Paul Mccartney, Wings - Band on the Run: 25th Anniversary Edition

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Free Music Notes for Band on the Run: 25th Anniversary Edition

Free Music Review: They never will be found
Hit: 5 Stars

The departures of a drummer and a lead guitarist, the awful troubles they found in their weird studio location (hard weather, health troubles, hostility of Nigeria's inhabitants) would have made anyone mad. But for every adversity (as Mark Lewisohn's article says in the booklet of this newly-packaged album), the album noted a success, and a new improvement in the music they were developing. The number of adversities was high, so the album is nearly perfect, and can only be paired with "Ram" in the scale of the best Paul/Wings albums.

The concept of this album is simple: you must enjoy the simple things on life. Love, nature, everything... "What's the use of worrying". That simple pattern of life and philosophy is what directs Paul McCartney's solo carrer from 1970 until now. That's why he's a home-man, as he first established clearly in his first LP "McCartney". A coincidence with that album is that Paul also drums here in all songs, and his work is equally amazing. He also shares the guitar parts with Denny, plays bass, makes all the lead vocals, shares the keyboards with Linda, produces and arranges the album and takes care of the overdubbing made later in England.

Of the tracks, (all of them except one composed by Paul and Linda), there is nothing to reject. "Band On The Run" is a rock anthem and a masterpiece of popular music. Its musical structure is complicated but simple, intrincate but fun, experimental but listenable. Vocals, guitars and the orchesta part fit perfectly with each other. "Jet" and "Helen Wheels" are rockers, perfectly driven by McCartney's vocals and Linda's keyboard riffs. "Bluebird" and "Mamunia" are the acoustic side of the album, always present, and always welcomed. These are songs with beautiful harmonies and messages of peace, love and mutual understanding. I don't know what "Mrs.Vanderbilt" could be about, but still it's a great and very catchy track. "Let Me Roll It" is an unforgettable piece of rocky blues that reminds you of Beatle John, but very in the style of Paul McCartney. It has aged very well. My favourite one is the McCartney/Laine collaboration "No Words", a simple love song with a gorgeous melody and brilliant orchestral arrangements. The McCartney simplicity in the writing is accompained by harmonies that can really shake you. "Picasso's Last Words" is an interesting "sound collage" and an experiment that finds here a great place to stay. And the grand-finale comes with "1985", a brilliant piece of straight rock conducted by Paul's piano (reminiscent of "Lady Madonna") and concluded with an overwhelming brass section that make you stand and applaud. The UK remastered version of this CD adds the beautiful "Country Dreamer" as a bonus track, but doesn't have the second "interview" CD that this new package has. So it's hard to pick one from those two...

A genial album like this never will be found again. The timing was right, the fruitful and fast-moving 70's gave Paul the opportunity to experiment and find the right things to do on his albums. Mistakes and bad songs were always there, but at some point he reached perfection. This album gave Paul the chance to be considered as a genius again, and it's still a favorite album to many people. The duality between simplicity and complexity is amazing (even John Lennon recognized that!), and you can't hear an album like this in these times, when the music is just a product and not the art expression it was before. Buy this record, you won't regret it. Songs like this "never will be found" again. Never.

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