CD Review - McCartney 111 Imagined


 








REVIEW

Paul McCartney is full of suprises and through the years hasn't been frightened to take a risk with different music genres & projects.

It started with the homemade 'McCartney' album in 1970, now considered by many to be the first 'indie' album. Other instances that come to mind include:

​The Thrillington album an orchestral version of Ram released under the pseudonym Percy "Thrills" Thrillington. 

Re-recording some of his Beatles classics for the film 'Broad Street'. 

The 'other' trilogy, the Fireman albums. His orchestral albums. And yes, it has to be said, Paul's foray with the standards on Kisses on the Bottom.

The suprise 'Rockdown' release 'McCartney 111' was well received and topped the UK Album charts over Christmas week also achieving a very respectable runner up position in the US Billboard charts.

If McCartney 111 was a suprise, what does that make McCartney 111 Imagined? There has been murmurs that the album is a 'cash grab' but there's a whole lot more  to the album to be dismissed as that!

Paul invited friends, fans and new acquaintances to remix McCartney 111.

It doesn't fall into the 'cover versions' genre rather than a reimagined album using three distinct category's.

Cover versions with a difference, 'featuring' and the 'remixes'.

​Dominic Fike (The Kiss of Venus) & Josh Homme (Lavatory Lil) were set a unique challenge by Paul before the release of McCartney 111, here's the lyrics and music, get on with it and their versions of the songs are excellent, especially Lavatory Lil, a slower pace than McCartney's version but more guitar laden and the better for it.

My favourite song on McCartney 111 is Seize the Day. It's performed by Phoebe Bridgers on 'Imagined'. The vocal is that impressive it moved me to check out her own albums!

I was a bit worried what I'd think of the remixes but there was no need. At the end of the day you can't keep a good song down. ​​The highlight is ​Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damian Albarn) but others run it close.

​Slidin' (EOB Remix) is Macca on speed or should that be Macca sped up! Another highlight is the St Vincent Remix of Women and Wives.

The songs on McCartney 111 Imagined offer a lot of variation to the listener and its worthy of being a 'sister'  album to the original McCartney 111.

What next, a nice 2CD package of McCartney 111/​McCartney 111 Imagined. Now that would be a cash grab!


CD TRACK LISTING:

1. Find My Way/Paul McCartney & Beck, 2. The Kiss of Venus/Dominic Fike & Paul McCartney,  3.Pretty Boys/Paul McCartney & Khruangbin, 4. Women and Wives (St Vincent Remix)/Paul McCartney & St Vincent, 5. Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix)/Paul McCartney & ​Blood Orange, 6. Seize the Day (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)/Paul McCartney feat. Phoebe Bridgers, 7. Slidin' (EOB Remix)/Paul McCartney & EOB, 8. Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix)/Paul McCartney & Damon Albarn, 9. Lavatory Lil/Paul McCartney & Josh Homme, 10. When Winter Comes/(Anderson .Paak Remix), 11. Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix)/Paul McCartney & 3D RDN

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