Customer Reviews

Wingspan Hits And History

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(93)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Lots of good memories among the tracks on this disk. I rather missed songs like "Magneto and Titanium Man," but any collection I didn't make will leave off some of my favourites. The big hits are here, and there are enough tracks I've never heard before to round things out.

As a relative newcomer to the work Sir Paul did with Linda and his band after he left The Beatles, I used to be only a casual fan of Paul's work, listening to it mostly on the school bus going to and from school. However, when I saw this 2 CD set I sat up and took notice right away because I had a good hunch that there was quality to it. And from a newcomer's perspective I was right! GRIN

The first CD consists mostly of the songs I remember hearing on the radio in the 1970s. There are fantastic songs such as "Listen To What The Man Said," "Silly Love Songs," and "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." The listener also has the beautifully mellow "Mull Of Kintyre" paired up with the ever so aggressive "Live And Let Die" from a James Bond movie.

The second CD offers the beautiful "The Lovely Linda," "Maybe I'm Amazed," and "Venus and Mars/Rockshow" (from the album Venus and Mars).

Overall, this is an excellent retrospective for the newcomer or casual fan who wants to hear more of Paul's work or have a small encapsulation of his work with his peers. However, as many other reviewers have noted, even a relative newcomer like myself knows that there can be no way that 2 CDs alone can TRULY be a thorough retrospective of what Paul and the other great artists together have produced. Thus a complete retrospective this is not. Because I can't give 4  stars I give this 2 CD set 4 stars and hope along with many others that a FULL set of Paul's work is released for his fans soon!

Paul McCartney is my favorite ex-Beatle for good reason: There isn't a lot he can't do musically, from changing his voice to his amazing ability to manage so many different instruments, not to mention he has great songwriting chops. Unfortunately, you sometimes get the impression that he's overwhelmed by his own talent, and that makes it easier to figure out what motivates him to put out stuff that can't be labelled any other way than pompous drivel. It would seem most McCartney fans are agreed on this point, because each one has a different idea of what is good or bad about his music. One thing you definitely can't say is that, though he has a signature sound, he repeats himself.

This two-cd set's release, launched by a highly publicized and highly forgotten ABC interview with his daughter Mary, sold more due to hype than actual content. Sure, you get all the hits, but I have yet to meet a McCartney fan that likes all of his hits. He's just too broadscale to appeal to everyone in the same way. For instance, I don't care if I never hear the lounge lizard stylings of "Goodnight Tonight" or the aggrivatingly hoarse yelping of "Coming Up" ever again. Some people probably can't stand "Silly Love Songs" or "My Love," so I'll like both for them.

Now, certainly, I'm pleased with this collection in general, but I don't understand the inclusion of boring "Waterfalls" or the awful remix of "No More Lonely Nights." I do love that he included my favorite of all his songs, the beautifully jazzy "Take it Away" and the great Smokey Robinson flavored "Girlfriend." What's missing here, though, is a lot of great material that can't be covered by a two-disc compilation. I would love to see great songs on here like "Arrow Through Me," "Baby's Request," "Only Love Remains," "Ballroom Dancing," and "Somebody Who Cares." There are more that I can't think of right now, but other people have their favorites as well that have nothing to do with mine.

Yes, this is a good collection for all practical purposes, but I think I speak for lots of Macca fans when I say we want more.
Since he took liberties and included material that had nothing to do with Wings, is it asking too much for his next collection to include twice as many cd's? In the meantime, get yourself a copy of his 1982 album Tug of War and hear what a very nearly perfect McCartney disc is all about.

I got this with the 3-D cover just to add to my collection. However, I DID play this and was quite pleased with the selections and the quality of the cd.

I myself would likened to have seen some of his more obscure tunes here as you could only get those on the limited series that were put out on Parolophone sometime in the mid '90's. That I think may have attracted more buyers.

All in all this is a fair sampling of Paul McCartney who has kept us listening for all these years. A definite must have for any fan of the embodiment of Sir Paul.

