Paul McCartney

By and large Driving Rain is one of McCartney's most uplifting sets in years, and it seems that after issuing records where he sorted reflections through his early career (Flaming Pie) and the death of his wife (Run Devil Run), many of the songs here are as effervescent as titles like "Tiny Bubble," "Back in the Sunshine Again," and "Magic" might imply. After witnessing air planes destroy the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, McCartney delayed the release of the record to include the jingoistic bonus track "Freedom," but forget that -- the best tracks are lilting numbers like "From a Lover to a Friend."

Not that this should come as a shock - though after all these years it often goes unnoticed
or taken for granted - but Paul McCartney is one kick-ass bass player. A listener could live
inside the voluptuous notes he so effortlessly threads through Driving Rain, his first album
of new rock songs in four years. His genius on the instrument often has been enough to
atone for many of his lesser post-Beatles compositions (no matter what one think... More >