- Record Label: Capitol
- Release Date: Sep 13, 2005
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Never in his career has McCartney seemed more serious in tone and more aware of the play of his lyrics as poetry.
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The result is that most rarefied of things, a Paul album with no throwaways.
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UncutThese are McCartney's most arresting songs for a long, long while. [Oct 2005, p.94]
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The quiet nature of Chaos and Creation may mean that some listeners will pass it over quickly, since it's a grower, but spend some time with the record and becomes clear that McCartney is far from spent as either a songwriter or record-maker.
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For all the nods to the past, not a note of Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard comes close to Beatle standards: it's an intriguing diversion rather than a major addition to the canon. What it has is a sense of purpose, lovely tunes in abundance, and charm.
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The New York TimesSir Paul has always been an instinctive songwriter, and he sounds as surprised by these songs as his listeners may be. [12 Sep 2005]
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Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is the freshest-sounding McCartney album in years.
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Far and away the most solid record he's delivered since the mid-'70s.
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Entertainment WeeklyThere's no question that in places, it's a tad too twee. But what we're hearing is an artist honestly following his muse--always a compelling event. [16 Sep 2005, p.84]
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Los Angeles TimesThis is the intimate McCartney in the vein of his 1970 solo debut or "London Town," and the comfort allowed him to be as unguarded as he's ever been. [4 Sep 2005]
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BillboardMcCartney continues to surprise, opening this set with four of his best songs in ages. [17 Sep 2005]
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No one was expecting Godrich to turn this noble British pop institution into Radiohead, of course. But the glimpses of greatness are enough to leave you wishing that bottle had prevailed and more in the vein of "Too Much Rain" had resulted.
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MojoAfter the laboured Driving Rain, a welcome return of that definitive, love-it-or-hate-it McCartney effortlessness. [Oct 2005, p.98]
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Q MagazineHe's found some endearing and unexpectedly affecting songs. [Oct 2005, p.120]
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Paste MagazineOne can't help but miss the days when his buoyancy sounded less strained. [Dec 2005, p.116]
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Even though he didn't use Godrich's elegant landscaping to its full advantage, we'll still listen to what this man has to say.
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A sturdy if frustrating effort that exceeds and disappoints expectations all at once.
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By teaming up with Godrich, McCartney has come out of his safety zone and challenged himself in a way not seen since his first solo album way back in 1970. But the feeling remains that the one person who could really inspire him to write one final classic record was tragically murdered in 1980.
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BlenderIt's rather straight where [his 1970 debut] was eccentric and charming. [Oct 2005, p.139]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 242 out of 271
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Mixed: 10 out of 271
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Negative: 19 out of 271
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Jun 18, 2021
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Apr 15, 2021
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Mar 28, 2021