The One Album I Listened to in 2005

 

2005. What was that about? The only album I can remember buying that year was Paul McCartney's "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard." I haven't bought a Paul album since the 1970s, but I was pulled in by the album's title as well as the front cover photo by Mike McGear, Paul's brother. I think Mike was (or is) a remarkable photographer at the time, and his images of his brother, as well as the other members of the Fab Four, are

classics.

Not only is this my favorite Paul album, but a total surprise that he came up with something special in the 21st-century. It's mostly Paul by himself, with some extra musicians, such as Joby Talbot, who worked with the arrangements for The Divine Comedy, and that aesthetic comes through on the recordings. It's a shame that Paul didn't work with Neil Hannon, because I think those two would make some sonic magic. Nevertheless, the decision to have Nigel Godrich behind the production was an excellent choice. Rumors are that he really pushed Paul on the writing as well as his lyrics. The album has all the classic Paul touches, but as an older man, he reflects in an interesting manner on his life through these songs. Therefore, it matches perfectly with the front cover. Paul as a very young man, or teenager, with a guitar in his backyard somewhere in Liverpool. A remarkable album. What's sad is that there were other things happening that were new musically, but I somehow missed the boat. I regret that I wasn't into Sunn(((O.