Paul McCartney has named his three favourite albums that were not made by him. The Beatles legend said in a Q and A on his website that the music invokes “sweet memories”. Paul was asked by a fan called Alex on Facebook: “My partner and I have recently been discussing the albums and songs that have soundtracked our lives. Are there any albums that take you back to certain periods in your life? And does performing your own music evoke similar memories?”
The 83-year-old Wings legend replied: “My favourite albums by other people tend to be: Music from Big Pink by The Band, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, and Harvest by Neil Young. They are the three classics that I love to listen to, and they all remind me of certain times in my life. When I perform my own songs, the great thing is that they often bring back memories of recording them.
“That can often entail memories of John and George in the studio – sweet memories!” It comes after the iconic bassist paid tribute to Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson, who died earlier this month aged 82.
McCartney said Wilson “had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special”.
He added: “I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while.”
Music from Big Pink is The Band’s debut studio album. It was released by the Canadian-American rock band on July 1, 1968.
The Capitol Records production is a blend of genres – country, rock, folk, classical, R&B, blues and soul.
Harvest was Neil Young’s fourth studio album, and was released on February 1, 1972, by Reprise Records.
It featured the London Symphony Orchestra on two tracks, as well as vocals from guests David Crosby, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Stills, and James Taylor.
Pet Sounds was the eleventh studio album by the Beach Boys, and was released on May 16, 1966 by Capitol Records.
The project was produced, arranged and primarily composed by Brian Wilson, along with guest lyricist Tony Asher.
It contained the famous song God Only Knows.