“Maybe I’m Amazed” (1970) – Paul McCartney * Written and Produced by Paul McCartney * LP: McCartney * Label: Apple
On one hand, Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles debut album (McCartney), with its homemade aura and willfully frivolous song selection, lifted a middle finger to the Beatle machinery and the pop music biz it propelled. On the other hand, it snuggled appropriately into its inward-looking era. “Maybe I’m Amazed” is the album’s deepest reacher, taking the crooning-then-wailing approach of Abbey Road‘s “Oh Darling” and letting McCartney’s heart do the rest. It became his solo album’s anchor, paying tribute to his new wife Linda who, as we’ve learned from bios and interviews, helped him through a gloomy, transitional time after the Beatles breakup. Tucked away as an album track on side 2, “Maybe I’m Amazed” could have been a big single, but McCartney opted not to release it as such. No matter – a live version became a radio smash seven years later.