McCartney Creates "Chaos"

Paul McCartney is ready to release Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard, the former Beatle's thirteenth solo studio album, on September 12th. The follow-up to 2001's Driving Rain was co-produced by McCartney and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck) and marks a return to the simplicity of the prolific songwriter's classic, self-titled 1970 debut.

Chaos' thirteen tracks include piano-driven songs such as "Promise to You Girl" and "Fine Line," darker songs such as "Too Much Rain" and "At the Mercy," and the tune "Jenny Wren," which McCartney says is the "daughter of [the Beatles classic] 'Blackbird.'" The prolific songwriter plays most instruments on the album, down to the harmonium and flugelhorn.

"I did not want to rush this album," says McCartney. "We really made a lot of it up as we went along. I'd try something, and if it didn't work I'd try something else until it did. It was like making a go-cart in the backyard."

The release of Chaos will come just four days before the launch of McCartney's thirty-seven-city U.S. tour.

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Song Stories

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Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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