McCartney’s incredible Egypt Station

Why do I often write about the Beatles or in this case, about Paul McCartney? Because the Beatles made great music that is as relevant and as appealing today as it was 50 years ago. In the case of this piece, it is because one of them is taking us on another incredible musical ride on the Egypt Station.

And I cannot pass up the chance to say something about it because there is no album in the charts nowadays that is half as good as this one. Come to think of it, can you name one or two hits today that people would still be listening to and enjoying 50 years from now? I say slim pickings or nothing at all.

Anyway, McCartney, an ex-Beatle who is now 76 years old, released what is his 18th solo studio album last Sept. 7. Of course, I expected it to be good or very good. This is McCartney after all. Remember Love Me Do, Yesterday, My Love, Live And Let Die, etc. But I was not prepared for the playful and adventurous collection that Egypt Station is.

Egypt Station is a concept album. Again, they do not make a lot of that type these days. We are, in fact, back to the singles market. Only this time, the songs are on digital not 78 or 45 RPM singles. Release two or three singles on digital and if they get enough downloads then lump them together with some other songs to come up with an album. No concept at all.

That is not the case with McCartney. Just like he did with the Beatles, remember Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Yellow Submarine? He came up with a concept and then chose his 16 songs that would go into it. Note that he also came up with the artwork on the cover. So if you can, get the vinyl edition to get a 12” by 12” copy of the record case with its Egyptian doodles a la McCartney.

But that is as far as the Egyptian concept goes. Nothing Egyptian about the songs. It is set in a railway station alright with its noises, but these are just stations, the stops on a journey. One of them can perhaps be in Egypt. But not necessarily. Then there is really no concept. None in the music or in the themes. All that it is a ride across assorted forms and themes in an album by the greatest pop songwriter of all time.

Quite a calculated ride though. There is method in the way the chosen songs come one after the other, how an intimate acoustic ballad, Confidante, ushers in the anthemic rocker People Want Peace. It is in the way an old man’s musings I Don’t Know, is followed by a pick-up line, the single Come On To Me, or in how McCartney has chosen to take on American politics at this point in his life in the nearly seven-minute commentary with a dreamy melody, Despite Repeated Warnings. And what is with his DOM trip singing “I just wanna fuh you” in Fuh You?

Fuh You is the only song in the album produced by pop wunderkind Ryan Tedder. This guy is the lead vocalist of OneRepublic, one of the few rock bands still standing in the charts and now one of the most in-demand producers around. A slamming rocker Fuh You played up to McCartney’s penchant for variety and commercial crowd pleasers in his albums.

The rest of the songs were all produced by Greg Kurstin, the production genius behind Adele’s Hello and recordings by the Foo Fighters, Ellie Goulding, Pink, Sia and others. Kurstin has now given McCartney some gems to play with. The brightest of them all is the beautiful Dominoes, which with its extended guitar intro is what I would call a power pop ballad done McCartney style. And I really like how he got the Macca in a Latin mood in Back In Brazil.

McCartney is in fine form throughout. The vocals are strong and as droll as ever and he still plays a mean bass, I believe in all the cuts. Likewise I cannot think of any pop artist around who can thoroughly mesmerize his listeners just by singing his little melodies. Let alone infect them with his gift of whimsy. Have you ever recently thought of finding an album that will give you lots to smile about? Egypt Station is the one.