Paul McCartney Press to Play [Remaster]

Personnel: Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Eric Stewart, Pete Townshend, Jerry Marotta, Carlos Alomar, Eddie Rayner, Nick Glennie-Smith, Dick Morissey, Ray Cooper, Simon Chamberlain, Graham Ward, Lenny Pickett, Gary Barnacle, Gavin Wright, John Bradbury, Linda McCartney, Eric Stewart, Kate Robbins, Ruby James, James McCartney, Eddie Klein, John Hammel, Matt Howe, Steve Jackson.
All songs written or co-written by Paul McCartney.
Digitally remastered English version includes the bonus tracks "Spies Like Us" and "Once Upon A Long Ago" (Long Version)).
Personnel: Paul McCartney; Linda McCartney, Pete Townshend, Phil Collins, Carlos Alomar.
Opening with the gentle rhythm guitars, slap-back reverb vocals and clean-sounding horns of "Stranglehold," Paul McCartney's PRESS TO PLAY is an exercise in straightforward, feel-good pop music, as only McCartney can do it--sincere in a way you wouldn't buy from too many songwriters. Filled with sonic strokes that might stain the record of a lesser artist, PRESS TO PLAY rises above its now-quaint sounding atmosphere to even further show off McCartney's pure, transcendent gift.
The production of PRESS TO PLAY is a sign of the times-- tight, compressed sounds dominate, gated reverb and heavy chorus guitar (courtesy of the nimble-fingered Carlos Alomar, among others) are but a few of the eighties trademarks which define its sound. What's timeless, though, is McCartney's still-staggering gift for melodic invention. The essence of simplicity, his every note is perfectly placed, from the off-kilter "Talk More Talk" (which even includes Simmons drums!) to the meditative throb of "Pretty Little Head." "Only Love Remains," the album's stand-out, is McCartney at his best--heartbreaking chord changes and sweet melody give way to sweeping orchestration and a huge, infectious refain.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock and Pop