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| Chaos and Creation in the Backyard | 
 enlarge | Artist: Paul Mccartney
Label: Capitol
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $2.90
You Save: $16.08 (85%)
New (67) Used (53) from $2.32
Avg. Customer Rating:  448 reviews
Sales Rank: 9485
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 38299
UPC: 094633829923
EAN: 0094633829923
ASIN: B000AL730O
Release Date: September 13, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Factory sealed > 1st Class shipping within 2-3 days in bubble pack >
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| Tracks:
| • | Fine Line | | • | How Kind of You | | • | Jenny Wren | | • | At the Mercy | | • | Friends to Go | | • | English Tea | | • | Too Much Rain | | • | A Certain Softness | | • | Riding to Vanity Fair | | • | Follow Me | | • | Promise to You Girl | | • | This Never Happened Before | | • | Anyway |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
UK 13-track vinyl LP vinyl co-produced with Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis and Beck) and featuring the single 'Fine Line', presented in gatefold picture sleeve and includes 4 limited edition art prints! Chaos And Creation In The Back Yard, Paul McCartney's 20th studio recording since The Beatles, marks an end to a nearly four-year hiatus since his last studio recording, 2001's platinum certified 'Driving Rain'. The new 13-track album is co-produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis and Beck) and McCartney, and was recorded in London and Los Angeles over the course of the past two years. Parlophone. 2005.
From Amazon.co.uk
Sir Paul is an elder statesman now, but Chaos and Creation in the Backyard finds him in considered and tastefully restrained form, penning songs worthy of his finest hour. McCartney crafts this collection of songs with exquisite balance, lining up haunting chimes and heartfelt lyrics ("Riding to Vanity Fair") alongside pounding "Hey Bulldog"-esque chords and eerily Beatles-ish multitracked vocals ("Promise to You Girl," "Fine Line") and, most impressively, distinctively new yet timeless gems of songcraft ("Anyway," "Jenny Wren"). Emotionally, Chaos and Creation manages to avoid being mired in oversentimentality, while retaining a powerful, understated sincerity. Poignant though it is, however, the record is essentially positive and hopeful: Sir Paul's playfulness beams through in his intonation, which picks up a line such as "It's not right/In your life/Too much rain" and breathes life and optimism into its words. "English Tea" completes the package, an unrepentantly twee serving of Anglo-nostalgia with recorder. Chaos and Creation in the Backyard displays the full range of McCartney's inimitable talent, presenting listeners with one of his finest solo albums. --Jonti Davies More Paul McCartney 
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| Customer Reviews: Read 443 more reviews...
Feel Free to Make Yourself at Home September 14, 2005
143 out of 167 found this review helpful
Sir Paul McCartney's previous album, 2001's Driving Rain, was awarded almost unanimous critical approval. Interestingly enough, I loved it at first but slowly grew out of it, instead of the other way around. Pundits across the board are now giving their even more fervent blessings to Paul's newest effort. But will Chaos & Creation in the Backyard (2005) prove a repeat performance?
Well, let's see. At the recommendation of legendary Beatles maestro Sir George Martin, Chaos & Creation in the Backyard is produced by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame. Not surprisingly, he was an excellent choice. Godrich had a much greater hand in the creative process than most of Paul's former producers - it was at his behest Macca's touring band was dismissed, forcing the ex-Beatle to provide almost all the instrumentation himself ala his homemade solo debut. But Chaos & Creation is anything but homemade; with tasteful, layered arrangements and a crisp, glossy sound, there's a sense of craftsmanship and professionalism here that was lacking in the 1970 record. And if it wasn't directly his doing - Paul's own age and resultant maturity probably had some effect - Godrich's quality control was more than likely a factor in Chaos & Creation's moody, introspective tone.
Indeed, this record often finds Paul in or striving for a darker humour than his wont. To mixed results: Riding to Vanity Fair sags beneath its self-conscious malaise, but the rainy-day Jenny Wren is evidence Macca can still do damn fine melancholy. Which is not to say C&C is a gloomy album: this is Paul McCartney after all, a lover and an optimist at heart. So the LP has its share of romantic ballads and feel-good "uppers", even if there IS a conspicuous dearth of Sir Paul's trademark stylistic diversions. Both lyrically and tunefully Chaos is a marked improvement on Driving Rain. It's still hit-and-miss - witness the simplistic rhymes of Follow Me and This Never Happened Before, or How Kind of You's melodic meandering. But they're none of them BAD, and the pastoral tableaux of English Tea, pensive melancholia of At the Mercy, and Top 20 (!) single A Fine Line, among others, atone amply.
Because even when the material doesn't entirely work, the McCartney/Godrich partnership manages to salvage whatever charms a tune may possess and bring them to the fore. Whether it will ultimately turn out to be an encore of Driving Rain, I can't say; but as far as I can see Chaos & Creation in the Backyard is a respectable addition to a legendary oeuvre.
