Having decided that working fast worked best, Paul jumped into the studio with a group of unknowns and producer David Kahne, who was known for his work way back with the Bangles and more recently with Sugar Ray. The resulting Driving Rain was indeed recorded quickly, with the framework of a band that would prove to serve him well over the next decade. (His other catalyst this time was his insistence on playing the bass for each basic track.)“Lonely Road” has a sneaky shuffle and great guitars, making for a strong rocking opener. “From A Lover To A Friend” hits the brakes immediately with words that may or may not be about an ended relationship, but it’s a pretty tune. “She’s Given Up Talking” was an early contender for the skip button, but is redeemed by a middle section that recalls Pink Floyd’s “Welcome To The Machine” and John’s “Steel And Glass”, of all things. The title track is torpedoed by the “12345” lyrics—he should know better not to count unless all good children are going to Heaven. “I Do” hearkens back to the Off The Ground sound, which itself hearkened back to Red Rose Wings. “Tiny Bubble” has a soul element, and could have been a moderate hit single 25 years earlier. It’s easy to assume that “Magic” was about meeting his new bride, but no! It’s about meeting Linda. The classical bit at the end adds to the reverie, echoing the Pepperland string quartet in Yellow Submarine.
“Your Way” sounds a lot like “Bip Bop”, which in this context sounds like early Neil Young. “Spinning On An Axis” is one of two collaborations with his son James, and sports a lot of wah-wah electric piano and guitar effects. “About You” and “Back In The Sunshine Again” (also written with James) could have been left off this long album, as they sound too much like other songs here to really stand out. But in between is the absolutely lovely “Heather”, a song he literally made up and originally captured for posterity on a Dictaphone. The completed recording has added band instrumentation, strings and a short verse that applies to anyone in love. Listen for the drums forget to slow down right away after the first chorus. “Your Loving Flame” also sounds like old Wings, even though the guitar solo should be longer and replace one of the verses. It’s another gem. Many people forget that Paul met the Maharishi too (that’s where he got his first taste of vegetarianism) but “Riding Into Jaipur” is a surprisingly pleasant detour, suggesting he might want to explore Indian rhythms now that George can’t anymore. As nice as that is, it sets you up for the grand finale: “Rinse The Raindrops” is a ten-minute jam that actually works. He repeats the same two verses innumerable times and ways, only changing the tempo once. The band is good enough to keep up with him without monotony, and for the icing on the cake, he lets out an amazing scream near the end. This was supposed to close the set, but he quickly wrote “Freedom” after the September 11 attacks and premiered it at his Live Aid-styled Concert for New York. This take was embellished in the studio and rushed onto the album in time for the release.
Did you know he’d fallen in love with a woman young enough to be his daughter? While not the only reason, Paul’s general outlook on life made Driving Rain another top-notch album amid a quality streak we hadn’t seen for years. Each of the songs here has classic McCartney moments that surpass the groaners. Pretty impressive for a guy pushing sixty. And no, we don’t know if he’s really taking a leak on the cover.
Paul McCartney Driving Rain (2001)—3½
I suppose one should have been happy that Paul had found a new love. But it is harder to feel that in retrospect, for several reasons. One of these is the endless stream of love lyrics which permeates this album. Granted, they are less trite than they were in his earliest post-Beatles songs. Still, there are only so many times I can hear on one album about how great it is to be in love, even if the music is good.
ReplyDeleteSo, my ears must perk up when something either musically or lyrically different comes along. For instance, the strange jazz/hip hop combination of “Spinning on An Axis.” James guiding his dad to more contemporary sounds? How about “She’s Given Up Talking,” which may be the darkest, most unnerving song that he’s ever done? “Riding Into Jaipur” may seem to come out of nowhere, unless you know that was where Paul took Heather on vacation and proposed.
Speaking of whom, he wrote a genuinely nice melody for her. That guarantees that we will never hear that one live. As for “Rinse the Raindrops”, that is an awkward way of saying, “Dry your eyes”. Like the Stones’ “Goin’ Home,” it could have made it’s point in less than half its runtime. Nonetheless, it does have an unusually discordant sound for Paul. It’s also worth it for the great work by drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr., the best find for his new band. He cut a mean figure on stage, too. And then there’s “Freedom”.. .. I know Paul was sincere, but, as with “Ebony and Ivory” and “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” he can’t help but sound trivial when he’s talking about big issues. It would have been better if he had just released it as charity single, a la Elton.
The rest of the songs are listenable, melodic, well played and well produced. It certainly holds together better as an album than “Flaming Pie.” It just seems more tied into its time and circumstances, so at least for me, it’s harder to get into today.