Although all four Beatles were forever overshadowed by their achievements as a group, each produced gems capable of standing on their own. Lennon's Plastic Ono Band was a stripped down personal collection of songs. Starr had 1970's Sentimental Journey, the first non avant-garde release by an ex-Beatle, and Harrison had the magnificent All Things Must Pass, a triple album of songs Harrison had been stick piling since the Revolver days in 1966. Shortly after announcing to the world that the Beatles had broken up, McCartney released his first solo record, McCartney in 1970. McCartney explored a similar theme of back to the basics as the Get Back project, with stripped down, personal recordings. McCartney wrote every song, played every instrument, and produced the album himself, with the only contributing help his wife Linda on background vocals, who also designed the album sleeve and took the pictures in the gatefold cover. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is the highlight of the album with its lead guitar hooks and drumming sounding like the Beatles themselves had recorded it, and all though receiving heavy radio play, was never released as a single. "That Would Be Something", "Junk", "Every Night", and "Man We Was Lonely" are other standout tracks , "Junk" dating back to the Get Back sessions. Besides these five tracks, most of the album is filled with mostly forgettable instrumentals and seemingly "unfinished" songs. McCartney, however brilliant a record, will forever be considered "incomplete", and without Lennon to write with, McCartney's solo work increasingly devoid of meaning and expression, McCartney obsessed with music's formal beauties.
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