laura10801's Full Review: Wingspan: Hits and History by Paul McCartney
Over the years I have had several “my group” bands. Bands or artists who I just love and can do no wrong (almost) in my eyes. In order for a performer to be considered one of “my groups” I must have bought at least a few of their albums and their music must speak to me in some meaningful manner. I don’t know what that special “speaking to me” entails, specifically, but I know it when I experience it.
Examples of “my groups” over the years have included Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, U2, Depeche Mode, David Bowie (not a group, but still an obsession), The Who, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. The Beatles were probably my first “my group.” I loved them all, but Paul McCartney was my favorite. This favoritism spilled over into a love of Wings. I loved all things Paul for years and had almost every Paul McCartney and/or Wings album. I eventually outgrew Paul… actually I got disillusioned, because I didn’t like what he was producing at the time and I stopped being a fan. Secretly, though, Paul McCartney’s earlier stuff remained a guilty pleasure.
Wingspan (Hits and History) is a 2 CD set, chronicling various songs from Paul’s post Beatles career. To my dismay, I find that many of the songs (especially from the 1970’s) sound dated. However, this is truly the most essential, best-of style chronicle of Paul’s career and there are a lot of gems mixed in.
Hits:
1. Listen To What The Man Said
2. Band On The Run
3. Another Day
4. Live And Let Die
5. Jet
6. My Love
7. Silly Love Songs
8. Pipes Of Peace
9. C Moon
10. Hi Hi Hi
11. Let 'Em In
12. Goodnight Tonight
13. Junior's Farm
14. Mull of Kintyre
15. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
16. With A Little Luck
17. Coming Up
18. No More Lonely Nights
History:
1. Let Me Roll It
2. The Lovely Linda
3. Daytime Nightime Suffering
4. Maybe I'm Amazed
5. Helen Wheels
6. Bluebird
7. Heart Of The Country
8. Every Night
9. Take It Away
10. Junk
11. Man We Was Lonely
12. Venus And Mars/Rockshow
13. Back Seat Of My Car
14. Rockestra Theme
15. Girlfriend
16. Waterfalls
17. Tomorrow
18. Too Many People
19. Call Me Back Again
20. Tug Of War
21. Medley: Bip Bop/Hey Diddle/I Am Your Singer
22. No More Lonely Nights
I am perplexed by some of the choices of what went on the CDs. Some of the “History” songs, like Maybe I’m Amazed and Helen Wheels were released as singles and were hits, so I don’t really understand the criteria used here. Similarly some of the “Hits,” like C Moon, were not exactly big in the USA, if anywhere. Also, some of Paul’s best work is ignored, while some of his schlockiest stuff made it. Go figure.
Of the 4 Beatles Paul was the one to write melodious love songs. That is not to say he can’t rock, but the melodies are what he was more known for. This was a man who was proud to stand right up on the cut, Silly Love Songs and say:
You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs
But I look around me and I see it isn't so
Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs
And what's wrong with that I'd like to know, 'cause here I go again
Yes it is indeed a silly love song, and it is insipid, but how many people openly admit that is what they write and take pride in it? Paul does, and I respect that. I also think this is a catchy tune, so if you must be insipid, let it be catchy.
The majority of songs on these CD’s don’t pretend to be anything very deep or profound. Listen to What the Man Said, With A Little Luck, Let Em In, and No More Lonely Nights are pretty fluffy and mindless. I can’t say I love them.
Band On The Run, from the album of the same name, is also a catchy little tune, with some nifty guitar riffs by Denny Laine. It has a lot of whimsy to it, as it tells the story of a band (Wings I assume) breaking out of jail and being on the lam forever.
Live And Let Die, the theme from the James Bond film of the same name, is proof that despite being an expert balladeer, Paul McCartney knows how to rock. You may remember the band Guns N Roses did a cover version of this song back in the 1980’s, but I think Paul’s version is best. Other rocking songs on this set include Jet, the “Rockshow” part of Venus and Mars/ Rockshow, Rockestra Theme, and Helen Wheels.
There are a couple of songs with an undercurrent of anger at the break up of The Beatles. It has been said that the song Too Many People from the album “Ram,” may have had a few digs for John Lennon, and Paul did admit that Ram had some songs which were directed at John:
That was your first mistake
You took your lucky break and broke it in two
Now, what can be done for you?
You broke it in two
Ooh, too many people preaching practices
Don't let them tell you what you wanna be
Too many people holding back, this is
Crazy and, baby, it's not like me
That was your last mistake
I find my love awake and waiting to be
Now, what can be done for you?
She’s waiting for me.
Lennon may have returned the digs with his song How do You Sleep, in which he accuses Paul of writing Muzak. But, I digress…
One of Paul’s first, and one of his best, post Beatles ballads was My Love. A far cry from Muzak, this song is a power ballad, boldly and sincerely expressing love and devotion. Paul has often said that all of his love songs were about Linda. That love must have been mighty powerful! That intense love must have been what drove Paul to include that terrible song The Lovely Linda on this anthology. Sentimental and stupid, it reminds me of the kind of thing a besotted teenager might write for his girlfriend. Not good, but I forgive you, Paul.
Aside from My Love, my favorite love songs on this anthology include Every Night, Back Seat of my Car, and Let Me Roll It, which was mistaken for a drug song by some back in the marijuana tinged 1970’s, it’s not:
I can’t tell you how I feel
My heart is like a wheel
Let me roll it, let me roll it
Let me roll it to you
As I mentioned earlier, I was a Paul fan, but I became disillusioned. I loved Paul, and I will always have a special place in my heart for him, but I got fed up with his schlock. I had a hard time with the song Goodnight Tonight, which I considered dangerously close to being disco, but the last straw for me was Coming Up, which was just too disco/poppy for the teen who was embracing Pink Floyd and David Bowie. I was horrified by Say, Say, Say, which he performed with Michael Jackson, and thankfully, it is not on this anthology. I wasn’t thrilled with Paul’s duet with Stevie Wonder, Ebony and Ivory, either; you won’t find that here either.
The rest of the songs on this CD set are not that remarkable, except that they are representational of Paul McCartney’s general work. If you like Paul McCartney and you have all of his albums on LP instead of CD, you will definitely want to buy this CD set. Or, if you just want an overview of his career, this CD set is for you.
In the space of nine years Wings soared to international success with 17 million-seller singles, five USA No.1 albums and eventually a USA stadium sho...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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