McCartney I II III, the new, limited edition Paul McCartney boxed set that brings together his three landmark solo albums McCartney, McCartney II, and McCartney III for the first time, is released today (5).
Taking listeners on a delightful odyssey through McCartney’s solo years over a span of half a century, the set is a rich illustration of his insatiable creativity and, in particular, his genius for entirely self-made albums of enduring brilliance. It’s available in limited edition color vinyl, a black vinyl edition, and on CD. The color configuration offers each of the records in a different shade of vinyl: McCartney – clear, McCartney II – white, and McCartney III – creamy white vinyl.
Each format includes three special photo prints (in 8” x 10” format in the vinyl versions) with notes from Paul about the releases. The new cover art for the set, and the typography for the slipcase, have been created by Ed Ruscha. The albums have been mixed in Dolby Atmos by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard, with the Dolby Atmos mastered by Emily Lazar.
Each album is full of unforgettable McCartney compositions, with the self-titled 1970 LP including such gems as “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Every Night,” and “The Lovely Linda.” Ten years later, McCartney II contained the US No.1 “Coming Up” and the UK Top 10 ballad “Waterfalls,” but also experimental pieces such as “Temporary Secretary.”
In late 2020, Paul returned to the entirely do-it-yourself approach for McCartney III, which not only featured such notable new songs as “The Kiss of Venus” and “Women and Wives,” but inspired McCartney III Imagined, an album of imaginative remakes by such admirers as Beck, Josh Homme, and St. Vincent.
The boxed set has already won rich praise from media, with The Quietus awarding it Reissue of the Week status, Darran Anderson’s review subheading stating “this trilogy of self-titled albums is studded with gems and give us a clearer idea of who Paul McCartney actually is.” In Classic Rock, Everett True notes: “Though spread across fifty years, there are striking commonalities between the McCartneys. Not least, that all three are unafraid or embracing the less commercial aspects of music.”
In other McCartney news, Peter Jackson, director of the epic Get Back docuseries that has garnered five Emmy nominations including for Best Documentary Series, revealed recently to Deadline that another Beatle-related project may be on the cards. “I’m talking to The Beatles about another project, something very, very different than Get Back,” he said. “We’re seeing what the possibilities are, but it’s another project with them. It’s not really a documentary…and that’s all I can really say.”
Discussing the Emmy nominations, he added of the two nods for Sound Mixing: “[That’s] always a category that people don’t hold in the highest esteem, I guess would be a way to say it, other than people who work in the field. Get Back is all about the sound, and restoring the sound and developing the AI things to separate the musical tracks.
“We did a lot of groundbreaking work, so it’s really great that the guys who did that work are part of the Emmy nominations. I’m really pleased with that.” Of the Best Editing nomination for Jabez Olsson, he said: “Jabez and I spent the four years [of production] in the trenches together, so I am very pleased for him.”
Buy McCartney I II III.