Challenge In The Backyard September 13, 2005
56 out of 67 found this review helpful
Paul McCartney's new album, Chaos & Creation In The Backyard is an oddly titled album that is not what you would expect from Sir Paul. Instead of the filling the world with silly love songs, the new effort is probably the most introspective and reflective album of his illustrious career. The approach to recording the album is much like his first two solo works (McCartney & Ram) with Mr. McCartney playing virtually all the instruments, but he employs Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame as the producer. The songs find a quieter vein and are less hook-filled than his usual fare, but they aren't without melody. "Fine Line" and "Promise To You Girl" contain the kind of melodies that Mr. McCartney tosses around in his sleep and most musicians would kill to write. It is the reflective lyrics in songs like "How Kind Of You" (which is about meeting his new wife Heather Mills) and "Jenny Wren" that make for an interesting listen. Other standout tracks include the string laden "Riding To Vanity Fair", the sprightly "English Tea", "Too Much Rain" and "This Never Happened Before". Mr. McCartney said he was thinking about John Lennon quite a bit during the recording sessions and introspective was one of his trademarks. Chaos & Creation In The Backyard isn't the best album of Mr. McCartney's career, but it is certainly his most challenging.
 McCartney's Best In A While September 18, 2005
39 out of 45 found this review helpful
I considered calling this review "McCartney's Most Honest and Restrained Album In A While" but was concerned that it may be interpreted as some sort of criticism rather than describing the two elements that make it his best in a long while.
Several songs in this album, which offer more breadth and depth that I've listened from Paul in recent albums, showed a more introspective and unsentimental view of life. I would not call this set solemn as much as restrained, avoiding a certain indulging of his cheerful side that, in my opinion, has accounted for uneven albums in the past.
Tunes like "Riding To Vanity Fair," "Jenny Wren," and "Anyway" are great examples of McCartney's extraordinary gift for tender melodies, yet manage to stop short from "precious Pop."
To this point, in addition to these songs being a very inspired batch, Nigel Godrich's production is a key factor. It seems, from what I read, that he was able to push back on Paul enough to reveal the best and most sincere these songs have to offer, the ones mentioned before -as well as "Too Much Rain" and "A Certain Softness, for the sake of additional examples.
That's, I think, a great producer's gift, to reveal -not to create- the inner beauty of music and words, to provide the sound and mood that makes them stand out -think Rubin with Cash, or Lanois with Emmylou Harris. He did not make this album better, perhaps, but as great as it should be.
So, for me, there is enough natural beauty and thoughtful craft in "Chaos And Creation In The Backyard," to give it album five stars.
Brilliant album! Playing the music he invented September 13, 2005
24 out of 26 found this review helpful
On his newest album, McCartney finally allows himself to write/compose songs the way he did at the time of the Beatles/ early 70's.
The quality control and production of Nigel Godrich result in an album that has atmosphere, depth, originality, integrity, good lyrics, great harmonies; elements that have often lacked on his albums. The album contains no fillers. In my opinion, the least interesting song of the album is the single Fine Line.
Although some songs could have been on Beatles albums (notably English Tea, Jenny Wren) or early solo albums (Promise to You Girl, A Certain Softness), you sometimes hear echoes of McCartney-inspired musicians like Brian Wilson, 10cc, Queen (Promise to You Girl) and Radiohead/Coldplay (How Kind of You).
McCartney's voice is better than ever. Playing almost all instruments on all tracks does make a coherent, intimate and sometimes experimental sound (like on McCartney I and Flaming Pie). Obvious drawback is that sometimes you miss the creative input of fellow musicians (like on Friends to Go; would have more groove if played with a good band). He is excused for not being the best drummer.
If you do not buy the album, be sure to get Jenny Wren, Vanity Fair and How kind of you.
I was not sure if McCartney would be able to make such an album at the age of 63. But he did.
Highly recommended!
Addendum April 2007:
This album got four Grammy Award Nominations: in 2005 Album of the year, Best pop vocal album, Best male pop vocal performance (Fine Line) and in 2006 Best male vocal performance (Jenny Wren).
THE BEST McCARTNEY SOLO ALBUM -- EVER! September 13, 2005
22 out of 25 found this review helpful
Having been a radio announcer circa '72-78, I have loved and followed the music of Paul McCartney for 35 years. Through the highs and lows, I have realized that: (1) Paul McCartney is not a musical "god", and (2) That the non-repeatable success of the Beatles guarantees that there will ALWAYS be someone somewhere who will be "disappointed" in what he does. For those who will get over their fantasy of Macca as the Mecca of pop music, get their head out of the clouds, and really listen to this CD rather than rushing to judgment, you'll find something very reminiscent of the "White Album" in texture, tone, production, vocalizations, and sonic surprises. This is the best he's done in 35 years, no contest, hands down. It's great - well recorded, produced, exquisitely vocalized, energetic, and quite enjoyable. Never once was I even remotely tempted to hit the "skip" button on my CD player. So, take Macca off the pedestal of your fantasy expectations and savor this treat! After repeated listenings, it only gets better!
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