Post by yerblues1968 on Apr 25, 2008 23:19:30 GMT -5
MEMORY ALMOST FULL - Paul McCartney
I actually started this album, Memory Almost Full, before my last album Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (released September 2005). The first recording session was back in the autumn of 2003 at Abbey Road with my touring band and producer David Kahne. I was right in the middle of it when I began talking with Nigel Godrich about a brand new project (which became Chaos And Creation In The Backyard).
When I was just finishing up everything concerned with Chaos and had just got the Grammy nominations (2006) I realised I had this album to go back to and finish off. So I got it out to listen to it again, wondering if I would enjoy it, but actually I really loved it. All I did at first was just listen to a couple of things and then I began to think, ‘OK, I like that track – now, what is wrong with it?’ And it might be something like a drum sound, so then I would re-drum and see where we would get to.
I took it from there and built it up. I went through, track by track, making changes as I went along. I fixed things I wasn’t too keen on and it just evolved from there. Without me knowing, or really trying, it started to get its own theme, a sort of thread that holds it all together. So I suppose it’s about half new stuff and half old stuff from 2003.
In places it’s a very personal record and a lot of it is retrospective, drawing from memory, like memories from being a kid, from Liverpool and from summers gone. The album is evocative, emotional, rocking, but I can’t really sum it up in one sentence.
There is a medley of 5 songs towards the end and that was purposefully retrospective. I thought this might be because I’m at this point in my life, but then I think about the times I was writing with John and a lot of that was also looking back. It’s like me with ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ - I’m still up to the same tricks!
I know people are going to look at some of the songs and interpret them in different ways but this has always been the case. The thing is that I love writing songs, so I just write and write. I never really get to a point where I start thinking I’m going to write about specific subjects. Inevitably though, what I am thinking is going to find its way into what I’m doing
The opening track of the album is ‘Dance Tonight’. I recently got myself a mandolin and I was just playing about with it and came up with the basis of this track. A couple of weeks ago we made the video, which was great fun. It’s directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) and stars Natalie Portman and Mackenzie Crook. I’m not going to give the plot away. You’ll have to go and watch it for yourself, but we had a good time doing it.
The album title came after I had finished everything. For me, that’s when they normally come, with the exception of maybe Sgt. Peppers, otherwise I don’t think I have ever made an album with The Beatles, Wings or solo where I have thought of a title and a concept. I was thinking about what would sum the whole thing up and ‘Memory Almost Full’ sprung to mind. It’s a phrase that seemed to embrace modern life; in modern life our brains can get a bit overloaded. I realised I had also seen it come up on my phone a few times. When I started bouncing the idea round with some friends they nearly all got different meanings out of it, but they all said they loved it. So the feedback helped solidify the title.
After completing the album I then started thinking about the album artwork and how I’d want it to look. I really wanted to make the CD a desirable object. Something that I know I’d want to pick up from the shelf, something that would make people curious. I hope our final concept has done that. The album sleeve itself includes an etching by a friend of mine, Humphrey Ocean. As with the album lyrics, I’m looking forward to seeing how people might interpret the artwork.
Currently I’m just starting out on the promo trail and beginning to get the first bits of feedback about the album and so far so good! It’s interesting now as I’m getting to hear what other people are making of the songs and what their feelings are. I’m also talking about the album myself and I’m really enjoying the discovery process.
I really enjoyed making this album with David Kahne and I’m proud of all the songs. We had a great time. I hope that the fun we had will communicate itself to the people who are going to listen to it.
