B J Conlee wrote:
Now that I have been listening on and off to Egypt Station (ES) for almost 3 weeks now, I'm ready to give (sorry to say...ha ha) my quasi amateur analysis of ES including a "track by track" review.
First, let me cut to the chase and I don't think I'm getting carried away with the fact that this is Paul's latest album. Flat out, I believe that ES just might be Paul's greatest SOLO album. I'll see as more time goes by but it is definitely a very good album. I find it difficult to compare ES with Paul's best albums from the 70's like BOTR, Ram and Venus & Mars. Paul was much younger in those days. I do find it easier to compare something like ES to Tug of War and onward. In my opinion, Paul's finest Solo Albums starting with the 80's have been Tug, Flowers, Flaming Pie, Chaos, MAF and New. I do believe at this point that ES compares very favorably to most of them and possible all of them.
I believe that ES has the consistency of Chaos and Tug (not a clunker on the album). At the same time, it has the music diversity, adventureism, eccentricity (in a good way), experimentation etc. of MAF (with far better production) or even Ram if you want to go way back. All in all, ES is the late era Macca album I was hoping for and it will have legs down the road. For the most part the music production and arrangements are superb and the lyrics when needed are quite intelligent. Generally, the vocals are good and what you would expect from the 76 year old artist that has been touring for many years. There are a couple of tracks that I wished Greg Kurstin and Paul himself would have demanded a better and/or later vocal take. Even with many great albums you can find certain faults and that is the case here on a couple of vocal takes but in general, ES to me is a later period great Album by Mr. McCartney.
One reason that I like many of Paul's Solo albums is that on many tracks his lyrics have improved. As he has gotten older, his lyrics have become more mature, poignant and meaningful and ES continues that trend. Let's hope Paul continues his craft for many more years.
Here's my ES track by track summary (1 to 10 Grading System with 10 being the best)
I Don't Know (10) - This soulful piano ballad has a great melody with tempo changes throughout the record. The lyrics convey a sense of self-doubt and vunerability which is unusual for Paul. I love the opening piano and the into lyric..."I Got Crows at my Window, dogs at my door...". Also like the initial bridge..."But it's alright sleep tight" section and when the choir joins in the "Now what's the matter with me" part. Overall the production is great. You hear Paul's older voice on ES immediately and I like it here.
Come On To Me (9) - While this track is quite modern sounding, it is still a vintage Macca"stomping rocker" in my opinion. It is repetitve but it is so infectious that you like it better with repeated listens. Part of the likeability is the production and variety of instruments (in unison or as solo) that keep it interesting. I love the drum, guitar, piano, bass and horn sections a lot. Also Paul's vocals is one of the best on the album. Like the "Yes I will" ending section where Paul sings the "Yeah, Yeah,Yeah parts and the guitars and Muscle Shoals "horns" come back full circled.
Happy With You (10) - Hard to believe that you can give a perfect score to a melody so simple but this is a vintage acoustic Macca honest love song. Love Paul's vocals and lyrics. Lyrically, this is the older statesman passing on advice. His message is to not waste time on pointless things like alcohol, drugs or being angry. His counter message is looking at life's miracles like nature and good people. A small thing but I like Paul's "knee slaping" that he has done on past acoustic songs. A message for Paul...you need to do this one live!
Who Cares (10) - One of my favorites on ES the first time I heard it. It Rocks but also has a great message relative to internet bullying and believing in yourself. Love the verses where Paul shouts "Who Cares what the idiots say..." At the same time he closes the verse with a clever twist..."I Do". I also love the middle bridge "Cas your worth much more, of that you can be sure..." And I love the creative beginning and ending guitars solos. Keep singing it Paul as it is a classic.
Fuh You (7) - This is a tough track for me as I'm not fond of the title and lyrics in general. Also, I initially didn't like the "too modern sound". But I have to admit that it is very catchy and it has grown with me. It doesn't marr the album for me in the least. I also like the fact that it is ony a little more than 3 minutes. On a few other top tier albums, Paul throws in a clunker that goes on for 5-6 minutes. On the other hand, Fuh You is just a fun, catchy and danceable song on the album that you don't take too seriously.
Confidante (8.5) - Another great acoustic folk song that reminds me a little of Bob Dylan. Love Paul's guitar work throughout and the creative lyrics. I like the "unlike my other so-called friends, you stayed beside me as I fought"line. I would have given "Confidante" a higher grade except for Paul's shaky vocal in various parts. The worse vocal on ES in my opinion. Don't know why Greg and Paul didn't demand a better and/or later vocal take. Judging by the previous acoustic track (Happy With You) or later similar tracks (Like People Want Peace) I would think that Paul would have given a better performance. Hopefully, Paul will add "Confidante" to his live shows and we will possibly get a "better" vocal Confidante.
People Want Peace (10) - This track just continued to grow with me with each listen. Love Paul's vocal and the overall arrangement and instrumentation of the song. I also love the intellgent yet simple lyrics. Not a trite message song that Paul has sometimes been guilty of in the past (think Freedom or Ebony and Ivory). Another great bridge in the "Nothing in life is as sad as a lonely old soul searching for peace..." part. Another song that Paul needs to be doing live. Sometimes a potential "classic can only become a classic if people hear them. The "People want Peace" chant at the end is easy for people to sing and it is a beautiful melody. By the way, Paul's vocal on here compared to the previous track is great.
Hand In Hand (9) - Another love song that has really grown with me. Love the melody and lyrics. Personally my fiance and I are getting married in about a month (second marriage for us) and we can really relate to the words. Another great bridge..."We can make this dream come true, only if we want it to"part. Again, I might had given the song itself a 10 if Paul's voice was a little stronger but still a great song in my opinion. Hint: If someone younger with a great voice would cover "Hand in Hand" (e.g. Michael Buble) it could become a future "Wedding classic".
Dominoes (10) - A great mid-tempo Paul song that to me has an ELO or Traveling Willbury's feel. Love the title's meaning and how it can be symbolic of life. It also has a great bridge ..."And lines of dominoes are falling into place, ignoring everything in their way..." I also like the inventive backward guitar sounds at the end and the last line "In time we'll know, it's all a show, It's been a blast". Please Paul, add Dominoes to your Setlist!
To be Continued!
Great review , I agree with much of it - love Dominoes and people want peace ( classic McCartney middle 8 )
You know , if you want to say it’s his best album then it’s your prerogative ! Don’t let anybody tell you differently