Paul McCartney unplugged: a treasure in l’instant vinyle

L’Instant Vinyle on Blues Actu Radio invites you to rediscover an exceptional album that has become a classic of acoustic sessions, the record Unplugged – The Official Bootleg by Paul McCartney.

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PAUL MCCARTNEY- UNPLUGGED – L'INSTANT VINYLE DE BLUES ACTU RADIO – L'INSTANT VINYLE

A very special MTV Unplugged

In 1991, the show “MTV Unplugged” was still in its early days. It chose to invite Paul McCartney. He had just finished a massive two year tour of more than one hundred dates, which gathered nearly three million spectators. The concept of the MTV show was to play only with acoustic instruments before a small audience, and McCartney decided to fully embrace it.

He chose to return to the essentials on every level: technically, with a truly stripped down instrumentation, but also in the selection of songs, reflecting a return to Paul’s musical roots. The set features half covers and half carefully selected original compositions. None of the huge tour’s songs were played again. No Hey Jude, no Let It Be, no Get Back.

For the original compositions, Paul chose for example to play the very first song he wrote at the age of 14. McCartney offers here a rare moment of genuine intimacy, remembering the teenager he once was, with all the awkwardness and emotional intensity that implies. He also plays three tracks from his very first solo album, released in 1970 during the separation of the Beatles, never performed live before, and written on his farm in Scotland, the refuge he chose during a difficult and trying time, far from the show business world with his wife, children, and animals. Paul also selects six Beatles songs for this concert. Even without grand arrangements, the charm remains and it is a rare pleasure to rediscover them in this form.

Back to the roots of rock and roll

For the covers, Paul performs rock and roll classics from the pioneers such as Be Bop A Lula by Gene Vincent, the first record he ever bought, as well as early Elvis songs. Paul also performs older tracks like San Francisco Bay Blues and Singin’ The Blues, in a warm and relaxed atmosphere where the reactions of a completely captivated audience can be heard throughout.

McCartney said: “Among the concerts I have done, Unplugged is the one that comes closest to a performance in a pub.” The Unplugged concert by McCartney was the first to be released as an album. Thanks to this performance, the show gained true recognition. This album is a small treasure: sincere, authentic, and revealing one of the many facets of Paul McCartney, always ready to take on new challenges and reinvent himself.