Label: Capitol Records (US), CDP 7 46675 2
Style: Classic Rock, Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (18 June 1942)
Time: 44:57
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 266 Mb
Charts: UK #1, AUS #1, BEL #4, GER #15, NLD #5, NOR #1, NZ #23, SWE #5, SWI #22, US #1. FRA: Gold; UK & CAN: Platinum; US: 3x Platinum.
The album is, of course, a defining piece of the 1970s as Paul McCartney shows off just how much talent he has...but things didn't look promising early on in the recording process.
McCartney wanted to record the music at a tropical location and picked Lagos, Nigeria; however, right before departing, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough left the band unexpectedly. With no time to recruit replacements, McCartney headed into the recording studio with just his wife and Denny Laine. Therefore, McCartney played bass, drums, other percussion instruments, and most of the lead guitar parts...yeah pretty insane if you ask me.
But the drama doesn't stop there: McCartney and his wife were robbed at knifepoint while walking down the streets of Lagos (political and social tensions were at an all-time high in the country...may not have been your brightest move to record here, Paul). The burglar took the band's bag of demo-tapes and song lyrics, causing the group to re-record multiple sections of the album back in London. Add all of this on top of a very poor recording studio in Lagos, and you got yourself a recipe for disaster...or so you'd think.
It seemed almost impossible to for Wings to please fans and critics alike in the past, as many people dubbed the band's early works as "underwhelming". With that being said, expectations still couldn't be higher for the album, as many people were still expecting the ex-Beatle to blow the roof off the Billboard charts. Through all of the trials and tribulations, McCartney and company were still able to craft what is now known as the group's finest album. Not only did the band meet the high expectations set by fans and critics, but they surpassed these expectations by leaps and bounds.
McCartney is without a doubt at his musical peak in this album, as he was forced to play multiple instruments on a whim. Songs like "Let Me Roll It", "Band On The Run", and "No Words" best exemplify the saronating yet crunchy guitar riffs constructed by McCartney for this record. McCartney also seemed to go back to his Beatles roots more in this album than previous Wings albums, as many of the background vocals, orchestral sequences, and harmonies are reminiscent of Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Unlike the previously mentioned Beatles' albums, Band On The Run benefits the most from a FULLY evolved and multi-instrumental Paul McCartney. Although many critics agree the album is quite enjoyable and is a vast improvement from previous albums like Wildlife, they also believe this album is, "more showmanship than content". I can agree with this statement on tracks like "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)", but I truly don't think it takes away from the overall quality of the album's content. McCartney had every right to show off on this album. Without a majority of his supporting cast by his side, McCartney had to add flair to almost every part he replaced, and it truly worked! You can just hear how much he has grown as a musician, and one can't help but bob their head to each track.
All in all, Band On The Run was a true spectacle in an era of newly developed pop-rock acts. The album truly feels like a classic, Beatles-inspired journey filled with giant orchestral sequences and grounded rock balads, but with an even finer-tuned Paul McCartney at the helm. Not only is it the best album by Wings, but it's also in contention for the best album made by a Beatles member.
(reddit.com/r/LetsTalkMusic/comments/t3okhx/lets_talk_about_band_on_the_run_by_wings/)
01. Band On The Run (05:14)
02. Jet (04:09)
03. Bluebird (03:25)
04. Mrs. Vandebilt (04:41)
05. Let Me Roll It (04:51)
06. Mamunia (04:50)
07. No Words (02:38)
08. Helen Wheels (03:47)
09. Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me) (05:51)
10. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (05:28)
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