Paul McCartney’s new live CD is a ‘Magical Mystery Tour

Over 30 years ago Paul McCartney asked the musical question, “will you still need me when I’m 64?” His new double live CD, Back in the U.S., answers that question emphatically – yes.

The discs contain a compilation of Beatles, Wings and solo songs performed during his recent “Back in the U.S.” tour.

McCartney toured with a young, energized band who took the sound of his music into the ’90s without losing any of the magic it had in the ’60s.

Jam-like guitar rifts and expanded drum solos update the old Beatles classics with jazzy beats and changed-up melodies.

The album features “Lady Madonna” with transformed main chords. McCartney alters them from from their original simplistic tune to a modernized version, complete with fresh beats and funky new rhythms.

Harder drums imprint the Beatles songs with hints of harder rock bands straying from the classic pop style of the originals.

McCartney’s ballad performances make the CD a must for any Beatles purist.

Performing solo onstage, armed only with his guitar, McCartney captivates the audience with unchanged classics like “Blackbird” and “Yesterday.”

Only a handful of performers can hold the attention of an audience with their voice and a single instrument alone.

On this CD you will hear why McCartney is one of these artists. His live performance of “Yesterday” is as bittersweet and melancholy as the 1965 original.

The featured Wings’ songs “Band on the Run” and “Jet” are fiery and passionate. Like the renditions of the Beatles numbers, these songs are given an updated sound.

The guitar wails and the drums overwhelm the audience’s ears with explosive energy during the performance of “Live and Let Die.”

McCartney’s voice howls with rockful soul proving that at almost 60, he can still jam with the best.

While the mid-’90s Guns ‘N Roses cover was impressive, McCartney demonstrates that nobody does it better than the original.

Not only have the songs withstood the test of time, but so has McCartney’s voice.

While rockers like Steven Tyler could not manage hitting the high pitches they once could or maintain their vocal range, McCartney hasn’t missed a beat.

His voice can be smooth and soothing for a weepy “The Long and Winding Road” only to transition to the forceful gravely notes needed for “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

The true mark of a great live CD is feeling a sense of excitement. The tracks should include the roaring of the audience, enticing them to listen and transporting them to the concert itself.

McCartney’s Back in the U.S. should be placed with some of the greatest live CDs ever produced, including James Brown’s Live at the Apollo Theater and Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive.