Paul McCartney, Egypt Station | Album Review 💿

Legendary rock/pop musician Paul McCartney comes back in superb, truly potent fashion on his seventeenth solo album, ‘Egypt Station.’

Copying and pasting a brilliant statement that I made on two earlier track reviews (‘cause I can), I nearly fell over when I saw that a new Paul McCartney album was announced for September 2018. The 76-year old musical icon released his 17^th solo album, Egypt Station.  Prior to that, McCartney had everybody talking with his Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, one of the best editions of that segment in my humble opinion.  Listening to Egypt Station in its entirety, it’s clear that the magic is still alive with McCartney, a testament to his musicianship and iconic status.

“I Don’t Know”

Brief instrumental “Opening Station” commences Egypt Station, preceding the arrival of standout ✓ “I Don’t Know”. “I Don’t Know” opens both beautifully and mysteriously with an instrumental intro, fueled mostly by piano and acoustic guitar.  Once Sir Paul McCartney enters, a groove gives the record some kick – some punch. McCartney sounds terrific – ripe at 76.  In regards to the songwriting, it’s clearly representative of signature McCartney, both lyrically and musically.  Musically, he works with a relatively straightforward, traditional harmonic progression, but manages to throw in a couple of quirks.  Lyrically, he focuses on life’s troubles, inquiring, “What am I doing wrong,” and, “Where am I going.”  We never get answers from McCartney, but on the chorus, he doesn’t seem to worry the person most important to him with his respective problems.

“But it’s alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
Yeah, you’re fine, little love of mine
You will feel no pain.”

“I saw you flash a smile, that seemed to me to say / You wanted so much more than casual conversation.” Ooh la la! ✓ “Come on to Me” is a more upbeat, rock-oriented compared to “I Don’t Know” which precedes it. Set in a major key, “Come to Me” begins energetically, anchored by a driving groove. Beyond the groove, McCartney definitely sounds nowhere near his age, sounding like a man much younger, still chocked-full of spunk, with plenty of musical goodness to offer.  That’s fitting given the flirty, tongue-n-cheek nature of the record, exemplified on the refrain following the chorus, with the utterly silly, repetitive “do’s.” Adding to the goodness are spirited horns that arrive later on.

“Happy with You”

✓ “Happy with You” keeps the momentum going, incorporating a number of lovely musical cues.  Paul McCartney remains sincere and incredibly thoughtful in his songwriting.  Essentially, he mentions his mistakes and lack of maturity in the past, but states he’s past it thanks to being “happy with you.” On “Who Cares,” McCartney poses the question to someone regarding being hurt by others.  Even if a person ultimately “brushes the dirt off their shoulders,” words can devastate. Clearly, McCartney aim for empowerment, ultimately turning the phrase around at the end of the chorus to say that he cares.  This fits the positive vibes of the album and Sir Paul’s illustrious career.

“I could stay up half the night, trying to crack your code / I could stay up half the night, but I’d rather hit the road.” ✓ “Fuh You”, notably co-produced by Ryan Tedder, arrived as the third advance single from Egypt Station. It begins abruptly with McCartney’s vocals, which remain potent. Among his best moments is the fantastic falsetto on the chorus. He’s backed by excellent production which includes ostinato piano, keyboards (various patches), and strings.  In addition to those instrumental cues, the big drums that appear on the chorus are pretty epic. McCartney also benefits from an incredibly catchy chorus:

“I just wanna know how you feel
Want a love that’s so proud and real
You make me wanna go out and steal
I just want it fuh you, I just want it fuh you.”

Also, worth noting is the great contrast on the bridge section. All in all, “Fuh You” is an enjoyable, well-rounded record.

“Confidante”

Two things stand out on “Confidante” – the acoustic guitars and the lyrics.  The lyrics are the biggest triumph, as McCartney is poetic in his songwriting.  The sound is folksy, clearly recalling his 60s and 70s heyday. The song title of the spirited, yearning “People Want Peace” shows all of its cards, and there’s nothing wrong with that in the least.  According to Paul, “Nothing in life is as sad as the lonely soul / Searching for peace / Only to find disappointment is waiting / Behind every door that we open.” True.  The briefer “Hand in Hand” shifts from a major key to a minor key, giving Egypt Station one of its darker sounding numbers.  Even so, the theme of unity hardly makes “Hand in Hand” sound the least bit hellish, particularly the uplifting bridge.

“We can start to begin / Living in the world we’re in.” According to McCartney on “Dominoes,” “And lines of dominoes are falling / Into place, ignoring everything in their way.” Again, a philosophically positive, wise outlook on life that more people in general should embrace. Contributing to the excellence are the old-school, folk-rock sensibilities, led by the infectious groove.  Some international flavor arrives on “Back in Brazil,” one of the more unique-sounding cuts from Egypt Station.  Expectedly, there’s a jazzy, Latin-tinged groove, still relatively idiomatic of McCartney, yet adventurous at the same time.  The electric piano, strings, and various patches make for a color listen, not to mention various iterations of the word “Ichiban!”

“Do It Now” 

✓ “Do It Now” is definitely more idiomatic of McCartney, incorporating harpsichord in the mix – clearly representative of his life-long love of keyboard sounds and sounds in general.  The background vocals are stunning, while his lead isn’t too shabby in its own right.  Throwback and vintage, it’s a fitting, memorable performance. “Caesar Rock” recalls some of that “Come Together”, rock-tinged swagger, while also incorporating elements of funk, and even a dash modern pop (non troppo of course).  Pop super-producer Greg Kurstin stays aboard for the album’s lengthiest record, the seven-minute ✓ “Despite Repeated Warnings.” While McCartney ‘has a lot to say’ on this three-part (plus a reprised section), it’s definitely intriguing.  It confirms the fact that he still has that thing called ‘innovative spirit.’ Musically, it’s brilliant and speaks for itself.

“Station II,” the second instrumental of Egypt Station precedes the three-part closer, “Hunt You Down / Naked / C-Link.” Like “Despite Repeated Warnings,” “Hunt You Down / Naked / C-Link” runs long, approaching six-and-a-half minutes.  While alluring, those are two long-running records tacked on to the end of an hour-long record. “Hunt You Down” keeps the tempo moving, chocked-full of energy and colorful sounds.  “Naked” shifts the grooves, slackening the pace a smidge, but maintaining intensity and a sound idiomatic of the icon.  “C-Link” represents the third instrumental of the LP.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Egypt Station is a thrilling ride for Sir Paul McCartney.  This is a well-written, well-produced effort that finds the legendary musician in top-notch form.  Sure, not everything matches the ‘hit-status’ of his classics – that’s hard to top – but there’s plenty of fresh material worthy of spinning on a repeated basis.  Paul’s still got it!

✓ Gems: “I Don’t Know,” “Come on to Me,” “Happy with You,” “Fuh You,” “Do It Now” & “Despite Repeated Warnings”

Paul McCartney • Egypt Station • Capitol • Release: 9.7.18

Photo Credit: Capitol