Paul McCartney: McCartney I II III (Limited Edition Colour 3LP Box Set)

What's in the Box

The McCartney I II III box set was announced on 17 June 2022, the day before Paul's 80th birthday, and released on August 5, 2022. It collects the three albums Paul McCartney wrote, performed and produced entirely on his own: McCartney (1970), McCartney II (1980) and McCartney III (2020). It came in three formats: a limited edition colour vinyl 3LP box, a black vinyl 3LP box and a 3CD box, with the colour edition listing at about $99 in the US.

On vinyl, each album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in its own gatefold sleeve with a printed inner sleeve. In the limited edition the three records are pressed in clear, white and cream vinyl. Every format includes three 8 x 10 photo prints with notes from Paul about each album, an introduction from Paul, and a slipcase whose art and typography are by the American artist Ed Ruscha. That last detail gives the set its character: Ruscha's lettering turns the box into a piece of design in its own right.

The albums are presented in their standard running orders, about 117 minutes of music in total, with no bonus tracks, demos or alternate mixes. If you want the outtakes, the 2011 Paul McCartney Archive Collection editions of McCartney and McCartney II are still the place to go, and the remix companion McCartney III Imagined (2021) is not part of this set either.

The idea of a trilogy only took shape in 2020, when Paul gave his lockdown album the McCartney III title. Each time, circumstances had left him alone in a studio with time on his hands: in 1970 the end of the Beatles, in 1979 the winding down of Wings, and in 2020 a pandemic that cancelled his touring plans, including a scheduled Glastonbury headline slot. That gives the box a stronger concept than most reissue sets can claim.

The Albums: Three Snapshots of Paul Alone

McCartney, released in April 1970 just as the Beatles were ending, was recorded between December 1969 and February 1970, largely at home in St John's Wood on a Studer four-track machine, with further sessions at Morgan Studios and at Abbey Road, where Paul booked time under the name Billy Martin. It is loose and domestic, with Linda's presence everywhere, and it contains 'Maybe I'm Amazed', 'Every Night', 'Junk' and 'That Would Be Something'. It spent three weeks at No.1 in the US and reached No.2 in the UK.

McCartney II, released in May 1980, was recorded in the summer of 1979 at Paul's farm in Sussex and at his studio in Scotland, as Wings was winding down. It is Paul's most experimental album, full of synthesizers, varispeed vocals and home-studio tinkering. 'Coming Up' reached No.2 in the UK, 'Waterfalls' reached No.9, and 'Temporary Secretary', which charted nowhere on release, has since become a cult favourite with electronic musicians. The album reached No.1 in the UK and No.3 in the US.

McCartney III, released on 18 December 2020, was made during the first COVID lockdown at Paul's Hog Hill Mill studio in Sussex, though a few pieces predate it: 'When Winter Comes' was produced by George Martin in 1992. It mixes rockers like 'Slidin'' and 'Find My Way' with the eight-minute 'Deep Deep Feeling' and the gentle 'Women and Wives'. It went to No.1 in the UK and No.2 in the US. His next solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, did not arrive until May 2026; our review of The Boys of Dungeon Lane picks up that story.

Sound and Pressing

The box presents the original album mixes, not new ones. McCartney and McCartney II were both remastered for the 2011 Archive Collection editions, which were well received, and McCartney III was a modern digital-era recording to begin with, so the audio is consistent across the set. These albums were never about hi-fi polish: McCartney in particular has a homemade, four-track sound that is part of its appeal, and no remaster will make it sound like Abbey Road.

The 180-gram pressings are well suited to regular play. Colour vinyl is a matter of taste; some collectors prefer black for listening and colour for display, and the box was also sold in black. If sound and playability matter most, the black edition is the safer choice, and it leaves you free to play the records without worrying about devaluing a limited pressing. Whichever you pick, give the discs a clean before the first play, since new pressings often carry dust and static from the paper sleeve.

For how these pressings compare with original 1970 and 1980 copies and other McCartney reissues, see our guide to the best McCartney vinyl pressings.

Packaging and Extras: The Ed Ruscha Slipcase

Ed Ruscha is one of the best-known American artists of his generation, famous for his word paintings and graphic lettering since the 1960s, and his involvement makes this more than a simple repackage. The slipcase stands out on a shelf, and it has become one of the more distinctive McCartney collectibles of recent years.

The three photo prints, each with a note from Paul about the album it represents, are a thoughtful touch, and Paul's introduction frames the trilogy as three albums made decades apart. That said, there is no book, no poster set and no bonus disc, which is why our Extras score is modest. A short booklet with session photos from each era would have lifted the set considerably.

The limited colour edition is the one collectors target, and secondhand sellers typically ask more for it than for the black edition. If you want one to keep sealed, that is the version to buy while it is still available at retail.

Which Format Should You Buy?

For vinyl collectors, the limited colour 3LP is the most collectable and costs about $99 at list. The black 3LP is usually cheaper and is the better choice if you plan to play the records often. The 3CD box is the budget option and includes the same photo prints and Ruscha slipcase.

If you already own all three albums on vinyl, think carefully. The box adds packaging and prints, not music. If you own McCartney and McCartney II but not III, the box is an attractive way to fill the gap and get a matching set.

The box also makes a good gift for a fan who owns the Beatles records but has never gone deep into Paul's solo work. It appears in our list of gifts for McCartney fans for that reason.

Who It's For

This set is for fans who love the intimate, home-made side of Paul: the man alone with a four-track, a drum kit and a head full of ideas. It is not for collectors who want rarities; for those, the Archive Collection deluxe editions remain essential. But as a single shelf-friendly way to own the trilogy, with packaging that suits the music, it does its job well.

The three records differ sharply in mood. McCartney is a newly married man at home with a young family; McCartney II is a restless experimenter who has just discovered sequencers and drum machines; McCartney III is a 78-year-old songwriter with nothing to prove who still wants to play every instrument himself. The common thread is curiosity. If you already love one of the three, the box is a good nudge to spend time with the other two.

A suggested first listen: play the three albums in order over one afternoon. Hearing the four-track warmth of 1970 give way to the synthesizer experiments of 1980 and the lockdown focus of 2020 shows how consistent Paul's instincts have stayed across half a century, including his habit of leaving the rough edges in.