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| Band On The Run (1973); Album Discussion Thread | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 30 2006, 11:16 AM (380 Views) | |
| Mark Stephen Baker | Jul 16 2008, 04:46 AM Post #16 |
He likes cheese
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1. When did you first hear Band On The Run? Did you buy it for yourself and approximately how old were you? Band On The Run was part of a bundle of about 10 McCartney albums I bought from a car boot sale in about 1991 making me about 18. I bought the C.D. when the first batch of 8 McCartney re-issues came out when I was 20. 2. What were your first impressions of the album and what is your opinion of this album now? I would like to say that as someone who no preconceptions or recieved knowledge of which Macca albums were good or bad I still found this to be one of my favorites although I did prefer Venus And Mars, Tug Of War and Flowers In The Dirt. It would certainly appear to be the album that opened the flood gates for Wings. It reamains one of my favorite Macca albums and still sounds fresh on each listening. 3. If you care to, please rate the tracks out of 10 (1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest); 1. Band On The Run - 10 2. Jet - 7 3. Bluebird - 10 4. Mrs. Vanderbilt - 8 5. Let Me Roll It - 7 6. Mamunia - 8 7. No Words - 7 8. Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me) - 8 9. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five - 7 McCartney Collection Bonus Tracks 10. Helen Wheels - 8 11. Country Dreamer - 6 n.b. U.S. release originally included 'Helen Wheels', so all of those who purchased the original U.S. album would consider it an album track & not a 'bonus track'. 4. Which is your favourite and least favourite track? Please give reasons & please don't include the 'bonus tracks'! I think Bluebird is my favorite although it may only beat Band On The Run as that song is so familiar from so many Macca compilations and live albums. Jet also feels over familiar these days and not as good as the multi-layered Band On The Run even though Paul is quite obviously singing my name in it. |
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| Andy | Apr 29 2009, 07:08 PM Post #17 |
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Here is my amazon review for Band On The Run. Any "helpful votes" at amazon gratefully received, as always, if you think the review is worth it. Thanks. :) --- Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings "I hope you're having fun..." “Band On The Run” is largely regarded as Paul McCartney best post-Beatles album. Although I’m not sure that I can agree with that wholeheartedly, I do concur that it is certainly one of his best, each track being melodic, memorable and amongst his very finest compositions from every stage of his career. With Wings guitarist Henry McCulloch quitting the band a few weeks before they were due to fly out to and drummer Denny Seiwell quitting literally the day before, the album was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria in September/October 1973 by the trio of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine, with Paul undertaking drumming duties. With the Lagos studio poorly equipped, Paul and Linda robbed and nearly killed by local criminals and the band down to what was to be the core members, it is somewhat of a triumph over adversity that it turned out so well. The opening song and title track, “Band On The Run” remains one of Paul’s best known compositions and it is so famous that it is sometimes easy to take it for granted and forget just how good it is. A song in three parts, the wistful initial “Stuck inside these four walls” part sets the scene perfectly for the frustrated “If we ever get out of here” section which leads to the “escape”. It really is outstanding songwriting and a fantastic performance. The equally famous “Jet” comes next and is insanely catchy and a brilliant song, despite the nonsense lyrics (the Major being a little lady suffragette, for example) which were written about either McCartney’s horse or his Labrador Retriever, depending on which source you read - most repeat the shaggy dog story. “Bluebird” is a gentle, beautiful love song, although I have to admit to preferring the version on the 1976 live album “Wings Over America” mainly because of the percussion on the studio version and the way Linda’s backing vocals sound. It’s still a very lovely track with a delicious saxophone solo, though. The brilliantly written “Mrs. Vandebilt” is one of my favourite tracks on the album, having a catchy, stomping beat and a hooky vocal refrain of “Ho Hey Ho” which carries on going through your mind days after hearing the song. It features some great drumming by Paul as well. The next track, “Let Me Roll It”, said to have a been a tribute to (or parody of) the Plastic Ono Band’s musical style, is a fabulous song full of light and shade, boasting an excellent rock guitar riff and a silvery organ sound. “Mamunia” (meaning “Safe Haven” in Arabic) is a toe-tapping, laid back song with a lovely tumbling acoustic guitar line. Although it took a little while to grow on me, “No Words” (co-written with Denny Laine) features a wonderful full, driving guitar riff, is complemented by tasteful orchestration and I love it as much as anything else on this album. Possibly my least favourite track on this collection is the melodic “Picasso’s Last Words”, which was reputedly written in front of Dustin Hoffman who was asked to suggest a lyric, but it is still a very good song indeed. Leaving the best until last, the magnificent “Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five” rounds off the album with a sensational piano riff, a phenomenal burst of energy and a tremendous vocal performance from Paul. The orchestral climax is one of those truly exciting moments in music and provides the perfect coda for the near-perfect album. “Band On The Run” is one of the best places to start for those interested in Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles career. It is a remarkable, consistently enjoyable album with nearly every track a classic and certainly every song worth hearing again and again. Nearly every single above-average album Paul released after this record has been given the tagline “the best since ‘Band On The Run‘” by the music critics, so this album is obviously the benchmark by which all subsequent McCartney releases are judged, rightly or wrongly. One thing is for sure, it’s a cracking album and one of my favourites. Highly recommended. Link to Amazon review |
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3:28 AM Nov 27
