I always thought that the CDs that were put out by Starbucks’ Hear Music were just normal retail versions of CDs, and in the odd case that they created an album, that it would be a greatest hits album that was reordered. However, they have done a tremendous service to fans with the release of two two-CD sets in their re-release of Paul McCartney’s 1970 and 1980 solo albums. The original music that was present on these CDs has been remastered at Abbey Road studios, while McCartney went into eir archives and found specific demos, live recordings, and other rarities to include on the release’s second disc.
For those fans of Paul McCartney there is an additional tier of material present – a 3 CD, 1 DVD release of these titles that represents the comprehensive (be all, end all) coverage of this period of McCartney’s solo days. The audio side of things for both McCartney I and II is simply fantastic; aside from being in the studio whenever Paul laid down these tracks originally, there is no better way to hear classics like “One of These Days” and “Maybe I’m Amazed”.
The additional disc of material should not be forgotten, either. For example, the second disc of McCartney II has an interesting edit of “Check My Machine”, a live version of a 1979 performance of “Coming Up”, and “Blue Nile” with orchestration laid down by Richard Niles. The second disc of “McCartney I” contains more live tracks – “Every Night”, “Hot As Sun”, and “Maybe I’m Amazed” are taken from the 1979 performance as well, and there is a mono demo of “Women Kind” that simply has to be heard. Check out both albums today.
Top Tracks: Oo You, Bogey Wobble
Rating: 9.2/10
McCartney I + II (CD) / 2011 Hear Music / 39 Tracks / http://www.starbucksstore.com/entertainment/
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com