Memory Almost Full (2007) 

 

  1. Dance Tonight
  2. Ever Present Past
  3. See Your Sunshine
  4. Only Mama Knows
  5. You Tell Me
  6. Mr. Bellamy
  7. Gratitude
  8. Vintage Clothes
  9. That Was Me
  10.Feet in the Clouds
  11.House of Wax
  12.The End of the End
  13.Nod Your Head

 

If you’re looking for the “happiest” album in Paul McCartney’s catalog, look no further. In fact, Memory Almost Full might be one of the most joyously upbeat albums ever recorded by anyone, let alone a man well past retirement age. It plays like an unspoken declaration: “I’m 65, I’ve lived one hell of a life, and I’ve still got plenty left in the tank.” And somehow, it’s all delivered without a trace of self-importance or weariness. Just pure, unfiltered McCartney energy.

Surprisingly, this is the closest McCartney has ever come to a concept album. There’s no central storyline, but the themes are tightly woven—nostalgia, reflection, celebration, and the occasional hint of mortality. What makes that more remarkable is that the album came on the heels of his very public, very messy divorce from his second wife. You’d expect bitterness or sadness to permeate the record. Instead, he gives us Dance Tonight—a mandolin-led toe-tapper that practically grins from ear to ear.

The energy continues with Ever Present Past, Only Mama Knows, and the curiously aggressive Nod Your Head. These aren’t just upbeat songs—they’re vibrant, youthful, and oddly defiant. Even when McCartney veers into introspection, as on Gratitude, the tone remains grateful rather than regretful. And while it’s clearly a nod to a failed relationship, Paul, ever the optimist, manages to croon his way through it with a kind of peaceful acceptance.

Elsewhere, he dives into full-blown nostalgia. Vintage Clothes and That Was Me are essentially musical time capsules, evoking the London of the 1960s without feeling stale or forced. If anything, they serve as gentle reminders that McCartney lived through and helped define an era that most people only read about.

The one conspicuous absence? A love ballad. For an artist who’s made a career out of them, it’s surprising. But given the personal turbulence leading up to this release, it’s understandable—and, curiously, not all that missed. Instead, we’re given The End of the End, a soft-spoken and deeply moving meditation on death and legacy. Far from somber, the song invites listeners to remember him with laughter and celebration, not tears. It’s one of the most affecting moments of his solo career.

Critics have long accused McCartney of being “too cheerful,” as though joy were some kind of artistic liability. But Memory Almost Full is proof that optimism, when delivered with honesty and conviction, can be just as powerful as angst. McCartney doesn’t wallow—he soars. And with this album, he reminds us that there’s nothing wrong with facing life’s later chapters with grace, gratitude, and the occasional dance break.

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