A B-side to the throwaway track Home Tonight, Paul McCartney keeps the quality coming even on those lesser-known efforts. His post-Egypt Station releases have been a mixed bag but thoroughly enjoyable all the same. In a Hurry is not, as its title would suggest, written or recorded hastily. It may be extra pieces from the solid Egypt Station release but there is nothing here to suggest either song is unworthy of a passing listener’s time. Neither song was deserving of the cut from McCartney’s 2018 album, but at least they were put out later. They’re worth additions, little palette cleansers between Egypt Station and McCartney III. Instrumentally, a fantastic example of modern McCartney. Upbeat tempo, big booms from the percussion which feel like a little nod to The Beach Boys’ lighter style on Pet Sounds, and a chance to hear The Beatles member write up a song celebrating life. At least, that’s the lighter touch found on In a Hurry.
In a Hurry is definitely the lesser of the two when paired with Home Tonight. It sounds more like a chance for McCartney to experiment instrumentally than anything else. An opportunity to warm himself and the session musicians up before tackling a bigger project. It has that pop lightness to it, which would dominate McCartney’s sound in the 1980s. But then that’s a rather charming experience after being so far removed from those chart-topping days. Where McCartney’s production during the ‘80s was so totally guided by a desire to reach number one, the work on In a Hurry is a confident display of catchiness. McCartney has always had an ear for those lighter touches, he showed as much on McCartney II. Not just with Wonderful Christmastime but Coming Up and Temporary Secretary. While he may never make something as out-there as the latter track, there is a desire to innovate and celebrate his influences on In a Hurry.
That may be why it was ultimately dropped from Egypt Station. Its sound can be found in the likes of Sparks and The Beach Boys, not overly but the little touches of instrumental noise at the start of In a Hurry is more an assembly of influences than anything truly unique. It’s a chance for McCartney to get it out of his system before drifting into songs like Fuh You. An upbeat tempo is what brings that Sparks-like sound out, the protagonist being someone who needs to slow themselves down and take a look around. It’s a sweetness which is not just for McCartney but is inherent to his sound. Celebrate, congratulate, it all comes together quite nicely on In a Hurry. A little bit of a clustered instrumental but it captures the easy-going, safety-first party atmosphere McCartney would kindle in his later years.
McCartney asks his listeners and the presumably fictional protagonist of this song to take a moment to celebrate the world around them. Whether it’s personal achievement or public satisfaction, there is something to pull from, to be proud of, in your immediate surroundings. Most of the time, anyway. In a Hurry is a chance to cool the need to be everywhere, all the time. That much is a nice message to throw into an album, though much of Egypt Station revolves around the need to slow down and take on a new perspective. Even then, you can never have too much positivity, and McCartney’s extra pieces from the Egypt Station recordings are light and satisfying fillers. They don’t need to be anything more than minor instrumental experiments, and they aren’t, either.
