Paul McCartney may have changed his opinion on what remains his favourite project from The Beatles. At the time he had abandoned Return to Pepperland, it was clear that Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was his favourite. Not just because of the title of his scrapped solo album, but because he often cited it as a project which felt wholly his. An abstract idea, a chance of escapism for the Fab Four after they became innovators, their abilities under the spotlight. McCartney’s cancelled return to the imagined band is a worthy experience, even in its bootleg form. Return to Pepperland is a suggestion, a concept which was never fleshed out, rather than a proper project. The 1980s were a rough time for McCartney, both in the studio and in public. No wonder he wishes to escape into the world he had built with his best friends.
Where the concept may be tremendous, the result is a flat piece of work where inspired sections are overwhelmed by the pop of the times. McCartney plays up the sound of the decade, the synth-heavy and Phil Collins-like structure for both ballads and blistering rock and roll. Opener Lindiana is a greatest hits selection of those shallow tones, though McCartney still makes for a likeable guide through these moments. Loosen up and those instrumental additions, the dated tone of the times, feel relatively likeable yet tame. Lindiana builds tremendously with its groove-laden guitar work, though the reliance on those flatlining Tug of War studio notes is a real shame. Cut through that wasteful production, and you can find the thoughtful love which always guides the domestic values of McCartney. It features on I Love This House, the desire to return to the quiet life in the living room is rather nice.
Return to Pepperland is a little absent of heavier commentary, but by this point in his career, the slower living was yearned for, or at least it seems that way, given how often McCartney sings of it. When McCartney can escape the rough production values of the time, he finds himself reflecting on those contemporary values, as he did on Give My Regards to Broad Street. Throw in those classy piano tones as he does on Beautiful Night, and McCartney returns to a considerable form, a quality expected of him. Perhaps one of his best songs from the decade. Love letters to Linda McCartney, to life itself, are always a treat with McCartney. His earnestness is what carries those soppy tones a little further, and that is the strong core of Return to Pepperland. He returns to The Beatles’ psychedelic effort in name alone.
Instrumental bliss is certainly available on Return to Pepperland, with the admirable jam, Squid, a highlight. There are some gorgeous moments on Return to Pepperland, pieces which break from the restrictions of the production. Love Come Tumbling Down is prime McCartney, the soppy smile, the sleek and heartwarming classic style of his discography. The former Wings frontman implores us to feel the rhythm, and it is hard not to. From playful pieces like Atlantic Ocean to welcome instrumental jams with Christian Pop, the excitement comes from the urgency, the sudden bursts of excitement, McCartney is capable of conjuring. The harsher reality of Return to Pepperland can be heard on the questionable P.S. Love Me Do, but the bulk of this scrapped album stands firm.
