McCartney**, McCartney II*** Concord/Universal stars

The solo album that broke up The Beatles? Paul McCartney's debut solo record, McCartney, was released in April 1970, a short time before the final Beatles' album, Let it Be, was issued, but it's hardly the final straw that, according to some, split up the Fab Four. It isn't an insightful view of what had been occurring in McCartney's career, either; rather, it is a low-key, down-home and patchy work that showcases a commercially successful singer stripping it right back and wallowing in his freedom. Ten years later, Macca's follow-up showcases a different side: a vastly better reinvention, a musician and songwriter clearly enjoying himself and gleefully experimenting outside (once again) the confines of the commercially successful Wings. See paulmccartney.com

Download tracks: Maybe I'm Amazed, That Would Be Something (McCartney), Coming Up (McCartney II)