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McCartney II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

McCartney II
A yellow-tinted photograph of Paul McCartney at shoulder-length giving a confused or ambivalent expression.
Studio album by
Released16 May 1980 (1980-05-16)
RecordedJune–August 1979
Studios
Genres
Length37:59
Labels
ProducerPaul McCartney
Paul McCartney chronology
Back to the Egg
(1979)
McCartney II
(1980)
The McCartney Interview
(1980)
Paul McCartney studio album chronology
Thrillington
(1977)
McCartney II
(1980)
Tug of War
(1982)
Singles from McCartney II
  1. "Coming Up"
    Released: 11 April 1980
  2. "Waterfalls"
    Released: 13 June 1980
  3. "Temporary Secretary"
    Released: 19 September 1980

McCartney II is the third solo studio album by the English musician Paul McCartney, released on 16 May 1980. It was recorded by McCartney at his home studio in the summer of 1979, shortly before the dissolution of his band Wings in 1981. Like his debut solo studio album, McCartney (1970), he performed all the instruments himself. It yielded three singles: "Coming Up", "Waterfalls", and "Temporary Secretary".

The album was a significant departure for McCartney, as much of it relies heavily on synthesisers and studio experimentation, while its music style embraces new wave and elements of electronica. It was initially released to largely unfavourable reviews by critics, though retrospective reception has been more positive[1] and the album has become a cult favourite.[2] In 2011, an expanded edition of McCartney II was issued with over a dozen bonus tracks. In 2020, the album was succeeded by McCartney III. In 2022, the trilogy was reissued in the McCartney I II III box set.

Background

[edit]
Paul McCartney being interviewed by two reporters holding microphones.
McCartney being interviewed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, January 1980

After the release of what turned out to be Wings' final album, Back to the Egg, McCartney went north to his farm in Scotland to begin some private recordings in July 1979.[3] "Check My Machine" samples dialogue from the 1957 Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring Tweety and Sylvester entitled Tweet Zoo. By sessions' end, he had recorded over 20 songs. With no immediate use for the recordings, he put them aside for the time being and returned to work with Wings to prepare for a UK tour that November and December.

Simultaneously with the performances (which included the new "Coming Up"), McCartney released his first solo single since 1971, the Christmas-themed "Wonderful Christmastime", backed with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae", which charted at No. 6 in the UK[4] but initially only at No. 83 in the US.[5] The A-side was recorded during the McCartney II sessions, while its flip side had been cut in 1975. However, upcoming events were about to change McCartney's plans with Wings.

After years of visa refusals due to his past arrests for marijuana possession, Japan had finally allowed McCartney, and thus Wings, to perform. It would be the first instance McCartney had performed in the country since he had done so with the Beatles in 1966, and anticipation was running high with Wings' tour completely sold out. However, upon his arrival in Tokyo on 16 January 1980, a search of McCartney's luggage revealed a bag containing 219 grams of marijuana, prompting his immediate arrest and eventually cancelling the tour. After a nine-day jail stay, McCartney was released and returned home to his Scottish farm. Deciding to put Wings on hold while he contemplated his future, he now decided to issue his solo recordings from the previous summer.[6]

Music and lyrics

[edit]

McCartney II was named in follow-up to his debut album McCartney (1970) because McCartney plays all instruments on both albums;[7] he has also since stated that he had specifically hired a 16-track machine and "a couple of microphones" with which to record this album, adding that he had himself alternately played the drums used in several recording in either the kitchen or bathroom in order to achieve the echo he sought on particular songs.[1]

Featuring arrangements that are heavy on synthesisers, McCartney II has been said to represent McCartney's "acceptance of new wave",[7] and has been described as "airless proto-electronica".[8] The album is often experimental, with most of its songs having been described as strange "eccentric synthpop".[9] Although McCartney denies any direct influences on the album,[2] he admired the "eccentricity" and "not-mainstream attitude" of Talking Heads' David Byrne.[10] McCartney was also inspired by experimental composers John Cage, Cornelius Cardew and Luciano Berio; McCartney explained: "I went to their concerts in London because I had plenty of time on my hands so it was the kind of thing I would go and see. Again, just to see what it was about, not necessarily because I was a massive fan. It was more like: what is a prepared piano? Oh, that's what it is. You know, funky stuff like that."[10]

