McCartney returns with original rock

Driving Rain is Paul McCartney's first album of all original rock and roll songs since 1997's minor triumph, Flaming Pie. Since then he has lost his first wife to breast cancer, remarried and also completed full-blown classical music projects. \nWithin his new album, McCartney delves into the immense turbulence in his life with the usual sincerity and tenderness we've come to expect from him. Run Devil Run of 1999 was a miracle of a record for its naked display of his life. The album was comprised mostly of oldies covers, but it showed the desperation for a return to the good old days, if not just to look back and to remember, but also to cheer himself up. Now he feels the need to express these emotions "in his own write."\nOne should have no doubts of McCartney's dexterous lyrical abilities. (If you do, refer to "Eleanor Rigby" or "She's Leaving Home.") He doesn't write with vomit-inducing backflips like Dylan, but he has always been a fine storyteller. By the way, he can write some powerful melodies, too. \nOne can cringe easily at a line, such as "12345 Let's go for a drive," from "Driving Rain," but McCartney gets the job done with a Hemingway-like conciseness on the album. He allows the melodies, his classically emphatic vocals and the raw emotion of rock and roll to get the point across. \nThe sound of the album is a nice combination of the rock of Run Devil Run and the true musical abilities McCartney possesses. The real success comes from not going too far in either direction. The gorgeous guilt-stricken ballad "From A Lover To A Friend" is perfectly offset by the 10-minute, harsh rock and jam of the closing song "Rinse The Raindrops." \nDriving Rain can be a little bit confusing at first because of its wide range of emotions. Swinging from the lows of his first wife's death, to the guilt of finding new love, to the thrill of the new love, to soft nostalgia -- it's a deep ride. Those for the anathema for the solo Paul McCartney need not attempt this album, because it rewards close attention and the realization of his character. \nRating: 8