CHOBA B CCCP (1988)
1. Kansas City
2. Twenty Flight Rock
3. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
4. I'm in Love Again
5. Bring it on Home to Me
6. Lucille
7. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
8. I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday
9. That's All Right
10.Summertime
11.Ain't That a Shame
12.Crackin' Up
13.Just Because
14.Midnight Special
The translation of this title to
English is "Back in the U.S.S.R.". For whatever reason, the initial
intention of this record was to only release this album in
Russia. Fortunately someone got smart a couple of years after its
release and threw that idea out the window. There's not really anything
"Russian" about the album. This is Paul McCartney doing arguably what
Paul McCartney does best. He's showing us what he did for a living
before The Beatles, and he's showing us in a big, big way.
The late John Lennon put out a similar release with 1975's "Rock 'n'
Roll". The differences between the two albums were that Lennon went
with a more contemporary feel, whereas Paul seems to want to relive the
past and play these songs as he would have had thirty years
earlier. Both approaches work just fine, since both are tremendously
gifted artists playing incredible songs.
Contrary to what some think, the two albums are not similar in
song selection. The only thing here that was on Lennon's was Fats
Dominos' Ain't That a Shame. (The song Just Because is a
different song than the one on Lennon's with the same name. Lennon was
doing the Lloyd Price song, whereas Paul is doing the Elvis one).
This is an album that plays best when loud. Usually at a party. It's a
"feel good" record. Some of the songs at the end kind of kill the feel.
I'm not sure why he's doing George Gershwin's Summertime, and
Crackin' Up and Midnight Special seem a bit out of place.
But this record ultimately shows us that, yes, ladies and gentlemen,
Paul McCartney can rock.
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