Various Artists ‘The Art of McCartney’

  Sometimes it becomes almost trivial once an artist has a storied career. It’s almost a forgone conclusion that a collection of his work will be dedicated to him. I’m also very sure that there has been no other work quite like the catalog of one Sir Paul McCartney. In my opinion, The Beatles set the landmark for rock n roll and the many formats that have spawned under it. Putting a project like this together was a huge undertaking.

  This project has been in the works for years and spearheaded by music producer Ron Sall. Sall had the dubious task of gathering the mass of talent and putting all the songs on one collection to represent the career of McCartney. This also included choice cuts from Wings as well as The Beatles. The 34 tracks include legends Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Elton John, B.B. King, Smokey Robinson, Paul Rodgers, Heart and KISS to name some. To give a current flavor to this tribute, Sall enlisted The Airbourne Toxic Event, Jamie Cullum and Owl City.

  Personally, I like a cover song that’s as close to the original as possible. Most of the artists did stay true to this. Paul Rodgers’ take on “Let Me Roll It” is probably my favorite track. There probably isn’t another rock singer who can sing so many different forms of rock than Rodgers. He nails it here, showing he is one of the most iconic voices of all time. I’m not a huge fan of The Cure but they did an exceptional job with James McCartney on the track “Hello Goodbye.” They combined to do a job so well that I’m sure Sir Paul had a thumbs up after he heard this track.

  Robin Zander and Rick Nielson really put the lift in “Jet.” The hardest rocking track on the disc. Willie Nelson shows he still has a lot left in the tank and does a fantastic job on “Yesterday.” Ann and Nancy Wilson of heart were blessed with two tracks on the disc as they performed “Band on the Run” and “Letting Go.” Ann’s undeniable vocal prowess along with Nancy’s guitar playing really made “Band on the Run” their own and I was glad to see Barry Gibb recording and lending his voice “when I’m 64.” One of the younger artists, Jamie Cullum, steals the spotlight and makes his name known for the job he did on “Every Night.” One of the standout tracks on the release.

  KISS has always stated their love for The Beatles so to pay homage to their heroes was only par for the course. Simmons’ vocals on “Venus and Mars” almost takes you back to his 1978 solo album. Stanley’s voice is crisp and powerful on “Rock Show.” These tracks fit KISS perfectly and they should be proud of what they delivered. I love Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell’s take on “Got to Get You into My Life.”

  Besides Heart, Billy Joel also appears twice on the disc. He covers “Live and Let Die” and the opening track “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Joel nailed it on “Maybe I’m Amazed.” His piano work along with his vocals really get the album off to a great start. You will not see such a collection of talent for any tribute like this ever! Sall did a terrific job putting this together and this could be the release of the year!