REVIEWS

It’s no secret that Paul McCartney has had a hand in some of the finest, most innovative singles of the rock and roll era, both with The Beatles and during his storied solo career, which is now well into its sixth decade. One could make a strong case for bestowing the title of the Greatest Record Ever Made upon such 7-inch legends as “Paperback Writer”/“Rain,” “Penny Lane”/“Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Hey Jude”/“Revolution” or even “We Can Work It Out”/“Day Tripper.”

But Sir Paul certainly did not misplace his hit-making mojo or songwriting magic after The Beatles split in 1970; au contraire, he was churning out some of the tastiest ear candy to hit the airwaves and the charts in the ’70s and ’80s (with and without Wings). While singles such as “Jet,” “Band on the Run,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Junior’s Farm” and “My Brave Face” (to name but a handful) may not carry the same aura of coolness as The Beatles tunes for some, they still stand as top-drawer songs and rank as some of McCartney’s best-ever efforts released via the 45 RPM format. And while the Top 10 singles chart action may have ceased (for the most part) for McCartney in the U.S. and the U.K. by the end of the ’80s, his gift for melody and crafting catchy singles has continued unabated.

That’s one of the many reasons why the limited edition is such a treat: Aside from the fact that it’s beautifully appointed (we’ll get to that in a sec), it contains an amazing cross-section of material from 1971 (the sweet character study “Another Day,” backed with the raging “Oh Woman, Oh Why”) to the present day (the Lead Belly-influenced “Women