Quelques critiques de l'époque...
"The future of the Beatles may be in doubt but not that of Paul McCartney. His solo debut as songwriter/singer is a knockout and the album is sure to soar to the sales heights reached by the Beatles together. His songs are freewheeling, light hearted, and affectionate and his voice is attuned to his pen. His wife, Linda, joins in at times, but it's Paul's album all the way and he can be proud of it.
- Billboard, 1970.
McCartney is better than the Beatles' newest, Let It Be, better than the Beatles together. Which is, after all these years both a sad and an instructive thing to observe. Paul plays all the instruments -- drums, bass, lead, rhythm, piano -- and has in effect become the Beatles in himself, incorporating everything, including possibly the personalities of the other three. His sound is the Beatles still, and that is poignant, because the rest of them are not there, and maybe never will be.
Paul's exhibiting some of the most together sounds any of the Beatles have ever put together. He is still innocent, charming, touching, lyrical, sympathetic, wistful, sad, longing, elfish, and poignant, But he is no longer a Beatle, just a damn fine musician and writer. His drum solo on "Hot As Sun," accompanied by heavy breathing, is work for him, an effort but which in the end comes very naturally. Very heavy head record, too. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is incontestably the love ballad of all time.
- Jonathan Eisen, Circus, 7/70.
It's quite obvious that the best element of the Beatles has been isolated and defined at last by McCartney, a well-paced program of 14 disarmingly simple tunes on which Paul plays all the instruments and on most of which he sings (with wife Linda harmonizing on occasion). The fare includes hard rock ("Oo You"), subtle ballads ("Junk"), soul ("Maybe I'm Amazed") and instrumentals ("Momma Miss America"). There isn't an arbitrary note or a cheap sentiment anywhere and Paul -- despite his lack of virtuosity -- is fully in control of each instrument he essays.
- Playboy, 7/70.
As self-indulgent as Two Virgins or Music for the Lions, yet marketed as pop, this struck me as a real cheat at first. But I find myself won over by its simulated offhandedness. Paul is so charming a melodist (and singer) that even though many of the songs are no more than snatches, fragments, ditties, they get across, like "Her Majesty" extended to two minutes. And though Paul's do-it-yourself instrumentals stumble now and then, the only one that winds up on its fundament is the percussion-based "Kreen-Akrore." Maybe Linda should take up the drums. She wouldn't be starting from any futher back then hubby. B
- Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide, 1981.
McCartney's handmade solo debut has a rough-hewn, off-hand quality that invites the listener into his highly melodic, sometimes whimsical musical imagination. The best songs include "That Would Be Something" (lately revived by the Grateful Dead!), "Teddy Boy" (a Beatles outtake), and "Maybe I'm Amazed" (later a hit in a live 1977 version). * * * *
- William Ruhlmann, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.
McCartney is an intriguing notebook of works in progress -- some of which, including "Maybe I'm Amazed," turned out to be among Paul's more fully realized post-Beatles tunes. * * * 1/2
- Roger Catlin, Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, 1996."