Gilbertdalo mi trochu praci se v tom mym webu na to proklikat, ale nasel jsem shromazdeny recenze:
Review časopisu Rolling Stone
- hodnocení : 4/5 , čtenářská anketa : 4,5/5
Not that this should come as a shock - though after all these years it often goes unnoticed or taken for granted - but Paul McCartney is one kick-ass bass player. A listener could live inside the voluptuous notes he so effortlessly threads through Driving Rain, his first album of new rock songs in four years. His genius on the instrument often has been enough to atone for many of his lesser post-Beatles compositions (no matter what one thinks of "Silly Love Songs," the bass line by itself practically justifies that ditty's existence). Driving Rain exploits this virtue to the fullest with fuss-free arrangements that magnify the interplay of a decent little four-piece rock & roll band comprising three relative unknowns and one living legend.
McCartney is one legend with a penchant for breeziness, and many of his lesser solo discs traffic in mere pleasantness. This album isn't one of those, though it does contain a handful of tracks that sound tossed off rather than finely tuned: "Tiny Bubble" floats but never arrives at its destination; "Spinning on an Axis" drifts lazily; and "Heather" suggests a warm-up exercise for the band rather than an actual song.
Fortunately, McCartney has embraced the small-combo spirit that made Run Devil Run, his 1999 album of rock & roll covers, such a triumph. Back then, McCartney was deep in mourning for his wife, Linda, and he returned to the music of his youth with almost desperate purpose. The best of his new tunes revisit that emotional terrain, giving "Lonely Road" a bite that becomes a frenzied growl by song's end. "There Must Have Been Magic" looks back in poignant reverie, while "From a Lover to a Friend" looks ahead with hymnlike wonder tempered by anxiety.
On each of these tunes, plus the snappy if slight "Driving Rain," the country-flavored "Your Way" and the ten-minute rave-up "Rinse the Raindrops," McCartney's bass does the steering. Four-string melodies rise up as a counterpoint to his still-pliant vocals, and the never-ending McCartney groove, well, it isn't silly at all.
GREG KOT - (RS 882 - November 22, 2001)
Review serveru CDNOW
No less a songwriter than Vic Chesnutt once defended Paul McCartney's post-Beatles work with the exultation, "Old people need music, too." Notwithstanding that endorsement, it's Sir Paul's almost childlike passion for melody that's shaped his music through the years. In that regard, McCartney's latest album resembles much that's gone before, but lurking within those melodies are moments of real gravity. Love songs, yes; silly, no.
As one would expect, it's the ballads on Driving Rain that wield the greatest power. "I Do," for instance, combines the breezy lyricism of the Fab Four's earliest days with sprite orchestral flourishes that elevate the song in just the right places. Likewise, the piano ballads "From a Lover to a Friend" and "Loving Flame" unfurl with a regal (though understated) splendor.
Elsewhere, McCartney ventures into territories that are more eclectic, but still accessible. The groove-oriented "Tiny Bubble," for example, forges a style somewhere between Al Green and Tin Pan Alley, while the poignant yet sunshine-y "Heather" sounds like a film score track in search of the perfect romantic setting.
That said, Driving Rain also boasts a smattering of upbeat songs that dispel any notion the singer has lost his knack for straight-up rockers. "About You," for instance, bristles with vintage McCartney fire, while the title track might just be the best driving song the ex-Beatle has ever written.
With young whippersnappers like John Mayer and Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik occupying the pop charts, melodic songs with substance appear to be back in vogue. Driving Rain reaffirms McCartney's place as the genre's greatest master.
Russell Hall - CDNOW Contributing Writer
Jak hodnotí Driving Rain zahraniční tisk ?
"Four Star Macca's Back!"
ROLLLING STONE
"His best work since 1989 - a hark back to his classic songwriting."
MUSIC WEEK
"Classic catchy McCartney tunes and deceptively-clever lyrics."
THE MIRROR
"Driving Rain is an album of celebration - it's so good."
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE
"It's a fantastic album"
CNN
"Come Rain, Paul shines. Heavy on melody. Straight-ahead songcraft."
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
"A breezy top-down ride."
THE TIMES
"His undimmed gift for melody wins you over. You start singing along."
THE SUNDAY TIMES
"This would be a special work in any world."
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
"Beautiful melodies & more musical surprises than any McCartney album in years."
BEATLES MONTHLY
"Raw, energetic; Macca's songwriting back on form."
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
"Driving Rain pulsates with vitality and freshness."
THE DAILY MAIL
"The joy is listening to one of history's most successful songwritiers expressing himself like a teenager."
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS
"His singing throughout displays a welcome sense of urgency."
THE GUARDIAN
"Uncommonly good. A fresh feel and effortless melody - his singing and bass-playing is immaculate."
THE DAILY EXPRESS
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