One day there had to be a Paul McCartney tribute album. “The Art of McCartney” is here, with a very eclectic roster of artists contributing takes on McCartney or Lennon & McCartney songs. Alice Cooper sings “Eleanor Rigby.” Why? Why not? Some sound promising– Chrissie Hynde on “Let it Be” should be grand. But Bee Gee Barry Gibb is allowed to revisit “Sgt. Pepper” with “When I’m 64.” The Bee Gees mangled these songs once before in a terrible, forgotten movie.
Someone named Ralph Sall got the idea to find all kinds of people, many of whom have nothing to do with McCartney or the Beatles, in a kind of everything but the kitchen sink approach. He convinced McCartney to do this, and used his band to record the vocalists. Some we’ve never heard of. But Alice Cooper of all people has two tracks. Owl City? Yikes. Jamie Cullum? But this is why cherry picking on digital services can be useful.
This is the best part: there are at least five different versions of this thing including a box setwith vinyl and CDs that seems like it retails for around $300. There are gatefolds, illustrated books, and all kinds of extras including a USB in the shape of a Hofner guitar. No one said “no” once during this project.
Meantime, there is no properly curated McCartney box set of his own material, or hit covers of Beatle songs, or a good re-release of “Red Rose Speedway.” But for some reason “Venus and Mars” and “Wings at the Speed of Sound” are coming out, separately, as remastered gift sets. The former I’ll gladly pick up for fun. The latter features “Silly Love Songs,” which I am surprised Ralph Sall restrained himself from including on “The Art of McCartney.”
1. Maybe I’m Amazed – Billy Joel
2. Things We Said Today – Bob Dylan
3. Band On The Run – Heart
4. Junior’s Farm – Steve Miller
5. The Long and Winding Road – Yusuf / Cat Stevens
6. My Love – Harry Connick, Jr.
7. Wanderlust – Brian Wilson
8. Bluebird – Corinne Bailey Rae
9. Yesterday – Willie Nelson
10. Junk – Jeff Lynne
11. When I’m 64 – Barry Gibb
12. Every Night – Jamie Cullum
13. Venus and Mars/ Rock Show – KISS
14. Let Me Roll It – Paul Rodgers
15. Helter Skelter – Roger Daltrey
16. Helen Wheels – Def Leppard
17. Hello Goodbye – The Cure ft James McCartney
18. Live And Let Die – Billy Joel
19. Let It Be – Chrissie Hynde
20. Jet – Robin Zander & Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick
21. Hi Hi Hi – Joe Elliott
22. Letting Go – Heart
23. Hey Jude – Steve Miller
24. Listen To What The Man Said – Owl City
25. Got To Get You Into My Life – Perry Farrell
26. Drive My Car – Dion
27. Lady Madonna – Allen Toussaint
28. Let ‘Em In – Dr. John
29. So Bad – Smokey Robinson
30. No More Lonely Nights – The Airborne Toxic Event
31. Eleanor Rigby – Alice Cooper
32. Come And Get It – Toots Hibbert with Sly & Robbie
33. On The Way – B. B. King
34. Birthday – Sammy Hagar
The limited edition vinyl boxset and deluxe boxset features the following eight extra tracks;
1. C Moon – Robert Smith
2. Can’t Buy Me Love – Booker T. Jones
3. P.S. I Love You – Ronnie Spector
4. All My Loving – Darlene Love
5. For No One – Ian McCulloch
6. Put It There – Peter, Bjorn & John
7. Run Devil Run – Wanda Jackson
8. Smile Away – Alice Cooper
