Music review: ‘The Art of McCartney ‘
鈥淭he Art of McCartney鈥� is an engaging celebration of the music of Sir Paul McCartney.
In the works since 2003, this star-studded tribute features a wide range of artists contributing their own signature style to these magnificent pieces of musical bliss.
The musical depth of McCartney鈥檚 arrangements comes shining through with performances by artists such as Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Barry Gibb, Chrissie Hynde, Bob Dylan, Dion, Dr. John, Corinne Bailey Rae and B.B. King.
Brian Wilson, who was the first to sign on to do the project, adds his own spark of genius to a beautifully elegant cover of 鈥淲anderlust鈥� from McCartney鈥檚 1982 鈥淭ug of War.鈥�
Other highlights include Alice Cooper on the haunting 鈥淓leanor Rigby,鈥� Kiss belting out 鈥淰enus and Mars/Rock Show,鈥� Cheap Trick鈥檚 Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen offering up a spirited version of 鈥淛et,鈥� Roger Daltrey capturing the raw energy of 鈥淗elter Skelter,鈥� Def Leppard鈥檚 melodic exuberance on 鈥淗elen Wheels鈥� and Paul Rodgers鈥� bluesy vocals on 鈥淟et Me Roll It.鈥� McCartney鈥檚 band is the common thread that gives consistency to each artist鈥檚 performance.
Unfortunately, the band鈥檚 presence also provides some creative restrictions for the artists as they interpret the tracks individually.
While the majority of the album is an absorbing listen, not every performance is golden. Slightly disappointing covers include Steve Miller鈥檚 uninspiring interpretation of 鈥淗ey Jude,鈥� Owl City鈥檚 lackluster version of 鈥淟isten to What the Man Said,鈥� Heart鈥檚 generic effort on 鈥淏and on the Run鈥� and Sammy Hagar鈥檚 humdrum performance for 鈥淏irthday.鈥�
While some performances may be a little underachieving for the material provided, the overall experience is a treasured tribute to one of music鈥檚 greatest musicians and one of the largest-selling composers of all time.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.