, his latest solo effort on which he not only penned every song, but sang and played every single instrument. He’s recorded as a one-man band before, on his first solo album, the controversial
McCartney which he made in secret in the months leading up to the Beatles dissolution and his second, 1980’s
McCartney II, which he released right before his second band, Wings, called it quits
.
McCartney had risen to fame as a team player and an integral part of a band, which made
McCartney and
McCartney II stark contrasts to his typical approach: these solo efforts not only gave him complete creative control, but a chance to explore lo-fi territory after decades of rock and roll din. Many artists wear multiple instrumental hats when they cut a record, but an elite few join Macca in this club of pop and rock triple-threats, who were eager to take each component of an album’s sound into their own hands and, in the process, push themselves to new creative heights.