Pure McCartney (2016)
(4 CD version)
Disc One
1. Maybe I’m Amazed
2. Heart of the Country
3. Jet
4. Warm and Beautiful
5. Listen to What the Man Said
6. Dear Boy
7. Silly Love Songs
8. The Song We Were Singing
9. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
10. Early Days
11. Big Barn Bed
12. Another Day
13. Flaming Pie
14. Jenny Wren
15. Too Many People
16. Let Me Roll It
17. New
Disc Two
1. Live and Let Die
2. English Tea
3. Mull of Kintyre
4. Save Us
5. My Love
6. Bip Bop
7. Let ‘Em In
8. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
9. Calico Skies
10. Hi, Hi, Hi
11. Waterfalls
12. Band on the Run
13. Appreciate
14. Sing the Changes
15. Arrow Through Me
16. Every Night
17. Junior’s Farm
18. Mrs. Vandebilt
Disc Three
1. Say, Say, Say
2. My Valentine
3. Pipes of Peace
4. The World Tonight
5. Souvenir
6. Dance Tonight
7. Ebony and Ivory
8. Fine Line
9. Here Today
10. Press
11. Wanderlust
12. Winedark Open Sea
13. Beautiful Night
14. Girlfriend
15. Queenie Eye
16. We All Stand Together
Disc Four
1. Coming Up
2. Too Much Rain
3. Good Times Coming/Feel the Sun
4. Goodnight Tonight
5. Baby’s Request
6. With a Little Luck
7. Little Willow
8. Only Mama Knows
9. Don’t Let It Bring You Down
10. The Back Seat of My Car
11. No More Lonely Nights
12. Great Day
13. Venus and Mars/Rock Show
14. Temporary Secretary
15. Hope for the Future
16. Junk
If ever an artist had the catalogue to justify a four-disc retrospective, it’s Paul McCartney. And so, in 2016, we were given Pure McCartney — a sprawling 67-track career overview, spanning from his earliest solo steps to more recent flourishes. The result? A largely commendable collection that both affirms McCartney’s genius and, curiously, exposes his blind spots.
At its best, Pure McCartney functions as an engaging primer — or, depending on your level of devotion, a nostalgic deep dive. Most of the major touchstones are present: Maybe I’m Amazed, Jet, Band on the Run, Live and Let Die, My Love, and a generous helping from late-career gems like Flaming Pie and New. For the casual fan or curious newcomer, it’s a veritable buffet of melodic riches. For the completist, however, it may also be a source of frustration.
The problems begin not with what’s included — although one might raise an eyebrow at the inexplicable presence of Temporary Secretary and We All Stand Together — but with what’s been left out. There is, quite astonishingly, not a single track here from 1989’s Flowers in the Dirt or 2001’s Driving Rain. Neither album is obscure, and both contain material easily deserving of inclusion. That these periods have been completely erased from the narrative feels not only misguided, but oddly revisionist.
Given the space afforded by a four-disc set — and let us remember, 67 tracks is not a modest gesture — the omissions are all the more glaring. Some albums are represented by four or five songs, while others are wholly absent. This imbalance gives the collection a slightly lopsided quality, as though McCartney were curating his own museum and deliberately omitting certain exhibits for reasons known only to him.
The effect is akin to entering a beautifully arranged gallery, only to notice one of the frames on the wall is hanging crooked. Everything else may be pristine, but the oversight is impossible to ignore. You want to reach out and straighten it. And in the age of digital playlists, of course, you can. With a few clicks, you can restore the missing pieces, round out the narrative, and finally relax.
Grievances aside, this is still a splendid collection. For every curious misstep, there are ten moments of melodic brilliance. McCartney’s genius has always been in his versatility, and Pure McCartney offers a sweeping testament to his ability to work across genres and decades without ever losing the thread. But one can’t help but wish it had been just a touch more complete — a retrospective with both polish *and* proportion. Until then, the DIY playlist shall have to suffice.
Go back to the main page
Go to the Next Review