REVIEWS
WINGS
WINGS OVER AMERICA
Capitol/UMe
*****
PAUL MCCARTNEY
CHOBA B CCCP
Capitol/UMe
****
PAUL MCCARTNEY
PAUL IS LIVE
Capitol/UMe
***
PAUL MCCARTNEY
AMOEBA GIG
Capitol/UMe
****
The latest releases in the ongoing Paul McCartney reissue program are three live albums and one live in the studio effort; each is available digitally, on CD and on both black and limited-edition 180 gram colored vinyl.
1976’s semi-legendary, triple-disc Wings Over America is certainly one of the most revered live albums of the decade, and McCartney’s first-ever live release. Enough time had passed since Wings’ inception—and enough hits had been garnered by Macca and company—to allow for a sprinkling of Beatles classics in the setlist, including “Yesterday,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” and a few others. The performances are across-the-board-solid (the late Jimmy McCulloch in particular shines on lead guitar), and the audience enthusiasm is more than palpable, especially on The Beatles tunes and hits such as “My Love,” Band on the Run” and “Hi, Hi, Hi.” The only question Maccaphiles might be asking is, “Again?” since Wings Over America was just reissued in 2013 as part of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection series.
The LP versions of the 2019 issue contain the original souvenir poster, with the three colored vinyl LPs presented in transparent red, green and blue. (One wonders why red, white and blue were not chosen, since the original release dates from the year of the U.S. Bicentennial.)
, originally released exclusively on vinyl in Russia in late 1988 (and worldwide three years later) was recorded in just two days in the summer of ’87 by McCartney and crack sidemen Mick Green (guitar), Mick Gallagher (keyboards), Chris Whitten (drums), Nick Garvey (bass), and Henry Spinetti (drums). The 2019 version is a straight, 11-track reissue of the original Russian album, meaning it excises three tracks that were added to subsequent worldwide releases: Fats Domino’s “I’m Gonna Be a Wheel Someday” and “I’m in Love Again,” and George and Ira Gershwin’s standard “Summertime.”
