-------Background---------

Memory Almost Full is McCartney's most recent solo album released back in 2007 just about the time he was going through a messy divorce with the maniacal Heather Mills. McCartney did well to come out of that little debacle with quite a lot of credibility- that and the handful of coppers that Mills managed to get out of the Macca millions.

Out of that came one of McCartney's better albums of recent years. I didn't really enjoy either 2001' 'Driving Rain' or 2005's 'Chaos and Creation in Backyard'. Although they had their moments, they didn't feel like quality finished albums. I was hoping for more of a return to 97's 'Flaming Pie'. What came out was neither of these things, but something a lot more interesting...

--------Opinion----------

A lot of the tracks on Memory Almost Full require a lot of repeated listens to really get into, but several tracks stand out as being brilliant singles. 'Dance Tonight' was the first single to be released from the album and a is a decent ukulele led track that bears quite a similarity to Harrison's 'Any Road' from a couple of years back. I like this song, even if my other half cannot stand it!

'Mr Bellamy' could easily have been from McCartney II, but also could have been from a lost McCartney musical. In fact, the album sounds very much like a lost rock opera as opposed to a music album. It's full of operatic and dramatic flourishes that almost tell a story. Quite what that story is, I'm not sure!

The album has a real sense of place and time. It's so obviously a McCartney's attempt to make a modern sounding album, but then there are brief snippets of 'retro' McCartney sounds that you can pick out as being 'Wingsesque' and 'Beatles-like' which is great for those of us who have all his previous albums.

'Gratitude' is probably the album's only real ballad, which is quite strange for a guy like Macca who has been selling his wares as a balladeer for many years now. The rest of the album is very up-tempo and interesting.
'Vintage Clothes' with all its wheezy Hammond organ is one of the album's highlights. While not lyrically great (Macca has always had a bit of an issue with his words) 'Check the rack, What went out, is coming back' is an example of the simple sing-along lyrics of that song.

'That Was Me' is some quality lo-fi Macca. Its the closest McCartney has got to doing a 'Liverpool 8' or 'When We Was Fab' where, as an ex-Beatle, he recalls what it was like to look back on his long musical past.
The introspective 'The End of the End' is a good way to end the album, apart from the coda of 'Nod Your Head' which is a brilliant proto-heavy rock anthem.

One of the strangely annoying things about the album is the fact that some of the songs are too short! Although the second half of the album doesn't segue into each other like the second side of Abbey Road, I'm assuming it was planned out a bit like that and that is why some of those songs only last two and a half minutes.

------In Conclusion-------

Memory Almost Full is a brilliant piece of work that I've only really just got into and started to appreciate. Upon first hearing I dismissed a lot of the tracks and pretty mediocre, but I forced myself to listen again and again to it - just to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I'm glad I did, or songs like 'Mr Bellamy' and 'That Was Me' would have passed me by.

Compared to 'Flaming Pie' or 'Off the Ground' it's much less middle of the road and accessible. It's much more experimental and personal making it more akin to an album, like McCartney II than anything else.

----Track list----------

1."Dance Tonight" - 2:54
2."Ever Present Past" - 2:57
3. "See Your Sunshine" - 3:20
4."Only Mama Knows" - 4:17
5. "You Tell Me" - 3:15
6. "Mr. Bellamy" - 3:39
7. "Gratitude" - 3:19
8."Vintage Clothes" - 2:22
9."That Was Me" - 2:38
10."Feet in the Clouds" - 3:24
11. "House of Wax" - 4:59
12."End of the End" - 2:57
13. "Nod Your Head" - 1:58