New Paul Album

If you haven’t heard yet, Starbucks is starting their own record label. Even stranger, the first artist they signed to their label was Paul McCartney. Odder still, Paul seems to have an album at the ready. Usually he likes to take about and eon or two between albums, leaving me to suffer through “Wings at the Speed of Sound” when I need to hear something new. (I’ve heard it so few times that it always sounds new to me, and I immediately block it out after listening to it due to boredom/repulsion/confusion.)

Paul’s new studio album will be called Memory Almost Full. It will be released on June 5th initially through Starbucks. The album, produced by David Kahne (producer of Driving Rain), is described as a “collage-style disc”. The album will feature a 15 minute “pop suite” similar to the one featured on the Abbey Road album. (This is an appropriate time to start working on your Paul caricature saying “Pop Suite! Pop Suite!” Be sure to bob your head left and right to add authenticity.)

I don’t know if this album art is accurate or not. I found it on Amazon UK, so there’s a good chance it’s right. I have to say, I am not tickled by it. No sir. Not tickled. Hope that it is not a harbinger of pink and velvety blackness to come. Maybe Starbucks did a study and found that counter impulse buyers respond well to velvet floating furniture…and splashes of pink.

According to Glen Barros, CEO of Concord Music Group (The Starbucks Records People): “You can hear real elements of the Wings and Beatles eras (in the new album).” Not sure if that quote is supposed to excite us or worry us.

April 14th’s Daily Express contained a story about another track on the album. The song “Pizza And Fairytales” was inspired by a mid-1970s argument between Sir Paul and John Lennon. The Express’s source states:

“Paul has spoken about John having a real go at him over the telephone, telling him his music lacked depth and meaning. John famously told Paul his music was all ‘pizza and fairytales’, and the insult stuck. He has always joked it could make a good song or album title and now he has finally put it to use.” (This is a good time to start working on your John caricature saying that everything is “all pizza and fairytales!”)

Here’s another tidbit that’s leaked out so far as the release date nears. April 15th’s Sunday Mirror reports that the title of the album, Memory Almost Full, is actually an anagram. Rearrange the letters of the title and it says “For My Soulmate LLM (Linda Louise McCartney)”. Sounds like it’ll be an album chock full of one-legged woes.

So those of you who’d signed up for the Paul-of-the-Month club (all two of you who’ve had it forced upon you) will get one more album than you bargained for!

I’ll keep you updated on anything else I find out as the time comes. I am sure you are uninterested. I am giddy. You can be giddy for me.