According to Stephen Dalton of The Quietus, parts of the album are reminiscent of krautrock and "the whole post-punk disco boom", and described most of the album as "an alluringly weird mash-up of trip-hop, Krautrock and synth-pop."[2] McCartney said that, "rather than me emulating anyone, it was more a question of me seeing what I could do with it. And again, not necessarily thinking I was making an album, just to have some time to experiment. These days I would say that with the Fireman project. So I've always been into that – if you go from 'Tomorrow Never Knows' through McCartney I, McCartney II, The Fireman..."[2] Many of the most synthesised tracks are instrumentals which have been described as ambient; journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared them "to a sprightly variation" of the instrumentals from the second side of Low (1977) by David Bowie, albeit with a warmer, less menacing sound.[11]

Songs

[edit]

"Coming Up" is an experimental pop song. McCartney ran his vocals through a vari-speed machine, resulting in what Luca Perasi calls a "wound-up" vocal;[12] Linda McCartney contributed backing vocals.[13] In his book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (2021), McCartney described it as "a very positive song" that reflects his "very positive attitude".[14] "Temporary Secretary" is an electronic piece built on a sequenced synthesiser loop, which McCartney likened to the sound of a "space typewriter".[15] The lyrics concern an employer writing a letter to a hiring agency requesting a temporary secretary.[16] McCartney described the song as "tongue-in-cheek" and compared its style to that of Ian Dury.[15][17]

"On the Way" is a 12-bar blues song with echoed vocals and slow guitar parts. It began as a basic instrumental track before McCartney watched a BBC special on American blues music called The Devil's Music (1979).[18] "Waterfalls" was the only song written before the McCartney II sessions began. Described by Perasi as "a dreamy song with an ethereal atmosphere", the song features electric piano and an orchestra created using synthesisers. Lyrically inspired by images in tourist catalogues, the song is a plea to stay safe and away from, in McCartney's words, "doing all the dangerous stuff, 'cause I need you."[19] "Nobody Knows" was inspired by the same BBC special that inspired "On the Way". Featuring numerous electric guitar parts, "Nobody Knows" has a country and western feel.[20]

"Front Parlour" was the first track recorded for the album and was titled after the room it was recorded in. It is built on synthesisers over a drum pattern.[21] According to McCartney, "Summer's Day Song" originated after hearing a classical song, which he attempted to recreate using synthesisers. Perasi believes he may have been referring to Brian Eno's "Spider and I" (1977), as he says both songs have a similar tone and "lethargic melody".[22] The instrumental "Frozen Jap" came about as McCartney was experimenting with synths and stumbled upon, in his words, an "Oriental"-sounding melody. The title was meant to be a placeholder as McCartney found earlier song names such as "Crystalline Icicles Overhang the Little Cabin By the Ice-Capped Mount Fuji" and "Snow Scene in the Orient" clumsy. On Japanese copies of the album, the title was changed to "Frozen Japanese" because McCartney was unaware that "jap" was viewed as a racial slur.[23]

"Bogey Music" was inspired by the children's book Fungus the Bogeyman (1977). It is a 12-bar boogie containing drums, a rhythm box, synthesisers and electric guitar lines, with McCartney doing vocal impersonations of Elvis Presley. Linda McCartney provided a small vocal part.[24] According to Perasi, "Darkroom" is "a sort of experimental blues built on a drum and bass groove".[25] McCartney said it could be about any type of dim lighted room; a darkroom for photography and film, a dark room for sex, or a literal dark room.[26] "One of These Days" is an acoustic ballad that uses heavy reverb.[27] Authors Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair interpreted the lyrics as reflecting an aspiration for simplicity,[28] while music professor Vincent P. Benitez argued that they represent McCartney advocating for himself to remove the things that prevent him from being happy and self-fulfilled.[29]

Release and promotion

[edit]

McCartney II was released in the UK on 16 May and in the US on 22 May 1980.[30] The album cover is a grainy, mug shot-style image of Paul photographed by Linda during a Wings photoshoot in the summer of 1979.[31][32] To promote the album, Paul conducted various interviews with British journalists and music critics. These included one with Tim Rice, which was filmed in May 1980 for the Meet Paul McCartney television special and aired by ITV in August and October; one with Paul Gambaccini for Rolling Stone magazine, published in July; and one with Vic Garbarini, which appeared as a limited-edition LP titled The McCartney Interview. The LP was released on 4 December 1980 in the US and on 23 February 1981 in the UK, where it charted at number 34 and 158, respectively.[33]