Paul McCartney April 2007
www.paulmccartney.com/features.php#27/
Paul McCartney secret gig in London and interview of "Memory Almost Full"
album on ABC Good Morning America aired June 14, 2007. (5:08 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA1AVKaWOVU
Paul McCartney - "Memory Almost Full" - Danish TV Interview 1 of 4. (6:53 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=Xi46TqZAK6M
Paul McCartney - "Memory Almost Full" - Danish TV Interview 2 of 4. (6:50 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=t64YWKvsUsU
Paul McCartney - "Memory Almost Full" - Danish TV Interview 3 of 4. (6:37 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zQBcIDk5Wk
Paul McCartney - "Memory Almost Full" - Danish TV Interview 4 of 4. (8:20 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Gh-Co86S0
Paul McCartney - The making of "Ever Present Past" - Long Version (3.27 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=WVfXAFvFlfU
MEMORY ALMOST FULL Track Listing
1. Dance Tonight
Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight (4:46 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=xTNXrkBSp_o
2. Ever Present Past
Paul McCartney - Ever Present Past (2:54 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=fVGk5qm6Mac
3. See Your Sunshine
No video available of the song. Paul McCartney talks
about "See Your Sunshine" in an interview. (1:41 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra2Iz-pKMao
4. Only Mama Knows
No video available of the song from the album. Here is a live performance of
Paul McCartney singing "Mama Only Knows" at the Olympia in Paris, France. (3:30 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCUPoq370ag
5. You Tell Me
No video available of the song from the album.
Paul McCartney is interviewed about "You Tell Me." (1:28 minutes)
6. Mister Bellamy
No video available of the song from the album. Paul McCartney
talks about "Mister Bellamy" in an interview. (2:27 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmRBiH6R8x4
7. Gratitude
No video available of the song from the album.
8. Vintage Clothes
Paul McCartney - "Vintage Clothes" (3:19 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7PDzDiN428
Paul McCartney sings "Vintage Clothes" acoustic version. (3:24 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuQFIIGly2w
9. That Was Me
Paul McCartney - "That Was Me." (1:23 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihknF9XNgAE
10. Feet In The Clouds
Paul McCartney - "Feet In The Clouds." (3.24 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR3vJ2259BY
11. House Of Wax
No video available of the song from the album. Paul McCartney talks about "House of Wax." (1:54 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvtjhT021P0
12. End of the End
No video available of the song from the album.
13. Nod Your Head
Paul McCartney - Short clip of Paul McCartney and friends in "Nod Your Head" video. (0:27 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUktwAjG2y4
Special CD / DVD Edition - Released 12/11/07 includes:
CD BONUS TRACKS
14. In Private
15. Why So Blue
16. 222
No videos available of the above 3 songs from the album.
DVD
Live At The Electric Ballroom, London (June 6, 2007)
Drive My Car
Only Mama Knows
Dance Tonight
House Of Wax
Nod Your Head
VIDEOS
Dance Tonight
Ever Present Past
Videos below are from Paul McCartney's Official YouTube Channel.
Official "Memory Almost Full" Electronic Press Kit (EPK). (4.08 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=SOcIzRY7CcE
Official "Dance Tonight" Video - Taken from 'Memory Almost Full' Deluxe Edition CD / DVD. (4.46 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=xTNXrkBSp_o
Official "Ever Present Past" Video - Taken from 'Memory Almost Full' Deluxe Edition CD / DVD. (2.54 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=fVGk5qm6Mac
"Ever Present Past" Now Play It Tutorial Video. Watch Paul McCartney teach you guitar, bass
and drums for his second single from Memory Almost Full. Posted October 31, 2007 (1.26 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=L7rairX11zE
"Ever Present Past" You Play It - Part 1 of 4. (6:56 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=-fW8Tk1JJ3M
"Ever Present Past" You Play It - Part 2 of 4. (7:32 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=EzrVu7eGD5A
"Ever Present Past" You Play It - Part 3 of 4. (5:12 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=CKaQFXJKVPI
"Ever Present Past" You Play It - Part 4 of 4. (8:02 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=24n53rxWuBY
www.amazon.com/Memory-Almost-Full-DVD-Deluxe/dp/B000W47N8Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216358182&sr=1-2
www.paulmccartneyshop.com/