Paul McCartney "Kisses on the Bottom"

Paul McCartney can easily rest on his laurels for the rest of his career, but he decided to release another album, after his 2007 smash Memory Almost Full. I will cut to the chase and make my most profound statement first: he seems to channel Frank Sinatra on this record. When I found out it was a collection of covers of traditional pop songs that statement doesn’t seem so profound does it? The covers are not the usual suspects, so that is a plus. We know that cover albums come with the usual misconceptions: there is no heart, or it is just a cop out. McCartney had always planned to ecord an album such as this, so this is coming from the heart. “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter” sets the tone for the album, and a former hit for Fats Waller; who does not seem be as well known as some of his contemporaries. “Home (When Shadows Fall)” may turn on the light, but “It’s Only A Paper Moon” could be a house for an interesting stop motion video with cardboard seas and Beatles cheese. “More I Cannot Wish You” says it best in the final two lines in the first stanza. You can have all the money in the world, but without love you have nothing. “The Glory Of Love” is full of give and take, and “We Three (My Echo, Shadow, and Me)” is full of regret and loneliness: “What good is the moonlight, the silvery moonlight/That shines above/I walk with my shadow/I talk with my echo but where is the one I love?” The next song reminds me of high hopes due to power of optimism radiating from that ant and the ram; the same can be said for the biblical references who tried their best to “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive.” The first of two originals, “My Valentine,” features Eric Clapton and is proof that he can still write engaging tunes. The well intentioned hearts desire to “Always” be there for the one they love, but if it was that easy there would not be as many divorces as there are; life happens, but the truest hearts will often cease to falter. “Bye Bye Blackbird” doesn’t sound like sing-a-long material, but can sure be understood by those who believe “I said, no one here can love and understand me.” At least someone has not feigned love, as it has in “Get Yourself Another Fool.” Sure you can laugh at my idiocy, but I’m not yours to laugh at. “The Inch Worm” directly requested that Mr. McCartney play acoustic guitar on this offering; he did so for the previous, so why not stay a little longer? He also did it for the kids singing in the background, or not, but it sounds so nice. “Only Our Hearts” is his other original, and features Stevie Wonder on harmonica; need I say more? I Will Sit Down and Write Myself A Letter, Home (When Shadows Fall), It’s Only A Paper Moon, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive, My Valentine, Get Yourself Another Fool, and Our Only Hearts.