Paul McCartney in concert at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sept. 21, 2002. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Sears/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/TNS)The music of Paul McCartney, arguably one of the most influential artists of the century, has been honored by some tremendous artists on the album, “The Art of McCartney,” released Tuesday.
Beatles covers are very popular this year. Read about another one here.
Revered artists like Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Steve Miller, The Cure, Alice Cooper, B.B. King and Heart took to the studio to cover some of McCartney’s greatest hits, from “Hey Jude” to “Eleanor Rigby.” The work has been collected on the two-disk, 34-track compilation.
While the artistic powers featured on “The Art of McCartney” are blindingly evident, and though there are moments of utter beauty and nostalgia, it seems that the album plays too closely by the book and doesn’t stray enough away from the original songs, making the album feel, at times, a bit more of a talent show than an artistic collection.
Although McCartney’s songwriting artistry is near perfection and is worth respecting and honoring, the album is so identical to the original work at places that it seems redundant.
Billy Joel’s take on “Maybe I’m Amazed” demonstrates his powerhouse vocals and impeccable piano artistry, but is almost identical to McCartney’s original, leaving something to be desired.
Alice Cooper’s “Eleanor Rigby” is certainly entertaining, highlighting the beauty of the original song, but it sounds as if Cooper could have been singing over a karaoke track with no new interpretation included.
“Wanderlust,” performed by Brian Wilson, is almost an almost note-by-note version of McCartney’s work in a way that seems redundant and almost overdone.
“Hey Jude,” performed by “The Joker” Steve Miller, is a perfect match of McCartney’s hit, only without McCartney’s signature sweet vocals, begging the question — why not just listen to the original?
There are moments on the album where the classic sound meets a hint of creative flair, like on Harry Connick, Jr.’s version of “My Love.”
The jazz crooner's sultry vocals and relaxed jazz timed instrumentation blends perfectly into the original, demonstrating what makes the song great but making it interesting enough to enjoy as fresh and new.
Def Leppard’s “Helen Wheels” takes an already rock heavy song up a notch with a twist of Def Leppard’s signature rock harmonies, giving the song a respectful nod with just a touch of artistic flair.
B.B. King’s version of “On the Way,” a bonus track for the album, elevates the original, dissonant song into a full-bodied number. The track works perfectly for King’s impeccable jazz vocals and benefits from the addition of gospel-sounding background vocals.
Willie Nelson’s “Yesterday” is a perfect example of new interpretation meeting original artistry and an album highlight. Nelson’s unique vocals meld perfectly with the original song and the addition of beautiful new guitar licks and a haunting harmonica solo are perfectly compatible with honoring one of the most remembered songs of the century.
Perhaps in the time of YouTube video remakes of popular songs, audiences are now accustomed to complete transformations, but it feels as if what might have been an incredible newly influenced body of work inspired by a masterful original, turned into McCartney’s original tracks, just with new voices.
“The Art of McCartney” honors the music of McCartney in sometimes beautiful, sometimes redundant ways. The album is worth listening to — if only to feel the rush of nostalgia — but includes some seriously missed opportunities for fresh takes inspired by the musical master: Paul McCartney.
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