Driving Rain
by Paul McCartney
  • Record Label: Capitol
  • Release Date: Nov 13, 2001
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 6 out of 37

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  1. lubomirs
    Jan 6, 2007
    10
    beautiful album, full of delightful melodies and inventions. Paul continuing in his late rennesaince period.
  2. MickP.
    Dec 14, 2001
    10
    One of Sir Paul's best!
  3. JanV
    Jun 11, 2005
    10
    Great album from the one and only living legend.
  4. AlexA
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    Up there, among the best Macca records.
  5. DanteLennon
    Mar 28, 2021
    10
    No words.
    This album is so underrated, are you people are so blind? Every song is unique and amazing, this dark atmosphere is Very enjoyable
  6. ThomasM.
    Feb 7, 2005
    9
    One of his best albums! One of the best albums of the year.
  7. SRV04
    Dec 17, 2020
    9
    We can see a serious and mature McCartney, still trying to get over Linda's death.
    This album has very good songs such as Lonely Road, From A Lover To A Friend, Driving Rain, I Do, Tiny Bubble, Magic, Your Way and Heather, also having low moments, but as an album it is very good.
  8. BillR.
    Jan 3, 2002
    8
    Excellent display of talent
  9. Rev.Rikard
    Oct 5, 2005
    8
    McCartney's greatest gift has always been his ability to create melody, and combine various melodies into one song (I.e. "Band on the Run") However, this album sounds a little too "forced." Though it is still a good, solid album, it lacks the creative flow of Sir Paul at his best.
  10. JohnL
    Jul 24, 2006
    8
    This is such an expansive work, that it has a real White Album feel to it...That said it isn't the White Album (an undeniable "10" if there ever was one !), but it's high points sit well with the best of McCartney's later work...which is sadly very overlooked and underated. Since '89's Flowers in the Dirt he has made consistently excellent albums. This is so broad This is such an expansive work, that it has a real White Album feel to it...That said it isn't the White Album (an undeniable "10" if there ever was one !), but it's high points sit well with the best of McCartney's later work...which is sadly very overlooked and underated. Since '89's Flowers in the Dirt he has made consistently excellent albums. This is so broad and varied that it will hold both a mojority of wonders for most, and a some stuff that won't appeal as much. For me it wasn't that as much as I thought there was just so much, that some of it was just lesser, and less sucessful sort of filler...but there wasn't that much of that compared to the great stuff. Had it been a shorter and tighter work it might have been the "10" that "Chaos & Creation in the Backyard" turned out to be...it feels like what Chaos would have been had they included all those many b-sides on the regular release. Still a great album with much to offer.… Expand
  11. DaveL
    Dec 29, 2001
    8
    An emotional album that Paul can certainly be proud of.
  12. ZenMan
    Feb 28, 2002
    8
    You have to admit its getting better.
  13. SantiagoS
    Aug 29, 2003
    8
    One of the best records Paul has ever done. Kind of going back to the midseventies (harsh voice, rough guitars), and at the same plenty of experimentalism and odd things (Indian touches, long jams, backwards tapes). And, of course, family and love.
  14. RonaldG.
    Aug 12, 2007
    8
    Lonely Road should have been a #1 hit. McCartney gets experimental and by and large it's enjoyably interesting.
  15. Sophie
    Jul 31, 2007
    7
    A solid offering, but one of his weaker albums. 'Chaos And Creation' is much better in my opinion, but still an enjoyable and interesting listen.
  16. RickS
    Aug 31, 2005
    7
    Still waiting for the same complex ideas that flowed on albums like Abbey Road... I know Paul has it in him, just don't know what's between him and his muse these days...
  17. JeffD
    Apr 12, 2006
    2
    This is just plain awful. From the inanity of the title track's "1-2-3-4-5, Let's go for a drive" to the inanity of "I Do", "Spinning on An Axis" and "Heather". Saved from a rating of 1 only by standouts "Lonley Road", "Your Loving Flame", and "Rinse the Raindrops". If you were a fan of "Back to the Egg" this is the album for you. If you were a fan of "Flowers in the Dirt" This is just plain awful. From the inanity of the title track's "1-2-3-4-5, Let's go for a drive" to the inanity of "I Do", "Spinning on An Axis" and "Heather". Saved from a rating of 1 only by standouts "Lonley Road", "Your Loving Flame", and "Rinse the Raindrops". If you were a fan of "Back to the Egg" this is the album for you. If you were a fan of "Flowers in the Dirt" you'll be very disappointed.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Best Album of 2001
45
#45 Most Discussed Album of 2001
83
#83 Most Shared Album of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Mojo
    90
    A satisfying, and often very moving, body of work. [Dec 2001, p.100]
  2. E! Online
    67
    While [Linda's] death hangs over much of Driving Rain, Macca's knack for taking a sad song and making it better means tracks like "Lonely Road," "It Must Have Been Magic," "Your Way" and "Back in the Sunshine" are redemption songs, not exercises in self-pity.
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  3. Uncut
    60
    Possibly a grower, this album is certainly better than anything Macca's done for some while. [Jan 2002, p.131]
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