Paul McCartney, ‘It’s So Easy’

Paul McCartney offers an almost unrecognizable cover of 'It's So Easy' on the upcoming tribute album 'Rave On Buddy Holly.' The former Beatle takes on a preacher-like persona as he and his band turn the pop number into a bluesy soul jam.

From his opening "1, 2 , 3, 4," Macca delivers the song with the rasp and energy of a seasoned soul singer. If you didn't know it was McCartney, you might think it was a Wilson Pickett impersonator handling vocals on the tune.

Sure, McCartney has featured this bluesy rasp before on Beatles songs like 'Get Back' and 'Back in the U.S.S.R.,' but here he takes it to a whole new level. The song even features a break in the middle in which he starts preaching and ad-libbing without musical accompaniment.

In fact, the song is practically a bluesy deconstruction of Holly's pop ditty. The guitar and drum tracks that power the tune have the raw vibe of a live show at your local pub. The entire tempo of the original is slowed down dramatically.

A press release for the 'Rave On Buddy Holly' disc states that "the artists clearly felt free to explore radically new interpretations," and that's exactly what McCartney has done here. Like Lou Reed's take on 'Peggy Sue' (see our review here), it's a dramatic departure from the original.

While it's certainly raw and gritty, McCartney's version of 'It's So Easy' is almost too jarring at times, but it definitely offers a new perspective on the inherent rebelliousness of Holly's music.