Songs Reveal a Woman of Wit, Courage

McCartney, who died of breast cancer in April, was rightly admired for many reasons: her dignity and grace as a public figure, her unyielding devotion to her family and to causes such as animal rights. Blazing musical talent was not among them. Fortunately, this solo album is a lighthearted affair that emphasizes McCartney’s personal strengths over her artistic limitations.

The album (due in stores Tuesday) features 16 tracks recorded over the past 26 years, most written or co-written by McCartney and all produced by her husband, Paul, who also acts as backup singer, multi-instrumentalist and supporting tunesmith. On “The Light Comes From Within,” the ex-Beatle cannily juxtaposes a breezy, jangling arrangement with his wife’s sassy, bluntly anti-sexist lyrics, while “Cook of the House” captures the playful rapport that was evident in some of the McCartneys’ work together in the band Wings.

If these songs showcase Linda McCartney’s no-nonsense feisty attitude and wit, others exhibit an almost childlike tenderness. The delicate “Endless Days,” which she co-wrote with Michael Bolton, and a reggae-laced version of “Mr. Sandman” reveal a gentle expressiveness in her slight voice.

But no song is more moving than Paul McCartney’s track-by-track liner notes, which suggest how this album should best be received--as a tribute to a woman who not only showed love and courage but also, clearly, inspired it.

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