Paul McCartney – 鈥楰isses on the Bottom’
Consisting of a carefully selected collection of timeless standards, Paul McCartney’s latest effort celebrates his third marriage and pays homage to the songs he grew up listening to as a child in Liverpool. Rod Stewart, another English lad, has successfully revived his career as a result of his “American Songbook” series which currently consists of five albums. At age 69, McCartney certainly has nothing more to prove as an artist, creating albums with the Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist spanning nearly half a century. This go around, some fans may feel shortchanged after examining the unusual song list.
Surprisingly, McCartney isn’t the first Beatle to release an album of standards. Back in 1970, Ringo Starr covered songs mainly from the 1930s and 1940s on his first solo album “Sentimental Journey.” Coincidentally, “Bye Bye Blackbird” can be found on both “Sentimental Journey” and “Kisses on the Bottom.” The monumental difference between Starr’s album and the new McCartney material simply comes down to Paul’s charming voice. On “Kisses on the Bottom,” McCartney seems to savor every moment playing the role of crooner on classics like “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” “The Glory of Love,” “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” and “Always.”
Backed by Diana Krall and her band, the arrangements flow effortlessly as McCartney sounds comfortably at ease replaying the happy sounds from his childhood. “Kisses on the Bottom” also contains two originals penned by McCartney. “My Valentine” features the guitar playing of Eric Clapton as well as a hauntingly beautiful vocal performance by McCartney. “Only Our Hearts” is another McCartney-styled love song with Stevie Wonder contributing on harmonica.
Based on these two songs, it’s obviously clear that McCartney still has plenty of memorable material to offer.
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