Paul McCartney – McCartney (1970)

It was 1970, The Beatles were in free-fall, despite the success of ‘Abbey Road’ John had already secretly declared he was leaving, George was in America jamming with Delaney and Bonnie and Dylan, Ringo was making a new film – and Paul was depressed.  He was scared of the future, his future without the band he loved.  Recently engaged to Linda he decamped to Scotland to a remote farm his accountants had advised him to buy.  Here with just a small tape recorder he struggled with a few tunes, not much more than doodles and created this Masterpiece.  The whole feel is so different from anything the Beatles had achieved.  Mostly just guitar or piano-led the songs  are barely more than demos and yet there is a beauty in such simplicity.  Slammed by the critics who were already blaming Paul for the demise of The Beatles it sold relatively poorly – but has long been a favourite of mine.  Rescued by the majestic ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ it also contains a few gems; ‘The Lovely Linda’, ‘Every Night’ and ‘Man We Was Lonely’ – but it really is of a whole cloth, every song stitched into the pattern.  I loved it and still do.  Paul would go on to far bigger successes and is now the sole remaining creative Beatle and a National Treasure, but back in 1970 this was a brave attempt to rescue both his career and his sense of self-worth.  A Masterpiece indeed.