This album is a testament to the overwhelming song writing skills that Paul McCartney actually had, and still has. With Wings, McCartney had six number one albums and six number one hits here in the U.S. alone. That's an amazing accomplishment in just a ten year period.

This album is the best of all that wrapped up into one collection, and it is one of the best CD's ever released; in my opinion anyway. If you are a big fan of Paul McCartney and Wings, then you will not want to be without this album. It contains all of their number one hits, and all of their top ten hits, and every other hit song in between. Each song has a life of its own, each with different melodies, turns, twists, effects, and movements, making each song quite unique (one of the reasons McCartney is a master song writer).

Some of the better songs on the CD include 'Another Day' (one of my personal favorites), Mull of Kintyre, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Let 'em In, No More Lonely Nights, and the early song Junk (another one of my personal favorites) and many more. I highly recommend this CD.

When I first heard that Paul McCartney's Wingspan was going to released, I was thinking, "Great! A long-awaited 5 CD box set of Paul McCartney's solo and Wings hits together with LOTS of rarities, b-sides, live tracks, and of course unreleased material! This is what I REALLY waited for!" When I found out it was just two CDs with many hits and previously released material, I was thinking, "Oh, maybe this is NOT I thought it was going to be!"

However, I do give it 5 stars because it's the best 2 CD collection you can get and it's still enjoyable. Even if you bought "Wings Greatest (1978)" and/or "All The Best (1987)", you still may want this. There is only one page of liner notes which only sums up the Wings era (~1971-1981), but there are lots of pictures which you might not have seen before.

As my title indicates, so much is missing that you can pick and choose what should have been here. In my opinion, the live version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" should of been used instead of the studio version. On a rare occasion that I hear it on the radio, I turn the volume up!

Overall, I DO like this, but the next step is definitely a 5 CD box set. At least some of his original albums like "Band On The Run" has been remastered. It's a start.

Hmmm. . .for a Wings greatest hits CD, this is a pretty good Paul McCartney best-of. It amazes me that they can anthologize this group and sell so short the contributions of Denny Laine, who any fan will know was the heart, soul, and muscles of Wings.

"Let Em In"? "Live and Let Die"? "Band on the Run"? I can live with these, definitely. But where are "Children Children"? "Time to Hide"? "Again and Again and Again"? Unjustly shelved, that's where they are. Making a Wings best of without Denny is akin to making a Beatles best of without John. You just don't do it. As a result, Wings will now continue to be seen mainly as a vehicle for Paul McCartney, when that simply isn't true. Wings was a band. A team. A unit.

Now if you'll forgive me, I'm going to go listen to my own self-made version of Wingspan - the DENNY-FIED version!

John Lennon focused on politics and autobiography with a backbeat after the Beatles. Paul McCartney, on the other hand, kept exploring different musical styles and sounds, creating colourful "silly love songs" with his wife Linda by his side, who gave him moral support... and backing keyboards! Together with various lineups of like-minded musicians, they formed Wings, who were together for the best part of the 1970s. This 2-disc set, released at the same time as the Wingspan DVD, brings together more or less the best of this period of Paul's career.

The first "Hits" disc is just that, all the Wings and McCartney hits. Popular songs that were well known and well loved from the era. My personal favourites from this disc are the laid back, saxophone laced "Listen to What the Man Said", the tense, orchestral "Live and Let Die", and the clever disco tune "Goodnight Tonight", and the silly "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey". Also worth a mention are "Band on the Run" the definitive Wings song, the soaring ballad "Pipes of Peace", the massive folky hit "Mull of Kintyre" and the rocking "Jet".

Some might complain about the absence of the Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson collaborations ("The Girl is Mine" and "Say Say Say"), but then it's not surprising they're not there, considering the soured realtionship between the two over rights to Beatle songs.

The "History" disc contains tracks that Paul McCartney considers part of his best from the Post-Beatles/Wings era. I wish the liner notes said why Paul chose these particular songs. There are some well-liked album cuts, like the romantic plod "Let Me Roll It", the subdued "Junk", the ditzy road rocker "Helen Wheels", and the floating ballad "Bluebird".

