Paul McCartney’s genius went far beyond The Beatles. Though, some of his best work was produced as part of the Fab Four. There’s no denying that. His solo career took a minute to really kick off, but once it did, even non-fans of The Beatles recognized Paul McCartney’s genius as a songwriter with these three albums, in particular. Let’s take a look!
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1. ‘Ram’
This 1971 record from Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda is one of his most well-known (and well-loved) solo albums. Ram wasn’t the smooth, polished, perfect album that fans had come to expect from McCartney. Rather, it was experimental, loose, and involved a more episodic style of songwriting than his previous works.
This album has a bit of a Beach boys feel to it, but it still sounds like an authentic McCartney record. Not a ton of fans loved the diss track “Too Many People” that was a clear dig at John Lennon and Yoko Ono, but the rest of the album is a colorful, almost childlike record.
2. ‘Band On The Run’
By 1973, McCartney knew what he was doing on his own without The Beatles and had established Wings’ sound. Paul McCartney’s genius can be heard on a few albums, but there’s something about Band On The Run that just hits differently. If anything, the record is a testament to McCartney’s endurance, considering how much of a pain it was to complete the album.
This record is slick, despite the very, very bumpy road it took to get it finished. There’s more lore and legend behind the creation of this album than anything else. Still, it’s a real bop that has aged pretty well.
3. ‘Chaos And Creation In The Backyard’
Paul McCartney’s genius can be heard the loudest (ironically) on his quieter albums, such as the 2005 release Chaos And Creation In The Backyard. This has to be one of McCartney’s most beautiful, albeit haunting releases of his career. It’s a stunning collaborative effort between McCartney and Nigel Godrich, who famously produced work with Radiohead and Beck.
McCartney plays nearly all of the instruments on this album, giving it the same feel as his self-titled solo records. “Friends To Go” is a particularly heartwarming dedication to George Harrison.
Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
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