Paul McCartney announces 18th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, promising introspection and revelation | Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney announces his 18th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane; The title of this album refers to the route from Liverpool, where the former Beatle spent his young childhood, to the coastline of Speke.
A press release described the 14-track album as McCartney’s most introspective album to date; “a collection of inspiring new love songs, as well as rare and revealing glimpses into never-before-shared memories”, possibly about McCartney’s third wife, Nancy Shevell, whom he married in 2011. His musical styles are said to “span his entire career, including Wings-style rock, Beatles-style harmonies, McCartney style.” rhythms, understated sincerity, melody-driven storytelling, character songs.”
The lead single, Days We Left Behind, references Dungeon Lane. McCartney premiered the song on BBC Radio Merseyside. “I want the people of Merseyside to hear my brand new song,” he said in a message read by presenter Helen Jones.
McCartney, 83, said in a statement about the song: “It’s truly a memory song for me. The name of the album comes from a lyric in this track. I was just thinking about that, I wonder if I’m writing about the days I’ve left behind and most of the time I’m just writing about the past, but then I think: How can you write about anything else? It’s just a lot of memories about Liverpool. There’s something about John in the middle.” [Lennon] and Forthlin Road, the street where I used to live. Dungeon Lane is near there.”
McCartney described Speke as “pretty working class”. “We didn’t have much, but it didn’t matter because all the people were great and you didn’t realize you didn’t have much.”
The Boys of Dungeon Lane is credited solely to McCartney, similar to his 1970 debut solo album McCartney and its 1980 counterpart McCartney II.
Producing the album is 35-year-old American producer Andrew Watt, who has become the indispensable man of classic rock bands such as the Rolling Stones and Elton John. It came to fruition when McCartney and Watt met five years ago to brainstorm ideas; Meanwhile, McCartney played a chord he didn’t recognize. A song emerged that Watt suggested they record: It became the opening of the new album, As You Lie There.
McCartney and Watt produced the album at studios in Los Angeles and Sussex between dates on McCartney’s five-year world tour.
In the recordings, McCartney writes “with rare clarity” about his post-war childhood, his parents, and his formative relationships with Lennon and George Harrison before the birth of the Beatles in 1960.
According to the press release, “These were the years that historians continue to examine; the quiet, unprotected days that unwittingly laid the groundwork for a cultural revolution.” “Paul visits them not as legends or folklore, but as his own memories.”
The announcement appeared to reference Danny Boyle’s 2019 film Yesterday; This film imagined what the world would be like if the Beatles never existed. “It’s impossible to imagine a world without Paul McCartney, but here listeners can travel to a world that existed before everything changed, deliver never-before-shared memories and reveal the human story behind a global icon with remarkable honesty.”
McCartney’s last solo album was 2020’s McCartney III, the sequel to the McCartney and McCartney II trilogy. He will be played by Paul Mescal in director Sam Mendes’ biographical film series The Beatles: A Four Film Cinematic Event, which will be released in 2028.
Track listing for The Boys of Dungeon Lane
While You’re Lying There
Lost Horizon
The days we left behind
Waves in the Pool
Mountaintop
Lower South
We Two
come in
I Never Know
Home Page
Life Can Be Hard
The First Star of the Night
Seller Aziz
My Mother Is Passing
