Music

Paul McCartney releases trio of solo albums as box set

By Justin Klawans   |   Aug. 5, 2022 at 2:51 PM
Three of Paul McCartney's most iconic albums have been released as a single box set for the first time. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI Paul McCartney (L) and Nancy Shevell listen to speakers at the March for Our Lives demonstration in New York City in 2018. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Paul McCartney arrives at Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, in 2017. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI Paul McCartney arrives on the red carpet at a screening of "This Beautiful Fantastic" at SVA Theatre in New York City in 2016. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Paul McCartney arrives at Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo, Japan in 2014. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Three of Paul McCartney's most iconic solo albums are now available to purchase as a single box set.

The set, McCartney I II III, combines three of The Beatles legend's most well-known solo ventures -- McCartney, McCartney II and McCartney III.

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Released on Friday, the box set puts the three studio albums together for the first time and is available in both colored and black vinyl, as well as on CD. The set can also be downloaded digitally, with the records being produced using the Dolby ATMOS sound system for the first time.

The set also contains exclusive photo prints and artwork.

"In an unrivaled career, Paul has always been willing to take risks and have fun along the way - his musical projects have included classical albums, electronic albums, ballet scores, writing for video games, and left-field collaborations," said a statement from the singer's website. "McCartney, McCartney II, and McCartney III captured and documented landmark moments of his singular career, each offering a personal snapshot of a unique artist at a particular moment in time."

The three albums travel across McCartney's 50-year body of work, with his eponymous solo album first being released in 1970 amidst the breakup of The Beatles.

Despite receiving mostly negative reviews, the album's single "Maybe I'm Amazed" has become one of McCartney's most recognizable.

After releasing a number of albums throughout the 1970s with his band Wings, McCartney would put out McCartney II in 1979.

Much like his first installment, McCartney II was similarly panned by critics at the time, though it has recently been looked on more favorably by music publications.

McCartney would continue to put out music throughout the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century.

However, he would not release McCartney III until 2020. The 41-year hiatus, though, helped McCartney create an album that received more favorable reviews upon its release.

McCartney III would debut at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. and became his first top solo album in the U.K. since 1989's Flowers in the Dirt.

In addition to the box set, the music icon recently went back on the road for the first time since 2019 with his Got Back tour.

McCartney -- and The Beatles in general -- have seen heightened interest over the past year since the release of Peter Jackson's documentary The Beatles: Get Back.

The Disney+ special chronicled the making of The Beatles' most iconic songs, and showed off exclusive clips of the band compiled from nearly 60 hours of unseen footage.