On McCartney’s ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane,’ an ex-Beatle reminisces

“The Boys of Dungeon Lane” by Paul McCartney (Capitol Records) [AP Photo]

After all these years, it’s hard to conceive of something unprecedented happening in Beatles world. But here it is, on Paul McCartney’s new disc “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” the first-ever duet between surviving band members McCartney and Ringo Starr.

It’s lovely. The two men reminisce about a hardscrabble childhood in Liverpool that they never considered rough because, as the title says, it was “Home to Us.”

On one level, it’s remarkable that these men, now in their mid-80s, are still turning out new music. Occasionally, they’ll remind you of heights they once reached: McCartney’s 2011 love song to his wife Nancy, “My Valentine,” or gems like “Long Tailed Winter Bird.” Starr’s recent country work with T Bone Burnett is a match made for him.

One shouldn’t expect profound ruminations on mortality from McCartney as he approaches his 84th birthday. That wouldn’t be his style anyway. At its best, the album named for a Liverpool street offers quaint memories of his youth. On “Down South,” he recalls bus rides with George Harrison that were “a good way to get to know you, before we learned to twist and shout.” “Days We Left Behind” looks back on the impermanence of life with fondness, not regret.

McCartney works with a producer nearly 50 years his junior in Andrew Watt, who recently breathed new life into the Rolling Stones. Watt is smart not to try to dress McCartney up in trendy new musical clothing. McCartney plays more than 90% of the instruments here, but the disc doesn’t have a DIY feel. It’s a straightforward pop-rock disc — pleasant in spots, inoffensive in others.

Age has taken its toll on McCartney’s once supple voice, most apparent when he reaches for high notes or, on the album-opening “As You Lie There,” tries to rock out. He sounds like an elderly man on “Days We Left Behind,” although that enhances the song given its subject matter. His once-unmatched ability to create memorable melodies has faded, too, and “The Boys of Dungeon Lane” plods in places as a result.

Is it fair to compare an 83-year-old McCartney to his youthful peak? Of course not. That wouldn’t be fair to anybody. Yet it’s also wise to temper expectations when listening to “The Boys of Dungeon Lane.” DAVID BAUDER, MDT/AP