Search - Paul McCartney :: Run Devil Run

THE RAW ROCK 'N' ROLL POWER OF SIR PAUL

PETER XUEREB | SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES Australia | 08/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Paul's brief was simple but obvious - make a quick fire album with minimal rehearsal and put down the most natural feel he could get from his band on these songs...the band here includes such rock royalty as David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) & Ian Paice (drummer extraordinaire from Deep Purple). It works. The thing about this album is the pure rawness of the rock ' n' roll played here. The song choices are (thankfully) mostly not the typical top 40 fare when one records a covers album of rock 'n' roll standards. Amongst the hits (Blue Suede Shoes, Lonesome Town, Blue Jean Bop, Honey Hush), are an interesting version of Chuck Berry's Brown Eyed Handsome Man and some obscure B-sides like Fat's Domino's Coquette, Carl Perkin's Movie Magg & No Other Baby (Vipers Skiffle Group). Paul always had an affinity for the single B-side and it's obvious that he was one of those few people flipping those records over to discover the other "hidden gems". Paul's 2 originals also fit in quite well both in style and quality. Those that complain that this isn't in the class of "Band On The Run" or "Flaming Pie" obviously don't get the idea..this was a fun album for Paul to make and it sounds like it!"

This album Kicks A**

Girl | 05/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of all of McCartney's work, this cd is one of my all time favorites. In my opinion it also ranks as one of his best. He put his entire heart and every inch of his soul, into these songs...including the 3 he wrote himself. His vocals, (one of the greatest Rock/Soul voices of our time) and the fierce tempo of almost every track, really reflects his anger, and the obvious pain he was in. But he manages to channel all of that into just a great rock and roll album, so that the listener only realizes his pain and anger on a subliminal level. This is no mere cover album of Rock and Roll hits. Clearly this was a labor of love, both for the music itself, and the people in Paul's life who also grew up in the 50's, and shared not only his love of rock and roll, but a deep personal bond with him. With Pink Floyd's David Gilmore's exciting guitar playing, leading the way, Paul rips through every song, using not only his superb bass playing, but also his voice, as an instrument... almost as if he's trying to exorcize some kind of demon from his soul....Run Devil Run indeed."

Paul McCartney's best solo album since 1982's Tug of War

Terrence J. Reardon | Lake Worth (a west Palm Beach suburb), FL | 09/29/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Paul McCartney's first album since 1997's Flaming Pie entitled Run Devil Run was released in October of 1999.

The album was Paul's first since the death of his beloved wife Linda in April of 1998.

The album was made at the urging of Paul's good close friend, David Gilmour (who is better known as the guitarist and vocalist and one of three songwriters in Pink Floyd). In March of 1999, both Paul and David (whom Paul had been friends with since the recording of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and a huge Floyd fan and even predicted that Pink Floyd would become huge back in 1967 (by the time Pink Floyd officially ended in 2008 with the death of co-founder/keyboard player/songwriter Rick Wright had sold 76 million albums in the US making them the third highest selling British rock band in history)) got together with legendary Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, former Johnny Kidd guitarist the late Mick Green and 70s one hit wonder Pete Wingfield on keyboards and recorded Run Devil Run at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Paul co-produced the album with Chris Thomas (whom worked with Paul on The Beatles' White Album in 1968 and later in 1979 on Wings' swan song Back to the Egg and had worked with David on the mixing of both Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and The Division Bell and would work again with David on Gilmour's 2006 solo album On an Island as co-producer).

Run Devil Run kicks off with Paul's take of Gene Vincent's "Blue Jean Bop" which is at first Paul singing with his bass then Ian comes in with the drums, then Mick comes in with his Fender Strat and lastly David using his Fender Esquire Telecaster (the same one that David had pictured on his About Face album and used on his solo albums and on "Run Like Hell" on Pink Floyd's The Wall). "She Said Yeah" is next and was excellent. The two Elvis covers of "All Shook Up" and "I Got Stung" are excellent. The former is sped up with some drums by Dave Mattacks who played drums on this track and Macca's original "Try Not to Cry".

Other highlights are "Lonesome Town" with David Gilmour doing a killer guitar solo showing his guitar playing hadn't gone soft during his exile from recording to be a devoted father, Little Richard's "Shake a Hand", the heavy sounding title cut (a Macca original), "What it Is" (another Macca original) and the closing "Let's Have a Party" which had Gilmour and Mick trading leads in the middle.

The album was modestly received hitting #26 (not bad considering competing in a N' Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Christina Aguliera music world in the US in 1999). This was the best covers album I have ever heard and is rivaled by the 2004 Rush album Feedback and I can add Phil Collins' Going Back to the list as well.

RECOMMENDED!"