The rest of the tracks seem to be there as they best highlight Paul's, Linda's and the band's feelings at the time. They're not in any particular order, which is a shame, because if they were put chronologically it would sound like a sonic diary of Wings. Ah well, nothing a bit of playlist programming can't fix.

His post-Beatles depression is felt in "Every Night". His reclusive, post Beatle life in the country is put into song on folksy ballads "Man We Was Lonely" and "Heart of the Country". His love for his caring, supportive wife Linda is heard loud and clear on "Maybe I'm Amazed" and slightly sillier on "The Lovely Linda". The touring musicians life is reflected in the stomping "Venus and Mars/Rock Show". On "Tug of War", "Take it Away" (featuring Ringo Starr) and "No More Lonely Nights", we hear Paul getting on with life after Wings. He still had (and has) plenty of energy left in him.

Included as a bonus track on the second disc is a home recorded medley of "Bip Bop" and "Hey Diddle" by Paul and Linda (with some giggling from little Mary) that featured in the Wingspan documentary. It's been cleaned up pretty well, considering it was recorded outside as part of a home movie.

Despite the liner notes being basic, they do feature some great pics of the band, in all their many line-ups, and an essay from that Beatlemaniac Mark Lewisohn.

This is a great introduction for someone wanting to get into Paul, and is a great companion piece to the Wingspan DVD. Those nostalgic for the 1970s should also give this a listen, a few of these tracks were radio staples back then.

(Music: 5 Stars; Compilation: 3 Stars)

There can be no denying the genius of Paul McCartney's music over the years. This is the 3rd hit compilation of Macca's career, and while the quality of the individual songs is stellar, I am bewildered by the "Wingspan" compilation (2 CDs, 153 min.).

CD1 "Hits" (18 tracks, 75 min.) is just that: a compilation of the best known songs, overlapping greatly with earlier compilations "Wings Greatest" and "All the Best". A shame that a dud like "No More Lonely Nights" is included instead of, say, "Mary Had a Little Lamb", a genuine hit in 1972 and Wings' second single ever. Also beware: "Junior's Farm" and "With a Little Luck" appear in the (shorter) single version. CD2 "History" (22 tracks, 78 min.) is a hodgepodge without any apparent rhyme or reason ("a collection of some of my favorite songs" says Paul in the (skimpy) liner notes). The track sequencing is incomprehensible (for example "Take it Away" is sandwiched between 3 songs from the "McCartney" album, and thus sounds totally out of place). Adding insult to injury, it includes an alternative version of the afore-mentioned dud "No More Lonely Nights". On the plus side, it does include an unissued version of "Bip Bop" of the underrated "Wings Wild Life" album. Conspicuously MIA are "Girls' School", "Arrow Through Me", "Ballroom Dancing", "Deliver Your Children" and some other notable singles.

The "History" CD is a missed opportunity for the not-so-casual Macca fan to gather some real key singles and more obscure B-sides and essential album tracks in one place. That Wings' first single "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" is not included in a 40 track compilation on Wings is just plain silly. Other missing "must-haves": "I Lie Around" (excellent B-side of "Live and Let Die"), "The Mess" (B-side of "My Love"), "Little Woman Love" (B-side of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"), "Mama's Little Girl" (1972 track issued as B-side to "Put it There" in 1990), "Country Dreamer" (B-side to "Helen Wheels"), and "Oh Woman, Oh Why" (B-side of "Another Day"). All these tracks can be found on the various remastered Wings albums issued some years ago in the UK and available here as an import.

"Wingspan" ultimately misses the point: too overreaching for the casual Macca fan, and not comprehensive enough for the avid Macca fun. Maybe they'll get it right on the 4th try.

This is by far the best Paul McCartney/Wings best of available!!! 2 Cd's full of classics!!! Lots of hits and key album tracks on two shiny discs!!! Nice booklet too!!! AWESOME!!! A+