Band On The Run by Paul McCartney & Wings

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The album that we will be discussing at the November 70's Listening Group will be


Band On The Run (1973) by Paul McCartney & Wings

The previous albums were

Aladdin Sane by David Bowie (December)
Abraxas by Santana (January)
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (February)
Bad Girls by Donna Summer (March)
Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones (May)
Every Picture Tells A Story by Rod Stewart (June)
Aja, Countdown To Ecstasy & Can't But A Thrill by Steely Dan (July)
Darkness On The Edge Of Town by Bruce Springsteen (October)

Any thoughts or comments on this album greatly appreciated. I will be posting my own over the next two months
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Band on the Run

The album starts off with an absolute banger of a track and probably the best track on the album.

Some might find it jarring but I love the three distinct sections to the track, youโ€™re getting three songs for the price of one. The track is beautifully constructed with no jarring. By that I mean that although you have three separate sections, they feel like they gel.

It feels experimental but also familiar.

Iโ€™ve heard it described as a masterpiece. Pretty close Iโ€™d say. Itโ€™s certainly McCartneyโ€™s best solo song of his career.


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  • โค๏ธ albummaster
Jet

The second track on Band On The Run is another banging track. The guitar riffs on here are fantastic. It very much feels that, despite the challenging environment that the recording took place in, the band were on a creating roll here.

There is a lot of rock and a smattering of glam going on here. Itโ€™s a great track


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Folks who are interested in background info and trivia related to this LP should check out the bonus CD and liner notes that came with the 25th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition in 1999, which I guess is simply called The Making of Band on the Run. Youtube has all the tracks from it in this playlist... They interviewed all sorts of people, including Kristeen Young's current bass player, Tony Visconti (who did the orchestrations on the title track, "Jet," and a couple of others but wasn't credited on the album itself), and nearly everyone who was in the cover photo.

There's even a scandal involved with the album cover that I didn't know about until today โ€”ย apparently Sir Clement Freud, a grandson of Sigmund Freud and the guy whose right hand is on Linda's shoulder in the photo, was investigated after his death for multiple cases of child sexual abuse and pedophilia. Presumably Paul & Linda et al didn't know about (and couldn't have predicted) any of this in 1973 and he might not have actually started abusing children until much later, but it's still a bit problematic, album-wise. It's like I've always said, never put psychology people on your album covers! (Actually, this is probably the first time I've said that.)
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Thanks for contributing to the discursion Madhattan. Really appreciate you taking the time to do this
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Bluebird

Another great track. Far less in your face and a simpler, mostly acoustic track than the opening two tracks itโ€™s a laid-back piece but still an excellent track.

Itโ€™s got some great hooks and the arrangement is 1st class

I saw it described as having a "lightweight touchโ€. I like that description. I think that sums it up pretty well


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Mrs. Vandebilt

I do quite like this track but itโ€™s not up to the quality of the tracks either side of it on the album. Itโ€™s not a bad track, and portably more McCartney Beatles era than others on the album. Sort of fall into the novelty / quirky end of the musical spectrum


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Let Me Roll It

Another outstanding track from Band On The Run.

A great, staccato guitar riff elevates the track and the vocal delivery is top draw.


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Mamunia aka Safe Haven

An atypical, Quirky, Paul McCartney pop song and despite this, I really rather enjoy this song.

If a track can have a feeling this is rather airy and light


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No Words

Not a bad track but a bit of a throwaway / filler track for me. Nothing to get my teeth into here Iโ€™m afraid


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