{image1}We've always expected so much of Paul McCartney. And we've always forgiven him when he didn't live up to expectations.
"Let 'Em In," for example. Or "Ebony and Ivory." Or countless other album fillers (Do I hear "Cook of the House," anyone? -ed.) that faded in memory but not before becoming disturbing evidence that Sir Paul might be mocking his fans.
No matter what he did after the Beatles broke up, we always gave him the benefit of the doubt because, well, he was Paul McCartney, or at least he used to be. Even on his lackluster CDs, he always managed to tease us by showing us a flash of that old brilliance; a gorgeous hook, a clever turn of a phrase and always, that voice.
The release of new McCartney material was usually greeted with the hope that maybe, just maybe, this would be the next "Band on the Run" or even "Flowers in the Dirt." But those hopes always seemed to be dashed by forgettable material that sounded as though Paul had lost his knack for writing silly love songs. Or serious ones.
Not this time.
With "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," McCartney has finally put out a CD worthy of the McCartney brand.
"Chaos" is not a great album. Let's face it, McCartney's not writing albums like "Venus and Mars" any more. With the possible exception of the upbeat "Fine Line," there's no one song will stick in your head and go down as another pop gem like "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," "Listen to What the Man Said" or even "No More Lonely Nights." There's nothing really memorable here, just a lot of well-crafted, pleasant, even dignified, music punctuated by those moments when you just smile and think, "there's our Paul."
On "Chaos," McCartney makes it clear that unlike some of his contemporaries he does not plan on rocking into his dotage. Instead, he provides us with civilized, gentile numbers like "English Tea," a song that is just the sort of thing you'd expect from a guy who's been knighted.
"Miles and miles of English garden stretching past the willow tree," he croons. "Line of hollyhocks and roses listen most attentively." It sounds a bit like the copy in a nursing home brochure, but McCartney gets away with it, as usual.
"Too Much Rain" is a sweetly melodic ballad and a lovely comfort song. And on this one, there's that magnificent McCartney falsetto. How he does it in his 60s is one of the mysteries of modern music. Can you Botox a voice?
The plaintive "How Kind of You" almost acknowledges his fans' patience over the years as he sings, "how kind of you to stick by me during the final bout... as I was counted out." We should have known better than to count him out. If anything, "Chaos" shows that McCartney is still capable of writing songs with some depth.
Still, on "Chaos" you sometimes can't help but be reminded of McCartney's past. The unnamed instrumental closing the CD ends with the sort of psychedelic noodling that makes you think you've accidentally put on your "Magical Mystery Tour" CD. And the gentle, acoustic "Jenny Wren" sounds so reminiscent of "Blackbird" that you wonder if he's trying to remind us of who he is, or was.
"Chaos" closes with the lush "Anyway" (followed by the unnamed instrumental) and by then, you're more or less left with the warm feeling that you've just spent 47 very pleasant minutes with an old and dear friend.
There's been much fanfare about the release of this CD, but you have to wonder if after a lot of so-so albums from McCartney it's a game of lowered expectations.
And what would be the response if "Chaos" had been released by someone named John Smith instead of a former Beatle? No matter. In the end, there's nothing to forgive McCartney for on this solid album, and there's nothing for him to apologize for.
What we have here is one of McCartney's most accessible, likable CDs in a long time.
McCartney will play at the Bradley Center on Oct. 23, just steps from where he first played in Milwaukee with the Fab Four in September 1964.
