In 2005, September, Fab released his 20th post-Beatle album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, and launched his fastest-ever selling U.S. solo tour via Guitar Player.
The “Chaos” album took two years to record, with Nigel Godrich, known for his work with Radiohead and Beck, providing assistance in London and Los Angeles. George Martin, McCartney’s long-time studio partner, recommended Godrich. It’s worth noting that Sir George, who produced the Beatles and has been in the industry for decades, is a fan of rock music.
It’s clear that McCartney hadn’t lost his artistic drive. He’s committed to his craft and fought to include his songs on albums, like when he stood up for “Riding to Vanity Fair” after Godrich suggested leaving it off the record. McCartney even played most of the instruments himself on the album, at Godrich’s request to capture his unique sound. This approach is similar to his 1970 solo album, where he recorded nearly all the instruments himself in his home studio.
“Nigel had a clear idea of the record he wanted to make,“ explains McCartney, “and he started off by saying, ‘I want to make a record that’s you.’ We worked a week with my live band, but Nigel decided to take the approach of me playing most of the parts. ‘I’d like to hear you play drums,’ he’d say. So I talked to my band about it, and they said it was no problem if they didn’t play on the album. They were into whatever it took to make a good record, and they said they’d be happy to play the tracks live.“
