Paul McCartney – Run Devil Run Review

Grief as an avenue for renewed creativity is nothing special. Every artist has the opportunity to use their mourning as a counter to what can often be perceived as a career slump. Things were different for Paul McCartney around the time of Run Devil Run. His work on Flaming Pie and The Beatles’ Anthology series had left him hungry for a quicker turnaround. That, paired with the death of wife and musical collaborator, Linda McCartney, were reasons for the Wings frontman to work harder and faster. A distraction from the grief and a tribute to it. Run Devil Run may be a collection of covers but it features an inevitable, heartfelt selection of McCartney’s very best efforts. Seven days of work total in cutting the album is impressive, though it is how McCartney and collaborator David Gilmour had learned to work in the 1960s and ‘70s.  

The Pink Floyd guitarist proves valuable here, stepping away from the genre tropes he has come to be defined by. McCartney has the chance to do that on Run Devil Run. Moments of brilliance shine throughout Run Devil Run, an album of bops and early influences covered by McCartney. A handful of originals are present but the bulk of this is cover work which grants McCartney the artistic liberty to play around and record as he once would with his Beatles bandmates. Listeners may forget that the songs which define their favourites are not necessarily their artists’ favourites. Part of the charm of Run Devil Run is that McCartney has the luxury of creating without expectation. He has earned that through previous offerings, but it means the lightness of these covers is likeable enough to work, but not strong enough to define his career. A seemingly forgotten piece of work which has the Wings frontman and Pink Floyd guitarist cover the likes of Chuck Berry, Sonny Bono, and Carl Perkins.  

Crucial to any cover is how the style of the artist fits with the previous rendition and words. There are excellent moments like the intense tempo and instrumental thrills of She Said Yeah, and the staggering highs of Lonesome Road are not far off. There are moments which, intended or not, hear McCartney reflect on the recent heartbreak of Linda’s death. No Other Baby sounds magnificent and marks the first of truly tender, slower moments across Run Devil Run. Grief is not the overwhelming feeling on this album. There are moments of thanks to be found throughout songs which would typically be read as musings on lost love. It’s not just grief. There are spots of vintage McCartney here. Those “oohs,” are as outstanding as they were on Oh, Darling from Abbey Road. The instrumentals are spot on, too, drifting but tight and rising to the rushed appeal of cutting an album in just a week. 

McCartney has fun in the studio with a few reliable collaborators. That is all Run Devil Run is, and yet it offers an often moving, entertaining spot of rock and roll standards. The McCartney originals featured throughout do not stand out all that well, though What It Is serves as a strong song sandwiched between Brown Eyed Handsome Man and Coquette. McCartney has a voice which can adapt to just about every genre and his use of songs from his childhood offers the same thrills as hearing Bob Dylan throw a cover into his live set. Honest, heartfelt, and a successful connection is made with an old form of recording. McCartney checks everything he wanted to achieve from this album, but also makes it a thoroughly entertaining collection of covers.