Reviewer: JO TIMBUONG
SIR Paul McCartney has really been through a lot in his 65 years. From the formation of the Beatles to the death of his wife Linda and now a bitter divorce from Heather Mills, McCartney has lived many lives!

Perhaps that’s what he was thinking of when he came up with the title for his new album, Memory Almost Full.

A new album with 13 songs, I can’t help but have mixed feelings about it. It was as if McCartney was feeling unsure of being able to produce another hit. Worse, it was as if he was trying a tad too hard to be accepted by a new generation of listeners.

The first track, Dance Tonight, is an example of this. It sounds unnatural to the point that the great man comes off as stiff. It should have been a wonderful carefree song but has been corrupted by the voice of a person who lacks confidence. Funny that this was chosen to kick off the album.

Thankfully, McCartney gets his groove from time to time. Indeed, tunes like Ever Present Past and See Your Sunshine hark back to his glory days with the Fab Four.

There are a couple of melancholy songs which are probably inspired by his separation from Mills; in You Tell Me and Mr Bellamy, he seems to be putting his foot down and saying he’s had enough. What I don’t like are his failed falsettos which sound like he’s wincing in pain from someone’s squeeze.

The song I dig most is Vintage Clothes where he sings about being oneself and moving on. I just wish he would take his own advice.

While he hasn’t lost his gift for melody, I’m sorry to report that the great Beatle has produced an album that, to me, simply does not have enough punch.