Erika (June 9, 2007)

I bought this album on vinyl for 99 cents a few months ago, and I certainly got the better end of the deal! At first listen, I thought, "What the heck is this stuff?" but it grew on me as I listened to it a couple more times. "McCartney II" definitely sounds like it was made in 1980, which it was, but it has some very good songs, namely "Temporary Secretary," "Waterfalls," and "Summer's Day Song."

T (July 14, 2006)

Mc Cartney II was the first of his albums I bought...My brothers had already owned his prior catalog, along with all of the Beatles albums...Sounds "homespun" and very amateurish..One of These Days was my favorite ( beautiful melody)...also like the the live version of "Coming Up" which was an added bonus 45 rpm that came with the LP and was the actual hit! Other than the above mentioned tunes, nothing else is memorable.....Daytime Nightime is catchy...have this as the B-side of "Goodnight Tonight"..every fan knows this!..Had a chance to see the new Cirque du Soleil Beatles "Love"...very enjoyable!

Bruce Beatlefan (June 14, 2006)

At first listen, this album came as a severe shock to me, being accustomed to (1) McCartney the Beatle, (2) McCartney the Wing, and (3) the charming and homespun first McCartney album. After the hard-rocking Back to the Egg album, Paul not only breaks up Wings (keeping Linda, of course...and Denny Laine drops in from time to time on future projects), but he seems to abandon rock and roll altogether (for his next three albums) to experiment with more trendy styles such as synth-pop and contemporary icons such as Prince and Michael Jackson. To middle-aged Beatle fans like myself, Paul seems very much alienated from everything we had become used to (perhaps years of jaundiced reviews caused him to become fed up and look for fresh paths...)

It took a few listens to realize that Paul was still crafting some very fine songs, and his most familiar distinctive touches were all right here, just disguised a little: the irresistable hook ("Coming Up"), the melodic ballad ("Summer's Day Song" and "One of These Days"), the exquisite ear candy ("Front Parlour" and "Temporary Secretary"), the R&B hommage ("Darkroom"), and the reckless-abandon vocal ("Bogey Music"). Some weird stuff, some new directions to get used to, but unmistakenly Paul McCartney. A very rewarding listen all in all--and you gotta check out the bonus track "Secret Friend" which is incredible.

John (July 14, 2005)

I never warmed to this album.
A couple of things I liked. Coming Up is terrific.
Temporary Secretary is a weird tune but i find it hypnotic.
Summers Day Song sounds almost classical to me. Very nice.
One of These Days is the required McCartney ballad on the album. Not bad but not great either.
Give the album a listen and then file it away.

Thiago Lennon® (February 1, 2005)

hello,

this song is great,
because there's a energy on the air!!!


Beatlehugs,
http://something.blog-se.com.br

Harry (May 27, 2004)

This album was originally intended as a double. Shame that it wasn't released in this form because I feel that this is one of Paul's most overlooked outtings.

Everytrack, even the instrumentals are brilliant. Probably the weakest track on the album is One Of These Days where Paul opts for some ordinary lyrics.

The bonus tracks (from the same sessions) are a treat too.

Paul will always be a Mccartney! (August 6, 2010)

This is as original and beautifully done as anything he has recorded in the past and it seems to be in the playful vein of his first solo album. He uses the synthesizers with rich sounds in a very creative and melodic way. The use of them remind me of two pioneer artists who influenced the use of synths in popular music with a folk tinge in the melodies and interesting chords; ABBA, check out ABBA (self-titled), ARRIVAL, THE ALBUM & VOULEZ VOUS all from the 1970's, also VANGELIS whose influence is very evident in many songs and who has used sounds like these since the 60's. I can also detect STEVIE WONDER'S SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS. The most important element is that the chord structures of the songs are as sophisticated as anything he has done in his career; added to this edition are 3 songs which I love and add to the album's creativity and variety; it does not feel like a mixed bag, it is an album with a concept which takes you on a musical journey, something lacking in music and albums today...hence the decline of the recording artist.

Waterfalls (May 29, 2010)

I can't be pretentious enough to say that Paul McCartney's work in Wings and in the solo work he has done is great ( as some do with Memory Almost Full, an album I have from Itunes, but mainly because Back to the Egg was then unobtainable; and yes, I do enjoy Memory almost full), mainly because I just like the songs since they are from my past, they sound great, and no new artist produces songs that make me feel as good. The one song that sticks out from years ago on MCCARTNEY II is "Coming Up" simply because the promo video featured Paul in all roles. I loved the fun feel of that song years ago, and I still do. The entire album is pervaded with that feel. I can definitely recommend this album highly, and I am glad that Amazon has the Paul McCartney collection ( all except for Wings at the speed of sound which was chopped away as "not obtainable from our suppliers", so I ordered it from an Amazon "store " in NYC, and await its arrival). Hopefully I can get all the albums like this gem, since on this album I discovered WATERFALLS, which was blatently "sampled", lyrics and almost all the melody, in a 1995 song of the same name ( I thought I had imagined this detail until I checked it on the net, and Wikipedia, not the best source, gave chapter and verse on the verisimilitude).

True to its Time (August 30, 2009)

If there was a McCartney album that didn't receive a lot of attention then it must be dismissable listening right? Who doesn't want to heap praise on Paul, if it's good, or lambast him if it sucks. This is the one album that I never heard much about. For me this album is true to it's name. It is McCartney in the moment, jamming in the home studio in 1979-80, just as he did in 1969-70. As a big Paul fan I went back to those rare albums that I only heard on the radio and didn't own. I bought Back to the Egg and was dissapointed. I wasn't dissapointed with this one. I loved the third cut for it's bluesy intent. I loved the way the songs led into each other as well. The album for me is cohesive. There are many gems with a touch of the beginnings of techno here. Oddly enough I liked the B sides stuck on the end of the album. If you want to listen in on a genius while he entertains himself, than McCartney II will do ya. It's a great way to spend an hour, and it really does, for me, reinforce the idea that Sir Paul is just an ordinary guy who can't stop making music....and has earned the right to put out anything that makes sense and is whole. I loved listening in.

funky, experimental, and underrated (June 12, 2009)

Sometimes I think that the people who rate this album poorly just misunderstand it. No, it ain't Band on the Run or Tug of War- and it wasn't meant to be. It's a decidedly low tech affair with minimal production that was performed and recorded entirely by McCartney himself during the summer of '79. Paul remarked in an interview with Musician magazine that he was actually trying NOT to sound like himself on this record, and many of the tracks that were recorded during these sessions were, in fact, instrumentals. The fact that this is such an offbeat album and not what most people were expecting is precisely what gives it its charm. With the relentless groove of Coming Up, the hauntingly beautiful ballad Waterfalls, the hilarious bassline driven romp Bogey Music, and the dreamlike Summers Day Song, to name a few--McCartney II is a great collection of musical sketches and gives the listener a feeling of being able to observe a master craftsman at work (or play!).

My Least Favorite McCartney Effort (May 31, 2009)

I like the infectious "Coming Up", and "Goodnight Tonight" is alright, but in between that is a whole lot of filler, not of it memorable. "Temporary Secretary" is a song that's like listening to nails on a chalk board.

"Waterfalls" is not a bad song, but it just doesn't sound so good in this version.

McCartney got his act together after this album with the good "Pipes of Peace", the even better "Tug of War", and the under-rated "Press to Play". I'd say skip this first effort of the 80's, which is a hollow experiment in sound.