McCartney II performed well commercially.[34] The album debuted in the UK at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming McCartney's first number-one there since Venus and Mars (1975);[4] it was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 100,000 copies.[35] EMI reported that the album was on track to equal the sales of Band on the Run (1973).[36] In the US, initial sales were strong and the album reached number three in its second week on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes album chart, where it remained for five weeks.[37] The album quickly dropped down the charts and was off the Billboard chart after 19 weeks, McCartney's shortest run since Wild Life (1971). It was one of his lowest-selling albums in the US up to that point.[38] Nevertheless, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[39] Elsewhere, McCartney II reached number 2 in France, number 5 in New Zealand, Norway and Sweden, number 6 in Australia, number 7 in Spain and number 8 in Japan.[34]

Singles

[edit]

"Coming Up" was released as the lead single on 11 April 1980, with a live version of the song by Wings, recorded in Glasgow on 17 December 1979, as the B-side.[40] Columbia Records chose the live version as the A-side, believing McCartney's vocal stylings were more recognisable; the single was packaged in copies of McCartney II in the US. The single was a major success, reaching number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the US, where it was certified gold by the RIAA. Elsewhere, "Coming Up" reached number 1 in Canada and number 2 in Australia.[40] The song was accompanied by a music video directed by Keith MacMillan. In it, Paul (in ten different roles) and Linda (as two backup singers) perform as "the Plastic Macs". Paul imitates several musicians, including Hank Marvin of the Shadows, Ron Mael of Sparks, and a Beatle-era version of himself.[40]

"Waterfalls" was released as the album's second single on 13 June 1980, with "Check My Machine" as the B-side".[41] The song reached number 9 in the UK[4] but failed to chart on US Billboard Hot 100,[20] appearing only on the "bubbling under" the Billboard Hot 100 at number 106 for one week.[38] A music video was made, which adapted the song's lyrics; it also features a polar bear borrowed from Chipperfield's Circus.[20] "Temporary Secretary" was released in September 1980 as a 12" single in Britain, limited to 25,000 copies; it sold out within 16 hours.[18] Jeff Cummins of Hipgnosis created the single's artwork.[42]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Contemporary reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
Robert ChristgauC[43]
Record MirrorStarStarStar[44]
Smash Hits5/10[45]
SoundsStarStarStarStar[46]

The critical reception to McCartney II was mostly negative. Many critics found the album slight, with its experimental, synth-based compositions and its handful of instrumentals. Record World magazine described it as "arguably the least well-received solo work of any Beatle".[47] Some described it as self-indulgent.[44][48] Marshall Fine, in the San Bernardino County Sun, called McCartney II a "terrible" album that "sets new standards for both tedium and self-indulgence". He believed it was worse than Ringo Starr and George Harrison's worst projects.[48] Writing for Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden said that the album was "passable" as a "novelty", ultimately arguing that it stands as "an album of aural doodles designed for the amusement of very young children".[49]

In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn called the album an embarrassment, and one that has less impact than the original McCartney. Still, he recommended fans not to give up on McCartney: "Remember: Band on the Run followed Wild Life."[50] In a very negative review for NME, Danny Baker said: "McCartney II isn't worth the plastic it's printed on. Neither is Paul, but he'll go on doodling and fooling his public because they're too frightened to ditch him and his past and he's too rich to be stopped."[51]

In a more positive review, Rosalind Russell of Record Mirror found greater appreciation for the record's "low key approach" after a second listen. She enjoyed some of the songs' "comfortable qualit[ies]", naming "Waterfalls". She summarised by saying: "If your expectations are formulated from the sleeve, you'll find it's sailing under false colours."[44] Sounds magazine's Phil Sutcliffe, who disliked most of McCartney's work with Wings, believed McCartney II was an artistic improvement and succeeds because McCartney worked entirely alone. He ultimately believed he could become better by embracing deeper emotional inspection in future works.[46] Both Russell and Sutcliffe disliked the two instrumentals,[46] with the former describing them as experimental throwaways.[44]

