Paul McCartney – Снова в СССР Review

A fascinating choice from veteran musician Paul McCartney here. To release a Russia-only album now would be to implode one’s career, but in the late 1980s, it felt a little chicer. He did write Back in the USSR after all. McCartney’s grasp of the geopolitical mood in the late ‘80s is hardly enough of a cover for why he released Снова в СССР. A covers album he recorded over two days with Mick Green, Chris Whitten, and a few other familiar names to those whose knowledge of session musicians is of greater importance than a bond with their nearest and dearest. Снова в СССР feels more like McCartney knowing he can’t market a covers album at that time in his career, especially when he had just released the ridiculously poor Press to Play a year before, than anything else. Dress it up as a country exclusive, and out it goes. Russia has their very own McCartney exclusive, now available to stream and download across the world. It’s a funny old release, this one. 

Beyond the fascination with the making of Снова в СССР there isn’t all that much to it. Eleven covers from McCartney, who tackles the likes of Eddie Cochran, Sam Cooke, and Fats Domino. A nice notion but one we’ve heard before with Kisses on the Bottom. McCartney is keen to respect his influences a little too much and therefore refuses to change the songs in any meaningful way. What we get then is a straight cover, the karaoke version but it’s one of The Beatles. Light work can still be nice work, and that’s what McCartney coasts on here. Opening cover, Kansas City, is solid. It depends entirely on McCartney’s incredible vocal range and the thrill of letting loose in the studio. Снова в СССР is full of that entertaining energy. Hearing McCartney and friends play around with songs that mean so much to them is a real treat. Issued as a gesture of peace to Russia and intended as a country exclusive, the album proved so popular it was smuggled out to other countries.  

EMI released some extra editions after that, and we’re no doubt bound to get that Elvis Presley cover, It’s Now or Never, when someone decides a spring clean of the McCartney vault is due. He and the personnel collected here for the Russia exclusive sound like they’re loving the experience. There’s no pressure on McCartney here, who plays around with the vocal work, but not so much the instrumental fixtures, of these classic songs. Instrumentally outstanding moments are infrequent here. Much of it is a bed for McCartney to roll around in with his friends. But there are standout moments on Bring it On Home to Me that elevates the song and those tracks either side of it. McCartney covers some of his biggest influences on this album.  

Presley and Duke Ellington are in safe hands as McCartney shares his love for the studio legends. Rock and roll oldies presented in a fitting style, much like John Lennon did on Rock ‘n’ Roll. The difference here is McCartney is incorporating these songs into his style, even if just slightly. Lennon wanted to embed himself in the past, while McCartney wants to use it as a tool for the future. That’s the difference that defined the two careers, and Снова в СССР is a delightful listen. What was meant as a break from the plotting of Flowers in the Dirt turned into a viable covers album that popularised songs that had hardly been heard in Eastern Europe. Summertime is the real highlight here, though, a song that comes to define the album better than anything preceding or following. A delightful demonstration of McCartney’s love of the classics, and a very listenable experience at that.