backing vocals by Linda, sings all the songs. There are several instrumentals on the album and a couple of songs like "Man We Was Lonely" that are basically just a couple of lines sung over and over, but "Maybe I'm Amazed" is a true gem. The song ranks up there with anything he's done in his solo career and a wouldn't be slighted by songs in the Beatles catalog. Other standout tracks include the sweet "Every Night", "Singalong Junk" & "That Would Be Something".

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Do it yourself June 14, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

There tend to be two prevailing views of this album, as there are with the Beatles album "Let it Be." One is that this is a bunch of amateurish noodlings done at home, with one or two good songs thrown in to give it credibility, and released out of sheer arrogance that everyone would want to hear it because it's by a famous person. The other view is that this is a classic album, displaying McCartney's viruosity as an all-around musician, as well as a funky kind of devil-may-care experimentation. In truth, there is validity to both points of view. Only two tracks are really polished or radio-ready: "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Every Night." Then there are the Beatle leftovers, "Junk" and "Teddy Boy," which feature excellent melodies. Then there are weird one-offs like "Kreen Akrore" that aren't worth listening to every time. Yet the album does stand as an important testament to the man's mindset at this crucial pivot in his career, and in some ways it stands as a portrait of domestic bliss rather like Lennon's "Double Fantasy" did ten years later. If you are a Paul fan, you will love this album's intimacy.