Retrospective reviews and legacy

[edit]
Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[7]
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[52]
The Essential Rock Discography5/10[53]
MusicHoundStarStarStar[54]
Pitchfork7.2/10[9]
QStarStar[55]
The Quietus(favourable)[56]
Record CollectorStarStarStarStar[57]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStar[58]

Retrospective reviews have rated the album more highly.[59] Some writers credit it as ahead of its time and a forerunner to the sound of 1980s pop.[9][60] Although Pitchfork's Joe Tangari questioned the album's true impact on 1980s synth-pop, "its diffuse and slightly wobbly atmosphere certainly aligns with a great deal of recent music made on synths and drum machines".[9] In a more mixed assessment, senior AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine believed that the album retrospectively sounds "muddled", "confused" and "forced", with its "lack of memorable melodies... accentuated by the stiff electronics [being] not innovative at the time and are even more awkward in the present". Nevertheless, Erlewine appreciated McCartney's adventurousness after years of "formulaic pop" in Wings.[7] The biographer Howard Sounes wrote that McCartney II was an improvement over recent Wings releases and a "generally strong" record with "less filler".[31]

In 2003, Mojo placed the album at number 26 on their list of the "Top 50 Eccentric Albums".[61] In 2014, NME included the album on their list of "101 Albums to Hear Before You Die", whose list entries were chosen by different musicians; McCartney II was picked by Austin Williams of Swim Deep.[62] In 2018, Pitchfork ranked it at number 186 in their list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". They called it a "strange, guileless wisp of a synth-pop record" and wrote that although "[o]riginally derided as a novelty, McCartney II is now remarkable in its prescience of the lo-fi and bedroom pop movements."[63]

Influence

[edit]

McCartney II was described as an influence on Hot Chip's album Made in the Dark (2008), especially with songs like "Wrestlers", "Bendable Poseable", "Whistle for Will" and "We're Looking for a Lot of Love".[8] "Now There Is Nothing" from the band's later album In Our Heads (2012) has been described as a homage to McCartney II, with their guitarist Al Doyle explaining the song has "quite deliberately quirky time signature changes and key changes and these sort of very wandering harmonies—very typical of that period and McCartney productions."[64] Alexis Taylor of the group has described McCartney II as one of his favourite albums of all time.[10] The album has also been championed by multiple other musicians such as disc jockey Erol Alkan, Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and Ty Bulmer of New Young Pony Club.[10]

Reissues

[edit]

The initial issue of McCartney on compact disc featured "Check My Machine" and "Secret Friend" as bonus tracks. The two songs were originally released as the B-sides of "Waterfalls" and "Temporary Secretary", respectively. In 1993, McCartney II was remastered and reissued on CD as part of "The Paul McCartney Collection" series with Wings' 1979 hit "Goodnight Tonight" added as a third bonus track.

When the new remastered version was released on 13 June 2011 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection,[65] the album re-entered the UK charts at number 108.[66]

The album was reissued on 5 August 2022 in a box set entitled McCartney I II III, consisting of 3 LPs or 3 CDs, along with the first and third albums of the trilogy.[67]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs are written by Paul McCartney.

Side one

  1. "Coming Up" – 3:53
  2. "Temporary Secretary" – 3:14
  3. "On the Way" – 3:38
  4. "Waterfalls" – 4:43
  5. "Nobody Knows" – 2:52

Side two

  1. "Front Parlour" – 3:32
  2. "Summer's Day Song" – 3:25
  3. "Frozen Jap" – 3:40
  4. "Bogey Music" – 3:27
  5. "Darkroom" – 2:20
  6. "One of These Days" – 3:35

Additional tracks on the 1993 CD reissue

  1. "Check My Machine" – 5:50
  2. "Secret Friend" – 10:31
  3. "Goodnight Tonight" – 4:15

Archive Collection reissue

[edit]

In 2011, the album was reissued by Hear Music/Concord Music Group as part of the second set of releases, alongside McCartney, in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection. It was released in various formats:[68]

