Quick hits

1. "Maybe I'm Amazed" \n(from McCartney) -- This gets my vote for the song by an ex-Beatle that best captures the Beatles' sound and vibe. This recording would have been right at home on either Abbey Road or Let It Be. What makes it all the more amazing is that Paul played all of the instruments on the track himself. He's a great drummer and guitarist and this throat-shredding vocal performance is classic.\n2. "Waterfalls" \n(from McCartney II) -- This song is a perfect marriage of simple sentiment and sparse production style. The wonderful melody and vocal performance exquisitely convey Paul's love lyrics. Face it, this guy wrote some of the greatest love songs of the past 100 years.\n3. "Jenny Wren" \n(from Chaos and Creation in the Backyard) \n- Anyone who loves Paul's "Blackbird" should flip over this one. The stripped-down production style is very similar to that of the Beatles' White Album. This song is yet another great melody with clever harmonic movement. I particularly love how Paul slips between major and minor chords. Paul's finger-style guitar playing is top-flight.\n4. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" \n(from Ram) -- I'll admit I've always been a sucker for pretty much everything about this one. I'm sold at "We're so sorry, Uncle Albert." Add in the breathy trumpet riff, silly voices, sound effects and "hands across the water" sing-along chorus, and you have more catchy elements in this one song than most musicians put on an entire album. People seem forget what a great parts writer Paul is. The track's harmony vocals are particularly gorgeous, and the layered production reminds me of Brian Wilson.\n5. "Dear Friend" \n(from Wings' Wild Life) -- This stark piano ballad is often assumed to be addressed to John Lennon. In typical Paul fashion, the lyrics are vague enough to invite interpretation and debate. Sparse production only adds to the song's somber sadness. Paul's voice on this performance is the small, pure one he pulls out for songs like "Here, There and Everywhere"