Driving Rain

Paul McCartney

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 13, 2001)
• Original Release Date: November 13, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00005QK3W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (334 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,469 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Paul McCartney's ability to rise to a challenge has been one of the least appreciated aspects of his artistically speckled post-Beatles career. Having exorcized a few personal demons and historic rock & roll ghosts on his previous, mostly obscure covers collection, Run, Devil Run, this marks Mac's first full album of new songs since the passing of his wife, Linda. Gratifyingly, it's also by turns mature, musically restless, and personally reflective--and ultimately an album that stands alongside Tug of War and Flowers in the Dirt as one of his best solo efforts. Informed by David Kahne's warmly low-key yet gritty production and McCartney's still formidable pipes, there are few traces of the candy-ass pop and precious sentiment that have long vexed fans and detractors alike. Even the jaunty title track (with its "1-2-3-4-5" chorus recalling the Fabs' "All Together Now") seems infused with a welcome edge. There's a renewed sense of emotional connection throughout, reflected in efforts that seem to address his own personal tragedy (the unsettled "Lonely Road," melancholy "From a Lover to a Friend," and plaintive "I Do"). And then there's the quietly haunting "She's Given Up Talking" and the bluesy irony of "Back in the Sunshine Again" and "Rinse the Raindrops." It all revolves around a bittersweet, hard-won sense of hope; the bright, neoclassical "Heather" pays tribute to his new love with an elegant, "Abbey Road"-worthy instrumental prologue that builds to a single brief verse of playfully heartfelt prose. That track and the seductive Eastern motifs of "Riding into Jaipur" (with its even more succinct verbiage) also underscore a feeling that Mac's best musical instincts and artistic curiosity are far from dormant. The CD includes the bonus live track "Freedom," his simple anthem to the events of September 11, 2001, and their historic aftermath. The man who once sang "All You Need Is Love" is now ready to "fight for the right to freedom"; the times have indeed been a- changin'. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Regular Japanese issue of McCartney's 2001 hit album. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another rockin' effort from Paul McCartney, July 8, 2002

By	Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It's hard to believe this guy is sixty years old. He can still rock and roll with the best of them! There are a lot of wonderful treats on "Driving Rain," not the least of which is seeing his new sprightliness and cheer following the upswing of his lovelife. The very first track, "Lonely Road," stoutly declares that he's not ready to "walk that lonely road again," and while in someone else's hands we might think that it referred to simply, well, being alone, in McCartney's able hands it carries both overt and subtle references to the 1998 death of Linda, to whom he'd been married for twenty-nine years (an astonishing length of time by any standards, but especially by the standards of rock and roll). With this song, McCartney declares his willingness to go on with his own life.

"From a Lover to a Friend" carries McCartney's signature piano work to new heights and has echoes of so many old McCartney tunes. It's a treat musically, and showcases McCartney's usual ear for delicately revealing lyrics. It's difficult to tell if he's talking to both Linda and Heather here, but that's what seems to be going on. Most revealing, not to mention a fine tune.

On "Tiny Bubble," McCartney almost seems at the beginning of the song to be channeling a Barry White/Stevie Wonder/Funkadelic kind of groove, complete with Hammond organ. Then "Your Way" could easily pass for a Grateful Dead effort in terms of its harmonies and laid-back ease. McCartney is all over the map here and it's exhilarating!

Heather Mills has done something good for Paul McCartney--we'll never know exactly all the details, but good for her for being the inspiration for the lovely "Heather," a gorgeous blend of calmness and joy that is mostly all about piano with just a subtle drum rhythm in the background. It's truly a pretty song, something it's hard to say about most songs these days. Then on "Your Loving Flame," piano comes to the fore again, this time with an almost prayerful intensity. The song is thoughtful, complex, and bears lyrics of an almost naked intensity. Here is a Paul McCartney in the throes of young love, no matter what his age, and it's a splendid thing to hear.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If Only Paul Was a Nobody..., December 4, 2001

By	Tom (Palatine, IL USA) - See all my reviews

...maybe then people we would be able to listen to an album open minded. But, Paul is Paul, John Lennon's partner, founder of Wings, a friggin BEATLE for God's sake...it's hard not to expect too much.

Yet, this album is good enough anyway. If Paul had produced his last two albums incognito, (I am thinking about "Flaming Pie" and "Driving Rain" here) and suddenly died, reviewers the world over would be lamenting the forshortened career of an under apreciated artist. But this is Paul McCartney, and everything is judged by Penny Lane and Revolver. Not gonna happen. Can't...this isn't the 60's and none of us are removing the sleepy dew of the 50's from our eyes.

So, on its own, this is a great album.

Like Jagger, Paul attempts to cover a number of musical genres here, but Paul's effort feels a little less forced. contrary to most expectations, this album isn't 64 minutes of Paul bemoaning Linda's death. "Lonely Road" clearly gets that job done, and rather ably at that.

There is a darkness to this album, lacking the silliness of "Press to Play" or the rawness of "Flaming Pie," but maybe that's its strength. Paul plays with a small 4 or 5 piece group for most of this album, staying away from his proclivity for massive over production.

Overall this is a hip, modern sounding album - with a refreshingly minimalist feel. It's also very good.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back In The Sunshine Again, November 13, 2001

By	David Reff (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ladies and gentlemen, meet James Paul McCartney. Following his nine-year recording stint with the Band Of The Century, he pursued a solo career that yielded two classic albums (Band On The Run and Tug Of War) and three pretty damn good ones (McCartney, Ram, and Venus & Mars). And the rest? For the most part, each new arrival featured two or three tasty avocados on a bed of soggy bean sprouts. Perhaps McCartney was simply trying too hard to fill his own shoes.

The good news on Driving Rain is Paul has finally given up. No endless months of fine-tuning and overdubs. No fancy cover either - just a fuzzy Polaroid with a dashed off, handwritten title. If he feels like celebrating, he lets himself soar - as in the last-minute addition of a supercharged "Freedom" from the Concert For New York. If he wants to jam, he digs in at length. If he's feeling romantic, he lets us know (yeah, now there's a surprise). The entire album has an offhand, thrown together feel to it - like something Macca and a neighborhood band knocked off in their garage last week. Paul hasn't sounded this loose since 1965. It suits him well.

Remember Sgt. Pepper's floating, melodic bass lines? They're back for an encore on Driving Rain, and the title song announces their return in the album's opening seconds. Beatlesque flourishes are here, there, and everywhere - from the White Album-ish "Heather" with its oh-so-British piano and vocal phrasings, to "About You" and "Back In The Sunshine Again," either of which could pass for Abbey Road outtakes. Paul's new backing band is young, talented, and unpretentious. They make even the jams and instrumentals work.

Simply put, Driving Rain is Paul McCartney's best and most consistent effort since 1982's Tug Of War. Whatever demons Macca has been battling since Winging it on his own, remember you read it here first: they've lost, Paul's won. He is more than live. He's finally free. And to celebrate he's unleashed his first monster album in nearly two decades.