  • Standard edition 1-CD; the original 11-track album
  • Special edition 2-CD; the original 11-track album on the first disc, plus 8 bonus tracks on a second disc
  • Deluxe edition 3-CD/1-DVD; the original 11-track album, the bonus tracks disc, a limited and numbered 128-page book containing many previously unpublished images by Linda McCartney. The book features album and single artwork and a full history of the album's making, complete with a new interview with Paul and expanded track by track information. The DVD features rare and previously unseen footage (including rehearsal footage of "Coming Up" and a new video for the unreleased track "Blue Sway")
  • Remastered vinyl 2-LP version containing the Special Edition and a download link to the material
  • High Resolution 24-bit 96 kHz limited and unlimited audio versions of all 27 songs on the remastered album and bonus audio discs

Disc 1 – The original 11-track album

Disc 2 – Bonus Audio 1

  1. "Blue Sway" (with Richard Niles Orchestration)[a] – 4:35
  2. "Coming Up" (live at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow – 17 December 1979) – 4:08
  3. "Check My Machine" (regular single B-side edited version) – 5:50
  4. "Bogey Wobble"[a] – 2:59
  5. "Secret Friend" (full length version) – 10:31
  6. "Mr H Atom" / "You Know I'll Get You Baby"[a] – 5:55
  7. "Wonderful Christmastime" (regular A-side version) – 3:47
  8. "All You Horse Riders" / "Blue Sway"[a] – 10:15

Disc 3 – Bonus Audio 2

  1. "Coming Up" (full length version) – 5:34
  2. "Front Parlour" (full length version) – 5:15
  3. "Frozen Jap" (full length version) – 5:43
  4. "Darkroom" (full length version) – 3:45
  5. "Check My Machine" (full length version) – 8:58
  6. "Wonderful Christmastime" (full length version) – 4:15
  7. "Summer's Day Song" (original without vocals) – 3:25
  8. "Waterfalls" (DJ edit) – 3:20

Disc 4 – DVD

  1. "Meet Paul McCartney"
  2. "Coming Up" (music video)
  3. "Waterfalls" (music video)
  4. "Wonderful Christmastime" (music video)
  5. "Coming Up" (live at the Concert for the People of Kampuchea, 29 December 1979)
  6. "Coming Up" (from a rehearsal session at Lower Gate Farm, 1979)
  7. "Making the Coming Up Music Video"
  8. "Blue Sway" (music video)

Note

^[a] signifies previously unreleased material.

Personnel

[edit]

Charts and certifications

[edit]

Weekly charts

[edit]

