Driving Rain
Driving Rain is the twelfth studio album by English musician Paul McCartney. The album was recorded and released in November 2001 as a double LP, a single cassette, and single CD.
Background
Clearly determined to follow the example of Run Devil Run brisk making, Driving Rain – except for two songs – was cut with David Kahne co-producing in two weeks, starting in February 2001 and with a set of new musicians whom McCartney intended on backing him on tour. The cover of the album featured a photograph taken with a Casio wristwatch that had a built-in camera, and not a Game Boy Camera as commonly believed.Music and lyrics
Driving Rain features many songs inspired by and written for Heather Mills. "Back in the Sunshine Again" was co-written by McCartney and his son, James. On 11 September 2001, McCartney was sitting on a plane in New York City when the terrorist attacks occurred and was able to witness the events from his seat. Incensed at the tragedy and determined to respond, he composed "Freedom" and helped organise The Concert for New York City, a massive all star show at Madison Square Garden on 20 October where "Freedom" was performed to a very receptive audience.The song "About You" was written for Mills, as thanks for helping McCartney grieving the death of his first wife, Linda McCartney.
Said Roger Friedman of Fox News, the song “Tiny Bubble”'s chorus is "remarkably" similar to the Beatles’ “Piggies” written by George Harrison which was released on The White Album.
Release
In November 2001, Driving Rain was released to generally strong reviews but stunned many with its very low sales. The album sold 66,000 copies in its first week in the US. Perhaps due to its having been leaked online weeks ahead of time, or the lack of a hit single to boost it, Driving Rain peaked at number 46 in the UK, and became McCartney's lowest-selling album in his homeland. The US reaction was a little stronger, with the album peaking at number 26 and being certified Gold by the RIAA.Reviewing the album for Uncut magazine, Ian MacDonald noted McCartney's spontaneous approach to its recording, such that, "In parts, the results are almost ferocious, coming as close to a McCartney-esque Tin Machine as one could reasonably imagine." MacDonald considered the more "polished and produced" tracks to be "the most successful", however, and concluded: "Possibly a grower, this album is certainly better than anything Macca's done for some while, if not the late masterpiece some of us have been hoping for."
Impulsively, McCartney halted the pressing of Driving Rain so that "Freedom" could appear as a hidden track. The just-released "From a Lover to a Friend" was repackaged with "Freedom", although the single failed to re-chart.
Beginning in April 2002, the Driving USA tour – a significant success which would lead to worldwide tour extensions – was launched.
In May 2007, McCartney said there are those who ascribe "militant" connotations to "Freedom" and, because of this, he had decided to remove the song from his 2007 setlist, while also suggesting that it could possibly return when he next mounted a US tour. About the song, McCartney added: "I thought it was a great sentiment, and immediately post 9/11, I thought it was the right sentiment. But it got hijacked. And it got a bit of a militaristic meaning attached itself to it, and you found Mr. Bush using that kind of idea rather a lot, in a way I felt altered the meaning of the song."
Track listing
All songs by Paul McCartney, except "Spinning on an Axis" and "Back in the Sunshine Again" co-written by James McCartney.- "Lonely Road" – 3:16
- "From a Lover to a Friend" – 3:48
- "She's Given Up Talking" – 4:57
- "Driving Rain" – 3:26
- "I Do" – 2:56
- "Tiny Bubble" – 4:21
- "Magic" – 3:59
- "Your Way" – 2:55
- "Spinning on an Axis" – 5:16
- "About You" – 2:54
- "Heather" – 3:26
- "Back in the Sunshine Again" – 4:21
- "Your Loving Flame" – 3:43
- "Riding into Jaipur" – 4:08
- "Rinse the Raindrops" – 10:08
- "Freedom" – 3:34
- * Due to the last minute addition of "Freedom" to Driving Rain, it was not listed in the track list and thus appears as a hidden track. "Freedom" was recorded live during The Concert for New York City with later studio overdubs. There are some copies of the CD that were issued with an outerbox and a different cover and the track listings featured "Freedom" as an official track.
- "From a Lover to a Friend" – 5:26
- :* In 2007, upon adding McCartney's catalogue of music, the iTunes Store added one of David Kahne's two remixes of the song "From a Lover to a Friend" as an exclusive bonus track. This remix is the version released on CD-singles for this song and "Freedom".
Personnel
Musicians
- Paul McCartney – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, classical guitar, vocals, Ludwig drums, Fender Rhodes electric piano, knee slaps, percussion, piano
- Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums, tambourine, Roland electronic percussion, Ludwig drums, DW drums, electronic drums, backing vocals, African drum samples, accordion
- Rusty Anderson – electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string electric guitar, Vox bass guitar, backing vocals, percussion, tampura
- Gabe Dixon – Wurlitzer electric piano, piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, backing vocals
- David Kahne – Roland organ, electric guitar, synths, orchestral samples, Wurlitzer, sampled strings
- James McCartney – percussion, electric guitar
- Ralph Morrison – violin
- String quartet:
- * David Campbell – viola
- * Matt Funes – viola
- * Joel Derouin – violin
- * Larry Corbett – cello
- Eric Clapton – guitar on track 16
- Heather Mills – arrangement
- David Leonard – mixing
- David Kahne – producer
- Paul McCartney – executive producer
- Mark Dearnley – engineer
- Jaime Sickora – assistant engineer
- Kevin Mills – 2nd assistant engineer
- Geoff Emerick, Paul Hicks – additional engineers
- Mark Dearnley, David Kahne – mixing
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Stewart Whitmore – digital editing
- Norman Hathaway with Micha Weidmann, Donat Raetzo – design
- Paul McCartney, Heather Mills – photos
Charts