Notes

  • A^ Until January 1987, the Japanese album chart had been separated into LP, CD and cassette charts. McCartney II also entered the cassette chart, peaking at number 13.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Elson 1986, p. 126.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dalton, Stephen (14 June 2011). "Check His Machine: Paul McCartney Interviewed On McCartney II". The Quietus. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "Paul McCartney's 'McCartney II' Turns 35 Years Old: How It Foretold The Sound Of 1980s Pop – NME". NME. 15 May 2015. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Whitburn 2015, p. 333.
  6. ↑ "Paul McCartney is released from a Tokyo jail and deported from Japan - Jan 25, 1980 - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. 16 November 2009. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "McCartney II – Paul McCartney". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  8. 1 2 Paphides, Pete (1 February 2008). "Hot Chip: Made in the Dark". The Times. Archived from the original on 2 July 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Paul McCartney: McCartney / McCartney II | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Turner, Luke (15 June 2011). "McCartney II: Paul McCartney Interviewed By Other Artists". The Quietus. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  11. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (8 May 2016). "Paul Plays Synths: When Classic Rockers Embraced the New Wave". Cuepoint. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Perasi 2023, p. 332.
  13. ↑ Tobler, John (May 1980). "Paul McCartney (1980) [transcript]" (Interview). Retrieved 1 October 2026 – via Rock's Backpages.
  14. ↑ McCartney 2021, p. 83.
  15. 1 2 Perasi 2023, p. 334.
  16. ↑ Kozinn & Sinclair 2024, pp. 674–675.
  17. ↑ McCartney 2021, p. 706.
  18. 1 2 Perasi 2023, p. 335.
  19. ↑ Perasi 2023, pp. 336–337.
  20. 1 2 3 Perasi 2023, p. 337.
  21. ↑ Perasi 2023, p. 338.
  22. ↑ Perasi 2023, pp. 338–339.
  23. ↑ Perasi 2023, pp. 339–340.
  24. ↑ Perasi 2023, p. 340.
  25. ↑ Perasi 2023, p. 341.
  26. ↑ Blaney 2007, p. 139.
  27. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, pp. 376–377.
  28. ↑ Kozinn & Sinclair 2024, p. 679.
  29. ↑ Benitez Jr. 2010, p. 103.
  30. ↑ Perasi 2023, p. 330.
  31. 1 2 Sounes 2010, p. 363.
  32. ↑ Perasi 2023, p. 347.
  33. ↑ Perasi 2023, pp. 347–348.
  34. 1 2 Perasi 2023, p. 348.
  35. 1 2 "British album certifications – Paul McCartney – McCartney II". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type McCartney II Paul McCartney in the "Search:" field.
  36. ↑ "International" (PDF). Cash Box. 2 August 1980. p. 35. Retrieved 19 May 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  37. 1 2 "Paul McCartney – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  38. 1 2 Whitburn 2001, p. 563.
  39. 1 2 "American album certifications – Paul McCartney – Mc Cartney II". Recording Industry Association of America.
  40. 1 2 3 Perasi 2023, p. 333.
  41. ↑ Perasi 2023, pp. 337, 343.
  42. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1985, p. 104.
  43. ↑ "CG: Paul McCartney". Robert Christgau. 14 June 2007. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Russell, Rosalind (17 May 1980). "Macca, the Milky Bar kid" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 18. Retrieved 19 May 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  45. ↑ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits. No. 29 May – 11 June 1980. p. 30.
  46. 1 2 3 Sutcliffe, Phil (17 May 1980). "Paul McCartney: McCartney II (Parlophone)****". Sounds. Retrieved 10 March 2021 – via Rock's Backpages.
  47. ↑ Graham, Samuel; Sutherland, Sam (27 December 1980). "The Coast". Record World. p. 63.
  48. 1 2 Fine, Marshall (22 June 1980). "McCartney shames self with solo effort". San Bernardino County Sun. Gannett News Service. p. 44. Retrieved 19 May 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ↑ Holden, Stephen (24 July 1980). "Paul McCartney hits new low — again". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  50. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (7 June 1980). "McCartney's One-Man Show". Los Angeles Times. pp. 5, 10. Retrieved 19 May 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ↑ Baker, Danny (21 June 1980). "Paul McCartney: McCartney II". NME.
  52. ↑ Larkin 2006, p. 1257.
  53. ↑ Strong 2006, p. 696.
  54. ↑ Graff & Durchholz 1999, p. 730.
  55. ↑ Nicol, Jimmy (October 1993). "Re-releases: Paul McCartney The Paul McCartney Collection". Q. p. 119.
  56. ↑ "Reviews | Paul McCartney". The Quietus. Retrieved 17 June 2011.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  57. ↑ "Paul McCartney – McCartney II CD". CD Universe/Muze. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  58. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Paul McCartney". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York City: Simon & Schuster. p. 526. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  59. ↑ Kott, Crispin (16 June 2011). "Paul McCartney: McCartney / McCartney II". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  60. ↑ Pattison, Louis (15 May 2015). "Paul McCartney's 'McCartney II' Turns 35 Years Old: How It Foretold The Sound Of 1980s Pop". NME. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  61. ↑ "Mojo – A different drum – top 50 eccentric albums". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  62. ↑ "101 Albums To Hear Before You Die". NME. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  63. ↑ "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. 10 September 2018. p. 1. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  64. ↑ Marchese, David (22 June 2012). "Mr. T to Paul McCartney: Hot Chip Reveal What's In Their Heads". Spin. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  65. ↑ "27 April 2011: McCartney and McCartney II reissue details announced – The Beatles Bible". 27 April 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  66. ↑ "Chart Log UK – New Entries Update 25.06.2011 (week 24)". Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  67. ↑ "Paul McCartney to release McCartney, McCartney II and McCartney III box set". 17 June 2022. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  68. ↑ "McCartney II". Paul McCartney. Archived from the original on 23 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  69. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  70. ↑ "Paul McCartney – Tug of War – austriancharts.at". Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  71. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 33, No. 20". RPM. 9 August 1980. Archived from the original (PHP) on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  72. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney – McCartney II". dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
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